My pride and joy back in 1990 (shame about all the junk in the windscreen . . . the folly of youth). Six speed gearbox, horrendously underpowered when coupled to a drawbar trailer.
This 2038 belongs to a local plant hire firm and is still used every day. They’ve also got a double drive '44 NG which only gets used when the big stuff needs moving. Rust isn’t much of a problem down here so trucks soldier on for decades.
~ Craig
mercman123:
Did the V 6 engine in the 1834 have one or two turbos ? I know the V8’s had two. Tony
Been in the attic found the brochure of the 18 sk Mercs . The left engine is the V6 and yes it has one turbo on the top like the Scania V8. Tony
Another picture from the brochure .Tony
Here’s a pic of one I got brand new in 89, it was a flying machine and I mostly ran to Austria and Italy with it, always heavy and always in a hurry, it never let me down once 
There was a very good artical in commercial motor on the 6/2/14 about the ng/sk mercs. It tells the history and that they are still being made in serbia and china
My Dad’s old SK,an 1834,was a good motor while he had it.
The last ‘proper Merc’ I drove was an NG 1633 in the '80s. I used to like the old NGs, which were comfortable and reliable (as many have already
said); but when the SK came along with that horrible EPS shift, I went off Mercedes for good. How I hated those EPS disasters!
One SK I was content to put up with for one trip to Fez in Morocco had a V8 500 lump and the high cab. It belonged to Dave Clarke of Cornwall
and it ironed out all those Spanish hills! It is pictured below. Robert
Cheers Dave
DIG:
0Good Day all
This is my pre retirement truck purchased for my last job as a round town clown.
Model 2650 V8 twin turbo 18 speed R/R 48000lb Diffs[I think] on 6 rod spring suspension
One of only 4 imported into West Aus , An excellent truck which I enjoyed operating.Cheers Dave
Absolutely! A proper gearbox like your 18sp FRR would completely transform a truck of that calibre into a beast to be proud of. Robert 
When the SK first came out, with its compulsory EPS transmission I firmly believed that if the British market had been given the CHOICE (of manual or EPS box), it would have remained loyal to the marque. As it was, it simply switched its collective allegiance to Scania. I still believe this a quarter of a century later. Willi Betz insisted on all his SKs being manual, while the rest of the world struggled with the crap EPS. Robert
DIG:
0Good Day all
This is my pre retirement truck purchased for my last job as a round town clown.
Model 2650 V8 twin turbo 18 speed R/R 48000lb Diffs[I think] on 6 rod spring suspension
One of only 4 imported into West Aus , An excellent truck which I enjoyed operating.Cheers Dave
very nice, can we have more pics of it please.
cheers
gaz
tetragaz:
DIG:
0Good Day all
This is my pre retirement truck purchased for my last job as a round town clown.
Model 2650 V8 twin turbo 18 speed R/R 48000lb Diffs[I think] on 6 rod spring suspension
One of only 4 imported into West Aus , An excellent truck which I enjoyed operating.Cheers Dave
very nice, can we have more pics of it please.
cheers
gaz
I have a few more Gaz you will probably find my grandson in them though,thanks for the interest.
cheers Dave
Here a few more Gaz taken at home,I have some that are work related but am unable to find them at present.
Cheers Dave
A real tidy Merc Dig . What do you use her for ? Tony
mercman123:
A real tidy Merc Dig . What do you use her for ? Tony
I griped and grumbled about Merc transmissions earlier so I won’t labour the point and spoil the thread. Suffice it to say that the 1626 was a great wagon spoilt by its frack-to-bunt ZF box; subsequent NG 1625s, 1633s etc were not helped by the stiff and unhelpful ZF Eco-split boxes; the SKs had the disastrous EPS; and the acking f**cktross had that awful unin’Teligent’ excuse for a semi-automated 'box. I drove 'em all and disliked them. Now to put a more positive spin on this apparently anti-Merc post, let me remind you that the good old South Africans solved the problem by putting 9 and 13-speed Fullers in their Mercedes-Benz tractors. Perfect! Just like DIG on this page, in Oz. Here is a nice picture of a South African MB with a 13-speed Fuller. Behold! It even looks more confident! Robert
DIG:
Here a few more Gaz taken at home,I have some that are work related but am unable to find them at present.Cheers Dave
thanks dave, it looks well nice, bet it sounds well mean through those twin stacks eh mate
cheers
gaz
mercman123:
A real tidy Merc Dig . What do you use her for ? Tony
Hi Tony
I purchased the Merc for local container off rail work around Perth but I also did some float work with it to Port Headland and worked on the Dampier Penisular servicing the off shore exploration industry for about 3 months.An excellent truck for manoverability but not as good as the american units in the long distance work due mainly to the heat build up into the cab making sleeping a swag job more comfortable in the simmer oops summer.
The truck had a 120 tonne rating and had done some road train work prior to me acquiring it and would have held its own in 2 trailer application but struggled with 3 trailers but single trailer operation excellent. The 18speed gear box and the 600litre fuel tanks were fitted when it was new by the local dealership.
Yes Gaz it did sound pretty good especially when using the Freeway Tunnel here in the city lol.
Cheers Dave
DIG:
Hi Tony
I purchased the Merc for local container off rail work around Perth but I also did some float work with it to Port Headland and worked on the Dampier Penisular servicing the off shore exploration industry for about 3 months.An excellent truck for manoverability but not as good as the american units in the long distance work due mainly to the heat build up into the cab making sleeping a swag job more comfortable in the simmer oops summer.
The truck had a 120 tonne rating and had done some road train work prior to me acquiring it and would have held its own in 2 trailer application but struggled with 3 trailers but single trailer operation excellent. The 18speed gear box and the 600litre fuel tanks were fitted when it was new by the local dealership.
Yes Gaz it did sound pretty good especially when using the Freeway Tunnel here in the city lol.Cheers Dave
It is interesting to read the opinions of Australians on their vehicles, since it is the only civilised country in the world (!)which takes both European and American vehicles.
Is the cab temperature problem due to its being smaller, or are you comparing it with bonneted Yank chassis? What engine would not struggle with 3 trailers?
