this motor rarely gets mentioned like the 88 , scanny’s etc why’s that ■■ It certainly looks the part with its big square cab & presume was comfortable quiet & easier to drive than its brit competition - who’s driven/operated them & whats your opinions
hallo Boris, It was more spacious and had a very good ride,but far underpowered and less confortable to drive and bad heating like most in those days, unlike the Sweeds.It hadn’t a tilting cab but compared with the Scania LB76 it looked great,but lost quick in the mountains,as well as driving comfort like steering, changing speeds.Of course it had better things as other, like termostatic fan,cab suspension,very spacious cab (availability of a long cab with big beds). And here in belgium,rear sensitive valve,stabilizers front and rear (nessesary because of the weak suspension which was nessesary for a good ride) termostatic fan, without you were charged for it. And were generally very good without much weak points.But in those days power was a very demanding point and few makes could offer that,and who could was mostly not reliable.
You can’t compare it with this days of nearly the same totalweight ( over here,then 38 now 44tons),speed limiters and others. Nowedays you come around with about 400/500HP and do the same work in the same day time,and every make can deliver that power.
Cheers Eric,
I drove a new 1924 tractor unit for a while , it went really well, was comfortable too, the big concern was the brakes they were very poor, bordering on frightening ! The front drums were only about 5" wide, if you picked up a trailer with poor brakes you were in real trouble.
Shame because the rest of the motor was ok.
Trev_H:
I drove a new 1924 tractor unit for a while , it went really well, was comfortable too, the big concern was the brakes they were very poor, bordering on frightening ! The front drums were only about 5" wide, if you picked up a trailer with poor brakes you were in real trouble.
Shame because the rest of the motor was ok.
OK Trev, you have right with the 1924 240HP,but I spoke of the beginning of that cab in 1965 and had only 200HP and the old OM346 engine.And the brakes were still hydraulic at the front you have right.
Cheers Eric.
There was also the 2024 typ with 3 axles.
I think the 1924 had also a too short wheelbase that influenced its road holding et braking.The engine OM 355 had no gaskets and when an incident arrived it was not easy and cheap to repair.But the model was a good tractor with many loyal customers through Europe.
MY VERSION OF THEME 
I got this from the CM archives:
1963-LP1620, OM326 idi engine.
1964-LP1620, OM346 di engine.
What was the difference between a 1623 and a 1624, and when were they made?
I drove one from 1976 to 1984, the biggest pile of crap ever!!! (1418 LPS) It couldn’t pull your hat off, then when you did get it going you couldn’t stop it, the brakes were a nightmare. In the winter the fuel filters froze up regularly as they were just behind the front wheel outside the chassis. One good thing was the size of the cab, it was almost a walkthrough. I took the passenger seat out of mine, it was really spacious,the beast’s only saving grace. It was well named, “Adolphs Revenge” Regards Kevmac47.
Always thought they looked the part,the later ones had a tilt cab,you can tell them as the doors and step area are different,don’t think they bothered selling rhd ones in the uk though,unless someone knows different?
Anorak,
The 1623 had a non ZF synchromesh gearbox and ZF hydrosteering,the 1624 had a ZF synchro gearbox and Mercedes servosteering.
The engine was a OM 355 ,11.580 liter on both typs but the power was 230hp on the 1623 and 240 hp on the 1624.
Production years.
LP 1620: 1963-1967.
LP 1623: 1967-1969.
LP1624 : 1969-1974.
michel:
Anorak,
The 1623 had a non ZF synchromesh gearbox and ZF hydrosteering,the 1624 had a ZF synchro gearbox and Mercedes servosteering.
The engine was a OM 355 ,11.580 liter on both typs but the power was 230hp on the 1623 and 240 hp on the 1624.Production years.
LP 1620: 1963-1967.
LP 1623: 1967-1969.
LP1624 : 1969-1974.
Merci beaucoup Michel. I thought the '24 came out in 1965, so I stand corrected. I am surprised that Mercedes lagged so far behind in the power race of the 1960s- other makes were building 240bhp (DIN) machines by 1964/65. I was also surprised that they did not have a direct injection engine until 1964, by which time such technology had been in regular use for over 30 years.
One of the nicest looking lorries the LP, especially the later big cabbed (Grossraum) versions 
My Dad used to take 1418s/1924s down to Southampton for export, a fellow by the name of Snowie (looked like a dwarf, big white beard) from Dartford used to buy as many as he could and do a run down the docks with them, he had an F88 wrecker which dragged one down backwards and was the ride home for everyone, amazing how many men (and a small boy) you could fit in the cab of an F88 
kevmac47:
I drove one from 1976 to 1984, the biggest pile of crap ever!!! (1418 LPS) It couldn’t pull your hat off, then when you did get it going you couldn’t stop it, the brakes were a nigthmare. In the winter the fuel filters froze up regularly as they were just behind the front wheel outside the chassis. One good thing was the size of the cab, it was almost a walkthrough. I took the passenger seat out of mine, it was really spacious,the beast’s only saving grace. It was well named, “Adolphs Revenge” Regards Kevmac47.
AND what did you find under the seat in your box a load of RED tins - .
Adolph made that 1418 just for you yes he did. 
.
Here are a couple of pictures of an early model LP from Bertschi AG. Reg AG7848
I know its not a Merc LP but just for interest the number plate AG7848 is still in the Bertschi fleet now on a DAF
[zb]
anorak:michel:
Anorak,
The 1623 had a non ZF synchromesh gearbox and ZF hydrosteering,the 1624 had a ZF synchro gearbox and Mercedes servosteering.
The engine was a OM 355 ,11.580 liter on both typs but the power was 230hp on the 1623 and 240 hp on the 1624.Production years.
LP 1620: 1963-1967.
LP 1623: 1967-1969.
LP1624 : 1969-1974.Merci beaucoup Michel. I thought the '24 came out in 1965, so I stand corrected. I am surprised that Mercedes lagged so far behind in the power race of the 1960s- other makes were building 240bhp (DIN) machines by 1964/65. I was also surprised that they did not have a direct injection engine until 1964, by which time such technology had been in regular use for over 30 years.
hallo Anorak, all Germans were late with direct injection,except MAN who had his own injection system and Henschel with it’s Lanova Indirect injection system and from about '59 it’s own Direct injection.
But Mercedes delivered direct injection from '61 on for export like for belgium or France you could have the choise IDI or DI on the 334,
and the first 1620/1920/2020 were still available with IDI the old OM346 engine in Germany. I don’t know if it was the course with the downrated 1418 (180HP) which we only had for light weight transport but was common in the UK. The same with the NG we had the 1926 and in the UK you saw the V8 as a 1624, of course the 1626 to.Which were less less powerfull as the 6 in line 1924 even the 1626.
The first models from about '63-'65 till '67 had a dubble chrome list on the front grill , versions 1620,1920,2020,2220.
On the first view the 24 was distingishable on the waterpump mounted at the front of the engine.
A 1418 operated by Mick and Hilda Slater from Immingham, this one is in the quarry at Melton Ross.
boris:
this motor rarely gets mentioned like the 88 , scanny’s etc why’s that ■■ It certainly looks the part with its big square cab & presume was comfortable quiet & easier to drive than its brit competition - who’s driven/operated them & whats your opinions
Hi Boris,
I ran one of these for 11 years and sold it for export when it was 22 years old. It was a 1972 model 2024 twin steer which we ran as a wrecker from 1983~1990. Then we removed the centre axle and fitted an air suspended tag axle, along with a bulk tipping body. As the brakes were poor, we replaced the drive and steer axles with those of an New Generation 1626, along with the more modern version of the ZF 12 speed 'box. I then adjusted the fuel delivery on the injector pump and that really brought the old girl to life. I reupholstered, insulated and painted the cab myself and fitted two nice Bostrom suspension seats from a Volvo f88.
The whole project was a sucess. The OM 355 engine had 4 valves per cylinder and was a really gutsy performer once we fettled the injector pump. Coupled to the ZF 12 speed 'box, the truck could cruise at 70mph all day long. The axles from the New Generation Mercedes had wide brake drums and had great brakes. It was a really nice comfortable and well balanced truck to drive. The cab was very spacious for its time and no bad place to spend your day and the odd night in.
Back 20 years ago before the authorities got strict on weights over here, we used to put 16~20 tonnes of bark into it and gross 28~32 tonnes(on three axles) and I used to run rings around the guys in the artics with their new F10s and chipliners.
It was a fantastically reliable truck which we all loved to drive, and it was very light on diesel too. We sold it for export to Africa in 1994 after being pestered weekly by truck exporters/breakers. The cab was well shook at this stage at 22 years old. Brilliant truck that made us a lot of money…but it needed the upgrade to the more modern axles(which incidentally bolted straight on) to make a decent truck of it
Here are a few pictures of lorries operated by the late Neil Moorhouse, Neilz Trukin Kumpny Louth, on middle east work in the 70s and early 80s.
steptoe:
Here are a few pictures of lorries operated by the late Neil Moorhouse, Neilz Trukin Kumpny Louth, on middle east work in the 70s and early 80s.
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CJA1:
Hi Steptoe, Did u know Bruce[Helmark] he was on ME with that then later on OCL Con Base T/Pk always ha arabic writing on the visor them days. Cheers Chris.
CJA1:
steptoe:
Here are a few pictures of lorries operated by the late Neil Moorhouse, Neilz Trukin Kumpny Louth, on middle east work in the 70s and early 80s.
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0CJA1:
Hi Steptoe, Did u know Bruce[Helmark] he was on ME with that then later on OCL Con Base T/Pk always ha arabic writing on the visor them days. Cheers Chris.No I dont or didnt know Bruce. Just some nice LP pictures. These would have been taken when I was just a boy, I did know Neil however but when I first knew him he had an F88, (and a strange home made F86 6x2 lift axle thing)The 88 was also black and had arabic writing on one side and Neils own version of English on the other,
