^^^^ and then the cab rotted off 
Punchy Dan:
^^^^ and then the cab rotted off
Yeh that was the problem, Italian Steel. 
robroy:
Punchy Dan:
^^^^ and then the cab rotted offYeh that was the problem, Italian Steel.
You only have to look at the road past Aosta I bet the grit lorry can reach the steel in the works 
Punchy Dan:
robroy:
Punchy Dan:
^^^^ and then the cab rotted offYeh that was the problem, Italian Steel.
You only have to look at the road past Aosta I bet the grit lorry can reach the steel in the works
Do you remember that tv advert in the 70s/80s where Fiat put, and left, a car shell on a beach rockface, to illustrate how salt water did not affect their ânew improvedâ steel car bodies, and to dispel the âmythâ of rusty Fiats?.
Funny that as you still saw rusty rotten Fiats for years after that. 
robroy:
I fully understand that not everybody will agree here, but I reckon the âmissing linkâ between the old truck and the ânew ageâ truck we know today was the âŚwait for itIveco Turbostar, âŚa very under rated truck.
This thing was released over here in 1986 ish, in lh drive form only, then rhd about 87, it was a cut above everything else in terms of cab comfort and kit, including elec windows, elec mirrors, heated mirrors, electric blinds and numerous other optionals, all of which mine had.
I had a demo for about a month, and ended up hiring it for about another 6 month (I lost the work for it and ended up buying a [zb] Ford Cargo
âŚbizzarely flavour of the month in transport in 1988, for a lighter job, but thatâs another story)
I loved this truck great living space, pulled like a train (V8 as far as I remember) and about 10 to 15 years ahead of itâs time imo.
0
I agree, sat in one but never driven one and the v8 really did have some power as witnessed on the gradients fully freighted keeping pace with my F16.
Another one i miss is my old MAN 19.462 with the V10, the exhaust note fully loaded was epic, no music on just the window down listening to it 
robroy:
ended up buying a [zb] Ford CargoAnd just how the ferkle did this piece of â â â â ever get âTruck of the yearâ in 88â â ?
Drove a 2817 once sadly, and how anyone signed that off as any good ill never know, 170hp perkins V8 wouldnt pull the skin off a rice puddingâŚ
Freight Dog:
The op mentions how boring the FH500 is, Ive always wanted a go in one of them. Still think they older shape is one of the best looking motors.
In hindsight i think âboringâ was the wrong word, it really is a great truck but just not as involving to drive as some of the older trucks ive had. It pulls extremely well and the only thing id swop it for is an FH16. May just do that next year but if this one keeps going with only the usual maintenance its had may keep it for another couple of yearsâŚ
Remember the Turbo star, with either the Fiat engine or the Magirus Deutz aircooled.
Top of the range cabin (for that time) with decent curtains, decent heater and wipers and washers on the mirrors.
Did like the DAF 2800 ATI, was a very good truck, and would always get you home.
Top of the range must be the F10/F12 very comfortable reliable truck, certainly miss that.
Donât miss the Hanomag Henschel, Pegaso 1217, Tatra, and i the Ford Cargo.
Muckaway:
Do you miss the silly exhaust brake floor button that used to stick to the floor if your boots were muddy?
I miss the old Bostron seats that Fodens had. I think that ex Smiths one you drove had one (it did when Dad had it new).
I just cut the mat away around that button and never had a problem with it, despite it getting covered in tar some days. However some of the fleet were obviously never used by their drivers as the buttons were stuck solid.
Regarding the seat, yes that was the best seat I ever had, Tilcon just ordered the base model with a fixed seat and it was luxury when I had your dadâs old lorry!
Pete.
Carryfast:
As for the pre limiter ERF with 320-400 â â â â â â â in it on pre traffic calmed motorways v modern limited computerised toy on a smart motorway.No chance all youâd see would be tail lights then it would be gone.
Until the first hill, then my fully freighted fh 500, with its modern computer and cruise control, will make you look rather silly
AndrewG:
robroy:
ended up buying a [zb] Ford CargoAnd just how the ferkle did this piece of [zb] ever get âTruck of the yearâ in 88â â ?
Drove a 2817 once sadly, and how anyone signed that off as any good ill never know, 170hp perkins V8 wouldnt pull the skin off a rice puddingâŚ
The L10 290 â â â â â â â was worlds apart to the Perkins ââ â â â â â â â â â â â â â you mention , in terms of performance and mpg, however a lot suffered with water problems when they first came out.
Not a patch on the â â â â â â â 290E, but they did not come with that option.
They were more of an operatorâs truck than a driverâs truck.
Stobarts were a big fan of them at that time, but as I said their drivers were not.
robroy:
Punchy Dan:
robroy:
Punchy Dan:
^^^^ and then the cab rotted offYeh that was the problem, Italian Steel.
You only have to look at the road past Aosta I bet the grit lorry can reach the steel in the works
Do you remember that tv advert in the 70s/80s where Fiat put, and left, a car shell on a beach rockface, to illustrate how salt water did not affect their ânew improvedâ steel car bodies, and to dispel the âmythâ of rusty Fiats?.
Funny that as you still saw rusty rotten Fiats for years after that.
Nope err I wasnât around until 77 
Sorry mate, I just thought you were older with you being a Foden/ERF fan, thatâs all.
robroy:
Sorry mate, I just thought you were older with you being a Foden/ERF fan, thatâs all.
Foden operator thatâs all ,ERF FAN
Punchy Dan:
robroy:
Sorry mate, I just thought you were older with you being a Foden/ERF fan, thatâs all.Foden operator thatâs all
Never had a Foden, but had a few ERFs, such as this one.
Punchy Dan:
robroy:
Sorry mate, I just thought you were older with you being a Foden/ERF fan, thatâs all.Foden operator thatâs all
Danâs a âclosetâ Foden fan really Robroy, unlike myself who canât praise them enough his family might disown him if he admits to being one!
You mention the â â â â â â â L10, the first one we had at Tilcon in an eight legger Foden (a 250, 1982 I think?) was a disaster but when they improved them and fitted them into six wheeler Cargos and Foden rigid tippers etc they were very good but being short stroke they needed to be kept revving unlike the Rolls that we were used to in eight wheelers. I donât know how good they were at higher weights though? I had a couple in six wheeler Foden tippers and they performed OK but they always seemed to leak oil almost as bad as a Gardner!
Pete.
AW Cleaversâ are buying up Foden Alphas at a rate of knots around here. They started off with some ex Midland Quarry Products ones, now theyâre buying Smiths old cast offs. One of their drivers told me theyâve reserved Smiths last Alphas on 56 plates.
Cleaversâ are actually selling their Volvo FMX and Merc Arocs trucks and replacing them with older tippers, as itâs easier to get spares for Alphas/CFs than it is to get parts for Arocs. Apparently one Arocs was at the dealers for nine weeks awaiting spares, and Arocs are awful rides in comparison too.
Pete if youâd had a proper â â â â â â â you be saying the rolls need to be kept reving too .
Punchy Dan:
Pete if youâd had a proper â â â â â â â you be saying the rolls need to be kept reving too .
We had some 220âs and 14 litres in Atkinson and Foden dumpers and they were OK but got through cylinder liners and head gaskets. I drove some X reg Foden road trucks with 250âs in them briefly, I remember that the throttle pedal was that light you darenât move your toes and my ankle ached with holding it at an odd angle to keep the rpm down, and they also took an age for the revs to die down between gear changes and the noise made my headache! Probably OK when you got used to them though. We only had two, one tank and one tipper, they went OK but were blooming thirsty and heavy compared to the Gardner 201âs and RRâs we ran so no more appeared at Ballidon. They did go well though, but only got through the same work as the Gardner and used more fuel doing it. Their regular drivers seemed to like them but I preffered the Roller!
Pete.
Ive fond memories of a Volvo F88 290, but good as that truck was in its time it would not stack up too well against modern kit. Would I want to return to a truck without antilock brakes? No. Without power-steering? No. It might burn some of my excess weight off, if I survived the first coupla weeks, but I wouldnt want it. Modern hevac and sound/vibration is all to the good. Modern suspension is much better then old. Modern auto boxes? I hate em with a vengeance. Cruise control? Seems pretty useless to me. AEBS ? When they get it to work I`ll welcome it. Until then, no thank you.