First let me be honest, I do not have any special credentials on this space per se. I was delivered in the seventies did not work in them, much less did I do any middle East work, at least in a truck.
But I did develop an interest in trucking from the age of 3 or so which never left me since, so I have very clear memories of the scene back in the early eighties, and I could perfectly tell 141s / F88s / 2800s / 1933s / Air-cooled Iveco Magirus etc.
I have been toying with the idea of restoring and owning a classic truck for some time already. I initally wanted to learn flying but my 6ft8 and a small Cessna are not a good combo so plan B was getting my HGV + lorry.
I started looking around for a 140 or 141 but could not find THE item I was looking for. Then last April I was nosing around on a French website and found this - I ended up buying.
This is when I first laid eyes on it, I think early May 2011. Tucked away in this nice and warm shed for 20 years with only 156’000 kms on. The tank-shaped device to its left is a huge wood drier, gives off plenty of heat so it was always nice and toasty in there, reason why it was preserved so well.
A spotless engine, no fluid leaks at all, not even traces.
One should remember this design dates back just 2-3 years before the 143 470 with Scania’s first electronics replacing the traditional injection pump.
I have completed the tedious import process from France into Switzerland, remember we are not EU so it took a bit of work at Customs & Excise and also with Scania Schweiz AG as there were some concerns over specs, it had to be 100% original Swiss 142 spec-compliant which had some specific mods such as a stronger exhaust brake and extra noise protection plating on either side of the engine. Also, the environment-friendly Swissies were also not exactly chuffed at the sight of an old EURO 0 coming in. It eventually passed its MOT in Lausanne and so is now fully locally-registered.
Switzerland has an interesting registration system:
The first two letters designate the Kanton of residence, in my case VD, Kanton Vaud/Waadt. I.e. Lausanne Region (copious comments on this unfortunate combination have been received already ).
Then the actual number which can have between one and six digits. Specific number combinations can be purchased via an online auctioning system. Naturally I started looking for VD-142 but that is taken by a taxi company (they looooove low numbers and will pay up whenever they become available) and so I ended up getting VD-141142, not bad after all.
I will likely attend the Interlaken Truck festival in June in case others are going too.
I hope you enjoy the pics, all comments or questions are welcome.
You are right, she is 100% roadworthy, and with 157’000 km (I found it hard to believe it myself at first but full Scania service history is documented, dealer-stamped etc.) she probably has just short of a million kms’ potential before any repairs become due.
No work was needed to get through the Swiss equivalent of MOT and that says a lot, these guys took it through a proper cavity check. I literally only had to change the air filter as it was half-plugged and was causing excess smoke, the rest was all ok.
At some point this spring I will be doing a full paint job (cabin and chassis, though not necessarily at the same time). This because it still carries the former owner’s markings and they are still active. Besides I want it back in original Scania livery, white background with three staggered pale - medium - dark blue lines.
As for the price, I don’t see why I would keep it a secret - I did pay a rather steep price upfront, just over 20’000 €.
A lot of cash and I bled myself a little in the process but it was a rare find so decided “just do it”. At the same time, I saw the post on those vintage 111 / 141 / F88 / 143 in November or so last year and I understand that each went for more than that, so I guess it’s a decent deal in that respect.
The previous owner told me she would have left for a second working life immediately. Moreover, contrary to e.g. Switzerland or Germany who severely punish EURO 3 and less, in France EURO 0 is at little or no disadvantage, so some logging company could have happily used her for years on Regional work dragging a flatbed with heavy equipment or something like that.
Her only drawback is the extremely short transmission ratios. At 85 km/h I run at 1’850 rpm, so largely reduces the potential for proper long haul work. In first gear she barely moves, I switch into 10th at barely 50 km/h when empty.
But what a sound you get.
What a superb find! It should last forever in preservation. One question- what is a “cavity check”? Do they put an endoscope into the cab box sections, or…?
Ha! Cavity check, last heard when I landed in Perth, Western Australia and my friend/cotraveller threatened that the Customs officer would inspect my every (tooth) cavity and orifice if I held on to my intention of importing a jar of two of fine French foie gras which my host loved…
They are quite peculiar on fresh fruit and dairy / animal products. In the end I just surrendered and the {ZB} confiscated my whole load. He wouldn’t even let us gobble it in the transit area.
The Swiss MOT mob spent a good two hours inspecting every gasket, brake line, fuel pipe in search for the smallest reason to send me back where I came from, only to eventually let me through.
I got the Scania dealer in Lausanne involved and they did a good job preparing the vehicle (mostly cleaning, brake-finetuning etc). But it is always difficult importing vehicles into CH, they are the toughest around it is said, basically if you pass here you pass everywhere
One thing I haven’t heard much about on this forum is the good old TELMA.
Personally, first time I used one I hear they were first fitted in the mid-seventies on F89s, but can’t certify this. Lots of vibration issues apparently.
This is a FOCAL 300, fitted on April 15th 1986…
Close-up
They must have become an extremely rare sight. Personally, the last one I saw mounted new was a 1991 Renault AE380. The next addition to that particular fleet was a 1993 AE420ti, which had the Voith retarder…
When did they die out?
When I use mine (even empty) I see the battery meter fallinng - apparently a long downhill stretch would bleed the batteries to about 4-6 volt and run the TELMA red hot until the fuses blew. And then don’t stop or the whole thing would melt & seize
Memories anyone?
You are right, she is 100% roadworthy, and with 157’000 km (I found it hard to believe it myself at first but full Scania service history is documented, dealer-stamped etc.) she probably has just short of a million kms’ potential before any repairs become due.
No work was needed to get through the Swiss equivalent of MOT and that says a lot, these guys took it through a proper cavity check. I literally only had to change the air filter as it was half-plugged and was causing excess smoke, the rest was all ok.
At some point this spring I will be doing a full paint job (cabin and chassis, though not necessarily at the same time). This because it still carries the former owner’s markings and they are still active. Besides I want it back in original Scania livery, white background with three staggered pale - medium - dark blue lines.
As for the price, I don’t see why I would keep it a secret - I did pay a rather steep price upfront, just over 20’000 €.
A lot of cash and I bled myself a little in the process but it was a rare find so decided “just do it”. At the same time, I saw the post on those vintage 111 / 141 / F88 / 143 in November or so last year and I understand that each went for more than that, so I guess it’s a decent deal in that respect.
The previous owner told me she would have left for a second working life immediately. Moreover, contrary to e.g. Switzerland or Germany who severely punish EURO 3 and less, in France EURO 0 is at little or no disadvantage, so some logging company could have happily used her for years on Regional work dragging a flatbed with heavy equipment or something like that.
Her only drawback is the extremely short transmission ratios. At 85 km/h I run at 1’850 rpm, so largely reduces the potential for proper long haul work. In first gear she barely moves, I switch into 10th at barely 50 km/h when empty.
But what a sound you get.
Cheers
David
David,
I wouldnt worry too much about the short transmission ratio’s…if you are just showing it, who cares, if it runs, looks good, and sounds great. Good luck with her mate.
halo davidoff,looks like you found my best truck of all time,the mighty 142,i used to drive a 111.back in the seventies&eighties but have driven a 142 and they are the bees knees,by the reg it came from the Auvergne not far from where i live now in the Correze.All the very best with your new toy and if at any time you need a co pilot give me a call. best wishes filinfrance…
Well-spoted, she spent the first 26 years of her (hopefully still long to go) life in a far-away corner from Auvergne, about 30kms South of Thiers. She belonged to a semi-industrial sawmill and used to pull an artic loaded with large oaktrees which they taylor-cut into base material for the cask & barrel industry in the Dijon area. Quite pleasing to know she indirectly contributed to our Grand Crus and Single Malts .
The man told me that more often than not he’d load one or two extra trees “just to ensure adherance”, he reckons he might have run at 55+ tons quite regularly when on local work, and she never complained or stalled. But they changed their setup around 1991 and pretty much mothballed her then, so she was preserved.
Which also implies he did mostly daytrips, he hardly ever slept in her if at all, in fact the protective covers are still in place. This is the inside, you can tell the passenger seat / mattress / ceiling padding still under shrink-wrap plastic.
The missus was less impressed, this was June 2011 the day we took the lorry back to Geneva, a 5hr ride under 35 Celcius on a plastic seat, a bit sticky. Of course after so long all gas had escaped the aircon so that’d become useless .
I might eventually remove it though, apparently it can do as much harm (moisture retention) as good…
As for coming by, I was born and raised not too far from you in Dordogne not far from Sarlat, and will likely take her down there this summer. I might drop by the Scania dealer’s in Malemort and if so will PM you.
Yes but it’s also a fiesty seatcover, high maintenance!
A while back I’d been out with a few mates and came back less than sober, she was less than impressed.
To make amends and also as a b’day gift (I always like to kill two brids with one stone you see) I offerred to pay for her HGV.
I too slept in the coal shed (was shown the way with the dough roller)…
Aha ! Bonjour Monsieur Laan, Long time no see, but I am well impressed with your purchase and you must feel really pleased with the deal you got. I hope you don,t put it to work on the Weekend Milk Run What happened to your trip last year ? You could fetch that to the Pickering Rally. Ce qui vous pendant Avec les meilleurs voeux, Archie.
Indeed it has been a year already. I yearn for a new beef & sausage session at the SP Country Club!
As for using it on a milk run, I did offer the gaffer (himself a Scania lover) to use it on a run to Lucerne, but the rear axle would come and kiss the legs at the first roundabout, and if we push the fifth wheel back the whole rig would become too long (plus there are some security locks welded to the plate preventing us to move it back anyhow, so it would become difficult).
But indeed it is a great find. A bit like Sir Winston said of Chamberlain, it has all the vices I admire and none of the virtues I detest: Euro 0, no digi card, no limiter, no electronics, no ad Blue, no satnav.
I wish you all the best wherever you may be roaming these days Archie
Cheers
David
Hullo again David, Good to hear from you. At this moment we are in New Zealand, unfortunately we have had to stay on for an extra six weeks , as I was hospitalised and am now attending a District Nurse. I had what the call an Heamatoma on my leg, they have cut it all out now, but we now leave on 16th, March. We will have just a few days in Chile, but instead of travelling through Argentina, we will fly to Sao Paulo. So we probably will be there on 20th, March. If you are there at the same time then we of course could go to the Pinheiros Club. I shall leave there (S.P.) on 1st, April. Also on the trip Maria fell over and broke her leg in Thailand, we had to stay there a bit longer as well, until the plaster cast was taken off. I’ve spent more money on this trip than you have on the New Toy “OK nos nos encontraremos para um Rodizio, tudo bem ?”. Cheers, Archie.
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