What old lorries do you think could still perform in todays conditions? I’m thinking Scania 3 series, Leyland Constructor/Freighter, Foden 3 and 4000 series and ERF EC Olympic.
Hello Muckaway, i drive a 97 EC11 8x4 on local and distance work. The old girl performs well amoungst modern traffic, and it can get off the mark a lot quicker than a motor with a current automatic gearbox and doesnt bog on the hills like new lorries tend to. We have alot of new Scanias on the firm now, but i really dont get the pleasure out of driving these as i do driving my ERF with its efortless Twinsplitter and brilliant handelling. The only thing it does lack compared to the Swedes is the cab susspension, those Scanias certaintly soak up the bumps better!, and i’d do a trade on heaters aswell!!
regards
Chris
An ERF B or C series with a bigcam could hold its own today I reckon, and the beds were the comfiest I have slept in
A Ford Transcon MIGHT still do a day’s work, but probably not, due to being too mucky on emisions in these caring sharing days.
I would imagine that a ■■■■■■■ Big Cam 350 is a bit anti-social these days…
Sad ain’t it? Much more interesting than today’s Microsoft automatics…
F12 globetrotter 3 series scania foden 4000 f90/f2000 MAN
Dont forget the 240 Big J…now,there was a machine !!!
Merry Xmas to all,
Regards,
David
There’s little doubt that the 4000 Series’ and EC’s can hold there own because a fair number still are, I spotted this fine brace a few weeks back showing no signs of struggling.
Another vote for ERF Olympic.EC14 450 ■■■■■■■ and a twin splitter.If only it had a more adjustable steering column,A/C and air suspension 
Ah,well.Security was good as well.As long as the inside door lock buttons were down,you could do what you liked to the external lock and you still wouldn’t be able to open the door,even with a key.
we have a scania 142 double drive unit parked in our yard that is awaiting some work to be done on it and then its going back to work , the trouble is its wrapped up with a tarp and i cant really get a good picture of it . but i will when then chance arises … oh i will . 
Well this S.36. Foden. 12sp/box, 680PP.Leyland 22tonne pay load at 32.400. Gross 52. Mph, In my book would still perform well to-day, Regards Larry.
I reckon this “girl” could still give any of these modern motors a good run for their money !! 220 ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■ 610/Eaton 2 speed axle, keep yer elbows in!! 
Dennis you’re right about the Atkinson; There’s a modified one running in East Anglia still running (and upsetting some drivers of newer lorries) plus the famous F88 logger…
The F7 8 Wheeler,These wagons used to more work than the modern day fm s that Thompsons now run, and at 31ton gross could carry 20ton plus which is very rare of a modern day 8 wheeler. A regular saturday mornings work for these F7s would be to leave Prudhoe loaded with lime for Jedburgh store, then back down to Bishop Middleham in Durham to load lime again then back up to Jedburgh, tip then back to Prudhoe. Now if thats not a good mornings work i dont know what is.
There was an A reg F6 4w tipper running out of Hanson, Lechlade until recently. The F7s were great muckshifters too.
These F7s were worked hard for many years on distance day work with ali bodies, then when the ali bodies had seen better days they were replaced with steel bodies and put onto local muckshifting duties, Thompsons still do this and work there wagons for 10 to 12 years.
Are those dumptruck bodies road-legal? There were a few operators around here years ago that would re-body tipper with steel muckshifters.
Payloads took a real dive over the years in the tipper market, I could get 17.5t on an 81 Leyland reiver 6 legger which dropped to 15t or less on modern versions and I don’t think fuel consumption or journey times were any improvement.
I often think back to when nobody wanted to drive the Gardner powered motors in the yard as they would only do 58mph !!!, the latest modern contraption I drive does 52mph, probably supping more juice too ! guess its progress or not!
They still run two 55 plates with this type of body and have just got rid of some x and y reg volvos with these bodies on, all the other steel bodies have tailgates that can be changed from a standard tail gate to barn door type within a minute.
Trev_H:
Payloads took a real dive over the years in the tipper market, I could get 17.5t on an 81 Leyland reiver 6 legger which dropped to 15t or less on modern versions and I don’t think fuel consumption or journey times were any improvement.I often think back to when nobody wanted to drive the Gardner powered motors in the yard as they would only do 58mph !!!, the latest modern contraption I drive does 52mph, probably supping more juice too ! guess its progress or not!
Payloads are getting hilarious; Of the steel bodied 6wheelers I’ve driven for Smiths, my first (Foden 3275) carried 15.9t. My next wagon (4340 with a groundhog heavy body carried 15.6 and my current one (Alpha with a “steelite” carries about the same). Our adblue Dafs carry 15.4 and the new Daf autos with auto tailgates just get 15.2t. It’s these reducing payloads which limit our choice for new lorries outside of Daf…Our new MAN auto 8wheelers carry just 18.8t 
Which rules out MAN 6ws…