still a few 143’s in everyday use 
spotted a couple with Containers last week…and i’ve seen one a couple of times recently on the A14 with 'roo/bull bars on 
pulling a fridge,i think.
Regularly see one with a Sawyers fridge coming over the 66
carryfast-yeti:
still a few 143’s in everyday use
spotted a couple with Containers last week…and i’ve seen one a couple of times recently on the A14 with 'roo/bull bars on
Yeh cos you’ve got to watch for those roos and bulls on the A14, they’re a ■■■■ pest. 
N reg 143 450 one of the last ones was one of, if not THE, best truck I have driven.
Just realised this is a 6 yr thread revival. 
andy best:
had a k reg 143 ex riddells of aberdeen went all over europe never missed a beat .very little over took us pulled like a train.they are abit thirsty on the fuel especially wen u get the clowns revin the guts out of em
You realise that ex Riddell means NO WAY this was a 450 !!!
Anyone know where to get a 143 topline roof lining re-done the original way.Thanks
If many of you got to drive a 143 now it’d soon knock off the rose tinted specs! Great in their day but you wouldn’t want to drive one every day now.
not bothered about horse power or speed, not bothered about the badge, all I’m interested in is cab comfort, scania never did that for me. daf bed is great and along with a man truck interior is good.storage is fine. I’m happy if I can stand up to get dressed, can move about cab freely, otherwise it’s a metal box, no more no less 
switchlogic:
If many of you got to drive a 143 now it’d soon knock off the rose tinted specs! Great in their day but you wouldn’t want to drive one every day now.
True.
We have this at work, it was fun the first couple of times I used it. I think mainly because it’s as old as me and I had never driven a tag axle before, but it’s just noisy, uncomfortable etc. Great power to be fair. It’s not road legal right now though so its on shunter duty
They do think about restoring it as the interior has more or less fallen apart but we don’t appear at shows so I don’t know how committed they are.
mrginge:
switchlogic:
If many of you got to drive a 143 now it’d soon knock off the rose tinted specs! Great in their day but you wouldn’t want to drive one every day now.
True.
We have this at work, it was fun the first couple of times I used it. I think mainly because it’s as old as me and I had never driven a tag axle before, but it’s just noisy, uncomfortable etc. Great power to be fair. It’s not road legal right now though so its on shunter duty
They do think about restoring it as the interior has more or less fallen apart but we don’t appear at shows so I don’t know how committed they are.
SPOT. ON! Ive driven Virginias 143 a few times, fun for a change, but spend a day driving it and you know it. People don’t realise how easy modern trucks make it
A highly regarded rig that was around long before my time but a couple of years ago I arrived into work to find someone else had taken my then Nice modern fh globetrotter xl to the continent so I was put on local work for the day and told to take the company’s pride and joy 143m 450, well to say I couldn’t wait to get out of it was an understatement! nice to take for a spin up the road but wouldn’t take it over even a basic motor today!
It was also the only lorry I’ve driven that had no cruise control felt odd having to keep my foot on the accelerator on the motorway
jay0:
A highly regarded rig that was around long before my time but a couple of years ago I arrived into work to find someone else had taken my then Nice modern fh globetrotter xl to the continent so I was put on local work for the day and told to take the company’s pride and joy 143m 450, well to say I couldn’t wait to get out of it was an understatement! nice to take for a spin up the road but wouldn’t take it over even a basic motor today!It was also the only lorry I’ve driven that had no cruise control
Virginia has an F12 that’s 5 years older than their 143 and the F12 ■■■■■■ all over the Scania for comfort imo. The F12 feels remarkably modern
I was the proud owner of this one at 22-52 for a while ( I know you will all be riveted to see it) youtube.com/watch?v=GaJhN0iTKWo after taylors flogged it to death and flogged it on…450 tweaked to 500.user friendly limiter and wired to the moon…with the obligatory well thumbed speedo cover that you could squeeze down onto the needle as it hit 56…then just floor it and watch yourself hit well into the 70s while showing a trace of 56.proper tang spec,and im not even a tang.great motor for earning your wages in,but you knew you had done a shift or 3 in it…id much prefer one of todays pussymobiles for a more relaxing comfort session…isn’t it terrible how its harder to have the same kinda fun nowadays??
I mind my old man’s steel bumper 143 450, thing pulled like a train, best lorry he sat in he’s reakons and I’d say he’s spot on. Used to do northern ireland to bodmin in one hit and it was the tool for the job
Here my old one
This was my baby…
I only ever drove one once 
.
I did spend a lot of time revving the sixes with an 8 speed. Seat pushed right back foot on the dashboard many a night.
I used to find that I could get that tiny bit extra with the hand throttle yanked right out.
I used to keep my mirrors well clean.
Happy days. 
That white six legged beast looks like it could stand a few grand bunged in its direction. Shame I am to old now, It looks a lot like one that was parked for sale beside the A13 at Rainham in the 80’s, I was tempted then but I went home and rolled another one and popped a tube or two.
Stay safe.
.
I drove the truck in the top picture all over Scandinavia & Finland…
I drove the truck in the bottom pic mainly to Sweden… It’s now a yard shunter for a local (to me) trailer repair company…
robroy:
carryfast-yeti:
still a few 143’s in everyday use
spotted a couple with Containers last week…and i’ve seen one a couple of times recently on the A14 with 'roo/bull bars onYeh cos you’ve got to watch for those roos and bulls on the A14, they’re a [zb] pest.
N reg 143 450 one of the last ones was one of, if not THE, best truck I have driven.
Just realised this is a 6 yr thread revival.
Haha, and a poster revival, changed my user name via a new identity, this is my old one, thought I would give my evaluation on the modern scania.
Ah the good old 450s. got an 14 plate R450 topline with opti-cruise to drive these days, and to be honest the driveline is as good as when it first came out, the R reg 144 with it was a bit gutless with the 420 V8 economy engine but still did the job far better than a fleet spec shed.
Didn’t have a problem with the opti-cruise back then with gear changes, and I think the one in the 14 plate is a lot better at it now.
Certainly would not want go back to the woMAN or DAFt that i’ve driven recently.
spotted another one this week on the M1…dark blue with a thin red band around the cab,pulling a flat…20 yo plus trucks still working for a living
wonder if my brand new CF will still be out there in 20 years?