Where have I been Tony, nowhere as I have been on here daily! Sometimes think that some of my posts are missed though. 
A pic showing the easy engine removal of a Jensen, not my pic obviously as I’m far too young! Automatic chassis lubrication via the clutch pedal was novel as well.
Pete.
windrush:
Where have I been Tony, nowhere as I have been on here daily! Sometimes think that some of my posts are missed though.0
Pete.
Blimey Pete, reading all that makes you wonder why they went out of business so early on. Too pricey? Or the same malaise that eventually saw off all the other great Britsh marques?
Hi All.
Just seen the photo of the Biss Bros F 88 posted by bubbleman, that was my motor when I worked there.
We had 2 F 86’s and 2 F88’s 1 88 was driven by my old mate Mick Burton on Italy runs and I was on Fuel and Wine. The 2 86’s were a bit underpowered, I only drove one once and said never again, I will keep the 88 thanks even though there was a lot of brake fade with the 88 I loved that motor, the only other motor we had to compare with the 88 was a Leyland with an Eagle engine, used to come through B.S. late at night and change down for the traffic lights and the sound used to bounce of the shops, wonderful.
Short story, We used to double shift the tankers and during the summer I used to go into the workshop as second fitter to Dave Mayer, anyway Bill Varney asked me to go into the workshop early in the year and they were going to start another driver on my motor as he was the brother of my shift partner, ok said I but tell him to take care of the 88, the first week he was out he ran into the back of a lorry, I patched up the 88 as we were a bit busy, bugger me if he done the same thing a couple of weeks later, I went storming into the office and told Bill what I thought and he said "go down to Volvo’s and get what you want to put it back together again, took me a whole weekend (on pay) to rebuild it, brother never lasted long.
We used to run Wine from Southampton to Co-op in Manchester 2 load a week each lorry , great trips always 2 lorries.
Burmah was the main contract for fuel but we done Oil from Tilbury to Edinburgh one weekend and Distilled Water to a power station at Lowestoft I think it was.
A we also ran a lot of coaches there was always fitting work to do in the summer as we ran two coaches a week to Athens plus all the other Europe trips, great fun when one broke down as one of us used to go and take another coach out, repair the breakdown enough to get it home, used to do some long hours, remember once starting at 7am on a Friday morning as I was going on holiday on the Saturday, got home for dinner at 6pm and went back at 7pm and never got back home till 11am Saturday morning, I never minded as I was on overtime after 8 hours.
Balloonie.
Andrew, i remember cannons im sure they were a cream colour ,and used to do car factory parts,so you must be from ther Oxford ,Bicester Banbury area was it THAME?? or SWINDON the old gray matter,they were 4 wheelers.im pleased the company’s progressed.
AS FOR THE HOLLIES, NOW YOUR TALKIKNG 1967 about my first visit,it was a breakfast machine place,as much grease and fat as you could handle, the eggs would be swimming ,now thats where the drivers were ,all covered in ■■■■■ and grease hands as black as coal big old ■■■■■ boots,all hand ball loads all sheeted,the park was like FLANDERS THE HOLES SO DEEP you would get lost ,the outside ■■■■ hole stunk to high heaven you neede wellies to get out of your cap ,i know there has been a forum on the said lorry park but by god, back then,they had the same old scrapie bottom chairs for years we would not go in the park with cattle on board it threw them about too much…good old days ehh.when you and all the other drivers have what good kit you have.thank god for progrees lol. dbp.
The first ever photo downloaded on 12th Sept 2008 by bubbleman on this thread now has superimposed on it ‘proudly hosted on photobucket’. Bit late trying to make themselves popular again.
sandway:
The first ever photo downloaded on 12th Sept 2008 by bubbleman on this thread now has superimposed on it ‘proudly hosted on photobucket’. Bit late trying to make themselves popular again.
Yes, a bit ironic in view of the way that they dumped us all.
I remember both Howe and Cyprien Fox, especially the latter as they always featured in Headlight for backloads. I had a number off them over the years but for the life of me can’t remember from where.
Spardo:
sandway:
The first ever photo downloaded on 12th Sept 2008 by bubbleman on this thread now has superimposed on it ‘proudly hosted on photobucket’. Bit late trying to make themselves popular again.Yes, a bit ironic in view of the way that they dumped us all.
I remember both Howe and Cyprien Fox, especially the latter as they always featured in Headlight for backloads. I had a number off them over the years but for the life of me can’t remember from where.
Clarksons of Leeds were part of Cyprien-Fox group as well.
Hi Bubbleman
Today you absolutely made my Day, by finding the pic you put up of my dads Daf that I haven’t seen a picture of in 30 odd years.
This is the truck that my dad had when i was born so the first truck i ever rode in, slept in and probably drove around the yard whilst sat on his knee.
To answer a couple questions that someone asked about the truck
Originally the truck was owned by Wild Group in Stoke, this company was taken over by Maddern Transport in Exeter now known as Heavers Transport, My Dad bought it from Maddern, eventually the rust got the better of it and Dad sold it after the Jack Rams went through the floor
peggydeckboy:
Andrew, i remember cannons im sure they were a cream colour ,and used to do car factory parts,so you must be from ther Oxford ,Bicester Banbury area was it THAME?? or SWINDON the old gray matter,they were 4 wheelers.im pleased the company’s progressed.AS FOR THE HOLLIES, NOW YOUR TALKIKNG 1967 about my first visit,it was a breakfast machine place,as much grease and fat as you could handle, the eggs would be swimming ,now thats where the drivers were ,all covered in [zb] and grease hands as black as coal big old ■■■■■ boots,all hand ball loads all sheeted,the park was like FLANDERS THE HOLES SO DEEP you would get lost ,the outside ■■■■ hole stunk to high heaven you neede wellies to get out of your cap ,i know there has been a forum on the said lorry park but by god, back then,they had the same old scrapie bottom chairs for years we would not go in the park with cattle on board it threw them about too much…good old days ehh.when you and all the other drivers have what good kit you have.thank god for progrees lol. dbp.
Hi PDP sorry for the delay must of slipped by me. Your correct Cannons were cream ish & red from Milton village originally & later moved onto trading estate.They still pack car parts but no transport of there own any more.Hope that clears your grey matter up a bit lol As for the Hollies that’s still going strong lorry park all new much of it concrete or hard standing now about time too cafe still the same food spot on although breakfast not swimming in Greece anymore new toilets as well & showers too fair bit of money been spent on it last couple of years.Ive been stopping there best part of 50 years & still do
Cheers Andrew
Hiya,
Where’s Bubbleman ?.
Hiya Harry, wouldn’t it be good if he could resurrect this great thread over the next couple of days. Now that would be a miracle. ( see what I did there ) 
I concur
240 Gardner:
Dipster:
Retired Old ■■■■:
Froggy55:
Concerning the Interceptor, more about it here:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jensen_InterceptorIn fact, only the FF version had a 4-wheel drive.
Developed for Jensen by the late Harry Ferguson of “Little Grey Fergie” tractor fame. If I remember correctly (Big deal, considering my age!) they also developed a four-wheel -drive system for one of the Welsh police forces, based on a Zodiac saloon car.
Somebody tell me if I’ve got any/all of this wrong!You have it right!
I worked on a couple of the FF Fords in my youth. There were Granadas and Capris built up, not just for the Welsh police (in fact I thought it was the Gloucester force!). The installation was quite interesting to enable the engineers to get all the whirling bits installed. FF was also seen on the race track to with, if I recall correctly, the Felday 2 litre BRM V8 powered sports racing car and in the Capris (I think it was…)in Rallycross.
In all the FF was well tried but ultimately not a commercial success. But then UK inventors have, over the years, had quite a few good ideas that did not quite cut the mustard.
Can you think of any more?
I’d forgotten those- there were some Mk.4 Zodiacs converted, I think. And didn’t BRM build a 4WD F1 car? I do remember the rallycross Capri too.
The Jensen FF had a longer wheelbase to accommodate the whirly bits of which you speak, all between the A post and the front wheel (two grilles on the FF and one on the Interceptor):
Jensen FF by nicholas holt, on Flickr
Jensen Interceptor by anyett, on Flickr
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
old skool kid:
240 Gardner:
Dipster:
Retired Old ■■■■:
Froggy55:
Concerning the Interceptor, more about it here:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jensen_InterceptorIn fact, only the FF version had a 4-wheel drive.
Developed for Jensen by the late Harry Ferguson of “Little Grey Fergie” tractor fame. If I remember correctly (Big deal, considering my age!) they also developed a four-wheel -drive system for one of the Welsh police forces, based on a Zodiac saloon car.
Somebody tell me if I’ve got any/all of this wrong!You have it right!
I worked on a couple of the FF Fords in my youth. There were Granadas and Capris built up, not just for the Welsh police (in fact I thought it was the Gloucester force!). The installation was quite interesting to enable the engineers to get all the whirling bits installed. FF was also seen on the race track to with, if I recall correctly, the Felday 2 litre BRM V8 powered sports racing car and in the Capris (I think it was…)in Rallycross.
In all the FF was well tried but ultimately not a commercial success. But then UK inventors have, over the years, had quite a few good ideas that did not quite cut the mustard.
Can you think of any more?
I’d forgotten those- there were some Mk.4 Zodiacs converted, I think. And didn’t BRM build a 4WD F1 car? I do remember the rallycross Capri too.
The Jensen FF had a longer wheelbase to accommodate the whirly bits of which you speak, all between the A post and the front wheel (two grilles on the FF and one on the Interceptor):
Am I correct in thinking the Jenson F F had two vents on the front wings, due to the slightly longer wheelbase ?
I done s deal with a garage in Walthamstow to buy one in the 70s.
Turned up on the Saturday with a bag of cash but salesman didn’t turn in
Lucky escape maybe as I used to fly about in those days [emoji4]Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
This is my lorry started here about 6 weeks ago after a long absence from driving 
old skool kid:
Am I correct in thinking the Jenson F F had two vents on the front wings, due to the slightly longer wheelbase ?
Yes indeed, hence the quote above, “The Jensen FF had a longer wheelbase to accommodate the whirly bits of which you speak, all between the A post and the front wheel (two grilles on the FF and one on the Interceptor)”
I think I wrote that line, but it was a jolly long time ago!
![0802131019[603].jpg](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/business20/uploads/trucknetuk/original/3X/a/5/a5ae837a0383957a062b2679182ac0dc84adffda.jpeg)
This Scania is parked not too far from me in the States, think it was shipped here in 1981. It’s been sitting there for about 20 years and i talked to the owner about buying it but he says he’s going to put it back on the road but when i was down that way a couple of years ago it was still there.
I would have loved to have taken the air shields off and put a roof rack and ladders up the sides like they used to do.
