a future classic truck,in my opinion,the man roadhouse.with a large roomy cab and man’s then bombproof engineering,an excellent truck.i could never understand why they didn’t sell in the uk in bigger numbers 
.
pete 359:
cardiff international’s caerphilly yard 1990.
Hi Andrew, is this the 143 I have been looking for. I have on numerous occasions asked for info on a 143 owned by Robert ------? out of Taffs Wells. I took it for a test drive up the link road fron penarth rd to the M4 back in Sept 1991 a few days before emmigrating. The problem is you say 1990 is the date the picture was taken. Neil (mechanic 770) remembers this unit, but does not know the previous owner, and Simon as come up with every picture except this one.
If your date is correct then I am out of luck. The only signifigance is I believe it was the last truck I drove before leaving Cardiff 19 years ago yesterday.
Compared to the 2435 Mercs we had at Gullivers this was a rocket, with the exception of a 14L celect + red top ■■■■■■■ 525 it had to be the fastest truck I have driven.
If I could only remember the owners last name I am sure Simon or a fellow member would solve the puzzle.
That Scania is still years ahead of what we have out here lol.
Regards Paul
Paul, you’re right about that 143 being better than what we have here, I’d love to have the engine out of one in my Texan Atki 
with an 18spd box behind it I bet it would leave my 550 CAT for dead & can you imagine the look on their faces when they heard it blowing through a pair of 8" straight pipes 
newmercman:
Paul, you’re right about that 143 being better than what we have here, I’d love to have the engine out of one in my Texan Atki
hi lads,
good to hear from you boys over in obamaville 
.mark classic,texan atki .paul,where i park my texan atki there is a large photo on the wall (removed from cardiff international’s office)of a then fairly new 143,i will take a snap today and post it tonight,maybee that’s the one you are looking for mate?
regards andrew
newmercman:
Paul, you’re right about that 143 being better than what we have here, I’d love to have the engine out of one in my Texan Atki
Hi Mark talk about CATS, there used to be a slogan if its not a CAT its a dog.
This 358 Pete I am driving gave me a scare on Tuesday, pulling up the last hill on I 65 going into Birmingham AL I hear a bang and loose all power, I thought the turbo had blown. A desperate check revealed the clamp on the turbo side of the intercooler had come off and was sucking the hose in. A couple of good electrical ties got me to the store and a new clamp.
I was cursing that series 60 Detroit, but it didn’t let me down, I treated it with a little more respect for the rest of the day. Not my favourite engine, but I think it was trying to talk to me in its own way, asking me to ease up. That V8 would of been begging for more, passing CATS , dogs and everything else.
Paul
pete 359:
newmercman:
Paul, you’re right about that 143 being better than what we have here, I’d love to have the engine out of one in my Texan Atkihi lads,
good to hear from you boys over in obamaville
regards andrew
Hi Andrew, If you are not in the office already you are probably heading that way. Was out with some friends earlier from Brynmawr who know Cyril Williams, Davies + Meredith Caswells etc. Told them about our website, its worldwide lol.
This 143 has been bugging me as you know, any help sorting it would be greatly appreciated.
Regards Paul
As Andrew posted the Cardiff international photos are mine. I remember getting my to dad to take me down to their yard in Caerphilly [behind RJ Bowns truck dealer] on a Sunday morning so I could take photos and indulge my truck fascination. The date I put on the pics was early 90’s. To try and narrow it down it would be before 94 and probably later than 91. Sorry I cant think of anything else to date them more accurately.
I was later to work alongside an ex Cardiff international driver for a few years, I will try and contact him and see if he knows more about the 143 for you. As far as I am aware they only had the one v8, and it had the Scania stripes and blue chassis as you can see rather than their usual livery.
Neil.
hi all,
this is the cardiff international scania143 pictured on a poster on the wall of my bodyshop,sorry about the quality,but it’s a photo of a photo .perfection14 gave me this poster,he can tell us all about who owned it and when cardiff ran it and who drove it,so over to you kelvin mate
a trabant a.k.a renault premium that we recently repaired.notice the damage to the near side roof area.
pete 359:
a trabant a.k.a renault premium that we recently repaired.notice the damage to the near side roof area.
Hiya Andrew can I compliment you on the cleanliness and tidyness of your workshop! I certainly would not have hesitated to “let you loose” on a Bewick accident repair!! Our insurers for 20 odd years used to be Sun Alliance(now More Than) and I could get everything and anything I wanted when we had an accident claim,If we felt like tackling one ourselves we would have the motor back on the road sometimes a month before the engineer came to sign the job off(we just kept the heap of parts for him to look at) and he sometime upped our labour charged hours!!! I remember we once had a fairly new 113 in the Scania dealers body shop in Carlisle and they told me the cab would have to go to Newcastle for specialist straighting.So I say no chance I want a new cab! No they said the engineer will say straighten it.I said stand by your phone! and 5 minutes later they rang me back to say the insurers have authorised a new cab! with words of you jammy b****** you must be well in with your insurers.But we were also prepared to use 2nd hand parts on the repair of any older tractors which kept costs down for Sun Alliance.Waffle waffle !!Cheers Dennis.
pete 359:
hi all,
this is the cardiff international scania143 pictured on a poster on the wall of my bodyshop,sorry about the quality,but it’s a photo of a photo
Andrew and Neil, I think you have found the 143 I was looking for. I thought it was on an F plate, but the reg looks familiar and August 1991 brought in the H plate. It sends shivers up my spine just looking at that photo, what a tool that was I only wish it was a trip to Madrid not just up the link road.
Thanks Paul
hi all,
thanks for the kind words dennis .here’s a couple from porthcawl fairground taken today.
this crane used to be on a bonneted mack.the foden was new to john evans transport llanelli.
hi the volvo on the trailer looks like billy belts would u have any more photos of any of hos lorries andrew
bluemikehill:
:shock: hi the volvo on the trailer looks like billy belts would u have any more photos of any of hos lorries andrew
hi mike,
this fh was from your area,she was new to n.r. evans cross hands.
Here are a few from Llanwern Slag approx 1986.All gone now.
Early morning in Llanwern.Sun just coming up waiting to load tarmac.My first lorry a Foden Haulmaster had a V8 ■■■■■■■ totally unreliable.Converted to ■■■■■■■ 14l 250 she didnt hang around!!Gordon Dorrington behind with new unit ERF E14 bought from Frank Tucker in Exeter.Replaced his C series daycab 8lxb. Austin with The Gipsy Queen in Llanwern,sheeted with tarmac.At the time second lorry run by Jimmy Nash. Jimmy Nash just loaded and sheeted,original weighbridge in background with Volvo F7 weighing out.If axle weights were not right a quick sprint off weighbridge and application of brakes soon made load shift.More like a landing strip. Jimmys Foden with pile of freshly crushed slag behind.The smell is something you cannot describe.Personally I loved it, like bitumen out of a tarmac plant.Sure a lot of tipper boys know what i mean!
Malcolm Price with my Dads SA 400 in Llanwern. Jimmy Nash and Gilbert Hughes in Llanwern.Have some more photos of Gilberts volvo tipping on Barber Green.Will post later.Fresh lime from Derbyshire being offloaded behind. Line up of old 80s lorries outside Heckett`s building in Llanwern.Waiting for loads to come out of weighbridge.
hi all,
a few more of mechanic 77’s pictures.
pete 359:
This looks like the display they put on at Tredegar Park some years ago. The grass was damp and the machine got stuck as the tyres could not get any grip. Come to the rescue their old AEC Militant which pulled it away without even getting a sweat!! 
malcolm kirk:
pete 359:
This looks like the display they put on at Tredegar Park some years ago. The grass was damp and the machine got stuck as the tyres could not get any grip. Come to the rescue their old AEC Militant which pulled it away without even getting a sweat!!
hi malcolm,
yes,correct i remember that well as i was there also.that old “milly” pulled them out on tickover .
regards andrew
mechanic77:
Walls truck services of Newports Diamond T and AEC Militant at rest.
Theres the AEC Militant you mention.
Neil.