As the title says i thought this would be of intrest to alot of you as you will have driven one or both of
these motors.
These two iconic trucks re wrote the road test back in 1975 !
Due to scanning this from an old magazine the print sometimes becomes a bit blurred to read so
click on each page and it will magnify it so you can read it !
Drove both of them on m/e work.
The Volvo was the first and was an iconic truck, mostly reliable although one or two of the 290’s on the fleet gave some problems.
The Transcon was a big improvement, bigger better cab, very reliable and a real head turner.
Brakes on both trucks had their critics, but you only drive a truck within it’s limitations!
I too drove both, but only on domestic work. At the time I thought the F88 was the most attractive and (even then) iconic of the two, but I confess I preferred the Transcon both for its lively ■■■■■■■ performance and its slick Fuller 9-speed 'box. I’d happily drive either of them tomorrow! Robert 
Thanks for posting, Deanb. Those truck Mgazine articles always give plenty of food for thought…
There’s another suggestion that the 355E engine was a Ford special, although the presence of a Foden brochure scan on this forum, advertising that engine, disproves that idea. Looking at the specification of the engine, it seems like a Big Cam E320, without the big cam, about four years early. Would any of the more knowledgeable ■■■■■■■ enthusiasts care to comment on it?
Thanks Dean, another reason to buy TRUCK back in the day - excellent in-depth comparison tests. I get that the F88 cab would have looked a bit dated compared with the all-new Transcon, so I’d be interested to know if TRUCK ever did a similar test with the new F10 vs. the Ford.
I only remember the ■■■■■■■ 335, I don’t remember one rated at 355 ?
ParkRoyal2100:
Thanks Dean, another reason to buy TRUCK back in the day - excellent in-depth comparison tests. I get that the F88 cab would have looked a bit dated compared with the all-new Transcon, so I’d be interested to know if TRUCK ever did a similar test with the new F10 vs. the Ford.
I dont remember seeing one with a f10/12 but may be wrong. To be fair to the 88 it was an old design cab wise
etc by then, apart from the new 290 engine. Mind you according to the conclusion is still just hung on ! 
The Ford v Volvo F88 test was the second of four Transcon Test Matches featured in Truck Magazine. The third & fourth tests were against the Leyland Marathon and ERF B Series respectively, both of which are equally worth a read. Its also worth remembering that Truck Magazine also did a once (sometimes twice) a year Euro Test which also featured a Transcontinental on several occasions. The amount of detail that went into these tests is quite remarkable, even by todays standards.
How would an f89 fair against a transcontinental just wondering regards rowly
A while back I posted the July '78 four-way Euro Test with the Transcon in it. I know I put it on the LHD Seddon-Atkinson 400 thread and I might have put it on the LHD Transcon thread as well. As Mark says, there’s phenomenal detail in there. Robert
rward:
How would an f89 fair against a transcontinental just wondering regards rowly
We just need to find a man who owns both wagons. Any ideas ROWLEY
