Ultimate 1970s European tractor unit specification

[zb_anorak]

kr79:
The sturmpy archer 3 speed that was a bycycle gearbox to remember.

I remember them well. When they got worn, the “width” of the “neutral” between second and third used to get bigger and bigger, until it would jump out of gear under load. This used to to send me skittering across the road into whatever obstacle was in the way. I swear by the old 5 or 6-speed derailleur gears- they are practically bomb-proof but, when they do go wrong, you can see the problem and, in most cases, it can be bodged right with a screwdriver and a rock.

[saviem]

[zb]
anorak:

fly sheet:
WTF we gonna talk about then? I know a bit about mountain bikes hth

Modern-day bikes are rubbish, aren’t they? Expensive, overcomplicated, engineered so that they wear out early and are then impossible to repair, without more big cost.

Funny old world, here we are talking about lorries, then suddenly, up pop the bicycles!

Always loved cycling, from the day I first learned to ride. As a youth I rode competitive Time Trials, and rode through most of Europe as a tourist, (including right up to the front door of M Bernards lorry factory). When I was driving for the family, on the back wall of the cab I had a large poster of Jacques Anquetil, (always “broke the ice”, when tipping in France, and without fail a great conversation opener).

When I went to Blainville, of course my Racing Bike, (a Hetchins Magnum Opus), went with me, and each night I would be out training. I had only been there for a couple of weeks, when I was invited to join the local Velo Club. From then on “integration” was easy. The same happened in Venisseux, only the climbs, and routes, accessible from Lyon, were just so great. But Suresnes, (and Paris in general), curbed my riding, for what today would be termed, "health and safety "reasons!

I`ve still got my Hetchins, (Stronglight 45/54, Campagnolo Gran Sport, Mavic centre pull, stronglight rims/campagnolo wide flange hubs), but with the farm have hardly ridden her for the last ten years or more. Bet if I went out on her now, people would look at the “curly rear triangle”, with exactly the same incomprehension as did my French colleagues back in the 70s.

My pal, an ardent Sunbeam enthusiast, (the motorcycles),has just bought a Sunbeam bicycle, fitted with internal expanding hub brakes, and of course a Villiers freewheel. (they never wore out). Nothing is new, its just sad to see the deriliction of the works where all this good engineering took place. Cheerio for now.

[fly_sheet]

Just get out & ride saviem & who cares what it looks like as long as your enjoying yourself, I don’t myself partake in road cycling its too dangerous for Me where I used to hang out suspension saved my teeth, The Scania factory anorak I bet that was an interesting place for a ride. Maybe we’ll get moved for talking two wheelers on here, a thread on ultimate 70’s bicycles maybe

[zb_anorak]

fly sheet:
Just get out & ride saviem & who cares what it looks like as long as your enjoying yourself, I don’t myself partake in road cycling its too dangerous for Me where I used to hang out suspension saved my teeth, The Scania factory anorak I bet that was an interesting place for a ride. Maybe we’ll get moved for talking two wheelers on here, a thread on ultimate 70’s bicycles maybe

Haha. Super idea. I fear that we have already covered most of the options, however, since my boneshaker dates from that period (or earlier- it could be older; I don’t know) anyway! Whether it is the ultimate is another matter. Monsieur Saviem’s Curly Hetchins is probably closer to that ideal. Mine does qualify as a load-carrying vehicle though, so we can’t be silenced for talking about it: the angle iron frame at the back was built for carrying wine crates across the Channel.

[chrisarbon]

This is my tourer, fully freighted, during a trip to NZ in 2011. Doing a 7.5 tonner out of a job.

[kr79]

fly sheet:
Just get out & ride saviem & who cares what it looks like as long as your enjoying yourself, I don’t myself partake in road cycling its too dangerous for Me where I used to hang out suspension saved my teeth, The Scania factory anorak I bet that was an interesting place for a ride. Maybe we’ll get moved for talking two wheelers on here, a thread on ultimate 70’s bicycles maybe

Got to be a chopper no contest

[zb_anorak]

ChrisArbon:
0

This is my tourer, fully freighted, during a trip to NZ in 2011. Doing a 7.5 tonner out of a job.

Red and white diesel (chateauneuf and chardonnay, more likely) in the belly tanks, I see! Joking aside, that looks like the perfect traveller’s express. All it needs, in my humble opinion, is mudguards and a front mudflap made out of an old 1-gallon plastic canister. I am a bit fussy about this detail- most of the feeling in my big toes has gone now, due to their being sprayed with freezing water for miles on end. I have sympathy for lorrymen who had to drive vehicles with clearance holes in the floor, around the pedals.

[orys]

I’ll drop you something exotic here:

Jelcz 410 family, with (incidentally) engine on Leyland license. Very good and modern lorry for its times, that, as typical for the Eastern Bloc, was manufactured well into 1990s so there is still quite a few of them on the road and I have a pleasure to have a ride on them on several occasions.

Quite comfotable cab (I would happily swap it for a few 1990s Leyland-Dafs I had a “pleasure” with), quite quiet inside, and very reliable, this truck is still looked after on the marked on the lower end of the money thing…

I think that it would not be a bad competitor against some of your choices

[sammyopisite]

David Miller:
What a bunch of really interesting solutions to this attack of “retrospective idealism”.

I have to agree 100% with Johnnie in the selection of the 350 Bussing Unterfleur. I drove one for a few trips and it was a peach, comfortable as only a long wheelbase wagon and drag could be, near total silence in the cab which was huge and had a totally flat floor and the 350 pulled like a train. A truly excellent motor which many, many German drivers were very sad to see the end of when they were replaced. But, Johnnie, the tractor did exist but it was badged MAN and there was no mid engined version, just the normal under cab fitment.

However I have to seriously disagree with Carryfasts suggestion of the Kenworth K100. I did one trip to Romania with one that belonged to the famous ‘BJ and the Bank Manager’ when he was subbing for us on Grangewood. What an unspeakable piece of [zb]. It had the GM 2 stroke ‘screamer’ that would not have separated the famous black man from your Granny, a completely PVC cab interior and had been designed by a man to whom ergonomics were a closed book! Sorry Gerry, if you read this.

David

Hi David, I was beginning to think my memory was playing up again as I was sure I had seen a tractor with the under floor and after a bit ( well a lot ) of searching I have found this on a German site but this one as the MAN cab where as the one I saw had the Bussing high roof cab so I assume they were a rare model with this being the only photo I could find
cheers Johnnie

[zb_anorak]

sammyopisite:
Hi David, I was beginning to think my memory was playing up again as I was sure I had seen a tractor with the under floor and after a bit ( well a lot ) of searching I have found this on a German site but this one as the MAN cab where as the one I saw had the Bussing high roof cab so I assume they were a rare model with this being the only photo I could find
cheers Johnnie

Well, I never knew they did them as tractor units. The fuel tank must have been on the left, judging by that photo, as that box in front of the rear wheel looks like a toolbox. Presumably, there was more space on the left, because (I assume) the crankshaft would be on the vehicle centreline. There would be some space under the cab, even with a flat floor, to accommodate another tank, I guess- I wonder if the German customs would know to check there? What a shame these vehicles were discontinued- a 1970 model with the high-roof Bussing cab and 320bhp would be a strong contender for the title of this thread. Here is a couple I found on the internet: