It wasn't easy sorting the travel arrangements for a 1.5/2 tonne truck. Especially as I don't have a trailer. Or a towbar.
I'm very lucky in that I have some very good friends who were prepared to lend me their equipment for a few pounds and/or beers.
So I set off down to Cambridge in an old Transit Tipper with a triple axle Ifor Williams in tow. What a long drive. 4 hours there and 5 hours back! £120 in fuel alone. Add to that £20 for the trailer and £20 for the truck and it was a relatively expensive day. Not to mention the purchase price of the truck.
Ah, the truck...
Well first impressions aren't too bad. The previous owner hadn't had it long but it's history is all in the Cambridge area. It had been handed back to an MOT station in payment of a bill when it's keeper had obviously had enough. Previous to that, though, he'd kept it on the road for many years. I presume it had just become too much.
I'm not sure how long it sat outside the MOT station, but as it was last MOT'd in 2005 I'd presume five and a half years until 'Nik' (the vendor) bought it in early 2012.
Apparently the gearbox was seized but it had been started over the previous months.
The truck was hauled onto the trailer in the pouring rain with a tow-rope and, unfprtunately I didn't take any pictures. So I left Cambridge with the 109 behind me and a big grin on my face. Cheers Nik. Top bloke.
Once home I began to have a closer look at what I'd bought.
Pics on the driveway:
Hmmm, it would appear pretty original, however the engine shows as a Series 3 2.25 petrol, yet it still has a dynamo.
The bulkhead has rotted in the usual corners and the drivers side footwell has rotted through. The passeneger side, however has been repaired at some point in the past. The chassis has a few holes in it that will need patching for MOT and the whole thing needs a bloody good tidy up.
First impressions though are positive. Would it remain that way?...
I'm very lucky in that I have some very good friends who were prepared to lend me their equipment for a few pounds and/or beers.
So I set off down to Cambridge in an old Transit Tipper with a triple axle Ifor Williams in tow. What a long drive. 4 hours there and 5 hours back! £120 in fuel alone. Add to that £20 for the trailer and £20 for the truck and it was a relatively expensive day. Not to mention the purchase price of the truck.
Ah, the truck...
Well first impressions aren't too bad. The previous owner hadn't had it long but it's history is all in the Cambridge area. It had been handed back to an MOT station in payment of a bill when it's keeper had obviously had enough. Previous to that, though, he'd kept it on the road for many years. I presume it had just become too much.
I'm not sure how long it sat outside the MOT station, but as it was last MOT'd in 2005 I'd presume five and a half years until 'Nik' (the vendor) bought it in early 2012.
Apparently the gearbox was seized but it had been started over the previous months.
The truck was hauled onto the trailer in the pouring rain with a tow-rope and, unfprtunately I didn't take any pictures. So I left Cambridge with the 109 behind me and a big grin on my face. Cheers Nik. Top bloke.
Once home I began to have a closer look at what I'd bought.
Pics on the driveway:
The bulkhead has rotted in the usual corners and the drivers side footwell has rotted through. The passeneger side, however has been repaired at some point in the past. The chassis has a few holes in it that will need patching for MOT and the whole thing needs a bloody good tidy up.
First impressions though are positive. Would it remain that way?...
No comments:
Post a Comment