(^86) August 2019 Truck & Driver
RETRO TRUCK
virtually every main
industrial region in
Europe. My return loads
arrangements were great and I
brought a lot of processed bark
back from the Loire Valley.”
A mere 17 years and 2.1
million kilometres down the line,
Vince still owns and operates the
2002 Volvo FH. “It’s the same
spec today as it was when sold
to me. I’ve never needed to
change anything, as the design
is timeless. The FH has always
had original Volvo filters, good oil
and good fuel. The latter two are
important; regular oil changes
are like having an extra
mechanic and I always steer
away from cheap diesel and stick
to the premium brands, like BP,
Esso and Shell. There is a
difference,” he declares.
Rigorous care
Rigorously adhering to a planned
maintenance programme that’s
nowadays carried out by
Summerland Commercials in
Melton Mowbray, Vince’s Volvo
FH had not long passed the 2.1m
km mark on the day of our visit.
“It’s recently had the front
discs changed for the first time
and the rear discs lasted until the
summer of 2018! This longevity
is down to correct use of the
factory-fitted FH gearbox
retarder, which saves over 90%
of normal service-brake use.”
The six-in-line Volvo turbo
engine has virtually never been
touched and just about
everything is original. “The rocker
box was removed once, when
the injector seals were changed,
and we replaced the sump after
the sump plug thread was
damaged. That’s it really for the
engine and gearbox.
“It’s had just two clutches in
its lifetime, the first at 700,000km.
Last summer we had to change
the clutch for the second time;
there were no issues with the
friction surfaces, but a couple of
springs had gone in the centre
plate. That was a bit ironic really.
I like to keep Bridgestone tyres
on the front, which means the
truck goes where I point it.” For
the remaining tread patterns and
tyre makes, Vince is happy to be
advised by Toby Clowes at Toby
Clowes Tyres Limited.
Only Vince and his friend Jim
Billson have driven the Volvo FH
and both are true professionals
with mechanically sympathetic
driving styles. “Looking after the
FH is a crucial factor, it’s never
“Performance-wise, the Volvo
is still delivering the goods
on many fronts. Last week it
averaged 8mpg, which is good
considering I did 2700km on
A-roads, with plenty of 30mph
restrictions in all the villages en
route. There are no motorways
and little in the way of dual-
carriageways around here”
No surprise that the wheel is rather worn... Vince wore out the driving seat too
romina
(Romina)
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