RETRO TRUCK
Truck & Driver August 2019^87
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.”
The Kraker moving floor
trailer hauled by this high-
mileage Volvo FH is a mere five
years old and has just had its
brakes relined. The trailer’s
as-new condition speaks
volumes about Vince’s standards
of maintenance and vehicle
presentation standards.
Spending a few hours in the FH’s
passenger seat is still a
comfortable experience for us
and there’s little in the way of
rattles or squeaks to note. Not
bad at all for a truck of this era.
“One thing I did wear out was
the driver’s seat. The original was
a top-of-the-range heated and
cooled unit, which had the built-in
mobile phone microphone on a
hinged stalk. Neil at Volvo Truck
and Bus Centre East Anglia’s
Bardon dealerpoint is a great
help to me. He always sources
whatever parts I need quickly
and without fuss, but the
replacement cost of the original
item seat was seriously
expensive. I settled for a KAB
aftermarket seat and it’s
completely fine,” says Vince.No change
With such a vast experience of
every nut, bolt and piece of
equipment onboard this
long-serving Volvo, would he
change anything if he had to
build the same truck again?
“Not really. Most things are
properly thought out, but the
wiring loom layout is overly
complex; it includes too many
bends, and these are affected by
the constant up and down
movement of the cab’s
suspension system.
“Saying that though, I think
the D12D engine is the best
Volvo ever made. Look at the
reliability of mine so far and it still
delivers 40mph cruising at
1100rpm day in, day out, along
with continued reasonable fuel
economy. It’s all effortless.”been abused. The Volvo and me
have been together a long time
and it’s like the wife. You need to
know which buttons to press and
which questions not to ask!”Keep left
Now completely immersed in
left-hand drive after 16 years
behind the wheel of this Volvo,
Vince is happy to stay on the
nearside. “I’d never swap from
left-hand drive now; it’s ideal for
the narrow Lincolnshire roads.
The standard of car driving
around here is terrible and I need
to use every millimetre of tarmac
right up to the grass verge.” Vince
drives superbly during our run
and, despite several challenging
situations with inconsiderate
road users, he remains calm and
never puts a wheel wrong.
Vince is 61 this year and
thinks it reasonable to presume
the FH will see him to his
retirement. “Performance-wise,
the Volvo is still delivering the
goods on many fronts. Last week
it averaged 8mpg, which is good
considering I did 2700km onVince says he’d never swap from left-hand drive
now; “it’s ideal for narrow Lincolnshire roads”Automobilia’s the supplying (Belgian) dealer