1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192 
RELIABLE FRIEND
Page 54
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
• It must be 15 years since I wrote to you commenting on the obsession of your roadtesting team with unnecessary gadgets and their inability to understand or drive precisionbuilt, solidly-engineered vehicles. In reading your issue of 23-29 March, featuring the new Iveco-Ford Turbostar, I noticed with some amusement that although the ZF synchromesh gearbox was within the ability of the roadtester, the constant-mesh Fuller box needed "practice".
1 mentioned before that I owned a 1968 AEC Mercury, with which I was very pleased. You may be interested to know that I still own and drive that same vehicle. It has been on regular long-distance work since new, and last June completed 1,000,000 miles. It has, of course, had a new cab (the old one rusted out) and other components have been replaced as and when necessary. The engine had its first major overhaul at 602,000 miles and was, at that time. completely rebuilt by Peter Honess, diesel engineer, of Fraddam, Hayle, Cornwall.
The AEC has just completed another season of hauling cauliflowers and cabbage from Cornwall to the London markets, with no worse mishap than a puncture on the M4. It makes the journey in 71/4 hours and, although the turbocharged, inter-cooled brigade speed past the old AEC has seen four generations of them put to the scrap yard.
I still think that British engineering is the best in the world and that with regular maintenance, steady driving and common sense, the old AEC proves my point.
Chris Thomas, Hayle, Cornwall.
Readers' letters are welcomed and can be phoned in on 01-661 3302 (24-hour service).