DaninLids
Member
- Posts
- 75
- Location
- Leeds, West Yorkshire
Hi all,
I've just joined the forum after many moons of looking at all the helpful advice having just become an owner of a Series III.
It's 29 years old (A-Reg), van type (just windows in the door at the back - none on the sides) and a 2286 diesel.
Basically I got it for an absolute bargain and did my test drive on a ploughed field. Everything works and it has a decent bit of MOT left to run... however...
...can anyone confirm that the following are normal and not faults/mechanical nightmares:
1. First gear is basically useless - especially at roundabouts. You set off, get to 3mph - whereupon it reaches the maximum speed in that gear and you have to change up to 2nd, by which time it's doing 1mph. Should I be setting off in second gear on the road?
2. Acceleration is laughable at best, dangerous at worst - people on push bikes could beat it to 20mph easy. Is this normal?
3. Not being used to the sound of basically sitting in a ground-based Lancaster bomber I am changing gear to the engine note and going into 3rd around 25mph whereupon it slows down and starts to sound like it's thrashing itself to bits at around 30mph - at this point I go into 4th and it starts going backwards. Should I press ahead with 3rd to about 35 (if it will do that) and then go into 4th only on flat and downhill stretches?
4. Top speed seems to be about 40mph - I did 16 miles in it from Allerton Bywater to North Leeds when I bought it and going uphill it virtually stops and going flat out downhill it gets up to about 40 (absolute top end). Is this normal in the diesel? I was definitely in 2wd high ratio by the way.
5. Can the position of the hand-throttle alter the performance of the vehicle? In other words if it's set all the way to full power will that add to or be overridden completely by the accelerator pedal?
6. On the steering column there is a knob that pulls out very much like a choke and like a smaller version of the fuel cut off knob you use to stop the engine - once pulled out I couldn't get it back in and have no idea what it is for as the character on the end has long since rubbed off. Eventually I did get it in but am still none the wiser... any clues on that?
7. Whilst driving it I hated it. I couldn't believe what a fool I'd been in buying it, insuring it and had palpatations about the massive costs that will be coming my way.... however.... now it's sitting on my drive in all its magnificent glory and sounds like a Lancaster bomber on take off when going I love it again. Is this love/hate relationship normal?
Thanks all.
I've just joined the forum after many moons of looking at all the helpful advice having just become an owner of a Series III.
It's 29 years old (A-Reg), van type (just windows in the door at the back - none on the sides) and a 2286 diesel.
Basically I got it for an absolute bargain and did my test drive on a ploughed field. Everything works and it has a decent bit of MOT left to run... however...
...can anyone confirm that the following are normal and not faults/mechanical nightmares:
1. First gear is basically useless - especially at roundabouts. You set off, get to 3mph - whereupon it reaches the maximum speed in that gear and you have to change up to 2nd, by which time it's doing 1mph. Should I be setting off in second gear on the road?
2. Acceleration is laughable at best, dangerous at worst - people on push bikes could beat it to 20mph easy. Is this normal?
3. Not being used to the sound of basically sitting in a ground-based Lancaster bomber I am changing gear to the engine note and going into 3rd around 25mph whereupon it slows down and starts to sound like it's thrashing itself to bits at around 30mph - at this point I go into 4th and it starts going backwards. Should I press ahead with 3rd to about 35 (if it will do that) and then go into 4th only on flat and downhill stretches?
4. Top speed seems to be about 40mph - I did 16 miles in it from Allerton Bywater to North Leeds when I bought it and going uphill it virtually stops and going flat out downhill it gets up to about 40 (absolute top end). Is this normal in the diesel? I was definitely in 2wd high ratio by the way.
5. Can the position of the hand-throttle alter the performance of the vehicle? In other words if it's set all the way to full power will that add to or be overridden completely by the accelerator pedal?
6. On the steering column there is a knob that pulls out very much like a choke and like a smaller version of the fuel cut off knob you use to stop the engine - once pulled out I couldn't get it back in and have no idea what it is for as the character on the end has long since rubbed off. Eventually I did get it in but am still none the wiser... any clues on that?
7. Whilst driving it I hated it. I couldn't believe what a fool I'd been in buying it, insuring it and had palpatations about the massive costs that will be coming my way.... however.... now it's sitting on my drive in all its magnificent glory and sounds like a Lancaster bomber on take off when going I love it again. Is this love/hate relationship normal?
Thanks all.