Frank Latorre's Foden in Truckin' Life, Nov '09

Joe, you have never seen any Fodens?????

What are you??????????

Spend a dollar or 2, fly over to Australia's East Island and have a look. NZ is still full of Fodens, there are thousands of them here and still doing a great job. The fact that Fodens are no longer made is unbelievable, but sadly it is true. As you probably know, even Brian from BLB is a bit sad about that fact.

Hey Vic

That looks great. Is it a Stroker or Gardner powered? A good mate has a 2 stroke version in South Australia and it will soon be restored - 56k original miles. I'll post some pics soon.

Bruce,

Is that Murray Langford's FG???? Would love to see them! That S21 of Vic's would be like Frank's - it would have had the 6LW 150 Gardner!

Joe

Vic,

I'm bloody deadly serious! And I love old trucks.... I am heading your way soon as I am visiting a friend who breeds Bernese Mountain Dogs - I will make time to come see all the NZ Fodens! And I feel so sad that Paccar stopped making them as well!

Joe

It was a genuine Foden, that one I drove. A Foden 2-stroke with the Foden 12-speed gearbox. An iconic truck, to use a vogue word.

It wasn't the best truck around at the time, but there was something about that made it really special.

WellHungVic
GuddayM8

RE: Fodenz

Ifn U have posted the same pic again

well may B I ask the same Q:? again (I Dunno)

(az they say: " Great people repeat themselves, repeat themselves, repeat themselves!")



Wot can U tell me about the Foden 2 Stroke diesel th@ sounded like a Screemin GM or a Commer Knoker

Iz there any of these Beasts In NuuZelund
U should no coz U'd here m B 4 arrive



GiveTillItHurtz

Tanks in advance

Cya
[ch9787]

Swishy, I just caught your message b4 I turned the computer off. It's 10pm here and I have to start work at 5am.

Sadly, I don't know of any Foden 2-stroke engined trucks that are still running but I may be wrong and certainly hope that I am.

Cheers, Vic

So .. if these trucks are so rare .. where did this one go (below), that used to work on Kangaroo Island? ..
That little blonde headed bloke, is a mate from Adelaide, who's in his mid 40's now ..

I used to see these trucks all the time in W.A. .. don't tell me they've all gone?? Houlihans, Bells, Gascoynes, and a number of private blokes used to run them. They were a great old truck.

I also remember getting a lift with a bloke with a Foden, from just South of the Ayers Rock turnoff, into Coober Pedy, in late July 1969.
This bloke was a terrific fella, he carted Adelaide-Darwin all the time with that old girl .. over that joke of a Stuart Hwy, before it was sealed.

It was just nothing but corrugations and washouts, and I recall driving all night with him, and him pedalling that old girl up and down the epicyclic box, all night long .. up three gears .. washout appears .. down four gears .. thru the washout .. up four gears .. another washout .. back down thru the cogs again.
It was just constant, and I don't know how he put up with it, with such cheerfulness ..

Onetrack,is that you standing beside the blonde fella?

I know a couple of blokes who have 2 stroke foden engines,but none are in trucks.They used to use them in boats as well as trucks.

That Latorre Mickey Mouse is very, very nice.

For the two-stroke fans, that's what they sound like:



More here:

www.youtube.com/user/foden1964

Cheers,

T