Belgium bound

[scruff]

Currently at my folks' in Worthing getting some grub before heading to Dover for the half midnight ferry to Calais. Armed with my mighty FUSO INTERCOOLER and my best chum Jim's Range Rover and trailer we are off to pluck some quality tat from the fair country of Belgium. One a rare to Brit eyes chunk of that nation's motor industry; the other a beige saloon. There may be a two wheeled acquisition and a viewing of a potential future purchase. No A frame heroics, alas, but I shall keep those bovvered updated and with plenty of pics when we get back.

[Dave_Q]

Autoshite international! Well jel.

[DVee8]

We are always interested in tat collection

[anonymous user]

Is one a Minerva?

[Lankytim]

Belgian built Allegro?

[Squire_Dawson]

Scaldia with diesel engine?

[HMC]

Yesss plenty of pix please, wondering what it is your collecting. Belgium built what you say?

[Lord Sterling]

Wish I was on my to Belgium right now. I will be very soon though. Can't wait for the story/pics.

[scruff]

Got back fine, Very tired - will post more later 

[Lankytim]

FFS get on with it already!

[scooters]

oh goody goody goody

 

 

a euro chod collection tale - can't wait!

[Junkman]

FFS get on with it already!

 

+1

[michael t]

Best of luck with whatever you buy, really looking forward to the tat collection thread 

[Justin Case]

Ford Taunus Cortina mk 3 look-a-like, preferably in coupe form ?

[barrett]

It's obviously a D'Ieteren bodied Nagant, innit

[wackywacerwill]

Belguim Vanclee Mungo?

 

[scruff]

Sorry dudes I've been running round like a twat today.

 

I'll start out by saying I cheated a bit (lot) as I was collecting stuff for other people, tho' we did view two others with a view to a return trip soon for us. There were no explosions or arguments with foreign policemen I'm afraid, in fact in went pretty smoothly apart from the usual faffing you get with old cars/old car people!

 

In the space of a week I had two requests to bring motors back from Belgium. The money was very good, and mulling it over with my pal Jim we decided to take one of his tacho-equipped LRs and trailers over along with my truck - I only had the Sprinter which didn't have a tow bar. When the Canter was acquired I found it had a tow bar but no tacho so not worth the potential aggro if we got pulled. 

 

We met up at Clacket Lane services on the M25 at 9pm, where I made a poor attempt at a 'dash at night' pic.

 

 

Jim arrived in his bargain RR towing biatch with 18ft trailer and after a coffee we made forth to convoy to Dover. Here we may or may not have made two vehicles into one, in order to save a few quid and another ferry ticket. 

 

On the boat we ate and got some kip. Oh yes we also had a chap called Tom along for the ride.

 

 

 

Nice steady crossing, nothing exciting to report. Landed at Calais, made two vehicles again (we weren't quite sure on weight) and went off to find some diesel. 

 

 

Yes, Gazoile is the right stuff....

 

 

Stopped at a services on the E40 for some junk food, coffee and a hour's kip before heading to the quaintly named town of Asse.

 

As predicted by 'guest', our prize here was a Minerva. These are essentially a licence-built Series 1 Land Rover 80", produced mainly for the Belgian army. Rover provided all the mechanicals and the chassis (at least to start with) while the rest was made in Belgium, the biggest difference being they are all steel. This makes them heavier but not an awful lot, they still nip around like a 'normal' 2 litre 80". This one has been bought by a nice chap called Richard.

 

The vendor was a bloke called Hendrick who was surprisingly cheerful for being woken up at 7.30am on a Sunday morning by three scruffy Brits in a pikey lorry and a dealermobile RR. So laid back was this fellow that nothing was ready for us, so we assisted him first get into his compound and then move several other Minervaz in order to get to "ours"...

 

 

...which wouldn't start. After nicking the battery from another it fired straight up so Hendrick let us take both batteries, nice chap eh? BTW sorry for the SHITE phone pics.

 

I drove it down the street and up onto the wagon. 

 

 

Hendrick said we could leave the Canter at his while we went to collect motor no. 2, which was just over an hour away at a little garage near Nandrin.

 

 

1100cc and according to the paperwork originally, and until very recently, a resident of Bosnia. Surprisingly solid though there's quite a bit of wob here and there... I can take an educated guess at what's going to happen to it when it arrives at it's new home but I might be wrong. The chap at the garage spoke no English but managed to tell me it had no brakes but did run OK. 

 

 

Note 'almost Arse/Autoshite' plate on the RR. It's reet posh inside and tows like a demon, despite having the 3.0 Beemer lump which various people (self included) have derided in print as not being up to it. I think it must have been chipped...

 

We headed back to Asse, got the truck and trudged back to Calais. We'd missed the 13.30 but were in time for the 15.30, only there was a big queue at the DFDS gate (s), and when we eventually got to check in the girl said we'd have to go on the next one.... 18.00!! 

 

Wasted some time drinking coffee, farting and looking at some building work going on.

 

 

 

Minerva...

 

 

 

Eventually we got loaded...

 

 

 

Then slept on the boat till we got back to Dover...

 

 

Here the photos end I'm afraid not that there's been much amazing to see! We went our separate ways and I took the Minerva to it's new home landing at just gone 11pm. This evening I have re-collected the Escort and tomorrow I'm taking it up to Scotland to deliver. I'll get some more pics of it tomorrow as it is GR8.

[scruff]

Yes, it delivers trailers to film sets among other things. M3-M25-M27 all the time so not worth the aggro from VOStApo.

[skattrd]

Nice collections there scruff.

If you don't mind can you tell us roughly how much you charge to bring a car back from Belgium or Northern France.

[nigel bickle]

Yes, that might well be handy, please? Arundel.

 

Nice pair -1 earner, 1 keeper. Excellent

[mat_the_cat]

I'd love to do that sort of thing as a job - getting paid to go on road trips! I'm sure like anything the novelty would wear off, but from this side of the fence it looks fun.

[Guest benno]

So are you the rutland transport bods on facebook?

[Lord Sterling]

Oooh nice to see parts of Belgium Scruff. Also, nice going on the motors, one a Mk1 Escort no less! I never knew about the Minerva for the Belgian army.

 

If you are planning on getting rid of the Belgian plates, would you let me know first please as I'd be happy to re-home them.

[scruff]

Yeah that's me Benno! You are out Oakham way aren't you?

 

As a rough guide to pricing, for shiters on here £1 per mile plus the ferry costs, for the lorry coming back as freight it was £90 one way and I think about £130 for the RR and trailer return. Though I reckon I could probably book the truck as a 'private van' and pay less. For the avoidance of doubt that quid a mile is one way i.e. you only pay for your tat and I'll try to get a run in the direction of Dover so I'm not doing too many empty miles.

[Partridge]

When I read the title I thought this was going to be about a version of Roger Moore who doesn't know if he's "French" or "Flemmish".

[Guest benno]

Yeah not far from Oakham in cottesmore. I will probsbly be calling on your services before long

[skattrd]

Cheers for the info Scruff, so you're not a million miles away from Lincs either .... I'll keep you in mind should I need some chod shifting, although I am in fleet reduction mode.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Blimey a quid a mile one way for 'international' sounds pretty cheap

[scruff]

Here's another photo or two of the Escort, my fears for it's future are probably unfounded it seems.

 

 

 

 

[drum]

How far into Scotland are you coming scruff?