The worst kept secret in Surrey...

[max and caddy]

what is this thread wiffling on about? need to see it!!

[syncropaddy]

what is this thread wiffling on about? need to see it!!

Grumpy old men .....

[max and caddy]

no point going on a public forum and then whiffling on about summat that most users have no idea what it is!


spill the beans you old dodderers

[silverbullet]

Most of the syncro lot know exactly what this is all about. It's (probably) the one and only 1987 rhd 16" syncro DOKA.

The one that's been out in the Surrey weather for the last 5 years, the owner repelling all boarders with "it's not for sale so don't ask" and following his unfortunate demise after along illness, has now finally been moved to be got roadworthy again (am I repeating myself?)

What more needs to be said? Oh, I think that it might be 2 owner, unless VW Commercials or MAN are on the log book.

[max and caddy]

oh THAT one...the penny has droped!

[silverbullet]

A little bit more info...

The truck is getting a bit of a "MOT standard" patch-up at the customer's request it looks like it'll be tested and then parked up again, to continue it's 20+ year cycle of decay. Total waste of effort, but there you go. Garage reckons that the DJ won't last very long and that will kill it pretty soon anyway.

The front winch bracket/lower bull-bar/over-rider has a small rivetted pate in the middle, reads "Allwheel 4x4" and a phone number (which I couldn't memorize)

No decoupler or PTO, factory bashplate (looks like it's run over a few things in the past), prop bars have a slight upward bow too. Fabricated lower track arms are fitted.

It's got a Hella Taifun grille. The inner spotlamp brackets had rusted to nothing, so when the grille came off they fell out!

Everything underneath points toward the fact that it's been pretty well stationary since about 1990 with just the occasional movement to keep things freed off i.e. it's very scaly, probably about as bad as mine so not pretty at all!

I asked if I could take a few discreet pics for posterity, should be OK

PS and it's 3- owner, the last/current since c.1990 when it was sold as ex-demo

[KarlT]

Seems a shame.
Now he's gone, why do you think the rest of the family are so keen to leave it in a field?

[silverbullet]

It's a talisman; a memorial of sorts (not a very good one in this state but a full professional resto would eat up a small fortune at Surrey prices) People do peculiar things when grieving, it's their choice.

[silverbullet]

E D I T: The phone exchange code on the winch mount tag is 0582 and 01582 is still the code for the Luton area...don't know if this relates to it's first reg (need to see the dealer name on the numberplate if it's got one)

There is still an Alldrive 4x4 Services 7 miles NW of Norwich in Felthorpe...might be the same outfit as the only other Alldrive 4x4 is a rental company in Scotland?

Need to find out if there was any relationship to MAN/VW commercials but may not be so easy...

[silverbullet]

It left the workshop the other day with an MOT. I never got to take any pics after all but now back on display in a familiar field...

[HarryMann]

The phone exchange code on the winch mount tag is 0582 and 01582

Well that's not a busting long way from VW at Milton Keynes, so... mebbe they sent it there, for its winch, plenty of industry around Luton/Dunstabubble - back then of course , not now of course

[silverbullet]

I need to speak to owner #2 anyway, as the m/c job he brought in is ready (small world!). He knows the truck's early history as he did a fair bit of the demo drives IIRC so I shall find out soon enough, if he can remember!

[silverbullet]

OK, brace yourselves! Here's the final instalment:

Owner #2 (let's call him R) was the manager at Colbournes VW/MAN in Peasmarsh GU3 and did indeed demonstrate this truck along with a pair of GL 'syncro 'velles (one of each fuel type) and a TD singlecab.

MAN needed somewhere to store the demo vehicles and R was in the right place at the right time, so he got the job and personal use of them. All of them!

The DOKA's peculiar tubular steel winch mount/under-ride bar was sourced though the MAN dealer network and the winch importers at that time were Allwheel 4x4 Luton, so their workshops got the job. A WARN winch is fitted, might be the original but hard to say. The mounting is unique, a 1-off prototype.

That's it! Not much more to say, other than: C'mon Jake we know you've got a few "over the hedge" pics squirrelled away somewhere. It's good to share