Ziad wrote:There is a local guy who has a big collection of tanks and APCs near me...he's retiring so was selling stuff.... but prices were rather steep.
Ziad wrote:Mate have you got Facebook
Look up Melbourne tank museum. There was a newspaper article on it. Also the Australian pickers went yo pick there so the website of local TV stations might still have the episode.
My wife tells me he used to open regularly and you could go for a drive in a tank (maybe even drive one). But he's now likely in his 80s. He had a very extensive range of vehicles
Darn he sold his replica Sherman tank for 200k
No1Mk3 wrote:G'day bladeracer,
I realize you want a parts vehicle to do up with your engine, but a sale of military vehicles near Wagga on the 4th of May includes a working carrier (and a Centurion! fix all your towing needs!) Ad can be found on gumtree if you type in bren carrier. Other than that, try Southern Cross Militaria in Qld, they sell Bren carrier parts and may know of one for sale, also contact VMVC via their website as I know one of their members is selling a ferret, around $30,000 though, and some of their members are always sniffing things out, best of luck.
bigrich wrote:I had the pipe dream of using a Bren carrier myself if I was on the land. Aussie forces had vickers machine guns mounted on them as well as a Bren and used them like cavalry in North Africa during WW2. The commy v6 probably makes more power than the Ford v8’s they used in them originally. I would try to build a lighter version than the original, ya really don’t need the armour, unless game starts shootin back . I heard of Bren carriers being used on farms after the war as a go anywhere vehicle. Matilda tanks were turned into dozers and I heard of centurion tanks being turned into drilling rigs when they were decommissioned.
bladeracer wrote:bigrich wrote:I had the pipe dream of using a Bren carrier myself if I was on the land. Aussie forces had vickers machine guns mounted on them as well as a Bren and used them like cavalry in North Africa during WW2. The commy v6 probably makes more power than the Ford v8’s they used in them originally. I would try to build a lighter version than the original, ya really don’t need the armour, unless game starts shootin back . I heard of Bren carriers being used on farms after the war as a go anywhere vehicle. Matilda tanks were turned into dozers and I heard of centurion tanks being turned into drilling rigs when they were decommissioned.
I know a guy in Perth that's built himself a flying replica WW1 biplane. He's been looking for drawings to make a pair of dummy vickers air-cooled machineguns for it.
Yep, I think the Buick is probably a perfect counterpart. I was thinking to just do the hull out of heavy stuff so it'll support whatever I might want to hang off it for farm work, a derrick perhaps, grader blade, post hole auger, etc. I think mostly it'd be towing a trailer around.
The superstructure doesn't need to be heavy at all, but rigid enough not to get damaged in minor accidents, perhaps 3-6mm mild depending on size.The gun shield and glacis call for 11mm BP (Boiler Plate?) plate for example which is way more than I'd need.
The tracks are the most daunting prospect - two complete tracks require about 360 link plates and pins, and I couldn't guess how many hundreds of hours of fabricating them.
It'd also be a neat touch to put some 8mm bullet holes in the armour for atmosphere
trekin wrote:If you're only after a tracked vehicle for around the farm, you probably couldn't go past one of these from the crazy Ivans, $1300 US. Just drive your Lada (or any other rear wheel drive vehicle) onto it, hook the tailshaft up, and away you go.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrZB_PDNkJo
Ziad wrote:Maybe you could use metal tracks from an excavator. Or even rubber tracks (blasphemy I know).
I'll. Check your video out trekin mate l... just for giggles
trekin wrote:If you're only after a tracked vehicle for around the farm, you probably couldn't go past one of these from the crazy Ivans, $1300 US. Just drive your Lada (or any other rear wheel drive vehicle) onto it, hook the tailshaft up, and away you go.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrZB_PDNkJo
bigrich wrote:Bullet holes for atmosphere. Lol , good on ya! The original running gear in a new chassis, except for the old motor would be a good idea, maybe with a roll bar type cage for a superstructure. Dunno how the original transfer case and steering/braking setup would cope with the increased power and torque of the commy motor. I suppose the old ford flathead v8 did make reasonable torque, but their not known for HP. I’ve known hot rodders that play with them . You can still get lots of parts, even brand new blocks if you don’t mind paying. If you delete the heavy superstructure for a cage, it would lighten it up enough to make it faster and more capable as well in standard form. You could go hard and get a M3 Stuart light tank ? Lol
bladeracer wrote:trekin wrote:If you're only after a tracked vehicle for around the farm, you probably couldn't go past one of these from the crazy Ivans, $1300 US. Just drive your Lada (or any other rear wheel drive vehicle) onto it, hook the tailshaft up, and away you go.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrZB_PDNkJo
I think that concept is basically the same as the Carrier, a tracked hull that lets you drop on top whatever superstructure you need. While it falls short in the replica AFV department, it's not a bad project to experiment with. No shortage of wheels and tyres here, and I have a ready source for conveyor belt
trekin wrote:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XKTCFOx3bA
Looks a bit like a bren carrier.
knowsnothin wrote:you need this. if i had the money i'd buy it for my wife...
Mk1 Ferret Scout Vehicle/ Car
https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/tamwort ... 1213829919
Ziad wrote:How do they turn the lada tracked vehicle. Also in this video the tracks are dragging on the ground when turning will kill the tracks quickly...... I hired an excavator over the long weekend hence I remember turning and dragging... obviously worn sn excavator you can use the bucket and arm to lift the machine to make turning easier
Ziad wrote:How do they turn the lada tracked vehicle. Also in this video the tracks are dragging on the ground when turning will kill the tracks quickly...... I hired an excavator over the long weekend hence I remember turning and dragging... obviously worn sn excavator you can use the bucket and arm to lift the machine to make turning easier
bladeracer wrote:Ziad wrote:How do they turn the lada tracked vehicle. Also in this video the tracks are dragging on the ground when turning will kill the tracks quickly...... I hired an excavator over the long weekend hence I remember turning and dragging... obviously worn sn excavator you can use the bucket and arm to lift the machine to make turning easier
I just had a close look at the video (I watched it on my phone before and couldn't make out anything useful) and it is differentially braked. I would guess they have a pair of brake systems that are operated by the steering components of the car as they move to each side.
I don't think there is any way to steer a single-tracked vehicle without dragging the tracks. Similar to why tandem trailers kill their tyres so quickly.