Universal Carrier

[bladeracer]

I've got a Buick 3800 engine from a VN Commodore that I haven't found a project for in the more than ten years I've had it.

I saw this the other day though - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlUbZhsxcWI

Which would be awesome on the farm
But less than practical I think.

Then I thought about the Bren Carrier, much more useful for farm work, and very adaptable.
So a few days research online and I've downloaded the full set of original 1941 plans from the Australian National Archives - which I dumped to my MediaFire account if anybody wants a copy - it's a 100Mb PDF.

The Universal Carrier weighed 3200kg empty, and I think it was rated to carry 550kg, although I haven't confirmed that elsewhere yet, or found any towing capacity spec. It was powered by a 3900cc V8 so I think the Buick 3800cc V6 would be ideal. Not sure if the auto trans is viable though.

So, anybody know of any carriers around Oz
According to Wiki, this one is at Roma RSL in Qld.

[Sergeant Hartman]

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.

[bladeracer]

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.

Could still be cheaper than buying several tons of steel.
Are you able to PM me any details to be able to contact him?

[Sergeant Hartman]

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

[bigrich]

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.

[No1Mk3]

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.

[bladeracer]

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

Thanks for that!
I was intrigued by a "replica" Sherman tank, but it's a real M4 tank that's just been dummied up to replicate an M4A2 for a movie. Would be fun but I think it'd chew up the paddocks

[bladeracer]

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.

I'm not actually interested in any original parts, I'll leave those for collectors that need them. If I decide to build one it'll be a replica from scratch.
I will look at those though, I might decide to just buy one instead

[bladeracer]

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

[bigrich]

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

[trekin]

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

If you are not after an authentic look to the tracks, check out these videos for track making;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAqaVKu0qb0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJjAgruckDg
Plenty of other videos of track making out there as well.

[trekin]

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

[Sergeant Hartman]

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

[bladeracer]

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

Lucky coincidence, Bob has a Lada here that we haven't decided what do with
It was his cattle pusher for herding the cows from block to block.
Very, very beat up, no brakes, have to bleed the clutch before every drive - showroom condition in fact, it's like it just left the factory!

[bladeracer]

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

Commercial tracks aren't a bad option, especially around this area.

[bladeracer]

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

[bladeracer]

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

Having looked relatively closely at the design, I think an original would want some significant strengthening if you were to drop in a modern engine, luckily the Buick V6 is pretty much a design from the sixties though

[trekin]

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

Yeah, have been toying with some plans for something simular for a quad, Drive the quad in, remove rear wheels and attach plates with CV shafts to connect to the drive spockets. The quad I have has a SLD, so setting up some sort of skid steer braking affair shouldn't be too hard.

[trekin]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XKTCFOx3bA
Looks a bit like a bren carrier.

[bladeracer]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XKTCFOx3bA
Looks a bit like a bren carrier.

Some of these look like great projects

[knowsnothin]

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

[bladeracer]

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

Such things would certainly be fun on the farm, but not very practical
The idea with the Carrier is to be able to mount a derrick, an auger, a plow blade or whatever else I might need from time to time.
But it's also quite light, although a Carrier is three times the weight of Bob's old tractor, so it shouldn't make too much mess of the paddocks, and with such a low CoG it should be very grunty and unboggable.

I'm liking some of the conveyor-belt track designs I've seen.

[Sergeant Hartman]

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]

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

Like most tracked vehicles I would expect they use differential braking.
The Carriers have a track warping system for minor steering input but differential braking for actually steering them.

[bladeracer]

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.

[trekin]

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.

Yes they are differentially braked. There are other videos showing how they attach the brake steer to the steering linkage. These tracks have been designed so that even the most isolated Ivan can build them with no more then a railway dog spike and a workshop press. Plenty of crazy Ivan videos out there showing this track system in use in the field. The one in that video are sold as ready to go units, and there are, also, plenty of commercially avialible tracked ATV's now using the same track design.
Unfortunately all tracked vehicles will chop up the paddocks more, wheather wet or dry, then tyred ones and you would need to decide how much you are willing to chop up your paddocks to have all weather access.