datadawg

Does anyone have pictures or history of 82BA77 Sarie? I am buying it and just trying to dig up its bio.

How did you get the service history papers from Bovington? Is there a form to fill out or do you have to call someone?

Just wondering, why are you not restoring it as an M16? If it was built as M16, they are a lot more rare than M3, M5, etc. If you are not hellbent on authenticity, BAIV in Netherlands sells repro armor (ask for Ivo). They restore halftracks and are knowledgeable about the process.

I might have missed it, but how does the power/torque of the Cummins compare to the original motor? Is the HT going to be a speed demon?

Very nice thread and impressive work. I do have to ask, where did you get the NOS gearbox and transfer case? Were they squirreled away for years or can they be still located? I am in process of buying a Saracen that I plan to get overhauled in UK, and I'm just trying to calibrate how much effort this level of restoration is going to require. I can't imagine it's economically viable if I'm paying someone to do it (meaning if I spend X on restoration and the finished product value goes up only 1/4 X, it's not economically viable). Any idea of man hours involved??

The videos are cool. I think the tank is drifting through turns, which I never imagined is possible. I read somewhere that flamethrowers are not illegal in USA, so I am sure you can have one fabricated. Won't be authentic, but would perform.

I am buying a Fox now in UK and after reading this thread, my excitement of purchase has now turned to trepidation. I plan to having the Fox completely overhauled before importing it to US, which will include engine removal for painting, etc. Is there anything that should be done/serviced/checked regarding the engine (other than fluid changes), to be "safe", since it's going to be out and easy to do? The work will be done by Baz at trackfix.

These appear to be coming out of Russia. If so, the Russian laws are very strict that military items over X years old (can't recall what X is, but WWII stuff qualifies) are State artifacts and are impossible to export legally. Whoever buys this better be paying COD, with delivery outside of Russia....

Maybe a newbie question, but how do you tell if the helmet if WWII? If it's from US, would there be a date on it? I am planning to buy a halftrack and it would be neat to have an authentic helmet when driving it.

I would also add that it's worth contacting local LEO and let them know your plans. Even if moving armor on trailer, rather than driving it, there are plenty of moms in minivans that will call police because you might be a terrorist. I would not want to be pulled over like that, especially since you might not see the officer or hear them, and that will make them very twitchy.

For anyone interested, I am aware of refurbished HT motors, still in crates. They are about 3,850 Euros. Check Sandorf website, ask for Stef.

Great, thank you. PM me contact info for the seller if you have it!

Thanks for the invite. I will definitely reach out next time I go. The snow in Boston has indeed been biblical. I was there for a meeting a month ago and had to stay overnight because of a blizzard. Next day, decided to ignore the travel ban and drive back to Philly through 18 inches of snow. Crazy drive, couldn't tell whether I was on or off the road, and I had 4 lanes of highway to myself. Drove 60 miles on Mass Turnpike without seeing a single car. Where do you guys go offroading? My company just foreclosed on a 20 acre parcel of land in Middleboro, it's pretty far south of Boston, but could be prime playground until I figure out what we do with it

Martin, did you buy it? If I knew you were bidding on it, I would have bowed out, as a courtesy. No sense to have raised the price competing... I always notice your posts on SS, I grew up in Newton Mass and still have some family there; I was impressed to see a Scorpion in Massachusetts, half expected the liberals to try to outlaw armor in the State. If the Saracen is coming home to you, best of luck with it. I travel to Boston area for business a few times a year, would love to see your fine collection some day. Gary

Any more progress on the project?

How much time in man hours did the restoration take you?

Nice work. Amazing how necessity forces invention.

The guy selling said he did not want a bidding war, so only one shot from me, but he'd give the other guy last look. Wasn't really fair, but complaining only would have alienated him. He was just an employee of the company that owned it, and they had bought it for promo use, so no one there really cared. Oh well, life goes on... Hopefully whoever got it is on this forum, at least it'll go to the brotherhood.

Thanks everyone for their help. I was invited to put in a bid exceeding the other bidder, which I did, but the seller insisted on giving the other bidder last look. I now learned the other bidder bumped up my bid and was awarded the Saracen. So it wasn't meant to be, though I sure feel used. I will keep hunting...

If the guy has a PA (Pennsylvania) phone #, I can get the OP a contact at the Pennsylvania State Police and I'm sure they would be interested in hearing about internet fraud.

These guys are speaking Russian. I can't tell what their motives are in starting this relic, but when they flip through the manual at 8 minutes into the video, they are NOT looking at it to educate themselves on what to do; it's more of a novelty, like leafing through a Playboy magazine you found when you were 14. At 25 seconds, he throws a gas tank and says they snagged it off a "Sherman". Another funny line, at 1:12, he grabs a sledge hammer, saying "this is left over from Soviet times" and is "the most important tool we have". These guys demonstrate the key attribute of Russian mechanics... they fix anything with a paperclip and few hand tools. And these guys are not pros!!

This thread is inspirational. So much progress in such short time, all I can say is "wow!"

With all this scruffy expertise (I mean this as a compliment), I expected you guys to build some kind of A frame they used to haul stones for Egyptian pyramids or concoct a lifting routine using floor jacks and timbers. That's how they lift houses before moving them... I imagine hiring a crane is not a cheap exercise. How heavy is that turret?

Depending on your objectives (quick sale vs max price, piecemeal vs wholesale, etc.) there are many ways to go. You can take these to a dealer auction, like Manheim, and have cash in hand in few days. You can get a military vehicle dealer, but they will try to retail these and that could take months. I don't know how much value a military vehicle dealer is going to add or the fees they will take. The biggest issue is that the military decided to sell Humvees, so market is flooded now. The second issue is what paperwork you have. Do you have a Government title (SF97 form)? Without a title, you will not be able to sell a recent model year vehicle, under the laws in effect in most States. There are some esoteric loopholes, like maybe conducting a lien sale, but you need to have some real expertise. If you want to talk to someone who can run it through a Manheim auction or knows how to navigate dealer sales, PM me. My college roommate's brother is a Dealer in NY state and I can put you in touch.

Depending on your objectives (quick sale vs max price, piecemeal vs wholesale, etc.) there are many ways to go. You can take these to a dealer auction, like Manheim, and have cash in hand in few days. You can get a military vehicle dealer, but they will try to retail these and that could take months. I don't know how much value a military vehicle dealer is going to add or the fees they will take. The biggest issue is that the military decided to sell Humvees, so market is flooded now. The second issue is what paperwork you have. Do you have a Government title (SF97 form)? Without a title, you will not be able to sell a recent model year vehicle, under the laws in effect in most States. There are some esoteric loopholes, like maybe conducting a lien sale, but you need to have some real expertise. If you want to talk to someone who can run it through a Manheim auction or knows how to navigate dealer sales, PM me. My college roommate's brother is a Dealer in NY state and I can put you in touch.