Paladin

Hello Skipv6797, My brother and I considered buying 06CC12 last year. I found a lot of info on the car. The former owner posted here under the name Andrew S. You should be able to find his threads. I have a number of photos of the car (mostly posted by Andrew S here and elsewhere on the net) and copies of the vehicle registration card in jpeg format. From the registration card, I can tell that it spent some time in Hong Kong, N. Ireland, and Germany with multiple visits to Central Vehicle Depot Ludgershall. The card also shows that it served with Para Sqn.; 16/5 Lancers; 15/19 Hussars; and BAOR among others. There was an article on the car in Hemmings Daily a few years back. IIRC, Andrew said in the article that the vehicle served in Borneo in 1964 w/ QRIH and supplied a photo which he said featured the car. However, I couldn't make out details from the registration card or photo to authenticate that. If you like, I'd be glad to share the images I have of the registration card. Cheers, James

Methinks not. Of course, I'm sort of entering the hobby (again) and that presents something of a bias. The CG Ranger/Peacekeeper at work kept me somewhat involved in the realm. Decent project vehicles are much less available than a few years ago and spares are not as abundant. Prices on nice condition MVs have about doubled in the US in just the last few years – far ahead of the rate of inflation. I think the decreases in availability and increases in cost are having a dampening effect. As Rosie pointed out, many families are feeling the pinch of higher costs while wages are at best 'flat'. At least here in the US, I think its fair to say that political and economic uncertainties are LARGE at this point. These things are having an effect on many of the more expensive hobbies - just a few opinions.

Welcome aboard! I'm rather new around here myself, but have found this a pleasant and helpful community. Cheers!

Thanks for your replies. Learning about Ferrets has been most enjoyable. From the numerous pics, we sort of figured that the smaller unit was only for a Bren. As much as I’d love to have an L4 (or GPMG for that matter), there is an issue of availability over here. On the other hand, Browning 1919A4 LMGs are available in dummy and live options. Does the pedestal/post/mount thing have a part no. or specific nomenclature? If I end up contacting surplus vendors like green machine surplus or marcus glenn, it would be nice to know how they would refer to it.

Hello all, I have gathered quite a lot of information from the HMVF community and to all those knowledgeable posters sharing their valuable experience (particularly concerning the Ferret), I offer my sincere thanks! The brother and I have made a deal to purchase a very nice Ferret Mk 1/2. Obviously, we're quite excited about this. I will be pleased to post pics and information on our Ferret when it arrives, but that is going to be a while yet. We are however presently considering ourselves as new members of the honorable order of Ferreteers. We are working to master the technical jargon, stumbling along as Americans in the British world of FV701. I’ve included a collage of pics to illustrate the subject of my inquiry. Apologies for the fuzziness of the pics. For purposes of the query, I’m calling it a "pedestal" – it’s the place on the Mk1/2 you mount a gun, Bren, 1919A4, or GPMG. It isn’t settled, but we are thinking that a Browning 1919A4 will probably be the best gun for us to adorn our Ferret. Our Ferret is presently equipped with the "smaller pedestal." We would like to purchase one of the "larger pedestals." In the many pics I’ve looked at, 1919s always seem to be on larger pedestals – I’ve seen Brens mounted on both sizes. What is the proper name for the "pedestal" thing? Which weapons (appropriate to Ferret) fit the respective pedestals – the smaller one and the larger one? Where would one look to purchase a larger pedestal/mount? I’d also appreciate a knowledgeable estimate of the cost. Thanks in advance. James

Big ray - you asked for some pics of my AO. Here you go. I'd have gotten to it sooner, but its been fairly hot, humid and hazy - not the best time of year, except for being at the lake. First is a vista of the hills of home, second a bit closer view of my own woods, third is nearby lake. I could post up a bit more of the streams, meadows or country lanes, but you get the sense of what summer looks like here. Topdog - I've met with Pat, very pleasant and helpful. Its likely that we will purchase a vehicle through him. He had a Mk1/2 we were most interested in, but it sold before we could get ready to commit. I was disappointed, but we'll keep looking. As to tyres, I'm hopeful to purchase a vehicle that is equipped with decent condition Dunlops. If not, I am looking into other RF options. In perusing a multitude of images online, I've seen an amazing variety of tyre types on Ferrets. Many look good – Trak-grips, however, are my favourite. I expect that most of our driving would be off-road or unpaved roads. Thanks to all for the cheery welcomes. Glad to be here.

Thanks to all for the warm welcome! I truly appreciate your the congeniality. Thank you for the kind words. Paul, I used to collect US combat gear from the VN war era, included a fair number of USSF items. There were a number of SF-qualified instructors that had served in that conflict still in cadre when I was a 'new guy.' In fact, my first platoon sergeant served with MACV. It was an awesome experience to learn from such men. They passed down a few knick-knacks to me in those days - just old guys taking care of a new guy. Ray, I'll try to post up some photos of the area. I'm not much of a photographer, but I'll see what I can dig up. The changes of season are fairly dramatic here - trees now green and full of foliage will soon change to a myriad of colors. I prefer the Fall and early Spring - thats when I get out into the woods most. Need to read up on posting pics to this forum - my webfu may need some work first. Robin, Mk2/3 seems to be the most popular. We've looked at several already in the US and are considering a couple already in the process of shipping here from the UK. Pat at KCI is a vendor relatively near to us and has several options in the offing. If you have further information on the vehicle you mentioned, we would certainly put it in the mix. Best regards to all.

Hello All, James here from the middle part of America. My part of the world is beautiful with lush forested hills, quite a few lakes and clear streams. I grew up in a large metropolitan area, but have moved to live in the countryside on a place that’s now been in my family for 4 generations. My family is mostly of English and Scottish extraction. We love music, shooting sports and family gatherings where we tend to nurture all comers with large quantities of fine food. I must confess to never having developed a taste for warm beer (never even been willing to try haggis). However, I have had a passion for militaria since childhood. It seemed so natural that I spent a good bit of time soldiering for real when I became old enough. After college, I chose to make a career as an armed professional in public safety, and that’s become a permanent part of my persona. Married – two awesome children. I collect Lee-Enfield's, still love militaria and also have a passion for history. My favourite reading materials include J.R.R. Tolkien's works, Sir Arthur's Sherlock Holmes stories and the King James Bible. I have limited experience with MVs. My first MV was an M38A1, and I drove an M1009 CCUV almost daily for years. We had a Cadillac-Gage Ranger at my former agency, and I was the person in charge of it for quite a while. That dratted Ranger was bad to overheat, but was relatively comfortable otherwise - not bad to get in/out of. I spent a LOT of time in the gunner's hatch.:cool2: My brother and I are wanting to develop in the MV hobby. We are presently considering the purchase of an FV701 Ferret, but are having a bit of difficulty deciding between a Mk1/2 and a Mk2/3. We'd love to find a nice Shorland MkIII, but they seem most elusive. I am presently researching tyre options for the Ferret. We are very interested in British AFVs generally (I'm a bit of an Anglophile) and have found a wealth of information here on HMVF. Some day, I’d love to travel to the UK and visit the lands where my family originated. Thanks to you sincerely for this pleasant place on the www. I am here to learn as much as I can and help where I may.