im looking at buying a brdm2

[mitch]

Hello chaps,

 

Im seriously considering purchasing a brdm 2 and was wonderigif anyone onhere had experience of them. are they easy to drive? whats a good price to pay and if I buy abroad will there be any import issues that i will have to deal with?

regards mitch.

[ArtistsRifles]

Hello chaps,

 

Im seriously considering purchasing a brdm 2 and was wonderigif anyone onhere had experience of them. are they easy to drive? whats a good price to pay and if I buy abroad will there be any import issues that i will have to deal with?

regards mitch.

 

Try talking to these guys - they were selling one at W&P this year. may still have it:

 

Trapper Industries

25 New Road, Smallfield, Surrey UK. RH69QN

+44 (0) 7785 764705

http://www.trapperindustries.com

 

alternatively - Duncan Nicholson up at Tanks for Sale - http://www.tanksforsale.co.uk - on 07794 630476 for an explanation of buying it abroad and bringing it in.

[eddy8men]

there's plenty in poland. try this auction site and if you see anything you like maybe paulob1 could give you a little guidance on dealing with the jam rolls as he bought a load of vehicles from them last year.

www.allegro.pl

 

good luck

 

rick

[mitch]

thanks for the info guys, im still in the looking planning stage at the second but i plan to be making a purchase some time early in the new year.

my main worry is wether i can ship it across europe on a low loader or will it be paperwork hell?

[BRDM Driver]

What do you want to know?

 

I've had one a while now.

 

Easy to drive, turning circle of an artic, reliable so far, parts difficult to get....

 

Ask away....

[Vulture]

BRDM Driver

Just had a look at the photos of your machine in your album. The interior of it looks excellent !! Tells us something info about the vehicle please.

Cheers

Ian

[northrecce]

The household cavalry has our had one of these in the hangers at Windsor barracks . But not sure what they where doing with it ?

[mitch]

What do you want to know?

 

I've had one a while now.

 

Easy to drive, turning circle of an artic, reliable so far, parts difficult to get....

 

Ask away....

 

 

 

Hi Brdm driver,, got to say I enjoyed the pics you have an awesome beasty.

ok

first up electrics,

is it a 12 or 24 volt system, and what are they lilke to jump or bump start? Also will I be able to use commercial western lightbulbs and fuses for the indicators/stop lights etc.

 

Second, bearing in mind its a swimmer, are the fuel and brake lines prone to corrosion and are they inside the hull? also does it have a bilge pump?

 

Engine,

how easy is it to get too and is there room to work on it? also I have heard that most russian V8's are based on u.s. models, if this is true any idea on exactly what ones? also what oils do they require

 

Controls,

not being all that conversant with crylics and mindful at how many switches and dials there seem to be in the cab, , how easy is it to figure out the controls and is there an online guide available (say a pdf of a manual)

 

Visibilty,

good enough to drive solo safely or is it a co driver/spotter vehicle.

 

Stowage,

is there a "boot" or similar and whats it like space wise inside?

 

General issues,

has it got any bad habits (such as diffs cracking if driven on hard surface or leaking hatches etc)

 

 

 

finally, whats the TV monitor in your one for?

 

Finally im looking at shipping the one i am getting over from the czec republic, am i gong to have border controls and customs going bat sh*t over it?

regards mitch.

[BRDM Driver]

Hi Mitch,

 

Ok here you go....

 

24v neg earth electrics.

 

Bump starting...? Well never done it. They weigh 7 tonnes so you'd need something quite big to move it. Hydraulic steering so the steering will be really, really heavy without the engine running. Brakes are air assisted so they will be interesting with no engine running. If you had enough room to turn and stop, then yes you could bump it. Petrol pump has a manual prime so that helps.

 

Most bulbs are pretty similar except they seem to be rated in Candellas I think... Mine came with a set of spare bulbs and fuses. Fuses are not like anything I've seen before. I'm replacing the external lights with E marked UK lights so bulbs are no issue. As standard, the rear brake lights flash for indicators and the front indicators are white. There's no dim dip but on the plus side you get IR headlamps if you have the night vision kit!!! not sure what the other road users will make of a stealth BRDM driving about at night with IR headlamps though!

 

Mine has been in the Thames. Most of the running gear is inside the hull. There are external brake lines but they are pretty well protected. In fact everything is. My 2007 Landrover has rubber pipes in worse shape than the pipes on the BRDM!

 

It has an electric bilge pump and also a really useful hydraulic valve which, if you operate it in the water will sink you in sort order! For some reason the valve (what you'd call a sea cock on a boat I guess) can be remotely operated but there's no safety interlock or anything. The operating handle is painted red though. There are loads of other drain cocks in the hull but these are manually opened and closed.

 

Engine is a big old petrol v8. I would say moderately easy to work on in situ as it's not a modern engine and you can see all the important bits. You get used to hanging down into the engine bay from the top or climbing in alongside the engine from the crew compartment. when you drop a nut or spanner it dissapears down to the murky bottom of the hull where all the oily water and leaves collect. You get pretty adept with a magnet on a stick!

 

I have a good set of manuals and I'm still collecting them. never had to do anything major on the engine other than oil change and new belts and rebuild the leaky fuel pump. I use classic car mineral oil.

 

The engine is a Gaz41. I'm no expert on yank motors so I can't comment on similarities.

 

Controls are pretty easy. I have translated all of them and all the warning signs! I am working on the missile launcher at the moment. That's quite complex, but I think it works. The radio seems to work too. My vehicle is the 9P148 variant and is quite a lot newer than most you see for sale. I think it's actually 1985, but for import and exemption purposes 1970.

 

Visibility is it's biggest problem. Two small windows up front and then a load of periscopes that you can't reach half of. I wound never drive it without a spotter on the top. I'm going to put some mag mount cameras on mine just to help getting good around vision. I did think about cutting side windows in, like the domesticated versions have, but I really want to keep it stock.

 

There's a sort of boot, but it's where the engine cooling air comes out so anything in there will be smoked and oiled! In tge crew area, there is bags of room. More if you take out the missile racks. It's very low so forget standing up, but you could fit 4 seats in the back.

 

Also, if you are more than 5 foot tall, you will find that your legs get stuck under the steering wheel - thus preventing operation of the brake....until you move the gear stick out of the way so you can get your leg out....not good. I have extended the steering column by 4 inches on mine.

 

My vehicle is moderately watertight. Certainly more watertight than my boat! Like all things, if you park it in a certain position, it can collect water through some tiny leaking gland etc and it will fill itself up in no time. I had a Peugeot 405 that completely filled up all the footwells with rain through a leak in the rear back light, when it was parked on a slope!

 

Once the hatches are greased and the seals given a wipe of DC4, it's pretty good. Mine has NBC protection so in theory it should be air tight! I suppose the NBC is supposed to make a positive pressure so if was going, no water would get in! I don't run the NBC fan up very often as it's a bit scary and I have heard horror stories of hatches being sucked shut, suffocation etc...

 

The old tv monitor is for a reversing camera. I'll be putting in a smaller lcd with all round cctv at some point.

 

Exporting? Well I'd expect the seller to sort out the paperwork. PaulOB knows about doing that and I'm sure other forum members do too.

 

Spares are a pain as the BRDM2 is still in service so I think the dealers are only interested in selling spares to foreign armies. If you get one, we should form an owners club and maybe we can get a bit more organised! I don't know anyone else with one, except Steve King who sadly passed away a while ago. We used to swap info etc on a regular basis. Mine was imported by Duncan who wasn't much help with parts etc. There is a BRDM forum but it's russian and there are not too many posts on there. Russianmilitarytrucks is quite good.

 

If you fancy a look around mine, let me know. I'm in Dorset near the Tank Museum so it would be a nice day out for a tank fanatic if you haven't been there!

 

Hope that helps! Let me know if you go over to get one.

[BRDM Driver]

Hi Vulture,

 

Yes it's a fascinating machine. I learn something new about it every time I get in it to tinker! I only recently found the switch to operate the lights inside the engine bay and the switch that makes the radio auto tune - which it does mechanically with motors!

 

My vehicle is a 9p148 so it's a tank hunter and would carry wire guided anti tank rockets. I have the launcher bit it's off the vehicle at the moment to allow for a bigger hatch instead of the rather tight standard hatches.

 

In the photos you can see the missile guidance system which is either manual or automatic. I have all the sights etc. the system is quite interesting as it works electro mechanically with no digital electronics or computers.

 

The radio still works and there's also a Gieger counter in the cab.

 

The transmission is 4 speed, no sychro on 1st or 2nd I don't think. You get RWD or 4WD and Hi/Low.

 

The extra belly wheels lower hydraulically and are chain driven. They are designed to only contact the ground if the vehicle is on a bank or ditch, not when on the flat.

 

Everything is operated from the driver seat: Belly wheels, Splash guard, Propeller cover, water drain valve are all hydraulic. The propeller has forward and reverse and has vanes behind it linked to the steering wheel.

 

My vehicle doesn't have the winch which is driven off of the engine, but it does have a power take off at the back.

 

It has two 150 litre fuel tanks which you can select - but only if you reach all the way through the engine bay...

 

All the engine belts are doubled up and it has a full time air compressor which provides air for the brakes and for the tyre inflation/deflation system.

 

When in the water there's a water/water heat exchanger for the cooling system and oil system.

 

There's a petrol fired pre-heater if you are really brave. I'm not!

 

You can lift up the floor hatches an see the whole transmission system as it's all inboard.

 

If you'd like to see more pics and have any questions, fire away!

 

Cheers,

 

Richard.

[tankysteve]

Hi BRDM Driver;

 

Is this your handywork seen at W&P this year ?

 

Steve

[ArtistsRifles]

That's the one belonging to Trapper Industries - up for sale last I heard at around £17K

[malyutkaman]

Richard,

Was just reading your post and was wondering how you extended your steering column? I know what you mean by if you're over 5ft tall your leg gets caught under the steering wheel. I'm 6'5" and can hardly drive mine.

 

Thanks,

Richard

(It seems like one has to be named Richard in order to own a BRDM:-D)

[BRDM Driver]

Trapper's has a diesel engine in it, so they get more resonable mpg, but I don't think it can swim.

 

Their's has a turret and mine had a rocket launcher on the top.

 

I think the stock v8 petrol will propbably do 7 or 8 mpg. I think I read that the official range is 750 miles, so 300 litres of fuel gives around 11 mpg. 300 litres is a lot of tesco points!

[BRDM Driver]

Richard,

Was just reading your post and was wondering how you extended your steering column? I know what you mean by if you're over 5ft tall your leg gets caught under the steering wheel. I'm 6'5" and can hardly drive mine.

 

Thanks,

Richard

(It seems like one has to be named Richard in order to own a BRDM:-D)

 

Hi Richard,

 

I got a small stub shaft made with a taper hole and a taper shaft on it. Took the steering wheel off, put the shaft on, put the steering wheel back on the new shaft. Three axial lock screws on each end keep everything in tight.

 

I'm 6 foot 3.

 

You can't go much more than 4 inches extension otherwise your hand gets caught between the steering wheel and the windscreen!

 

 

 

Ever had any issues with your BRDM?

[Vulture]

Hi Vulture,

 

Yes it's a fascinating machine. I learn something new about it every time I get in it to tinker! I only recently found the switch to operate the lights inside the engine bay and the switch that makes the radio auto tune - which it does mechanically with motors!

 

My vehicle is a 9p148 so it's a tank hunter and would carry wire guided anti tank rockets. I have the launcher bit it's off the vehicle at the moment to allow for a bigger hatch instead of the rather tight standard hatches.

 

In the photos you can see the missile guidance system which is either manual or automatic. I have all the sights etc. the system is quite interesting as it works electro mechanically with no digital electronics or computers.

 

The radio still works and there's also a Gieger counter in the cab.

 

The transmission is 4 speed, no sychro on 1st or 2nd I don't think. You get RWD or 4WD and Hi/Low.

 

The extra belly wheels lower hydraulically and are chain driven. They are designed to only contact the ground if the vehicle is on a bank or ditch, not when on the flat.

 

Everything is operated from the driver seat: Belly wheels, Splash guard, Propeller cover, water drain valve are all hydraulic. The propeller has forward and reverse and has vanes behind it linked to the steering wheel.

 

My vehicle doesn't have the winch which is driven off of the engine, but it does have a power take off at the back.

 

It has two 150 litre fuel tanks which you can select - but only if you reach all the way through the engine bay...

 

All the engine belts are doubled up and it has a full time air compressor which provides air for the brakes and for the tyre inflation/deflation system.

 

When in the water there's a water/water heat exchanger for the cooling system and oil system.

 

There's a petrol fired pre-heater if you are really brave. I'm not!

 

You can lift up the floor hatches an see the whole transmission system as it's all inboard.

 

If you'd like to see more pics and have any questions, fire away!

 

Cheers,

 

Richard.

 

Richard

 

Thanks for taking the time to explain a bit about your vehicle, fascinating stuff, I want one !! The ability to take it for a swim in any river you want is just brilliant.

 

Kind regards

 

Ian

[BRDM Driver]

There are quite a few youtube clips showing the BRDM in the water. It rides quite low in the water, but there are very few openings in the hull other than in the top. As long as the propshaft and steering seals are ok, it should be fine.

 

It's supposed to be able to make 10 knots... Is that faster than a Stolly?

 

Entering the water just requires making sure the drain valves are shut (all done from inside), raising the splash guard and opening the prop cover (all done by hydraulics) and driving in.

 

There are two warning notices inside, roughly translated as:

 

"DRIVER! Before entering water, check that all valves and stop-cocks in the hull are closed."

 

and

 

"DRIVER, REMEMBER! Choose a smooth, firm, not swampy region of shore for going in and out

of water.

 

Before entering water check: Presence and tightness of releasing

valves; Deck hatches are firmly closed; When the engine is running,

check turning on the transmission to waterjet: turn the jet on with

the clutch depressed."

[BRDM Driver]

Some pics of the internals added to my album.

[Vulture]

Richard

 

What an interesting vehicle, thanks for adding the extra photos.

 

Checked out on U-Tube and found this one:

 

 

 

Just brilliant ! Have you tried that many times yourself ?

 

Kind regards

 

Ian

[ArtistsRifles]

<snip>

 

It's supposed to be able to make 10 knots... Is that faster than a Stolly?

 

<snipped>

 

Yes - some 4 knots!! Stolly is rated at 6 knots using wheels and Dowty jets., 4 knots on Dowty alone and 2 knots on wheels alone.

[BRDM Driver]

I've just noticed that the youtube clip is vehicle 131 and mine is 134. Both 9p148's with Cezch markings.

 

Richard Moore had 133.

[ArtistsRifles]

Is this any use to you guys with the BRDM's:

 

http://depositfiles.com/files/owxt04jc4 - document title is BRDM2 Remont.rar, sized around 86 Mb. You will need WinZip or WinRar to be able to extract the document within the file.

[texas pete]

There's a couple of things I would of some differently if I were to buy a BRDM again.

First I would want to see the vehicle through in person and not rely upon an in between.

Secondly I would want to confirm the equipment and parts included in the sale.

 

Otherwise it is important to confirm everyting you want out of the deal in a contract. Consider if you want to have the vehicle serviced and registered on the roads or want to have the vehicle repainted.

 

As it is I love my BRDM and think its simply an awesome vehicle

[mitch]

thanks for the responses on this one guys, im having to put my purchase on hold as the price for the one i was looking at has been bumped up from the original one quoted on the site by just shy of £5000,. so now looking for a cheaper one somewhere else. .,

[malyutkaman]

Hi Richard,

 

I got a small stub shaft made with a taper hole and a taper shaft on it. Took the steering wheel off, put the shaft on, put the steering wheel back on the new shaft. Three axial lock screws on each end keep everything in tight.

 

I'm 6 foot 3.

 

You can't go much more than 4 inches extension otherwise your hand gets caught between the steering wheel and the windscreen!

 

 

 

Ever had any issues with your BRDM?

 

Only issues with mine is PARTS!!!! I still need Both hydraulic pumps (engine driven and hand pump). So far no luck; I see lots in the Czech rep. but trying to find someone that'll pull the parts and send them to me has (so far) been difficult. Maintenance is relatively easy, definately nothing too complicated.

I may have to try your steering wheel trick (when I find some pumps) as it is very cramped.