sirhc

John, I've not seen an earlier smaller reel, other than the one fitted to Saracens and Abbots, which has a different mounting configuration. Chris

300-500 seems optimistic, probably more like 150-200.

You've got a CVR(T) or Fox cable reel on there, never seen one on there in an in service pic. You could make up a bracket for it, find a bracket from a CVR(T) and fit that, or bolt it on as Lee says.

I'm interested in buying a Dingo, how much do you want for it? Send me a PM! :-D Chris

Was that your cable reel which took a trip round the arena on the floor?

I've had some good stuff in the tender sales, but you need to really check what you're buying and bid accordingly. If you're not prepared to take a risk, then don't bid in the tenders!

CVR(T)s can be driven quite easily one handed, after all you can only pull one tiller at a time.

Chieftain AVRE...

My ferret arrived with a small quantity of red diesel in the tank. They will burn the diesel, but it will be smoky. We have tried a ferret on petrol diesel mix (mostly petrol) and it's not good! It will smoke like a 432!

They are often used for EOD, so that might explain the RPG.

Neil forgot to mention that you probably won't be able to road register one, which may be an issue if you want to go anywhere!

I was interested in shipping them back, the first problem is finding who owns them, the second is asking for permission to ship tanks out of a war zone... in the end I decided I'd leave them where they were.

I originally posted these photos on this forum, the guy who took them send them to me, along with some others. They are Iranian Scorpions, captured in the Iran/Iraq war. There are also a number of Chieftains at the same location. The guy who took the photos says he managed to get one running. It's a shame that the US Army is going to blow them up.

It's not 'alluminum' it's an aluminium alloy, it obviously works otherwise they wouldn't have used it. http://www.keytometals.com/Article90.htm

When the price of the unrestored vehicle is almost the price of a restored one, yes I'd think so! The ex -Blelgium ones have stood outside for 10 or so years, I have not seen them myself but have heard some horror stories...

Matt, The FV432 is approximatley twice as heavy as the FV432. It is wider, taller, longer but the main difference is the maerial. The CVR(T) is made from an aluminium alloy, whereas the FV430 is made from conventional steel armour. The CVR(T) has many advantages over an FV432 other than being smaller and lighter. They are quite a bit faster out on the roads, the components are easier to handle, and they are easier to look after. In order to properly service an FV432, the pack has to be lifted out of the vehicle using an overhead crane. In a CVRT the engine deck and drivers bulkhead can easily be removed by 2 men, which gives access to everything you need to work on. The bonus of a Mk 2 FV432 is that you can run it on petrol/diesel mix, which does make them cheaper to run! Market price is going up all the time. Sabre, which is a Scorpion hull with Fox turret are around the £20k mark fully restored, a Scorpion is around £25k. There are a number of unrestored Belgian Scorpions and Scimitars on the market, these are £12500-15000+vat, and need a LOT of work. Spartan, Sultan and the other variants are not quite as expensive, expect to pay around £10000 for one that's up and running, maybe more for a nice one. Chris

The CVRT is Grasshoppers Spartan.

Matt, It all comes down to what you intend to do with the vehicle, and what condition you bought it in. For example if you were running one every day, then you would need to spend longer with the grease gun and doing oil changes/running gear inspection. If you only plan to use it every so often, it's not too bad. Obviously the more you run something, the more problems you'll have, and the more money it will cost. For example when I restored my Sabre I fitted a new set of track, sprockets and wheels. Every now and then I will randomly check a few wheel/track nuts for tightness and give it the once over to check for pads with problems etc. I know everything is in good condition as it's only done 100 or so miles since it was all fitted, and I know I fitted it. If I bought a vehicle from someone else, I would be a bit more cautious. The last thing you want is something flying off at high speed. I spend more money on bits I don't need than on bits I do need. For example I have spare engines, wheels, filters, anything which can go wrong or wear out. I also read lots of comments from people who say tracked vehicles require loads of maintenance etc. Maybe I am missing something, but I don't think you'll spend any more time working on say a CVR(T) than any other armoured or large vehicle. A 432 is bigger and heavier, so maybe it'll take you a bit longer, but it's certainly a lot less work than keeping something like a Stalwart on the roads. Major expenses are powerpacks/engines and track. Wheels aren't that expensive, but you need lots of them as they can and will fail at any time. FV432s seem to have problems with the rear idlers breaking off, I've not seen this myself but the guy who bought my 432s has had it happen. Obviously something to check if you're going to buy one. The bottom line is, buy the manuals, read them, and do what it says as often as it says, and you should be ok! Chris

Here are some examples of why you need to be careful what you read on the internet... whoever wrote these articles didn't have a clue what they were writing about. In fact it looks like it was written by a 10 year old. There is a nice photo of Vince though... 1) CVR(T) Spartan http://www.armedforces-int.com/projects/armoured-vehicles/spartan-armoured-vehicle.asp "This military vehicle is fully amphibious in order to cope with difficult battlefield conditions and harsh weather conditions" Having driven CVRTs in the rain, I can tell you that the amphibious capability obviously doesn't work, as I have got very wet! "The armoured version of the Spartan can carry up to 4 fully equipped combat soldiers. This armoured system was used in the Bosnian conflict and it has proven its high efficiency when transporting fully equipped troops" I'd quite like one of these 'armoured versions' as I don't think the hull on mine is quite thick enough... 2) CVR(T) Scimitar http://www.armedforces-int.com/projects/armoured-vehicles/scimitar-tank.asp "The suspension of the Scimitar belongs to the torsion bar type and it has 5 rubber coated wheels that can be used for road operations. The ground clearance of the Scimitar is of 0.35 m." 5 wheels? How does that work? Do you have to take them off to drive on the mud? :??? There's a load more here too... :argh: http://www.armedforces-int.com/projects.asp

A photo album from the early 50s...

Anyone know the whereabouts of these 2 vehicles? Chris

I tried to help him fix the gearbox, even scanned pages from the manuals, but he wasn't too interested. I think it's repairable, if you can be bothered then it's worth it.

PAS Exhibition Services is who bought it from the MoD auction. I think I may know who that was, several vehicles in the US were exported by PAS. Chris

Jack, If it's 'Armour and Embarkation' does this mean no Jeeps? Chris

Ferret first aid box holders?