little ray

Hi all, its been a while since I was here but family and health issues have kept us in check and things had to slow down. I gave up on the tanks out here for now as I found them to late and already sold or the scrap dealers beat me so I purchased this today. It was a FV439 but now stripped out and thats ok for what I want and will take delivery next week but I need to know how to start it and drive it, is there ant drivers manuals around and were would I get parts from please should I need any. Even the Mrs who is not the best is waiting for a ride around the farm and I will not need to open gates any more... Ray

Hello all, well I have been on another scouting trip and sneaking around the air port to the back of a property I found this little gem, that make two parts of the set now and I am working on some other leads but there is still stuff there. Just not sure how the cannon attaches.. Ray

Thank you for the spider story, they are not my friends. So far this summer I have had two 4 to 5 foot eastern brown snakes (no 2 on the most deadly list) sitting at the front door and two 3 foot copper heads which come in at number eleven but my number 12G beats what ever they can put up, now back to the turret, I hoping he may have a spare one and I know of two in New Guinea but is it not possible to deal with them unless you are some government or rich American. The wife is telling me to tell him to get lost as I do all the work and he get the rewards and credit so I will give it one more try and send a email.. Ray

Hi Rob, yes I do have horses as we have pacers (four legged lawn mowers if they dont win) I also have a stage coach so one day they will pull that as well. Ross, Im in Australia so it would not be cheap to get it there but will contact you as I have another plan coming along... Ray

I hate spider at the best of times and I would just go out of my mind if a tarantula fell on me, I would rather take on a killer snake that them. (well I do take on killer snakes for half the year out here as they go across my front landing) My main thing is I have a guy who is calling all the time to find out if I have found a turret for one so I was going to see if he had a spare one so I an have some piece. We just found and picked up a WW1 gun limber so any thing is possible. Ray

Some time back a guy found a compound in South America with a pile if these M3 Stuart tanks and container loads of spare parts. Can any member give me a idea on were to find the person and did he sell it all or is there parts left over for sale. Any help would be appreciated... Ray

Hi fellow members, its been a while since I was on the forum so I stopped in to see what has turned up and saw this thread. I could not believe that you were talking about what I just found. I saw a limber 40 years ago and we could not move it as it was so heavy and we only had a 6foot by 4foot box trailer. It was left sitting in waist high grass behind a old searing shed and it still had the wicker baskets in it. Time pasted and I moved from Sydney to the city of Bathurst New South Wales and took a job as a guide at the local museum. Three months ago a guy came in asking questions about old houses and I asked which was his and to my surprise he now owns the old property that the limber was sitting on. I asked if it was still there and he said yes so I pushed a bit more and said what are you going to do with it and comes out with if you want it come and get it for free but its not the best of condition. Two days ago we went out with a car trailer and a crane and picked it up or what was left of it so here are some photos of what I have on my trailer.

Hi there, well its a story of man verse's wife, after putting up the story about my find a member contacted me from out at Hillston NSW which is about 600Kms as he has some parts to help rebuild the GPW so out of the blue I said lets go on a road trip to a place near by, well after the tempers settled down with me flatly saying I was not going looking for jeep parts or any car items and it was a trip for her to enjoy I was off the hook. First day out on the way there we stopped for coffee and I went taking photos and thats what I found, it should have parts I can use on the ford and I need a some thing to drive on the farm as I am not taking my new $70k Nissan patrol around with tools or barb wire in the back or slobbering dogs in it so it will be my farm hack and thats why I will get it even later to resell if I feel like it. Yes I want GPW jeeps as I will be doing them up for club use and the Mrs never worked out why we went as I never picked up the bits I needed so we will go later when it is cooler.... Ray

Hi Guys, well I just did a 3000km bush trip and found this under a tree, the owner wants 700 pounds for it ($1200aud) I think i will buy it but what do you think for value, motor and radiator is out but of it but they are not far away, it had a crack it the block so the guy pulled it and just left it... Ray

Hi there, there is a guy down your way that worked on them in Nam and his instructions is very good. email me and I will give you his details. Be careful what you are paying for the tank as there was one on ebay in Victoria and the seller loaded the price by 100% and it would not sell wanted 60K for it. Ray rgreenford@yahoo.com

Hi Richard and others, the reason I asked for jeep dealers in the US was because of the cheap US dollar but I am now even more wanting of the addressees in the US mainly west coast and I will even take ones in England as the dollar is ok but the customs here are closing the imports boarders and are now adding a duty that was removed in the 1980's. The cost of parts will rise from 5% to ??? (or back to 80% of the 1970's) I have a price sheet from one of the places you listed and I would buy in the US before here as it would work out to about two thirds the price even with freight at this time as I want as much for my dollar as I can get so can you put up a list or send me a list or can others send me a list by private message, I was going to put my email address but that may not be a smart move with the scammers around these days..... Ray

Bob its 1.30AM here so Im off to bed but lets see what turns up on the road tomorrow, good night... Ray

These photos was sent to me by a buddy in the states some time back but I would like to know how much of it is left sitting there in Okinawa japan, I have no idea were he got the photos from but I use Google earth to find vehicles before I drive out the see them on the ground but I can not get that close to the island to check, there is a small armored vehicle in a shed that is based on a jeep running gear that was used at the local army training base in Bathurst during the war and was sold off in 45 or 46 so the guy tells me and I have made attempts to see it but not there yet but it could prove interesting.. This one is on the secret list for now Ray

You can not under stand just how much stuff is still around but you have to look for it, I have been looking for a tank for a long while and yet one was found 30kms from here a week ago from what I have been told. A cut down Matilda and I found a cut down Stuart a month ago 120kms from here, there is some ferrets and Saladin just 6kms from here for sale and a bren gun carrier 60kms away but I gave up the idea on that to buy this jeep as far as the lady of the house is concerned as I was told "WE" do not need a tank She dose not know yet that I have a Mustang in a container from the states now and if I do not keep it then the Bren is coming home as they are my toys as I have a 12 car garage. when I built my garage she worked out that our house will fit in it two and a half times which the comment was made this is bigger than my house. Back to the vehicles, a yard full of 6x6's ( like twenty of the trucks and I can post photos) and dozens of blitz wagons. there is two army ducks and a dodge power wagon rusting away in a paddock 60kms from here and this is what I can see from the road. One only has to watch the clearing sales for them to come up as we found a bren carrier three weeks ago for sale out west, very rough. there is a Vietnam APC sitting in a property but I have to wait for the person living there to die before I can get it so I just wait, I plan to live to 105 so all comes to those who wait. War Birds, we have some dead Migs near by and a few Jet Fighters hidden in a hanger at the local air port as well as a Canberra bomber sitting in a compound near the city of Dubbo 2hours away. Once you leave the local area distance is worked out in hours and not Kms using a hundred Kms per hour as a guide if you wish to drive that slow or the cops around... Ray

Bob, you and I live in different worlds, I looked up what you are talking about (M38) and I have never seen that model out here as we used those dumb Austin champs as the jeep replacement in the Korean war. We test drove a few and the jeep killed it and we tired to do a water crossing and that sealed RR motor worked ok but it was to heavy and sunk in the mud and I would say its still there. I have never heard of Car and Classic magazine for selling cars as we have Just cars and Unique cars magazine to purchase vehicles from or we buy in the US out of Hemmings and put them into containers to here.The CJ5 was used out here as a new vehicle from the dealers and some came in from America but could never be put on the road due to LHD so the were used on the large properties were they did not have go on the road. This jeep I have acquired I did not need any one to hold my hand as I knew what I wanted and it had to be a Ford so your suggestion is some what out of place as I through this forum is to encourage members not shoot them down with comments (I strongly suggest you don't go off to buy yourself a 'wartime Jeep' on your own mate ..who knows what you'll come home with) The area were I live it is easy to find GMC 6x6 and Studebaker 6X6 and Blitz wagons in 4x4, 6x6, and there are some 2x4 and all the jeeps have been cleared out of here and are now in the hands of collector so I can tell the differences also we used Ford jeeps in the Northern Territory as they could be easily found in the early 1970's which I sent one home to Sydney and drove it for a few years. Out from Alice Springs there is reputed to still large stashes buried as well as other areas in the territory. My old man was in Darwin when they were pushing them off the boats into the ocean. I have added a photo of my early jeep and two photos of the one I have picked up for you to see I am no idiot.... Ray

Hi Bob, im sorry but what are you talking about as you lost me, what has M38 got to do with what jeeps sell for out here in Australia... Ray

Hi Guys, this is the first time I have seen this post but that price for a jeep is a bit high in my books as you can buy a fully restored MB or GPW in Australia for $14k aud to $20k aud with every bit on it, these come up every month in a magazine called www.justcars.com.au and CJ 5 sell off the farm for a $500 to $2k and it has to be good at that price and no body really wants them, I just picked up my GPW for a $1k and its a bit rough but I have found a spare chassis and the two complete diffs and springs to help repair it .... Ray.

Hi Richard, have you or any forum member have a dealer that can supply GPW parts on the west coast USA or even east coast would help as they have to be a bit cheaper in the US... Ray

Gosh you guys are hard to please, just like the Mrs, I will not post the spiders or other crawlie things but just the plane, they have uncovered a Jap pill box near the beach but it was empty. He tells me very little has changed in the last 40 years on the place so he will keep looking... Ray

Hey Richard, just a side item about WW2 items, my son is with the Army and returned from that cesspit called Afghanistan and was sent to another assignment in the pacific and I asked him to look out for jeep items for me and they have found a WW2 plane in a bomb crater in the jungle which they are tiring to reach to see if there is any remains, he is more worried about the spiders and millipedes than the snakes so i have asked for some photos if he can get then which I will put up ... Ray

My god Richard, you have a good memory as thats were it came from. The guy had two of them at one stage and sold the first one but kept this one for a shooting buggy but his son has no idea of how to look after things and move it with the bulldozer and thats what broke the chassis then took the wheels off and dropped the front on the ground. He just drops things were he stands and walks off and never picks things up from what I could see. there was jerry cans been used once and thrown in the long grass with the flaps open and that were they still are today and rusted inside. As I drove back into the village to get some food a guy came over from the Pub and was asking questions about the jeep then got a bit argro as he claimed it was his as the son had given it to him for a home generator and who said I could have it. I explained that the property owner sold it to me so take it up with him and he stormed out and I was a bit on edge as I did not want a punch up in the main street with the Mrs in the car but he sat back at the pub and glared at me so I drove off. As to the MB, I have always called it that from back in the 1970's when we used them in the outback (you can explain that one to the guys) when ordering spare parts off the agents in Sydney (thats in Australia and not Nova Scotia Canada) it was the way they describe the vehicle model but if you want the correct name then lets call it.. Truck, 1/4-ton, 4x4 command reconnaissance vehicle. thats straight of my US Army repair manual (ORD 9 SNL G-503) Also on the front cover (FORD, WILLYS, Model MB-GPW) so you work it out from there and I will stand corrected.. I have found a Ford Chassis with the Diffs under it being used as a trailer so I have offered to buy it if the guy will sell so we could get back on the road a lot quicker. I spent today cleaning up my work shop to fit it in and have now cleared 6 bays and 6 more to go and there is a 66 Mustang buried under the boxes stored in there some were so I could find it as well. I tired to build a shed with a floor area of 320sqm but the local council stopped me so it is now only 270 sqm but that holds 12 vehicles. Hope this answers some of your questions.... Ray

Hi Guys, I am coming over from the tracked vehicle forum as I have found a new toy, I have been after a tank for years but the tank chasing has been slowed down over the last months as it has been to cold or wet this winter and I live in Australia but with the warm weather this weekend past I started to chase down another lead which did not turn up any remains as the scrap metal low life had taken the remains. On leaving this farm I was asked to check another farm up the road in the near by area for two Austin A40's for a local club member and they were there but fit for parts only, now on looking around the farm for any good rust I made another discovery which means that the tank chasing will have to end now till later on in the coming years or so and I will move to this section of this forum. In a deserted shed at the back of the property I found a Ford MB Jeep in its original state minus one front wheel and a broken chassis with all the bits and spares stacked in the corner so I have very little to find and really only needs a good clean up to get the dirt and lime dust out and off it and repair the break to start using it also there was no rust in it, its been sitting in the shed for years with little access to the out side world so it has never been ratted so I asked the owner if he wanted to sell and he said maybe but he would not take under $2000 for it and it had to be cash so I now own it and will be picking it up tomorrow. The main items that are not with it is the rifle bucket, spare wheel, Jerry can holder but the US army can was there, the front bumper bar but the remains were there, no key at this time, the door safety straps but the ends are there and the canvas is rotted with time and conditions but I will add more photo once I get it home but here are a few to see what it looks like... Ray

Richard, I look after a massive car collection for a guy from Sydney and he has two Stuarts but no turrets and I am told they are going units (over one hundred cars in a big shed and another hundred or so in the paddock behind the shed and at his second farm there are more which I have not been to yet) and there is a stuart going on the Mudgee road and he could have more hidden away and one near bathurst but he tells me he sold it but I would say he is just that as he is sick of me asking about it every time I see him. All the Centurions are going units and are used I think and the Matilda's I have seen five of them going. I hope this is a help for you. As for Panzer's I know of none around but in saying that my boss at work when I worked came from Italy and he had pictures of the family winery and they still have one in the shed with a big claw on the back to break the ground to plant new vines, it has no turret in the photos so they are still out there... Ray

Thanks Richard, well from what I have seen first hand and around here there would be 8 or 9 Matilda's and 5 Stuart's and 4 Centurion's and there is some big collections around that people do not talk about but I am told it could number in the 20's. There is a Ferret and a Saladin parked 4 kms from where I sit. My figures do not include museums or ones in the possession of the army which they hold at Sydney Moorebank base, The Hunter Lancer unit, Puckapunyal to name just three and most of these are quite serviceable WW2 and Vietnam issue. there must still be dozens still out on farms like the one I found a few months ago and the two Bren carriers that have come up for auction in the last months. I know were there is a Bren in big bits for sale now for around $5000 but its just sitting there ... Ray

Hi Guys, well the tank chasing has been slowed down over the last months as it has been to cold or wet but with the warm weather this weekend past I started to chase down another lead which did not turn up any remains as the scrap metal low life had taken the remains. On leaving this farm I was asked to check another one in the area for two Austin A40's for a local club member and they were there but fit for parts only, now on looking around the farm I made another discovery which means that the tank chasing will have to end now till later on in the coming year and I will move to another section of this forum. In a deserted shed at the back of the property I found a Ford MB Jeep in its original state minus one front wheel and a broken chassi with all the bits and spares stacked in the corner so I have very little to find and really only needs a good clean up to get the dirt and lime dust and repair to use also there was no rust in it so I asked the owner if he wanted to sell and he said maybe but he would not take under $2000 for it so I now own it. Ray