G'day all,
My name is Josh McNabb, I am a Military vehicle, history, antique tractor, antique engine, construction equipment etc etc enthusiast. I come from that odd continent down south where we ride kangaroos and dodge drop bears on a regular basis...
About myself: I come from a 45 acre adjisted farm, have a fair few family members serving or having previously served in the Australian Defence Force. I am a Christian completing VCE, before hopefully continuing on to ADFA to become a mechanical engineer officer in the Australian Army. This is to gain some additional experience, earn a reasonable and secure income, until which time as I can purchase a suitable property to begin operating a MV restoration business, specialising particularly in the abundant and well priced Universal Carriers, the odd M3 Light/Medium, CMP, US6 etc, as my research, observations and experience indicate this to be a most viable option, with my ADF career still available, eg. working part time ADF in reserves. I have been most closely observing the international military market over the last few years, and have recently begun a database, basically including each military vehicle I see up for sale, in both Australia and internationally, as I am constantly "Scouring" the internet for recent sales, thus allowing me to catalog, year, location, price, condition, method of sale, market targeted (if any) etc. It will be most interesting to graph these results in the years to come, to gain an overall view of the MV market. Anyway, enough of boring you chaps... :-D
I guess it would be suitable to highlight my current projects, I currently own 2.6 tractors (yes you read right... .6= parts tractor), some stationary engines, and of course a lovely condition FJ62 Landcruiser. I don't exactly fit in overly well with my generation and I certainly find that after 5 days each week I have had more than enough... I am referred to by some as an 80 year old, with an 80 year old sense of humour and my use of the english language often perplexes them.... Obviously I am geriatric!!! Although getting on well with the younger folk of today, I grow quite tired of the continual immaturity displayed by many and often their conversational topics, thus I savour the opportunity to socialise with the "older folk", as in such conversations, there is often much interesting information exchange, with many good stories to be told, thus most of my "close" friends are in their 70's and 80's.... My Saturdays are mostly spent in the shed, working alongside my Grandfather, as we complete our undertaken projects, these have included other tractors, a M606 Jeep (almost completed), engines, pumps etc. I am currently undertaking the restoration of my Farmall Super A tractor and my rare (in Australia) Ferguson TEA20 Banana Loader tractor, which has a 50% chance of having been to Antarctica in 1954/5 (thats another story). I will fully register the fergie with many ferguson accessories and a Sherman combo transmission, which when coupled with my regular 4 speed and uncommon 2 speed reduction, will provide me with a total of 24 forward, 6 reverse, with capabilities of reaching speeds of up to 50 kmph.
Well that is just a "little" about myself, I am quite sure you have a good overview of who you might be chatting to at times in the future! I would like to commend the many forum members for the many magnificent restorations, and the effort they put into preserving our important history, I can only hope that my generation will show more of an interest in their history and it's preservation in the future years to come! Keep up the magnificent work everyone.
Kind regards,
Josh M.