Tony B Posted September 7, 2012 Share Posted September 7, 2012 Partly as a result of conversations with Graham Lay, and the Original thread, why do we own Military Vehicles? It's not as if most of them are are a rich mans bird pulling, ego trip, 100000 mph sports car. You're not likley (For which I should be thankful!) see one's prasies being sung on Top Gear by Jeremy Clarkson. So why spend so much time effort money, abuse, split fingers and bruises on what are essentially just working tools? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
griff66 Posted September 7, 2012 Share Posted September 7, 2012 from my own perspective , i find it enjoyable working on old vehicles, military ones even more so,plus all the bits that go with them are pretty cool, also i like the camping bit at military shows least when when you go back to work on a monday you feel like like you have done something at the weekend! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big ray Posted September 7, 2012 Share Posted September 7, 2012 This is probably one of the easiest questions that I will have to answer, first and foremost its to educate the uneducated about the sacrifices that were made by that generation of forefathers who have provided us with the relatively safe world in which we live, and it would seem that the best way to grab their attention is via the vehicles of that period. And I have to confess it also allows me the opportunity to relive my army service of the 1950s (Predominently WW2 vehicles) ADD to that the wonderful people that I have, and still do, meet along the way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spood Posted September 7, 2012 Share Posted September 7, 2012 Personally I've had a fascination with the war since I was the age of a little pig due to my dad being in the Royal Marines for 14 years, with the war coming in the middle of his service. I went through the Airfix stage in my youth and treated myself to the Jeep in a moment of midlife crisis. The chance to own a part of history was to good to pass up, also as Big Ray said, its good to keep the memory alive. Just to add dad was RM gun crew on 6" and 8" cruisers but I couldn't get one of those in the shed. :cool2: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rosie Posted September 7, 2012 Share Posted September 7, 2012 A friend of ours saw our truck in the freeads one week and encouraged the cubemeister to go and take a look. We all knew that if he did go and look he would end up buying it as he loves anything large and mechanical! I have always been in awe of anyone who had anything to do with the war. Neither of us knew much about MVs really and where introduced to our local MVT group by a fellow MVer down the road. I was surprised and pleased that everyone was so welcoming and chatty. Once we discovered that the truck was a gun tractor for the 105 I told rcubed that he must get one. My boys enjoy the hobby to and in fact George (our youngest) in school this week is learning about rights and responsibilities. His teacher wrote some names on the board. Including Anne Frank and Rosie the Riveter. He didn't know about Anne but stood up and told the class about Rosie! When the teacher asked him what her slogan was he struck a pose and said 'we can do it'!!!!!!! His teacher was staggered! He then told her about his hobby! I enjoy meeting others and rcubed enjoys looking round different vehicles! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enigma Posted September 7, 2012 Share Posted September 7, 2012 Its fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Barrell Posted September 7, 2012 Share Posted September 7, 2012 Its fun. :thumbsup: Right on! The minute it ceases to be so, I'll move on. It is, after all a hobby. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lauren Child Posted September 7, 2012 Share Posted September 7, 2012 (edited) Rememberance is important, but it's the engineering that attracts me to the vehicles over any other related activities. There's something about military engineering. There's no fluff and nonsense. It's made to function, not to look pretty. You can very easily see the difference beteen a good elegant design and a poor inelegant one. There's no polishing, chrome, and metallic paint, the beauty and elegance of the design is in what it is. Edited September 7, 2012 by Lauren Child Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.303fan Posted September 7, 2012 Share Posted September 7, 2012 it did seemed like a good idea at the time, things just escalated from there on. it did not help that my girlfriend has military landies, and i got my dad involved by giving him a 101fc and a series 2a ex rhine army for birthday's ... my mom still don't like it that much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lauren Child Posted September 7, 2012 Share Posted September 7, 2012 Its fun. It is that as well. Tanks are like climbing frames for adults when you're restoring them, and I still get the same broad grin whenever I'm driving Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.303fan Posted September 7, 2012 Share Posted September 7, 2012 and with refueling? or does the drive home after make up for that. (i got a wheel limit but tracks aint wheels so i thinking of getting a tank) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rnixartillery Posted September 8, 2012 Share Posted September 8, 2012 It beats collecting stamps ! Rob......................rnixartillery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rosie Posted September 8, 2012 Share Posted September 8, 2012 it beats collecting stamps ! Rob......................rnixartillery. lol x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted September 8, 2012 Author Share Posted September 8, 2012 (edited) I can see all the points. I grew up in a place that was Occupied so the stories I was told and the bunkers I played in were part of my childhood. We played 'English and German's' in 1:1 real places. As I grew older the background polotics started to intrest me more. As for vehicles, when your around horses and farming the Land Rover , trucks and tractors are stock in trade. I started with ex military Land Rovers, then when I finally got the chance, through knowing Carol and Katy, I went for the Dodge WC51 as it can do more than sit around and look pretty. I do sincerly belive though that we don't own a MV, it's in our care for a while. They represent the designers, the builders and the people who used them in action. So Great and Second World war trucks especially are a moving working memorial to those involved in the greatest confilcts mankind has ever known. The best times I've had with my Dodge have been in Belgium and France, using her for what she was built for, keeping men in the feild supplied with everything they need. I carried everything from VIP's to toilet rolls and rubbish in the back. I've laughed and shed tears at times. I've driven across the feilds of the Western Front and the Normandy Beaches. She has allowed me to go to places and meet people, and do things I've never have been able to experience otherwise. You can't do that in a Ferrari! Edited September 8, 2012 by Tony B Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nz2 Posted September 8, 2012 Share Posted September 8, 2012 Rememberance is important, but it's the engineering that attracts me to the vehicles over any other related activities. There's something about military engineering. There's no fluff and nonsense. It's made to function, not to look pretty. You can very easily see the difference beteen a good elegant design and a poor inelegant one. There's no polishing, chrome, and metallic paint, the beauty and elegance of the design is in what it is. So correct. These vehicles are designed to do a job under difficult conditions. My interest in WW1 vehicles stems from researching some of the vehicles here, to find two were used in the Great War. From that evolved an ongoing search for information regards the infrastructure that supplied goods and services to the front line. However as for vehicles that fit the description used " the beauty and elegance of the design" a nice Ferrari or similar designed car does have appeal. Doug Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Degsy Posted September 8, 2012 Share Posted September 8, 2012 Having been born during WW2 the first vehicles I remember apart from buses and trams were all MV's. I was particularly impressed in the bad winter of 1946/7 by Diamond T's fitted with huge V snowplough's and almost every garage had a military surplus truck fitted with a crane, usually home built. I was hooked but it was many years before I was able to own a military truck or as I believe look after a piece of history. As Ray says they are a practical way to interest people and attempt to bring home to them how important it is not to forget history. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChasSomT. Posted September 9, 2012 Share Posted September 9, 2012 Lauren Child, post#10 "Tanks are like climbing frames for adults . . . . ." Brilliant! I Do like the focused, 'fit for purpose' build of military vehicles, especially AFVs and recovery vehicles - that's my 'feeling' 'Chas.' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRDM Driver Posted September 9, 2012 Share Posted September 9, 2012 Speaking as someone who owned a 'hyper' car - Nissan GT-R which would do 0-60 in under 4 seconds and top out at 197mph, I can tell you I've had more fun with my 1972 Scorpion in the last week than I did in 3 years of ownership of the GT-R (which I sold to fund the Scorpion). Military vehicles carry a history, quite often they were involved in critical parts of the worlds history too. Tracked vehicles in particular have a mesmerizing character all of their own, despite being 'machines of war'. You only have to spend a few minutes at the Tank Museum to see how they captivate an audience. If you are fortunate enough to own one, you can then enjoy the 'tinkering' aspect which applies equally to stem engines and classic cars/bikes too. If you are really really lucky and have a vehicle with a live gun, you can also indulge in the 'firework' effect of loud bangs and smoke! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArtistsRifles Posted September 9, 2012 Share Posted September 9, 2012 Rememberance is important, but it's the engineering that attracts me to the vehicles over any other related activities. There's something about military engineering. There's no fluff and nonsense. It's made to function, not to look pretty. You can very easily see the difference beteen a good elegant design and a poor inelegant one. There's no polishing, chrome, and metallic paint, the beauty and elegance of the design is in what it is. Gets my vote too - neither the Stolly or the OT would win prizes anywhere for beauty but when it comes to form fulfilling function they are in a world of their own. Admittedly sometimes a world of pain when working on them but the fun in driving them far outweighs that!! :-D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppypiesdad Posted September 11, 2012 Share Posted September 11, 2012 Why not , we all have to do something to break the tedium of the 9-5 , its quite unique in what we do as a group , and theres nothing better than overtaking on the motorway , in a pig with the looks on peoples faces , you know that inside the car they are saying "what the hell is that" jamie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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