The Military Vehicle Thread

[Drago]

It's no secret that my dream car is a Stolly...

So, with that in mind it's high time we had a thread to discuss sightings, ownership, and any secret passion for military vehicles. Land vehicles. I mean, you might fancy an Enterprise class super carrier, but the that's for the sailing thread

 

[Mark Grant]

It would have to still have amphibious capability.
By the mid - late '80's all Stalwarts I worked on had had the amphibious gear decommissioned.

There was always a story when I was in Germany of a couple of squaddies trying to cross the Channel back to UK in a Stolly but tuned back when they thought that they were low on fuel. The story went on to say that the Stolly that they had purloined had a cargo of fuel!
Probably apocryphal!

 

[sleuthey]

Land vehicles.

What?! That’s services discrimination ! ;-)

Anyway, do Amphibious vehicles count such as LCVPs, LCUs and Hovercraft?

 

[Deleted member 23692]

Seen recently whilst at work

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

My father-in-law has a penchant for Stollys
He was a driving instructor on them, when he was in the Army & based in Germany

I think he'd have one now

There used to be two at Tong Woods (the off-road/MX/trials centre)
One of them still had the dowty-jets was swum in one of the ponds there, I used to see it, when taking part in the 'pay & play' days there, with my 110Tdi
(Brian, who owned one of them, px'd his Leyland Martian for it)

 

[stephec]

https://tanks-alot.co.uk/product/alvis-stalwart-fv620/

Go on, you know you want to.

I've always fancied one myself but the practicalities have always stopped me.

Another thing I like the look of is an FC101, until about five years ago there was one taking up most of a front garden round the corner from me, I never once saw it move though.

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

Thorneycroft Antar

Curiously, despite its role in the Army, it was actually built speculatively as a civilian vehicle, for oilfield use in Iran by the company that became BP

The engine was a 'cut-down' (from V12 , to V8) version of the R-R Meteor, from tanks
Originally, it was petrol, but that was scary consumption, even to a petroleum producing owner, so it was dieselised

Oh & they are BIG

A good friend of mine, with a background in tractor & truck restoration was (seriously) considering one, & px-ing his (ex Mines Rescue) Atkinson Borderer to get it
Until he did some real thinking/measuring (ie; logic, not emotions)
He could get it down the lane to his house, but, would have to
- get BT to move the telephone pole by his gate
- knock down one garage, at the side of his house
- buy/'borrow' 20 ft of the houses opposite garden to give him the minimum space needed to pull up, & maneouvre, to reverse down into his yard
- persuade his wife that she didn't really need her greenhouse & flower-beds, that the Atkinson could get past

So, he settled for dreams instead, & I believe another Field Marshall S1 (interesting beasties too!!!)

 

[classic33]

What?! That’s services discrimination ! ;-)

Anyway, do Amphibious vehicles count such as LCVPs, LCUs and Hovercraft?

Hovercraft requires a pilots licence, technically it's an aircraft.

There's a local estate agent who has an Abbot self-propelled gun. Brings it into the town centre on Forces Day.

He did once drive it to work and parked up outside the shop, in a No Parking area. Parking Enforcement phoned the local recruiting office, telling them to move it before they clamped it. Then later, to tell them that if they didn't remove it, it would be towed away.

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

Another thing I like the look of is an FC101, until about five years ago there was one taking up most of a front garden round the corner from me, I never once saw it move though.

They are fun to drive
The gearchange is awkward though, due to lever positioning
And, with that petrol V8, almost as economical as a Stolly

They do intimidate B*W drivers, at 70MPH though on the mways (& taxi drivers in town)
People think they're huge, but they're shorter & narrower than a Range Rover (original shape)
A friend used to have one, when I had my light-weight

Circa 1990???

Not much axle-articulation, when empty (Scaley-Gate, near Jackson Bridge/Holmfirth)

One company seriously updated them in the late 90s/early 00s
They;
- built a new chassis (straight, not like a standard LR chassis)
- fitted coil-spring seats
- used Range Rover (or 'Defender') axles
- power-steering
- offered Tdi conversions
- I can't remember what gear-box was offered though?

 

[PeteXXX]

Tank a lot is just down the road from Poshshire. Once the present madness is over, a visit might be in order!

😎

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

There's a local estate agent who has an Abbot self-propelled gun. Brings it into the town centre on Forces Day.

He did once drive it to work and parked up outside the shop, in a No Parking area. Parking Enforcement phoned the local recruiting office, telling them to move it before they clamped it. Then later, to tell them that if they didn't remove it, it would be towed away.

There's also one (presume not same??) at the bottom of Sharp Lane, at Robin Hood (halfway between Wakefield & Leeds), he also has a Ferret Scout car

 

[Drago]

Well, seeing as the landy forward control has been mentioned I should also mention my desire for a Laplander, or even a Gaz 469.

 

[classic33]

There's also one (presume not same??) at the bottom of Sharp Lane, at Robin Hood (halfway between Wakefield & Leeds), he also has a Ferret Scout car

Not unless he's moved. Southowram, with a clear shot over the town from Beacon Hill.

 

[Mark Grant]

A FC101 (which we always called 1 tonnies) would have to be accompanied by the powered trailer. Go proper off road camping then!
The rotor arm had a bit which would fly out and kill the spark above 3500 revs.

 

[Hugh Manatee]

On my ride later, there will be a Green Godess fire engine parked up in a driveway.

I nearly got a Daimler Ferret once as a young man. They weren't that expensive for a while.