[Robert Bergeron]

Stuart you are right . I lost my objectivity . As i said in the beginning, it is a nice collectible. It goes at 90 KM / hr nicely to get to events, something i can’t do with my GPW . It is more likely 65 Km/ hr . I remember crushing one accidentaly while backing up ( a Iltis ) to the axles with a M113 in Suffield in 1990. The rear sentry was not doing his job but as crew commander, i was responsible for that one ( you could hide 3 Iltis ´s in a M113 dead angles ) . Best day in my service life ( going on my 32 ) . If it had not been for the crew of two occupants that barely made it out just in time to save their lives ( yes you can get out of one pretty fast contrary to appearances ) we would all of started laughing. The poor Capt.( a tanker ) had been struggling all week trying to keep up with my Coy mounted on the 113’s . Only time he could really do it was when we were stopped pulling another winning piece of kit out if the sand with our tracked beauties : The wheeled Cougar tank / trainer / simulator piece of Canadian procurement ingenuity ( no offense meant Terry ) . The M113 were usefull so some were kept ( not cut up to prevent honest collectors from owning one ) re-kitted out , re-named T Lav’s and sent to Nathan Smith were i can attest it saved many lives from small arms and at least one ill sited Claymore . Not IED proof again by any stretch but that is the same story . No Iltis would of done that . The Iltis is the Champion Royale of the collectibles and did the Paris Dakar and was the ennemy of the God fearing and country loving Canadian soldier in any theater of war and even in training . Here is another sad story : A good soldier from a good Regt ( Sher H ) died when his driver went off the shoulder of a snowy country road near Bishopton Qc at 5 Km/ hr . His head was crushed between the ground and the ill devised roll bar . I grant the GPW does not even have a roll bar and hundreds got killed . All told I would buy another one if i found one in good condition . I guess i am a masochist . Sorry for the rant and hijack and congratulations for a nice resto. I am due for my therapy session.