Is This One Of A Kind or Production

[Phil Waterman]

Hi All

RH Drive M151.JPG

Spotted this RH Drive M151 in a video, is it a one of kind hand built? Prototype or did they actually build a bunch of them? Not much information connected to the video as to where or when it was taken but from some of the other MVs in particular the CMPs which look familiar I assume it was taken in Australia in particular as it was posted by Keith Webb it was posted 3 years ago. http://vimeo.com/16304424

I sent it to a friend who is a M151 expert and he had never seen one or heard of one. He said the first thing he started to do was think about how it could be done and what special parts it would need.

This lead to the next question if these were built for the Australian Army did they take them to Vietnam or did they us the US versions?

Cheers Phil

[Keith Webb]

Yes that's my video. The vehicle is owned by a South Australian member.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Must be a one off, they never left the factory with RHD.

There are quite a number of RHD WW2 jeeps in Australia, I think at one time it was mandatory for road registration.

H.

[Little Jo]

Hi Keith Phil and Hanno

That is correct. Keith took the video after the big wet in Corowa. The USA MUT belongs to, Aaron Fell, President of the WVCG, (Wartime Vehicles Conservation Group) South Australia. The MUT is genuine and is not one of those cut in half and re-joined again vehicles. Those of you who attended Corowa the previous year will recall Aaron hit a big Kangaroo in the dark in the early hours of the morning on his way to Corowa. Causing some damage to the MUT.

Cheers

Tony

[Phil Waterman]

Hi Guys

Thanks for the information so far, but what is the story on the Right Hand Drive. Was this a one-off conversion or one of a number.

The Corowa info will be of interest to my friend the M151 aficionado he has probably welded back together more M151s than anybody else. Watching him gas weld and X cut body back together is a hoot. He uses coat hangers as welding rod. Apparently coat hangers are a really good match for the M151 steel. When he is done you have trouble knowing where they were cut. That level of reconstruction was probably the reason they changed over to crushing.

His current M151 is the re-coilless rifle version.

Look forward to more comments.


Cheers Phil

[Little Jo]

Hi Phil

I can confirm the MUT in Keith's video was converted to Right Hand Drive from the original Left Hand Drive. No USA made MUT's were ever used by the Australian Defence Forces. As far as I know they were only ever made as Left Hand Drive vehicle .One USA MUT was sent to Australia for evaluating and testing, this vehicle is believed to be still in Australia and in private hands, however Mike Cecil may be able to assist there.

Cheers

Tony