surplus army vehicles

[Marc Montgomery]

Originally Posted by Stuart Fedak

.... It looks like we have a healthy interest locally in Ottawa. I think last year we had a tremendous turn out of various MIL collectors. Lots of Cold War stuff, which is the easiest to get running. That is a good place to start. I think we have a good core group that encourages participation in the hobby.

Cheers!
Stuart

well OK with the group at the S&P museum and a handful of others like a few iltis jeep owners..but realistically what`s the average age of owners at that event? 45-50?

not many 18-20yr olds..... as like long (!) ago when we were that age and mucking about with old cars. Yes there are some young owners of these jeeps, but realistically they picked them up for 2-5000$ as bushwackers, not because there was an interest in the heritage or restoration..and I fear those particular jeeps ( of an already small nuber avaiilable) will be fairly beaten up in a mere couple of years.

the fact is there are more people exiting the hobby than entering, and its getting harder to enter ( finding restorable MVs), and more expensive..

even the Iltis wasn`t originally supposed to be released to the pubic, and we only have them kind of by accident.

I enjoy it sure, but as an example I have a 20yr son who doesnt even have a licence and is not even interested in learning to drive
(is he my son???)

[Bob Carriere]

,,,,,,,when I was 24 all I wanted was a 67 Chev with a 327.....at that time Princess Auto was selling CMP 15cwt practically new for $699...... I would not have been caught dead in a 90 HP 4x4 that could only go 45 mph......

When my son was the same age he bought a M43 anfd fixed it up..... then got a girl friend and got married.... she hates that Green thing.... he never drove it again....... it sits in the back field.

There are today a "click" of young guys souping up little rice burners just like we played with Ford V8.... have a look at the news stand,,,,, next to the 4 or 5 copies of Muscle cars magazine are 20 different mags about after market parts for "rice burners"...and other 4x4 ATV... in fact in most major car show focused on the muscle cars of the 60s and 70s ( which have displaced the 57 Chev crowds) they now accept souped up Hondas as a means of increasing the gate profits.

Open roadsters have been repalced by the 57 Chevs who have been replaced by the Mustangs, Cobras, Camero, Pontiac screaming chicken and now being displaced by the lowered, souped up, computer chip modified little Jappy imports.

As the demographics change so does the interest...... the military vehicle hobby is fading away due to a lack of marketable suitable size army vehicles to replace the WW II and the Cold War era......

The issue has been noticed and a number of articles written in both muscle cars mags and Military vehicle publications.....apparently no solutions is evident.

Now I sure wished I had bought one of those Princess Auto cmps or even a Weasel they were selling for $1000.

We may be a dying breed....

Bob

[Casey B]

Dying yes but not dead!
I will not go down without a fight and...did you ever notice that most young guys drive the 4 door version of what ever jappy crap they own...? Even the German stuff...? 4 doors!
There was nothing and still is nothing worse for me than a four door anything unless it has one hell of a large weapon mounted somewhere on it!