First post M38A1

[chris vickery]

Best thing you ever did, selling the Iltis...

[Samuel Mcgregor]

I must agree the Iltis was a money pit that I lost $$$$ on, after purchase and the never ending parts needed to keep it running. I loved driving the M151A2'S while in the military but parts from the US add up fast. It was on the M38 that I failed my first try for my 404's while in the military lol the LT was able to convince the SGT to give me a secound chance to pass the course and I did lol I am hoping the the M38 will be less expensive as parts are more readly avail in Canada and having leads on other M38's not far from home may turn out to be a great help.

[chris vickery]

Grab the scrappers if you can; they will give you many of the oddbal Canadian type items which add up if purchased individually.
Many M38A1 service items are easily obtainable right here in Canada, some items are right off the shelf at auto parts dealers if you have the civilian cross over numbers.
As far as the Iltis goes, some guys are diehard lovers of these for whatever reason while many of us are not. You hit the nail on the head regarding parts availability- there is none. In the last years of Canadian military service, many Iltis were out of commission having been cannibalized for parts to keep the aging fleet operational. So, if veh techs were having a hard time getting parts for an in service vehicle, how is the supply chain now for an obsolete machine which was surplussed out 10 years ago? Simply, there were not enough of them made to justify vast parts spares nor will there ever be a repro market for said items.

[rob love]

Originally Posted by chris vickery

As far as the Iltis goes, some guys are diehard lovers of these for whatever reason while many of us are not.

Some guys like to be tied up and whipped, there are people who like to cut themselves, there are people who put piercings in strange places, and there are people who like Iltis's. It takes all kinds to make this world.....ying and yang, normal and oddball.

When you think about it, isn't most of our hobby kind of "yang". Parts are harder to find than for a 57 chevy, our vehicles have a beauty that only we see. It's just that Iltis owners are a little (lot) further over the precipice.

Just got up, and the coffee hasn't started to kick in yet. Perhaps this is why I am being so mellow towards the Iltis this morning.

[Samuel Mcgregor]

Chris ,Rob you both hit the nail right on the head the only remorse I had when selling the Iltis was the fact that I had lost soooooooo much money .I paid $4500.00 for the lemon and put $3500.00 extra on it sold it off for $3500.00 to someone who had a parts iltis,Now I see them sitting for sale everywere for $1500.00 to $2500.00, and not moving.I feel so much better now that I see what you guys have to report on the Iltis.I remember how all the guys were so disappointed in our unit finding out that our m151a2's and older M38's were being taken away from us and being replaced by a Iltis

[Samuel Mcgregor]

Some more work restoring the A2 in 2014

[Samuel Mcgregor]

Old frame cut out to be replaced by new metal 2014

Two new frame sections I fabed up to replace rusted out tunnel section.