Worst MV purchase

[Robin Craig]

Many of us buy things that in the end turn out to have been a complete waste of money or an absolute dud.

I am loathed to admit what mine have been or are, there have been a few.

Mine, upon reflection, was likely the two wrecked lightweight Land Rovers I bought from Wainwright through PWGSC at about $500 each and paid $400 a piece to truck them back and spent money on rent to store them and finally had to unload them at scrap value

Come on, fess up Im sure im not the only one here who has done this.

R

[maple_leaf_eh]

I am coming around to the opinion that I have too many of something.

Whether it is the M38A1 CDN3 that needs floors, brakes, carb' work, gas lines .... or the M151A2 that needs floors, subframe repairs, a cowl rubber, and plenty of small fixes ... or, maybe it is the scrap value M38A1 CDN 2 that is sitting in a pile at the Hammond Barn's boneyard ... or, the M100 CDN trailer that needs body work, electricals, a tool box and new wheels and tires?

Like the little kid, my appetite is bigger than my stomach.

[Robert Bergeron]

Hey Terry and Robin,

My dud was a Cdn M-37 i picked up at New Year's Eve exactly a year ago....The seller wanted too much money for that pile of rust ( $2K ) . I dickered while offering him a few beers ( it was the season .. ) and he came down to $ 1800. It was in the back of a barn and snowed in.i hired a friend who came with his small excavator, trailer and Super Duty 350 Ford truck. It ended costing me more than $500 to get it out of the field on New Year's day.

When i realised what i had done, it needed a distributor, wiring harness, alternator , flashers , lights and radiator.When that was i paid for and the truck was running , i noticed the gas tank was leaking...

When it all came to $5K i stopped the project because the floors and doors still had holes through them and i could't see the end of it.I sold it in July for what i initialy paid for it ! Good riddance.

Robert

[rob love]

Never bought a military vehicle that I didn't love. It would be blasphemous to say any different. For shame.

That said, I did buy an old deuce with a bad transmission back in the 80s that I never turned a wrench on. Sold it for the same price, and swore I would never own another. Have two now (one a runner and one for parts but also could be a runner) along with an MLVW. But back in the 80s it was the wrong truck at the wrong time.

[Robin Craig]

Great replies so far.

My hat is off to those who have the balls to admit they have made a mistake.

Some how I am sure many are out there reading this but just a bit timid on posting for fear of repercussions close to home , at least that is what my lady says she suspects

Robin

[Hanno Spoelstra]

How about examples of the opposite? Not buying a vehicle and regretting it ever since?

I have walked away from many HMV's, either because they were too bad, too expensive, or I did not have the resources to buy, store and restore them. Most of the times there is a short-time regret, often one forgets the vehicle in question soon after.

But once I came across a ex-Swiss Army militarised CJ-5, used by a farmer so a bit scruffy, some bits 'n bobs missing but still in unmodified and basically sound condition. He wanted to let it go for less than two-thirds of a fair market value. I did not have the spare cash that day - still regret I did not beg, steal, or borrowed it and bought that jeep

H.

[Barry Churcher]

Many years ago I found a really decent C60S in a scrap yard in Brighton. The owner would not sell a complete vehicle so I made a deal for half for ten cents a pound. I took a day off work and got a friend to help me and we went to the yard. The truck had been moved to the front of the yard to get ready for me to torch it. In moving the truck with the forklift the yard ape wrecked both fuel tanks. The roof had a new mysterious dent also. I was somewhat shocked but proceeded anyway to cut the truck in half, remove the rear axle and roof.
They wouldn't load the truck for me so we had to hand winch the hulk on my trailer and pass over the scales. Yikes 5000 pounds which translated to $500.00 dollars. To late now, so I stored the truck at the Chicken Ranch for all these years until last month when we had to clean up and I sent it back to scrap.
Barry

[Lauren Child]

I bought a small looking soviet toolbox with parts divider trays on ebay, needing something to keep some knick nacks and small tools in. When I went to collect it, it turned out to be around 2ft by 4ft and only just fitted into the car.

Efforts to sneak it into the house were futile, and we ended up using it as a coffee table until I swapped it for some AFV track bashing tools, thus clearing the lounge. My other half thankfully forgave me

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

I can mix remorse and regret into one vehicle. My first ever MV was a Canadian CDLV505 contract jeep bought from the classified section of the Toronto Star. I didn't want a jeep, but everyone at the time said jeeps were the way to go and nobody wanted CMP's, much less carriers (which is EXACTLY what I wanted). So, succumbing to peer pressure I bought the jeep, restored it and drove it once. One single time onto the flatbed that took it out west to the fellow I sold it to. I've owned and restored carriers and CMPs (at the rate of about 4 owned to one restored) enjoying every moment of it. But now I regret not having the jeep (serial 155792) and wonder what ever happened to it.

[chris vickery]

I believe that all too often guys buy something with big dreams or aspirations instead of evaluating the vehicle and making an honest assessment.
I have bought scrap jeeps, trucks and carriers- not to restore but to strip for the last useable parts. By not looking at it as a whole, restoration piece but as a source of valuable nick nacs, you save a lot of heartache and wasted time and money. I tend not to keep scrap vehicles laying around for long- they come home and get parted.

[Rob Fast]

about loving every wreck he's ever bought. Having said that, when I got into this crazy hobby, I decided that my main focus was going to be Canadian WW2 CMP's and anything they stowed and towed. I can honestly say that I have stayed the course and focused on that era. The CMP wrecks on the yard have been great parts vehicles, but still enough there for further restorations. So I haven't really brought home anything that I have regretted. My only deviation has been the gas station stuff...B/A British American Oil company in particular. Cheers Rob