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  #1  
Old 02-01-15, 16:43
Robin Craig's Avatar
Robin Craig Robin Craig is offline
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Default Worst MV purchase

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
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  #2  
Old 02-01-15, 23:29
maple_leaf_eh maple_leaf_eh is offline
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Default Extras

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.
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- 74-????? M151A2
- 70-08876 M38A1
- 53-71233 M100CDN trailer

Beware! The Green Disease walks among us!

Last edited by maple_leaf_eh; 02-01-15 at 23:46.
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  #3  
Old 02-01-15, 23:40
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Robert Bergeron Robert Bergeron is offline
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Default Duds

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
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  #4  
Old 03-01-15, 00:45
rob love rob love is offline
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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.
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  #5  
Old 03-01-15, 05:43
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Robin Craig Robin Craig is offline
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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
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  #6  
Old 03-01-15, 10:35
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Hanno Spoelstra Hanno Spoelstra is offline
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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.
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  #7  
Old 03-01-15, 15:11
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Barry Churcher Barry Churcher is offline
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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
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  #8  
Old 03-01-15, 15:13
Lauren Child Lauren Child is offline
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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
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  #9  
Old 03-01-15, 16:01
Bruce Parker (RIP) Bruce Parker (RIP) is offline
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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.
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  #10  
Old 03-01-15, 16:19
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chris vickery chris vickery is offline
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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.
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1968 M274A5 Mule Baifield USMC
1966 M274A2 Mule BMY USMC
1958 M274 Mule Willys US Army
1970 M38A1 CDN3 70-08715 1 CSR
1981 MANAC 3/4T CDN trailer
1943 Converto Airborne Trailer
1983 M1009 CUCV

RT-524, PRC-77s,
and trucks and stuff and more stuff and and.......

OMVA, MVPA, G503, Steel Soldiers
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  #11  
Old 03-01-15, 22:28
Rob Fast Rob Fast is offline
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Default I agree with what Rob Love says...

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
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  #12  
Old 04-01-15, 00:29
motto motto is offline
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Barry's mention of the damage done by the 'yard ape' reminded me of an episode back in the 70s when the WW2 Studebaker 6x6s were being sold off. Most of them were nice trucks and many of them went to logging camps and saw mills where the first thing that was done was to discard the cargo bed.
I had arranged to buy one of these beds that was laying on a vacant block in a country town. I asked the owner not to move it as I had my own lifting gear consisting of two 'A' frames and two chain blocks for a double lift.
To my dismay before I got there he had slung it from his crane truck. The sickening part was that he had used a cable wrapped around the middle which had tightened when he lifted the bed pulling the sides in badly kinking them.

This wasn't quite as bad as another fellow who half dragged a similar cargo bed across a paddock whilst it was partly loaded with truck differential/axle assemblies. That time the sides were completely destroyed and the front panel bent out at right angles below the floor level.

I don't mean to change the direction of the thread but no doubt similar stories abound and are every bit as upsetting as bad buys and lost chances.

David
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  #13  
Old 04-01-15, 01:03
Terry Witiuk Terry Witiuk is offline
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Default Regretting and Not Regretting

I think this happens with anyone who collects and has a passion for any type of militaria whether it be vehicles or something else. I've experienced feelings of regret for things that I've bought, feelings of regret of not buying and many feelings of no regret for things that I have or now enjoy. With regards to feelings of regret for not buying, back in the 80's, I was a Marine Engineer Tech (Stoker) in the RCN. Just after finishing some courses at the Fleet School in Halifax and as requested, I was posted to HMCS Mackenzie on the West Coast. Before leaving Halifax, I saw an ad in the Auto Trader Magazine...ex naval boat for sale...formerly HMCS Blue Heron. After a quick tour of the boat/ship, I was determined to buy and restore it. A big project but doable. I tried to have my posting changed but no luck and Blue Heron did not happen for me. In hindsight, I probably did not try hard enough to get my posting changed and often wonder how things would have turned out if it did happen. Feelings of regret for not buying seem to stay with you longer than feelings of regret for buying. No regrets about the Ferret that I now own. I paid more than what I had expected and more repairs than expected but, no regrets...tons of fun and full of history.
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  #14  
Old 19-03-15, 02:35
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Marc Montgomery Marc Montgomery is offline
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Two stories..1- yard ape- . a nice looking XKE hidden in the back a ways... drivers door was badly damaged.engine gone...but unibody seemed straight..(likely the operative word "seemed"? anyway I wanted the front clip and frame from firewall forward. Knowing yard apes,- i specifically said.at least 2-3 times. DONT MOVE IT- came back the next saturday with tools...and they had moved it to "make it easier for me"..with a forklift..and of course badly bent the very parts i was after....
That yard and most of the others of my youth..now looooong gone..sadly

2) in my earliest days of MV, looking for a jeep.. I traced a rumour...with great difficulty... to a barn near Oshawa..I cant even remember now...sadly... and low and behold there were at least 10 maybe 12 jeeps in various states of repair, but my guess from looking ALL restorable. The deal was take them all and give back one restored one to the owner...
Of course at the time, I knew no-one in the hobby (I thought I was the only nutbar who wanted old green stuff), and also no resources to move them out of the barn...and no place to put them or work on them.. It was an all or nothing deal and no way he would part with just one...I really do wonder whatever happened to them...I dont recall anyone in the hobby thereafter mentioning the barn full of jeeps..so I hope they weren't scrapped..
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  #15  
Old 19-03-15, 02:38
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Marc Montgomery Marc Montgomery is offline
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We built so many Fairmiles and Motor Torpedo Boats, what bappened to Blue Heron..and are there any Fairmiles left? dont think any of our MTBs survived.
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  #16  
Old 19-03-15, 19:04
Jes Andersen Jes Andersen is offline
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Default Fairmiles

There were a few ex RCMP Fairmiles out here on the west coast and probably more if you knew what to look for. Most were modified to the point of being unrecognizable. One was shortened and used locally for a dive boat but it disappeared a few years ago. Wooden boats... If you think that some rusty old trucks are a money pit, then just wait until you get a boat. Wooden, even worse. The bigger, the cheaper to buy and more likely to never get done. Around the west coast, Bay Class minesweepers are (were) cheap, the YFP series built on Gabriola Island are around and would be more manageable, but I recall that with original power, they burned 16 gal per hour at 10kt cruise or close to that. My pension would be spent just on moorage...
Just the same as Rob Love, I like pretty much every military vehicle I see and have a few I should have left where they were. Anyone need a couple of lovely M37s....
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  #17  
Old 20-03-15, 03:26
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Marc Montgomery Marc Montgomery is offline
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Yeah, I saw a couple of YFPs for sale on crown assets just last year..tempting, but as I haven't won the lottery...tempting is all they were...
Anyone see the Top Gear show where they were touring an ex soviet satellite Romania (?) and accidently came across an abandoned air base with jets just sitting there. abandoned..
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  #18  
Old 22-03-15, 15:39
Terry Witiuk Terry Witiuk is offline
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Hi Marc. About Blue Heron...my guess is that she was most likely broken up or had sunk where she was anchored. At the time, a Taxi driver was using her as a live aboard and she was anchored in a small cove just outside Halifax. She was stripped of most equipment but all the finished wood/teak paneling, bunks and ladders were still there. Fuel and fresh water tanks were also still in place. Prop shafts were still there but without props and had been cut just ahead of the glands/fitting that allowed passage thru the hull. Engines, funnel/smoke stack and other metal fittings were known to be at a local scrapyard.
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  #19  
Old 22-03-15, 16:14
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There's a Fairmile project underway in Sarnia...
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too many carriers
too many rovers
not enough time.
(and now a BSA...)
(and now a Triumph TRW...)
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  #20  
Old 22-03-15, 16:24
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charlie fitton charlie fitton is offline
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I think this is her...but no promises..

https://www.google.ca/maps/place/Sar...23ed2868f6f05e
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Charles Fitton
Maryhill On.,
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too many carriers
too many rovers
not enough time.
(and now a BSA...)
(and now a Triumph TRW...)
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  #21  
Old 22-03-15, 16:30
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Robin Craig Robin Craig is offline
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That's cute, it shows on the aerial imagery but when you go to Streetview it isn't there.

Thanks Charlie

R
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  #22  
Old 22-03-15, 16:44
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charlie fitton charlie fitton is offline
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Shape is right, size is about right....guess it wasn't there when they did the drive-by.
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Charles Fitton
Maryhill On.,
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too many carriers
too many rovers
not enough time.
(and now a BSA...)
(and now a Triumph TRW...)
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  #23  
Old 23-03-15, 02:30
Ed Storey Ed Storey is offline
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Default Fairmile

Unfortunately the project fell through and the Fairmile Q-105 got scrapped. Apparently there were a number of problems with the project management and funding. Lots of grand intentions that just did not seem to work out.
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