Chris.

Interesting point, particularly in regards to the degree of common sense lacking from it which is so typical of political decisions made that directly impact our various military establishments today. We have developed such an amazing assortment of weapons that can lay waste and pollute the environment in so many ways, but God forbid the vehicles used by the military should be allowed to fail modern day emission standards. Somebody might get sick or hurt or even die.

Not sure what it is like out your way with ownership and operation of vintage MV's, but here in Manitoba it seems that every few years some political clowns try and legislate vintage vehicles of any kind off the road because they pollute, or don't meet modern safety standards in one way or another. It seems that only when they are confronted by documentation confirming the very low numbers of these amazing vehicles actually on the road, and how infrequently they are actually on the road, the politicians back off. Then a new batch get elected and we have to beat them into shape all over again!

I can't help but think that all our current problems with the Canadian and American governments growing reluctance to dispose of obsolete MV's can be traced directly to the lawsuits brought against the US authorities a few decades back when one or two idiots bought surplus M151's and proceeded to kill themselves in them by not driving them properly. Things went downhill very quickly after that happened.

It is sad that interesting, old military vehicles like the M113 series, or any other armoured vehicles for that matter are regarded with such fear by the politicians, should they ever end up intact in the hands of collectors. Probably a good thing they have not realized just how many Bren gun carriers, half tracks and other bits of armour are actually out there already.

David

Don't be too sure about always having your boots either. News reports within the last week or so are that a local firm that has supplied boots to the Australian Army for decades has been given the flick and the contract is going off shore. This was reported to be an 'economic' decision.
We have our share of s**t for brains here too.

David

When two collectors tried to drive up parliament hill a decade or two back for a photo op with their ferret (and a dewat GPMG attached to the top) the subject of civilian ownership of armour was brought up, at least in the papers.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/armour...-hill-1.186569
In recent years, several provinces, at the request of police, banned body armour and armoured vehicles from civilian ownership without acquiring a permit from the province ($$). The aim was more towards the gang members who the police envisioneVd were armour plating the insides of the doors to their SUVs, but the law would have caught collectors as well. It was only through Gordon Falk's efforts here in Manitoba that we have an exception for historic military vehicles, but that exemption only extends to the owner and not to someone you loan the vehicle to.

Personally, I believe the government has controlled movement of these vehicles by the price of fuel these days. Having recently got my carrier back on the road, and having to run off a naphtha can until my tanks were ready, I found I got maybe 12 minutes of run-time before the gallon was gone.

Rob.
Congrats on getting the BGC back on the road again, but don't get me started on the thrills of modern day media!

Maybe I will stir the pot up and write a letter to my MP asking where I can obtain an M113 to use as a Halloween Lawn Decoration this Fall. I'll tell him I want to set it up with the back end facing the front sidewalk and the ramp down, with a pair of kids running shoes sticking out from under the edge of it. Top it all off with a Stephen Harper look a like sitting inside with a bag of candy asking the kids to come inside for a treat.

David

U.S. M-113 fate
 

http://g503.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=240761

Thanks, David

David: There are not supposed to be politics on this forum, especially not poking frun at St Stephen. I should think Justin Trudeau in the back of the carrier offering pot to the kiddies would be much more truthful and scary.

I did that ramp thing at the 2VP shop back in the 80s. We stuck some rubber boots on a pair of coveralls, had the ramp dropped across the boots, and one arm of the coverall with a glove holding a wrench sticking out the side. We just about gave the old ET a heart attack when he came out of the control office.

M113
 

I'm Canadian, I own a M113A2 in restoration, but for sure not a Canadian one! It will be Canadian but not originaly! :), You can go see my Facebook Page, just write: militaro.

I've imported 2 from Germany, ex M901. Probably writed scrap from the scrap yard as I didn't have problems and imported them here!

I had a conversation with a manager of surplus sales, while he was inspecting a 4-colour printing press we will be putting up for auction very soon. After a bit, we got around to talking about LSVWs. Someone in the disposals office came to their senses when one or two LS's sold for thousands of dollars. Why get $80 or $100 when people are anxious to buy them for seventy-five or a hundred times more? No more to the scrappers, and most of the remaining few thousand will be sold off as the market will bear.

Still plenty heading to the prisons for dismantling. Since any replacement has been moved at least 5 years down the road (likely even further), the cannibalization is the selected method to keep the fleet going. Don't think for even a second that the $5,000 selling price would even equal even a shoebox full of selected parts for these vehicles if we had to have them made new.

If they had really come to their senses, they would have started releasing MLVWs again instead of sending them to the prisons for destruction.

You should see the rows of HLVW's, MLVW's and various other things lined up at the Corcan waiting to be chopped up for parts.

And yet; The SWAT team in Payette ID USA was running around in a perfect 113 B [diesel]
at a small MVPA show. As a former 113 driver 66-67, I was thrilled to get in the vehicle. Newc

I still get to driveo a Cdn M113A2 at the museum here in Shilo. After any amount of work on it, I take it for about a 4km run along the old track plan down to range control and back. It always brings a smile on my face, as I drove them for a number of years as an MRT with 2PPCLI and later with 1RCHA. I almost feel guilty getting paid to do this kind of work.