Canadain Airborne Regiment Iltis, need opinions and help

[Matthew Reid]

Hello All

I picked up what I was planning to being a parts Iltis this past winter.
I got it dirt cheap (almost free) and was planning on using what few parts that were on it for spares. I aquired it from an idvidual who was using it as a static obstical on a Paintball/Airsoft course. It is little more than a rolling chassis, Body, hood, roll bar, grill, steering coloum, and enough suspension parts to keep the tires mounted.

When I had Scotty and Craig search the CFR history It came back as having spent all but the first few months of it's life with the Canadain Airborne until the regiment was disbanded.
It was then sent to 3rd Battalion of the Royal Canadian Regiment (where a good chunk of the Airborne troops went). It stayed with 3 RCR till May 03 when it was prepped for shipment to Afghanistan, as best as can be gussed for what ever reason it was never sent, It hung around CFB Petawawa for a year as an Area support unit. It was then sent to the Land Force Western Area Training Centre (CFB Wainwright) and disposed of from there as scrap/salvage.
It is CFR 87423 (history in the CFR request section)


Well upon finding out that it was with the Airborne and obviusly had been deployed. (The Unit has multiple layers of paint including possibly 2 coats of white ,one for sure). Stripping it for what useable parts are left on it and then scrapping the rest did not just sit right with me after finding out the history of the unit.

So I have decided to restore the unit to as it would have been in Somalia. I assume the last coat of white paint was for this deployment.

SO here comes the questions and my quanderies.

The units body is very very rough , large dents, several serious bends severe structural rust, Surprisinghly it looks not bad but there is deep rooted rust in structural areas and it has several structrual failures in main body supports (cracking) and some dumb ass drove bobcat forks through the back side. of the body.

The unit was fitted at one time with an Air drop plate ( the marks are on it's frame from one). So it obviusly was air dropped in it's life time and that would explain the structual body cracking. The frame appears to be solid with no cracks found as yet.

I also have an 84 Iltis CFR 86091 (History in the CFR request section) with a pretty solid tub (basically no rust and little to no body damage) that I Plan on restoring with as many NOS parts as I can find including a NOS body tub. The unit has been restored and was in a museum, (where the perviuos owner aquired it from). It looks great but has the wrong paint job mechanically it is average this unit has well over 100K Km's on it currently it is getting new shocks brakes trunions ball joints so I can drive it till it is stripped apart. This unit will go back to as delivered to the CF in 1984 after restoration.

Iam planning on using the 84's Body tub and mechanicals to restore/rebuild the Airborne Iltis.


Now for my questions.

Should I try to fix the Airborne Iltis's body tub or will swapping the tub off the 84 on to it detroy it 's history/authenticity.
The orginal tub could be fixed but there would not be much left of the original tub after repaired any way.

Does any one have any pictures of CF Iltis's in service in Somalia in UN paint. I have searched and searched and come up with nothing. I would like some idea how to outfit/and paint the unit.

Does any one know what the tac signs looked like on Airbone Vehicles ?

The unit is going to be painted in UN white with UN markings as it would have been in Somalia. Now will there be any issues driving a unit painted as such? I do not think anyone has restored an Iltis to UN paint and markings as of yet so I have no idea what the Legal ramifications may be.

As always any help is greatly appreciated.

Matthew