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European scrap - salvage yards and parts suppliers

Robo McDuff

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Quite unexpectedly I am going to the Netherlands with my better half and two grandkids for a few days. Time to also get some stuff for the M51. I was trying to find Van Dam's surplus yard. If you want to drool from a distance, check out this google map showing their yard. They have around THREE THOUSAND surplus MVs there.

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A Ward laFrance, notice the unique typical bent end of the boom. Interesting enough, I saw three similar cranes in Austria recently, two of them with the same large 4 on the door. Probably also former Swiss army.

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I need some brake lines and connectors from this scavenged 5-ton.
 

Another Ahab

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Quite unexpectedly I am going to the Netherlands with my better half and two grandkids for a few days. Time to also get some stuff for the M51. I was trying to find Van Dam's surplus yard. If you want to drool from a distance, check out this google map showing their yard. They have around THREE THOUSAND surplus MVs there.

View attachment 789372

A Ward laFrance, notice the unique typical bent end of the boom.
Interesting that the windscreen/ windshield of the one rig is single-piece and of the other (in background) is two-piece.

Wonder what that was about? Maybe just ease of assembly, or less expense in repair? Something else?

Does anybody know the story there?
 

TehTDK

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Truck Sealand in Padborg/Flensburg near the Danish/German border has loads of Danish Surplus MV's though only trucks
 

Robo McDuff

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I am in the Netherlands, and am looking for some parts. Two front axle seals I have, set me back $20 a piece, good price I think.

Then I looked up Sindorf Trading again online, to check if they have spare parts. This is a good one to get frustrated on a rainy afternoon. Last time I mentioned them, only checked if the link worked. Now I checked further, turn out that clicking some things for sale open up another section. Have Fun
 
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Robo McDuff

In memorial Ron - 73M819
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Can't post post titles anymore?

Anyway: anybody for a truck or two in perfect condition? Better hurry, because these are all prepared and ready to go to Africa.

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Why waste space: the truck beds are full of spare parts, tires, generators, ...

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... or nicely repainted Mercedes jeeps

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and some troop carriers.


Not joking, these guys were in a hurry to get the next consignment of 15 trucks ready for transport this week.

Some more is and will be coming in the DAF thread
 

Another Ahab

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Can't post post titles anymore?

Anyway: anybody for a truck or two in perfect condition? Better hurry, because these are all prepared and ready to go to Africa.


View attachment 790822
... or nicely repainted Mercedes jeeps


and some troop carriers.
Are these active military vehicles for shipment, or surplus?

Are you kidding? Are these being sold as surplus? Everything looks brand spanking new?!
 

Robo McDuff

In memorial Ron - 73M819
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They bought whole lots of surplus all along, probably from the very beginning in the 60s and 70s. Then slowly, by type, they repair-overhaul them, repaint them, load them with overhauled or NOS parts or complete jeeps, and ship them off.

I could buy new and NOS stuff from them, but when I asked to cut a short length of existing brake line the quick and sure answer was "no". NO discussion or anything. They
 

Another Ahab

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They bought whole lots of surplus all along, probably from the very beginning in the 60s and 70s. Then slowly, by type, they repair-overhaul them, repaint them, load them with overhauled or NOS parts or complete jeeps, and ship them off.
Any idea who are the buyers?

Governments? Municipalities? Industry? Individual buyers?

ALL of the above?!
 

Robo McDuff

In memorial Ron - 73M819
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Probably not government, but everything else, yes, especially bigger mining, construction, and agriculture companies. Not even sure they are all sold or they have a African company (or plural) who buys them bulk and sells them individually, taking care of the local paper work. I did not ask, they did not tell, probably only the bosses really know.

Between van Dam, Reomie, and Commerce-Trucks, they must be shipping hundreds of trucks per year off to Africa.
 

TehTDK

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Geez Robo,

Those trucks and jeeps looks brand new compared to the rusted and busted up shit we auction off here :p. I take it its Mercedes G-Wagons or similar vehicles produced on license?
 

Robo McDuff

In memorial Ron - 73M819
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I think these trucks and jeeps were at that yard several years, they bought them surplus years and sometimes decades ago. They have a team of about 5 max 10 workers there and slowly repair and repaint the trucks, scavenging the worst trucks to keep the repair of the good ones cheap. Ones enough are repaired and they have a solid buyer, they ship them off to Africa.

I never saw trucks from Danish auctions (maybe send a link where to find them?). Compared to the USA, I think the relative newer West European Army and NATO trucks are less abused (not much off-road) and have a higher turn-over than the older US trucks. Yours might be in a worse condition due to the closeness of the sea.

As to the Mercedes jeeps, don't know the story on them. Don't forget, these people buy surplus from most Northwest European countries; probably these are ex-German army.
 

Robo McDuff

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For our European members, the latest just closed auction for ex US Army surplus sold in the Netherlands.

Maybe you miss it because its in a section for US auctions. Its worth to keep an eye on; Troostwijk has auctions all over Europe. Sometimes they also link or post for German and AUstrian smaller auction houses. Saw some nice Harleys coming by recently, going for a lot of €.
 

Another Ahab

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. Its worth to keep an eye on; Troostwijk has auctions all over Europe. Sometimes they also link or post for German and AUstrian smaller auction houses. Saw some nice Harleys coming by recently, going for a lot of €.
Excellent post, Robo; thanks!

What era were the "Harleys" you're talking about; do you mean like WWII?!
 

Robo McDuff

In memorial Ron - 73M819
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Mostly no, these are auctions of confiscated goods or bankruptcy or ending of a company. Only very rare do they have something like "army surplus" where the Harley was, or "oldtimers".

I think I saw three-four older heavy bikes coming along, mostly 60s-80s for the older, and after 2002 more often. Prices are high tough.
 

cucvmule

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I am in the Netherlands, and am looking for some parts. Two front axle seals I have, set me back $20 a piece, good price I think.

Then I looked up Sindorf Trading again online, to check if they have spare parts. This is a good one to get frustrated on a rainy afternoon. Last time I mentioned them, only checked if the link worked. Now I checked further, turn out that clicking some things for sale open up another section. Have Fun

I wonder what the shipping on a Chieftain MK10 MBT would be from Holland to the Mexican border?

And I think the Jeep body is still for sale at militarysparepartscz? What a shame to see it collecting dust.
 
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