Iraq / Afghanistan conflicts Gun truck build

[Vintage iron]

I have decided to build an Iraq / Afghanistan conflict era Gun Truck. This will be a tribute truck and NOT a replica of any truck that served our troops in these conflicts. I have done my homework and I will try to build the truck as our troops would have done. I have General McGreggor drawing a concept picture of what I have planned and I have started to get parts and supplies ready. I have the two weapon mounts and two cradles on the way.

This Gun truck will be a early conflict Gun Truck and will have "Hillbilly armor" on the doors, bullet proof glass wind shield, and full armor box in the bed. I am a Marine so this will be a Marine truck. The truck will be painted MERDC grey desert and run 1600R20 tires. I have found pictures that support that M813's were used as Gun Trucks, that Marine had Gun Trucks, and that M813 were painted MERDC grey desert with 1400's on them. Like I said it is a tribute truck and not a replica, Of course I will listen to any input and would like help with the build too. I anyone has pictures that can help me be more accurate, that would be great!

 

[det rebel]

pictures would help and i like the idea

 

[Vintage iron]

here are some of what I have found. I have to find my other pictures. My other computer is dead and I fear that I lost lots of my hard work.

 

[Danger Ranger]

Sounds like a plan....get General's sketch up on here, if I remember right it is already done. Good luck.

And just cause I can be picky, and you did it twice....Irac is spelled IRAQ....just sayin.

 

[vtdeucedriver]

So your the one.

 

[Danger Ranger]

 

[Vintage iron]

Sorry, Danger Ranger the sketch is still in the works. Mcgreggor has been busy with his surplus business. Thanks for the spell check. "duh"! I am not sure what you mean by twice. I posted some of this info in the paint and body work area. But I wanted to start a thread on the build. I have some surprises to keep things interested during the build.

 

[Danger Ranger]

Twice being title and first post sentence...

BUT, all that aside, it sounds like it will be a great build, and a unique one at that. I hope to see it finished sometime in the near future.

 

[Vintage iron]

Thanks DR! Most of this project is metalwork and should be fairly easy. The hard part is going to be locating two .50 cal replicas or two de-milled .50 cals.

 

[Derrickl112]

A few pictues I have saved..

 

[Armorsolutions]

Man , I do love a gun truck

 

[Danger Ranger]

Your friendly neighborhood Zout has been making fakerola gun models....you might wanna catch up with him. If you want propane firing, or demil, or what-have-you, then you are on your own...
opcorn:

 

[quickfarms]

Nice photos

 

[vtdeucedriver]

Thanks DR! Most of this project is metalwork and should be fairly easy. The hard part is going to be locating two .50 cal replicas or two de-milled .50 cals.

Hahaha, Being that you snuck out from underneath me at two ACAV mounts and you say the .50's are the hard part? All it takes is $

 

[Vintage iron]

Sorry VTdeucedriver, I didn't sneak the mounts from under you. I just found them first! Do you know a place to get .50 cal replicas for a fair price?

 

[maddawg308]

One thing I have gleaned from studying armored trucks in Vietnam, and then Iraq, was that the Vietnam trucks seemed well-designed. They came as kits, and the guys who ran those trucks built them well. The recent Iraq trucks looked like they were assembled with whatever scrap metal they could find laying around, or cut off of other things. I'm not saying that the trucks weren't well-armored or didn't work well with their hodge-podge of steel plates, just saying that the Iraq-based trucks looked, well, homemade, while the Vietnam ones looked a bit more professional.

With that being said, maybe you should make your tribute truck to reflect that - have rusty plates of metal instead of nicely painted ones. Have weird cutouts in places that don't make sense showing the possibility of that armor plate being used previously somewhere else.

Here's one I always kinda liked - a M915 tractor converted to gun truck. First pic is the real thing in 2003, second is a model of same. Notice the design, very "field mod" look to it. It worked for its purpose, but it didn't win any beauty contests.

 

[73m819]

In post #10, in pic #1, what is on the BACK of the truck, it has hyd. lines running along the side of the bed to it

 

[maddawg308]

A few pictues I have saved..

I like the M939 truck with the Mercedes medallion on it. Very ghetto. I'd do the nerd thing and hang a big VW medallion instead.

 

[maddawg308]

In post #10, in pic #1, what is on the BACK of the truck, it has hyd. lines running along the side of the bed to it

Looks like there is some sort of mine roller attachment or IED sensing device attached to the truck in the front. Perhaps the hydraulic lines are to control it?

 

[Vintage iron]

Maddawg I have found the same thing. Some was hacked together and some was well done like the Vietnam era Gun Trucks. I don't want this truck to be confused with a "Mad Max" truck. I am building this to respect our troops and don't want people confusing the two. Maybe the armor I have found was Second generation because it was still simple, but well made. I am considering leaving some sections bare steel, like you said.