New V-100

[M813rc]

We took the V to a local car show in Leander on Sunday, it proved to be quite popular.

My younger son is enthusiastically learning how everything works so he can take on more responsibility for general operations. For now, the turret hatch is very firmly his chosen position!
Maybe he will let me ride up there when he gets his license and drives it himself...

All photos are courtesy of Pawnshop because someone neglected to take any pictures...

Cheers

Pics 1 & 2: Gassing it up. I was inside marking the sight gauge in 5-gal increments to give me a better idea of what is in the tank.

Pics 3-6: At the show (actually, getting ready to leave). Reloader64's Deuce, the V and my M1009.

Pic 7: Pawnshop's recently acquired M1028 towing one of his M101's

.

 

[srodocker]

man i want a V now...good work!

 

[B3.3T]

Very nice.

 

[baseballump]

Looks Great

 

[reloader64]

Eating lunch after the car show.

Scott:"Not that many people at the show today."
Rory:"I thought there were a lot of people!"
Scott:"No, just the few who were there all came to see the V-100 and talk to you about it."


Scott

 

[Danger Ranger]

Rory, I like your style, they way you have outfitted your trucks is simply what I would do to them for the most part....thanks for the pics.

 

[M813rc]

Well, I did talk to a lot of people. My boy listened to me answering questions, (and knows a lot about his V anyway) so he was able to take over and let me take a break after a while. I still only got to see a few of the other cars there.

Thanks D R. I try to keep them original and period correct, but will change things like tires, etc., that can be reverted back to original easily.
On that note, I don't really like the tires on the M1009. The size and performance are good, but I don't find the tread pattern visually appealing or to have the proper 'military' look (probably the same gripe actually). I settled for those when the ones I wanted were found to be discontinued.
I found that my Brit Clansman radios can be wired easily into the stock 1009 radio spot, and am building a rack that will attach to the stock mounts. Again, no permanent mods. The Brit radios connect directly to the US vehicle antennae with no mods.
The light-bar was chosen after seeing many MP vehicles with that style on them (Jetstream, JetSonic, etc.). On mine, which is used to escort the slow-movers on the road, all flashers are amber, the white lens areas are spotlights.

Latest V details- the winch control is in. It looks surprisingly small and hidden after all that effort to make it pretty! There is a connecting rod between the handle and the controller, but it is not installed yet in the pictures. I forgot to paint the pins earlier, so they were still drying when the photos were taken. Doh!!

Cheers

.
​

 

[M813rc]

Now with the complete handle on.
The various hydraulic lines hook up where the two plugs are on the bottom and one on each side. The second picture gives a good idea on how, though on a slightly different controller.

Between the flash and digital camera, it makes the green look all kinds of different shades, but to the naked eye it all looks the same (at least to me!).
It also really highlights all the dust and crud that has gotten inside...

On the right, you can just see the black markings on the fuel sight gauge (that hose-thing running from low to high just ahead of the fire extinguisher). From bottom up it is marked at 5, 10, 15, and 20 gallons.
The shape of the tank makes a big difference in how much vertical space the fuel quantity takes in the line! The first 5 gallons takes up as much line as the next 10. And that, of course, is why I wanted to mark it.

Cheers

.

 

[M813rc]

Plugging along on the details. I thought I was almost done, but when I actually wrote out a list of the little chores, as well as some big ones, it filled two notebook pages! Sigh...
But I do enjoy working on it, and frequently catch myself grinning like a 'possum when I think about where I am sitting. No matter what happens elsewhere, I am happy doing that.

Courtesy of HellonwheelsV100 I have a nice replica expended rounds collector for under the guns. Since it is actually the type that goes in the .30/.30 turret (shhhhhh..!) it has no mounting points in my .30/.50 turret, so I made a couple of bracket bits that allowed it to attach to what was there with no modifications to the turret itself, and only one extra hole in the collector. Works fine, and is nice and firm. I have the rubber edge skirts, still need to rivet them on.
I don't think it would actually work with the .50 firing, but that is never going to happen anyway. Maybe one day the proper collector will show up, or I will get enough details on it to make an acceptable replica, but I wont be holding my breath in the meantime.

While I was at that, my attention kept getting drawn to the spall shield under the mantlet. It had been in there unrestored since the beginning, and had always bothered me, but until now I hadn't pulled it out to do anything about it. I can now mark that off my list.

Cheers

.

 

[HellonwheelsV-100]

Rory-
That looks great! I have another box for you when I get the time to send it. I have that hydraulic pump and the connecting bits that have been sitting here before I got sent overseas again.
I have that turret gear box and handle for Jim too.

 

[M813rc]

Thanks Dave. I have a couple of boxes of stuff packed up for you that I have been meaning to send off- the fire bottle cable, battery heat shield, smoke launchers, etc., etc. And I don't have overseas to use as an excuse..

 

[M813rc]

We (Lone Star MVPA) do a military vehicle and equipment display for a local school district each year for Veterans Day. The school does it right before the day so the kids have a better idea of what they are honouring on Veterans Day proper. We did ours on Monday the 7th.
Being Texas, the first time we did this the school asked "What kind of weapons will y'all bring to show us?".

We have been having the worst drought in 50 years in Texas, but it decided to break temporarily while we were driving over Sunday, lasted all the way through putting the vehicles up Monday night, then it stopped!
I never cuss rain around here, but... Oh well, I've been wet many times before and haven't dissolved yet.
The rain let up some during the day, and no kids missed their time slot because of it, which was cool.

The Confederate Air Force (substitute the new politically correct name yourself here, if you choose to) promised to do a flyover with 12 aircraft. We actually got 14, including a P-51, B-25, PBJ (Marine version of the B-25, not the sandwich), and four T-6's!
Despite the wind and low cloud, they made 8 passes over the schools and the kids loved it, they were all outside to watch.

Final count was 583 elementary school kids run through the display, not counting the ones who came back after school with parents, and from other schools.
Rain or not, it is fun and worthwhile, more than justifies taking a day off work to do it.

Cheers

1- The display, including Reloader64's Deuce; Pawnshop's M1028/M101; my V, M185, M1009 and M416. Another non-SS buddy brought the M37
2- The V dry
3- and in it's raincoat
4- My youngest boy telling the kids about 'his' V
5- PBJ Devil Dog, and P-51 Big Beautiful Doll
6- B-25 Yellow Rose
7- T-6's, including Zero look-alike

My aeroplane pics are not great, best I could do with a snap-shooter camera on a murky day...

.

 

[M813rc]

We did the Austin Veterans Day parade on the morning of the 11th. The weather was beautiful, started out around 32* on the drive down (I looked like Rudolph the Red-Nosed V Driver when we arrived!), warmed up to around 50* almost as soon as the sun came up.

I invited Baseballump and a Vietnam V100 buddy of his to ride with me, but they couldn't make it down. Maybe next year!

Cheers

1- In Round Rock on the way to the parade
2- Arriving on the Congress Ave bridge
3- Downtown Austin as viewed from a V turret
4- Parading
5- Cool reflection picture
6- One of the other participants

Pics 2-5 courtesy of Scott Strance, used with permission. He volunteered to be my turret man when his M38A1 declined to start.

 

[WARWAG]

It sure must be nice having the coolest Armored vehicle on the block! Nice job.

 

[WARWAG]

Theres been one on Dispaly at the Sierra Herlong base. Ive gone to check it out everytime I pick something up there.

 

[smashcrashy]

I really enjoyed the youtube videos, thanks for posting those. If you have any more post them up!

 

[M813rc]

One of my dreams for the V100 has been to have my kids crew it at an event, while I drove something else. On Saturday I got to fulfill that in the Texas Independence Day parade in Austin.

My active Marine son is home for a few days leave before he deploys to Afghanistan in a couple of weeks. He drove the V, with my younger son (who goes to the Marines this summer after he graduates HS) in the turret, and my daughter in the radio op hatch.
My daughter tends to be a happy person, and this manifested itself with her doing little dances during the parade, which the crowd seemed to love. I guess armour crew are not known for such displays!

In the parade shot you can see Pawnshop's M1028 and M1009 (w/Buckmaw driving) and Quonsethut's gun truck.

Weather was beautiful- about 50 driving down, warming up to about 70 by noon. It was a bit chilly driving on the highway going down (about a 38 mile trip one way) with my head out the hatch!

Cheers

1- On the trip down
2&3- Staging area
4&5- During the parade
6- in traffic heading back to the staging area
7- My contribution to the parade. V100, M931A2, and M1009

 

[Pawnshop]

It was really cool to have one of our active club members, who is also an active Marine, who's MOS IS driving, drive a vehicle in the parade! Pretty cool CUCV in front too...

 

[baseballump]

Rory Great looking crew (better looking than aour Vietnam crews). The last picture looks like what we did before the convoys. Just hang out. And a great looking group of vehicles. Thanks for the pictures

 

[linx310]

I really need to come hang out with you guys in the Lonestar MVPA....looks like you could have used my Texas National Guard M38a1 in the parade....with college mid terms in full swing and soaring gas prices it makes it hard for me to even make the trip up from Kyle Texas....

That should change in about a year though...

BTW do your kids have the military vehicle bug yet?