Readyman's HMMWV - 4th of July Parade Hinsdale, IL

[readyman]

Well it was really close, but we made it! I painted the waterborne CARC and finished spraying it at 3:00pm July 3, reassembled the HMMWV at 6:00pm. The CARC was hard/dry the next morning July 4th 0700 for the trip to the parade! The drivers seat wasn't even bolted in, no doors(no time to paint them), windshields well...optional. I was trying for the Special Forces ' look' anyway.
I had to make a 'field expedient' TOW launch tube, along with some welded up field expedient weapons mounts, because the USPS lost some shipments.

We had a geat home town parade with standing ovations for the whole length of the mile and a half long parade route, it was awesome!

My wife Ruthann was riding shotgun with the M249 SAW! This HMMWV is her namesake, now officially called 'BabyRuthie' after her. Named that because it's a tad smaller than the M35 Deuce I named after her called 'LilRuthie'. Chris was up on the turret weapons platform with the TOW Missile Launcher and the M2HB, his girlfriend manned the flag waving position in the rear seat.
This was another one of those secret projects of mine. And I surprised RuthAnn with the HMMWV on the morning of the 4th, right before the parade. It was love at first sight for 'BabyRuthie'.

There still is about six months of work left on 'BabyRuthie' but I just had to try and make it for our home town 4th of July Parade. Now to finish the interior and the mechanical stuff. And continue the eternal search for those hard to find TOW Missile Launcher parts...

 

[neilhendrix]

RE: Readyman

Very Nice Looks like lots of happy people

 

[readyman]

More pics of the NICMVPA guy's.

 

[MilitaryRestoration]

some of those peoples faces in the 'turret' picture are priceless lol

 

[pa.rich]

Thanks for the pictures. Alot of beautiful restoration jobs there. I may get my M211 ready for next year's July 4th parade in Montrose , Pa. Its a huge parade for the county.

 

[readyman]

pa.rich,
I felt honored to bring up the rear of those truly historic vehicles with my 'current conflict' HMMWV.

 

[maddawg308]

Very nice assembly of MVs in that parade! Wish my town had a parade I could run my vehicles in, the only parade Front Royal does is the Fireman's Parade, nothing more than a fund raising event for fire departments. Won't even allow a privately-owned fire truck run in the parade. Govt.-sponsored dog and pony show is all it is.

 

[ajgerdes]

some of those peoples faces in the 'turret' picture are priceless lol