surviving high-speed tractors?

[maddawg308]

How many of the WWII and post war high speed tractors are still around in driving condition? I have seen a few M2 Cletracs, and a bunch of the 13-ton M5 HSTs, but I don't ever recall seeing ANY of the 18-ton M4s, 38-ton M6s, the Hellcat-based M39 tractors, or the M8A1/M8E2 series tractors in surviving driving condition anywhere.

Any sightings from any Steel Soldiers?

 

[mkcoen]

Museum of the American GI Open House yesterday

 

[mkcoen]

Found another shot from the back.

 

[maddawg308]

Yeah. that's the M5, of which a bunch survive. I'm asking about the big brothers to those.

 

[Bighurt]

There is an M6 in the Marshall museum in VA...probably one of very few remaining....

 

[mkcoen]

Sorry, not that familiar with WWII vehicles. Just knew it was a HST, saw it yesterday, and thought it was in amazing shape.

 

[maddawg308]

Found some pics of a surviving M4 series HST online....

 

[maddawg308]

Also a few of an unrestored M8E2 that was posted some years back here, but I believe they were from a scrapyard in Germany....

 

[surfdog]

There ia a running M4 high speed tractor near me that comes out for the big parades. I know the owner has at least one more that is not restored yet. He also has a 155 gun that he pulls behind it.

Here's a link to an old thread with pics of it.

http://www.steelsoldiers.com/conversations/60086-albany-ny-veterans-day-parade-2010-a.html

 

[maddawg308]

98taco sent me a pic of one in the works now, lots of bare metal so you know they are working on it....

 

[gijoe]

Chet Kruse had one i don't know if it sold in his auction in wisconsin. He had several there is older photos in that one book, but i can't think of the name of it by tom bernardt or something like that. Might be american military vehicles??

 

[Elwenil]

I think I have seen a few of the larger HSTs in various stages of restoration on the web but I can't remember any that I have seen Stateside. I think all I have seen were on Milweb.net, for sale across The Pond.

 

[FrankUSMC]

I have photos taken around 1990 of a military holding area in Germany that has several hundred WWII halftracks in it to be was as targets. They were halftracks that were rebuilt by the french. The guy who sent me the photos also sent me another photo of another part of the holding area that was full of HSTs. The vehicles were all in running condition, and look like they just came out of french war storage. Sadly, they were all to be used on the tank ranges in geramny.
One of the few, Frank USMC RET

 

[Electrons]

If you feel like driving to Canada you might see some converted into Drill Tanks.

I found this one yesterday while looking at drill tank pictures with google image search. only about 13k Canadian!

 

[kd4iff]

When I went to work in 1968 for the local power company the line contractor had two or three M4 tractors pulling equipment to job sites. One thing stands out in my memory is none had good breaks. They had auto transmissions and operators used reverse to control the tractor on steep grades when going down hill. If and when the engine died a large tree was the next stop. The contractor later cut the cabs off and changed to Ford industrial engines with manual transmissions. They still had poor brakes.

On that note M37 trucks were also much in use at the time. The brakes on these trucks would go out so often that they were called " Whoppi Waggons ". Whoppi was the cry heard coming from the cab as the truck went down the hills of Southwest Virginia and Kentucky.

 

[dogtags]

Chet Kruse had one i don't know if it sold in his auction in wisconsin. He had several there is older photos in that one book, but i can't think of the name of it by tom bernardt or something like that. Might be american military vehicles??

Chet Krause sold his HST's (and many other HMVs) to Kevin Kronlund (from Army Cars USA) a number of years ago. If you contacted Kevin at (715)
635-7728 or via email kevin@armycarsusa.com, I would think he could tell you what he bought and where they went.

~Robert

 

[BLK HMMWV]

M5 hst

Just out of curiosity.
What do M5 HST go for now days .
I know it would depend on there condition but whats a running restored one worth Approx.

 

[captain-crank]

I had the HT in a parade over the 4th and there was a very nice M4 there also.
He said his buddy also had one he was working on.

They both came out of an auction in SD a few years ago.

 

[98taco3]

Found a M5A4 HST and we were able to make a deal on it. really nice condition, complete and un messed with cept the orange paint...

Bad picture quality but only had the cell phone on me today.

 

[USAFSS-ColdWarrior]

Found a M5A4 HST and we were able to make a deal on it. really nice condition, complete and un messed with cept the orange paint...

Bad picture quality but only had the cell phone on me today.

Congrats on the great score!

Would love to see a thread on it's recovery, restoration, etc.

(Be sure to post a link here if you start a new thread so that we who are subscribed to this one can follow you there.)

Thanks!