gandalf23
New Member
- Joined
- August 11, 2020
- Messages
- 1
- Reaction score
- 2
- City, State
- Dallas, TX
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- 2010 F150 Texas Edition
I have always loved tanks. Two years ago my brother in law showed me a craigslist ad for a tank for sale. Turned out to be homemade in the 60s, probably, although the previous owner swears his daddy told him it was a real WWII tank, therefore it is a real WWII tank 
At some point in the 80s the engine broke, so they tore it and the transmission and tracks off and left it in a field. About four years ago it was dug out, mounted to a trailer, painted pink and driven around to breast cancer fundraisers. Then the wife got cured of her cancer, so they decided to sell it. So I bought it.
My plan was to get a VW Beetle engine and fab up some tracks and oh yeah repaint it, but well, that has not happened. Kids showed up and put a hold on things Did buy some cool headlights from an M60 tank, and got some periscopes and other fiddly bits.
But then this week I was offered a 1999 five door V6 Ford Explorer for basically nothing. It even runs! I am told. I have seen it from a distance, but will not get to drive it till this weekend.
So now I am thinking strip the Explorer bare down to the frame add HMMWV tires and jack it up a little and build a new body that is tank-like, and mount the turret I have to that. Seems reasonable!
I have seen some threads on where people have swapped bodies with an older Ford pickup, but have not seen anything where someone fabbed a new body from scratch. Something like a wheeled Bradley or the new French Jaguar is what I am aiming, at this time, for. https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/weapons/a20733128/france-nexter-jaguar-armored-car/
The gun is fake currently, but I am working on an air powered cannon that shoots tennis balls.
1) Has anyone done something like this before? Specifically made a fake military vehicle, but even more generically just fabbed a whole new body onto an Explorer? I anticipate running into problems and would like to see how others solved them. I would love to find a forum where people do this kind of thing, but have not so far.
2) is this too crazy? It seems like a good idea to me, but I've been covid-cooped up for months so who knows?
Thanks!
-Mike
At some point in the 80s the engine broke, so they tore it and the transmission and tracks off and left it in a field. About four years ago it was dug out, mounted to a trailer, painted pink and driven around to breast cancer fundraisers. Then the wife got cured of her cancer, so they decided to sell it. So I bought it. My plan was to get a VW Beetle engine and fab up some tracks and oh yeah repaint it, but well, that has not happened. Kids showed up and put a hold on things
Did buy some cool headlights from an M60 tank, and got some periscopes and other fiddly bits. But then this week I was offered a 1999 five door V6 Ford Explorer for basically nothing. It even runs! I am told. I have seen it from a distance, but will not get to drive it till this weekend.
So now I am thinking strip the Explorer bare down to the frame add HMMWV tires and jack it up a little and build a new body that is tank-like, and mount the turret I have to that. Seems reasonable!
I have seen some threads on where people have swapped bodies with an older Ford pickup, but have not seen anything where someone fabbed a new body from scratch. Something like a wheeled Bradley or the new French Jaguar is what I am aiming, at this time, for. https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/weapons/a20733128/france-nexter-jaguar-armored-car/
The gun is fake currently, but I am working on an air powered cannon that shoots tennis balls.
1) Has anyone done something like this before? Specifically made a fake military vehicle, but even more generically just fabbed a whole new body onto an Explorer? I anticipate running into problems and would like to see how others solved them. I would love to find a forum where people do this kind of thing, but have not so far.
2) is this too crazy? It seems like a good idea to me, but I've been covid-cooped up for months so who knows?
Thanks!
-Mike
