Halftracks (M3, Sdkfz.251, and others) Questions and What-if Ideas?

Weaver · January 28, 2011, 01:33:24 AM

Back on Kubelwagens, here's a civilian VW "Thing" with aftermarket Matracks (available in the USA, so I gather):

From here: http://freerevs.com/car/292074#main

Interesting info here: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=3735672

Weaver · January 28, 2011, 01:38:28 AM

And, I think, solid winner of the barmiest half-track ever award is..... the 350cc Mercier half-track motorbike....

From here: http://wizbangblue.com/categories/wb-blue-entertainment/?p=2

jcf · January 28, 2011, 11:41:43 AM

Quote from: Weaver on January 27, 2011, 03:26:34 PM
Mad thought: how about a hot-rodded half-track? Jack the back end of an M3 up by re-arranging the track gear, then give it a big supercharger, long chrome exhausts and a flame paint job?

Rather than jacked-up, go the other way and lower the bugger ala Sean Hartman's Sixpackrat rat-rod built from a Dodge troop carrier.

http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2010/02/6-wheel-military-tire-hot-rod-never.html#ixzz150OwC4an

http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=37650 (note the JMNs

)

Weaver · January 28, 2011, 12:12:33 PM

Quote from: joncarrfarrelly on January 28, 2011, 11:41:43 AM
Quote from: Weaver on January 27, 2011, 03:26:34 PM
Mad thought: how about a hot-rodded half-track? Jack the back end of an M3 up by re-arranging the track gear, then give it a big supercharger, long chrome exhausts and a flame paint job?

Rather than jacked-up, go the other way and lower the bugger ala Sean Hartman's Sixpackrat rat-rod built from a Dodge troop carrier.

http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2010/02/6-wheel-military-tire-hot-rod-never.html#ixzz150OwC4an

http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=37650 (note the JMNs )

Nice one Jon!

Turning the truck chassis upside down is a neat way of lowering it.

Re the JMNs, yep, same BS in the custom bike world: get into it to be different then criticise anybody who's different from them....

You get the same "can't wait for the rat bike fad to be over" line as well - well, 28 years and counting in the UK: hope they ARE holding their breath....

The one comment I thought had some merit was the guy who questioned how many wheels are now driven. Looking at the detail shots, it does indeed look as though it's now 6x2 rather than 6x6, with no prop shafts going to the front and front-rear diffs. Shame if it's true though I'd be delighted to be proved wrong: doesn't spoil it anyway IMHO.

rickshaw · January 28, 2011, 09:08:36 PM

Quote from: Weaver on January 28, 2011, 12:12:33 PM
The one comment I thought had some merit was the guy who questioned how many wheels are now driven. Looking at the detail shots, it does indeed look as though it's now 6x2 rather than 6x6, with no prop shafts going to the front and front-rear diffs. Shame if it's true though I'd be delighted to be proved wrong: doesn't spoil it anyway IMHO.

6x6 and even 6x4 are fairly common downunder, both in cross-country and on-road vehicles. Quite a few 4x4 Landcruisers have been converted to 6x6 and quite a few Toyota/etc. Utes have been converted to 6x4. Holdens used to do a factory conversion for the 2x2 flatbed Utes which converted them to 6x2. At one point, St.Johns used to operate 6x2 Ambulances (back in the early 1980s) based on the Holden chassis and I've seen a couple which were disposed of converted to campervans/shag-mobiles.

raafif · January 29, 2011, 05:28:01 PM

...

rickshaw · January 29, 2011, 07:55:36 PM

My daughter wants to know where she can get one...

Sauragnmon · January 30, 2011, 08:22:50 AM

I'm not sure I like that design, personally... it looks rather unstable, and the fact it's chain-driven off the rear mounting means there's a lot of potential for a chain to blow and then you're kinda fracked. The single ski up front really makes me kinda twitch.

raafif · January 30, 2011, 12:28:09 PM

if you want safe, easy rides with no excitement ... buy a tricycle

Mossie · January 30, 2011, 01:05:45 PM

Found this M3 jet car homage on the armortek forum, described as 'truck, half-track, M3, Brown-trouser'.

http://www.armortek.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?p=4010&sid=13797c3cf984eadfd180502de7eeb5f8

QuoteI believe this was originally built in by White in 1943 and powered by a captured Me262 engine in an attempt to produce an armored vehicle that could travel faster than a '88 shell. It was known as the truck, half-track, M3, Brown-trouser for obvious reasons. Handling was said to be "quite good in a straight line but somewhat vague around corners". Its off-road capability is unknown but one should consider reducing power going up steep slopes.

ChernayaAkula · February 04, 2011, 10:14:18 PM

Kübelwagen half-track in 1/35 - more pics >>HERE<<.

Apparently, the conversion is by an outfit named Leadwarrior.

rickshaw · February 04, 2011, 10:24:46 PM

Transylvanian forests?

four sets of enemies to worry about!

raafif · February 05, 2011, 06:05:46 PM

Transylvania ? -- I'll stick to Rommel's car in Nth. Africa as it was instigated by his guys (in real life !)

Has to have the balloon tyres on the front & towing the trailer too (same one as the Kettenrad kit)

Mossie · October 31, 2011, 04:55:56 AM

Found this Land Rover Centaur whiff on Military Modelling. It's conversion of the Tamiya Landie kit with M113 running gear to produce a RAF ambulance during OpGranby/Desert Storm.
http://www.militarymodelling.com/forums/postings.asp?th=33251

dy031101 · November 03, 2011, 09:27:58 AM

Quote from: NARSES2 on October 10, 2010, 02:10:16 AM
Quote from: dy031101 on October 09, 2010, 08:27:11 AM
Quote from: NARSES2 on October 09, 2010, 07:34:09 AM
Yup, up front with a "flying Column" at the end of the War ?

For added motivation, possibly including someone experienced in having his towed gun overrun before.

"We ain't waiting for no Germans to overrun our guns again- we're going self-propelled anyway we can!"

M3 (upper) and captured Sd.Kfz.251 (lower).

Comments? Suggestions for corrections?