M923 with roll cage and tall hardtop

[Gunzy]

I've noticed some M923s with full roll cages and tall hardtops coming through GL. I'm curious what these are modified for? That tall roofline looks kind of wierd.

 

[Suprman]

I believe it is frowned upon to post about coming or current auction items. I believe it is preparation for adding armor at a later date but I could be wrong.

 

[Artisan]

That actually looks like a past auction, the first one that ever came up. Yea, they look kinda "weird" I guess. I like wierd...

 

[juanprado]

I believe it was the first prototypes that became the "Frankenstein" armored cabs in the sand box in the latest evolution.

 

[jcappeljr]

Ugly...

 

[swbradley1]

And I have one setting in my driveway right now.

At some point I'm going to see if it runs.

 

[wreckerman893]

They may have been to simulate riding in an up-armored truck without actually having one to use. I saw a lot of simulated up-armored HUMVEE's at Camp Shelby before they started issuing them to units that were mobilizing there.

 

[trukhead]

It's Herman Munsters truck.

 

[Scar59]

Wreckerman is on it. There a a couple M923s with MRAP body shells installed on the back , parked at the DMRO yard at Wright Pat. The were used as simulators for the troops to practice egress and loading of gear. They can be seen from the road. GL agent says they may come up for sale since they where never militarized. Keep your eyes open

 

[Suprman]

One of those trucks out in Cali went for around 15k plus fees its interesting but not that interesting. Plus how much less aerodynamic can you get.

 

[Castle Bravo]

The congressional document that presents the data about M939 roll over accidents and asks for the money for the ABS upgrades also mentions a roll cage cab to be implemented on trucks that have cabs needing replacement. I wonder if these trucks are more along that line than armored M939P1 trainers.

 

[swbradley1]

After looking over the one sitting in my driveway I would say this is not a simulator. It is setup with air-ride bucket seats, battery relocation, a place for a bracket for the gunner to stand on AND a roll cage that actually looks like it was designed the right way. It integrates the cab and rollover protection. Plus the truck has a push-button transmission. I though someone had stole the shift lever when I got in. R-N-D

If that isn't cool (and something else to break) I don't know what is.

This was a fully integrated cab replacement, not an afterthought. It is a new green cab on an older tan 923.

 

[two.fiveM35]

I read in People magazine that the Pope has been suffering from OD fever and this is his truck.

 

[tobyS]

I admit to liking hard tops and have a 923 that is a soft top. So I've been looking at making a fiberglass hard top. Then a SS friend suggested integrating a roll bar and referenced one like above in a prior sale. As others here, I thought it was quite ugly...yet worthy of consideration. Swbradley1, would you please take a few photo's of yours, specifically the mounting areas. When I mentioned the project to a very skeptical friend, he put forth an idea that I would like to carry forward. He suggested making from diamond plate, which of course would work well with pipe/tube. As welding is much easier for me than fiberglass and it would be a lot stronger, I'm making a few designs up and hope to get comments. On another thread (which I have not re-located yet) another SS member was making a cab extension to an old body. I like that idea also, especially if it could be integrated with a new hard top. What do other members think of removing the spare, crane and moving the muffler out slightly and making a diamond plate and pipe cab extension/hard top...(that does not look like a Munster-mobile, but instead integrates the sloped lines of an original HT and 45 deg corners.)?

 

[swbradley1]

I plan on taking photos of the truck inside and out so that everyone can see how the rectangular tube steel is connected to the frame and the tubes form the frame inside the cab. I can see something like this being built as a retrofit for existing owners who really wanted it.

 

[zout]

Any of ya all that are thinking to convert your 923 to the Herman Munster Pope truck look - pm me when you go to sell your soft top and mount hardware - this fella is looking for one as mine is bare naked.

 

[Gunzy]

"Herman Munster", That's a good one.

 

[tobyS]

Imagine "Lurch" (the Adams family) driving with grandpa manning the turret!

 

[swbradley1]

Okay. I took pics of it, a lot.

I'll put a few up and if anyone wants to see more let me know.

The first is passenger side rear. Then passenger side front. Then drivers door frame.



The frame is rectangular on the bottom and tubular inside cab. Each corner of the top has bolts holding the top tubes into larger bottom tubes that are then welded to the frame below the cab floor. In the pic of the door frame there are tubes that arc around to the door frame from the roll cage and the door frame itself is NOT sheet metal cab, it is square tube steel and it looks to be an integral part of the protection system.

The last pic is the cat's derriere. Push button transmission.

 

[FormerNewMVGuy]

I would like to see more pics please!