M-151a3??

[southdave]

I was station in Cali in the late 80s and early 90 when there was alot of huppla over fast attack vehicals. I remember seeing a 151 that soup up along with several rail jobs at camp pendelton and hunter ligget was this an A3 and was it ever deployed?

 

[mkcoen]

The FAVs (Fast Attack Vehicle) that I saw while stationed at Ft. Lewis were basically rail dune buggies made by Chenowith. Not sure what the M designation was.

 

[ida34]

The FAV you speak of was just a field modification of an M151A2. It was not delivered from the factory and does not have its own M number. Some may have been purchased from Encore or such but they were not M series vehicles.

 

[papabear]

FAV...Grenada time frame M151A2 with mods of course:

 

[mkcoen]

The one Papa has a photo of is not the ones they had at Ft. Lewis. The Chenowith FAV looks like a sand rail with 2 front seats and a gunner that stands behind them in the middle (I know that picture is kind of configured that way but these looked like, well, a sand rail). They had rear mounted engines just like a VW dune buggy.

Found a pic

 

[ida34]

The mutt FAV's came before the sand rail dune buggys. The buggys were used more for spotters and recon. The mutt FAV was more modifications by special operations groups. The thread is about the mutt FAV like papabear's photo not the sand rail style.

 

[papabear]

Troy's FAV (favviking on SS) was closely inspected by a couple of folks who used them in Grenada and other places. They gave him some additional information about equipment carried etc and he added that.
Can provide some closeup pics if anyone wants to see em

 

[mkcoen]

The mutt FAV's came before the sand rail dune buggys. The buggys were used more for spotters and recon. The mutt FAV was more modifications by special operations groups. The thread is about the mutt FAV like papabear's photo not the sand rail style.

The original poster asked about "sand rail" FAVs so I believe my post was in line with it. Plus I don't recall requirements that every thread stay "on topic" specific to that thread. Let the mods decide what's appropriate and what's not.

 

[FrankUSMC]

Southdave
The jeeps you are talking about, we called them "super jeeps". The ones the Marines had were all just hand built by the Marines, no billion dallar contract to make them, just Marines.
The ones I saw, all had lead pipe for the roll bars, again, no billion dallar contract. The ones again I saw had stuff like the dash mount machine gun, the mount was made by cutting the top off a jeep machine gun mount and welding it to a steel plate, then bolting it to the dash. Every one of them had the guns mounted were the crew wanted them.
They were very cool looking, and save the tax payers alot of $$$$$$
One of the few, Frank USMC RET

 

[southdave]

Frank-This was right before or during dersert storm, look like somthing off "rat patol" I thought they had a different engine in them ? and some mods to suspendsion. I didn't know if it was part of contract mod. just some jarhead beer induced mod. lol which it seem to be. remembered the would flat out move in comparison to standard A2. I saw them at 3 differnt places in a three year time period maybe altogether 20-to 30

 

[FrankUSMC]

As far asI know there was no engine change, or mods to the suspendsion. I did have some photos of them, they they were lost during one of the hurricanes that hit us here.
One more note that I remember about them, Tires. I saw them with at least 3 different tires. I have seen them with the jeep tire stock 700:16, with a wide spoke rim painted black, do not know the tire size, and the stock rim with a 750:16 tire on them. I have,....I "think" 3 of the 750:16 tires and rims off a super jeep. I friend of mine got a couple of the super jeeps at DRMO, but as you know, the M151 series had to destroyed at DRMO, and when you won a bid on them, all you could do was strip parts and leave the jeep body to be crushed.
I also have the dash mount off one, but when I find it, I have already promised to a guy in England.
One of the few, Frank USMC RET

 

[southdave]

Frank- well went on google hike found two engine types Herc.=51 hp the Contin.=71hp apparently it was in service til 99 and was deployed in the balkins. I didn't know that I never saw them there . Then again spent alot time building camps and seahuts and defending Hillary LOL...

 

[B3.3T]

The FAV concept using Mutts filled an interim need for mobility from a helicopter, either CH-47 or Super Stallion depending upon the service. Some were weapons platforms, others medivac. They referred to them as FAV for moral purposes. The German and Belgian armies did the same thing using the Iltis. All were "In house" modified, as stated.

 

[B3.3T]

Here's some VW Iltis "FAVs", not the Bundeswehr Super Stallion in the background. They can carry two vehicles each.

 

[ida34]

The original poster asked about "sand rail" FAVs so I believe my post was in line with it. Plus I don't recall requirements that every thread stay "on topic" specific to that thread. Let the mods decide what's appropriate and what's not.

I understand but the title asking about a M151a3 might have been a tip off that he was talking about a M151 series vehicle. He said the vehicle he was talking about was with the rail vehicles when he saw the M151 FAV. It was pretty clear to me sorry if was not for you. I was attempting to clue you in to this. As to the mods taking care of this you say you can post whatever in the thread but somehow I am not allowed to post some clarification on the given topic. If you want to discuss further PM me as I will not keep this up.

Back to the topic. The ones I have seen had a louvered cover for the radiator for some ballistic protection.

 

[ida34]

More info on the M151 FAV

 

[Artillerydan]

Not that I am an expert by any means but here is the info I have discerned from my restoration of my USMC M151A2 FAV/ Supper Jeeps.

The 3 set pictures By B3.3T are of a M151A2 at the MVPA convention in Portland OR two years ago. I have not seen another one set up like this before or since. Not sure if he made it himself or not. Very GI look to the build but??? any info on this one??? It had a place for 8-10 LAW rockets. It has the "navy" mount for the .50 (PS I NEED ONE OF THESE FOR MY chenowth FAV).

The black one with the tire on the front is an 82nd Airborne modified one. All seem to be black and are highly hacked up to add the extra bits.

The next one "at the DRMO" is a first series USMC version. Fastest way to tell is the 45 degree angle pipe from the top front roll bar to the bottom of the gun mount. Also the pipe / roll bar is or screwed together pipe.

The one pictured in my post is mine. it is the second series USMC version. Welded pipe not 45 degree stiffener. Now most of the first series had the mud guards and the wheel wells cut out . The second series did not. This is not the finished product as the fording pipes have been cut down to the height of the gun mount and other little details. to make it "correct"

Now the above statements are generic and apply to the MAJORITY of the variations. So there still can and will be differences in the same "models" whether USMC 1 or 2 or 82nd or USAF and I have seen even other variants on top of these. All with the same principals roll bar - more guns - no windshield - more guns - and more storage areas.

As a side note the Chenowth (sand rail) FAVs came out in 1981 82