Garfield is on its way home

[DSD277]

Took 3 weeks of waiting, but the "cat carrier" finally picked up my latest acquisition. with any luck, will be home within a couple weeks.

I've been keeping an eye open for Mk2 or newer Supacat for 6 years. Everything I've seen on this 1997 Supacat MK2A has me excited. 1.9TDI engine ( only 360 hrs), 3 speed auto trans, 8k winch, and a set of tracks.

At 6' 6" wide and 4000lbs, it is one fat cat ( like its namesake)

Dave Dunn.

 

[kroctec]

Congratulations Dave! May Garfield bring you much happiness and welcome to the world of Supacat 6x6. Make sure you have plenty of underwear changes if you experiment with the places where they say these machines will go.

 

[DSD277]

Thanks Dave
And thanks for all the info you filled me in on. Until you said you had gotten your first Cat, I hadn't been to Supacat's website in a few years. It has changed radically, and contains a lot less than it did on the 6x6.
And as far as change of underwear, I'll use pampers....quicker to change = more driving time.
Dave Dunn

 

[alphadeltaromeo]

That really looks like loads of fun. Where abouts is it being shipped from?

 

[maddawg308]

Paint it orange with black stripes, THEN call it Garfield!

 

[DSD277]

Alphadeltaromeo,
It is coming from Ontarto, Canada.
This Supacat was orginally part of CF DART ( Canadian Forces , Disaster Assistance Response Team ).

Maddawg,
Hadn't thought about full body art, but imagine cresting a hill, and meeting a full frontal of Garfield !

I was thinking of a more subdue artwork on the jerry cans, or nose clip.

Dave

 

[WillWagner]

OK, I know it is a "cat". But how 'bout something green on it?

 

[steelandcanvas]

Took 3 weeks of waiting, but the "cat carrier" finally picked up my latest acquisition. with any luck, will be home within a couple weeks.

I've been keeping an eye open for Mk2 or newer Supacat for 6 years. Everything I've seen on this 1997 Supacat MK2A has me excited. 1.9TDI engine ( only 360 hrs), 3 speed auto trans, 8k winch, and a set of tracks.

At 6' 6" wide and 4000lbs, it is one fat cat ( like its namesake)

Dave Dunn.

I want one, I really do!

 

[DSD277]

Well Will,
Garfield is green...Are you , under those BDUs?.... no, don't answer that. I DON"T want to know!

Here's couple more ideas for graphics (just green out the background)

Dave

 

[pa.rich]

Dont forget to close the windows on that for the night.! Fun looking machine! I was drooling again.

 

[kroctec]

For the benefit of the guys on ss.
The Russians seem to have an answer to a lot of stuff we use, this is their answer to the Supacat - the Vityaz MDT 2,5, fully amphibious and Cummins 180 bhp engine through a 5 speed Allison box. They are also like a wheeled version of the Hagglunds BV206.

 

[DSD277]

There were two of these on ebay last month. This one, a MK2A, and a gas powered MK1. From the onset, I knew the MK2A was for me. And for So Cal, topless is perfect, and I can make a vinyl top to shade the sun. The MK1 didn't bid up so well, and I ended up on top at the end, but somewhere below the reserve. I don't really care for hardtops ( for toys ), but with the air cooled engine, it would have fit in nicely with my aircooled Mighty Mite and Haflinger.OH well, the TDI Supacat will go well with my TD Pinz .
Now, to find that elusive tilting forklift trailer for Garfield

Dave Dunn

 

[DSD277]

The Supacat finally arrived home. I was pleasantly surprised that it is everything that the seller represented it as!

The only negative to the whole thing is that my trailer is 78" between fenders, and I'll need to move them out 1" to get the cat onto it ( or drive the cat onto it as is, and let the weight of the Supacat shape them to fit ).

 

[kroctec]

Whooooooo hoooooooo! Garfield finally arrived and having seen some of the pics I am a bit envious even though I own 2 Supacats. Anyway congratulations DD and now the fun begins as you find out what Garfield will and won't do and perhaps what point you run out of 'bottle'. good luck and good fun Dave.

 

[DSD277]

It's been 2 weeks since the Supacat arrive, and last week, after having to buy a new wider trailer , took it to the Military Vehicle Museum in South El Monte for a test drive and get a feel for how it drove. After a couple laps around the displays, we took it into the adjacent field to open the throttle up alittle.
As the only suspension is the air pressure in the tires, it took a few laps in the field to lower it to where it felt comfortable and Garfield readily made 30 mph without jarring me to death.
Though only doing laps, I did get a feel for cornering using a combination of the Ackerman and skid steering

Dave Dunn

 

[DSD277]

Yesterday, The Supacat got a chance to try a little offroading, and play in some water from the recent rains...?? it never rains in California!??
Though the "puddles weren't deep enough for it to swim, it did allow me to see how it affected the traction, which it didn't...
Afterward, it went up an ATV trail that deadended on a ridge of a hill. A u turn wasn't a problem, again, using both steering systems .

Also, I had remove the rollbar that had been added for CF DART ( a simple removal of 4 clevis pins), just to see how it looked.

Dave Dunn

 

[roger-wilco-66]

Hey, congrats, nice machine!
And funny, I named our deuce "Garfield" too, but not after the cat. There was also a TV comic figure in the fifties named Garfield Goose (and friends).

 

[Bozor1000]

Some of those pics are at that military museum in Rosemead?

 

[WillWagner]

Yes, but it's S. El Monte if you use a GPS to find it.

 

[Bozor1000]

I know exactly where that is. I used to live in Whittier.