• Steel Soldiers now has a few new forums, read more about it at: New Munitions Forums!

  • Microsoft MSN, Live, Hotmail, Outlook email users may not be receiving emails. We are working to resolve this issue. Please add support@steelsoldiers.com to your trusted contacts.

New V-100

M813rc

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
4,220
3,270
113
Location
Near Austin, Texas
Thanks Offroad. The V100 is literally my "dream car" and it took me many many years (20?) of wanting and dreaming and looking to find the one I got. Absolutely no way could I afford the nice ones that are for sale now. I had pretty much given up and was actually intending to purchase another armoured vehicle the day I got this one. If I had spent my money, and THEN seen this.....
So, keep looking and may the gods smile on you! I really hope you find one.

Cheers
 

lstmate

Member
301
-1
16
Location
Jasper, IN
That looks like the ones at the Miltary Muesuem in Anderson, IN. If I am correct Joe M. is the owner of those vehicles. He has an extremely nice collection of tracked vehicles as well as some very rare ones. As to rare he has a amphibious mule (M274) serial no. 1.
 

B3.3T

Well-known member
1,293
92
48
Location
SW Ohio
Those V-100's are indeed at Joe McClain's museum in Anderson IN. The one in his collection is a rare M-76 with two extra side windows but otherwise late production. The two outside belong to the federal museum program and were part of Fred Ropke's collection until he went private upon his move to Crawfordsville.

The M75 engine is a military 361 big block Mopar- same block as the 440- but has a gear-driven cam. The engines are very good but issue 350 cfm Holley is a horrible joke. They never ran well with those. The magic setup for the M75 is an Edlebrock 1405 600cfm Carb and manifold. Easily a 25 hp gain right off the bottom and no tuning needed. Pure bolt-on.
 

M813rc

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
4,220
3,270
113
Location
Near Austin, Texas
Thanks B3.3T, good info.

The early V100s had two forward vision ports, reduced to one later (at hull # 596) for reasons of strength in that part of the hull. Mine is also an early hull but has all other features of later production. There are records that show mine going through depot level repair in Saigon in 1969, having previously belonged to the 720th MPs in Long Binh.
Having just read Maddawg's article on vehicles coming from Vietnam being rebuilt in Okinawa, would it stand to reason that when a vehicle was refurbished it would have been with new(er) parts and to a common standard with others of its kin?? Obviously, on mine you couldn't really take the extra vision ports out, but all the other features are "bolt on".

Of course private ownership effects that too. My XM704 has all sorts of "aftermarket" mods, some of which defy reason, from 40 years in private hands. The parking lot grate for a radiator grill is probably my "favorite"...

Now for my question of the day- I got this picture off the internet years ago. Does anyone recognize the V100, or can anyone tell me anything about it? Possibly still in service when the pic was taken, looks like an M1010 behind it, maybe a 5-ton outside the wire? The reason I ask is that it has identical turret brackets to mine, but is the only one I have found so far that does.

Cheers
 

Attachments

Last edited:

Elwenil

New member
2,190
40
0
Location
Covington, VA
Just a note, the 361 is a low deck "B" series engine and shares many parts and dimensions with the 383 and 400 engines. The 440 is a "RB" series high deck and shares it's basic block design with the 413, 426 Wedge, and 426 Hemi.
 

54reo

Well-known member
1,503
49
48
Location
Chester IL
Elwenil said:
Just a note, the 361 is a low deck "B" series engine and shares many parts and dimensions with the 383 and 400 engines. The 440 is a "RB" series high deck and shares it's basic block design with the 413, 426 Wedge, and 426 Hemi.
You beat me to it...
 

B3.3T

Well-known member
1,293
92
48
Location
SW Ohio
Some of the Vietnam M-706's were refurbed at the Lexington (Ky) Army Depot in 1975 and destined for Germany. Defense cuts in 1976 ended the plan.

The one in the photo does not appear to have U.S. military spec colors, and although it is similar to the standardized three color NATO pattern, in color, the pattern is way off as well. The brackets could be for a spotlight but also a bull horn or other speaker.

In addition to the colors and pattern being off, the early style flat drivers hatches also indicate it is not a refurb. They would have been upgraded.
 

M813rc

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
4,220
3,270
113
Location
Near Austin, Texas
I agree B3. Being a photo on a computer, and not a high quality one at that, the colours shown should be considered suspect. That V100 has the basic concept right though- black "y" patterns over green with brown patches, but the proportions are off.
I don't know that there was an official 383 camo pattern for the V100, if there was, I would really like to see it. I have seen the MERDEC pattern.

I do know the pattern for the M1117 looks like the painters were drinking one night and said "Heck, let's go paint it now..." Note the green wheels, those are not standard for a 383 pattern but all the 3-colour M1117s seem to have them.
 

Attachments

Last edited:

TacticalTruck

Active member
928
48
28
Location
Va Piedmont
I can look on my case but it's an odd ball. Cad-Gage was based in Coco Beach, Fla until bought by Textron and what wasn't moved to Lousiana was sold at auction. For years Textron didn't give a hoot about the vehicles, they were after the turret systems, until the Iraq war came along and DOD needed wheeled armor.
Jeff
PS I still have a roll of the correct interior padding if anyone feels the need.
 

B3.3T

Well-known member
1,293
92
48
Location
SW Ohio
The V-100 transfer case was made by Rockwell and the model was only used in the V-100. It is virtually impossible to find, with the last one I know, selling for $12K.
 
1,331
5
0
Location
decatur alabama
Yea thats pretty much the way i have found things to be with the t-case. it was a reverse rotation case thats what i was looking for. but i figured out a way to run a standard rotation case in place of it (same size and such) and to make it still work the proper way without anyone really noticing the rotation diffrence. But it just was not what we was looking for. But can improvise
 

copsterp087

New member
1
0
0
M813rc,
I am a police officer in Lubbock Texas. We have a refurb V-100 for our tactical vehicle and I have been put in charge of its maintenance. Can you tell me where I can find tires for this monster? Ill take any information you can provide. Hope the refurb on yours is going well. Thanks.

Curtis
Lubbock Texas
 

B3.3T

Well-known member
1,293
92
48
Location
SW Ohio
Curtis,

14.00x20 Michelin XL series military truck tires work great and can be found very reasonably priced. Goodyears are good, too. I paid $125 each for the last ones that were 95%. Check on eBay.
 

jimk

In Memorial
In Memorial
1,046
45
48
Location
Syracuse, New York
The T-case is a Rockwell Model T- 275- D. The Ratio is 1.33:1. My Ser is 6- 72- 0014. First part may be the date of manufacture. Note the low number there on other end. I was told it came from a Jamaican Defense force V150 gasser around 86'. Other countries may have one but prob owned by the government and will be needed to keep there fleet running. Mine is apart for service. Might be easy to have some housings cast now. Expense would rise fast as each of the shafts would also need to be made and 3 have multi splined areas. Gears are expensive to make. I'm looking at a grand each for the two small ones. If the price comes down with subsequent copies I may have an extra set made to go with some spare NOS big ones I have. Bearings are available but are high cap units. The 10 will set you back $800. There is no lash adustment there so center to center spacing has to be exact. To dismantle case I'd recommend breaking up bearings so you can support the press op with a back up pipe directly on the gear hub. That will eliminate stress on the thin wall case. JimK

p.s. The 3 yokes are Spicer. They have an uncommon 1 5/8" spline. They are obsolete, however I managed to find 2 NOS with a bit of looking around. $100 ea. The stock u-joints are 1480 series. Oh, you'll need to make that special tail shaft thing. Maybe $15K isn't that much.

Maybe you could rig up a hydrostatic system. Or perhaps use a roller or hi-vo gear chain t-case. You would have to run the engine backwards. So use a cam chain instead of the gears, make a reverse rotation starter, obtain a normal rotation fan... The oil pump needs to pump the right way and the gear needs to bare on the block the right way. Maybe you'll need to use a normal rotation BB cam? The boating industry probably has done it before.
 

Attachments

48
1
8
Location
Scappoose, OR
Congratulations on your new V100!

Let me know if you are missing anything. I have several boxes of spares, so I might have it. (except the transfer case as mentioned above)

I can also shed some light on the V100 with the brackets as seen on yours. The picture is of a V100 that is owned by a guy up in WA. He rents it out to the film industry. The pic that was posted is from its Incredible Hulk paint scheme. It was also used in several other movies. The brackets are from some use when it served as a nuclear site security vehicle. He has an old Cad Gage spotlight that came off of one side. The hole in the turret is to feed the wire. I think the PA speaker is a valid theory, as I have another Cad Gage vehicle that had a factory PA speaker on it.

If anyone of you guys is coming up to the MVPA convention, come say hi. I will have my M114 and our M75 up there.

Dave C
 
48
1
8
Location
Scappoose, OR
Congratulations on your new V100!

Let me know if you are missing anything. I have several boxes of spares, so I might have it. (except the transfer case as mentioned above)

I can also shed some light on the V100 with the brackets as seen on yours. The picture is of a V100 that is owned by a guy up in WA. He rents it out to the film industry. The pic that was posted is from its Incredible Hulk paint scheme. It was also used in several other movies. The brackets are from some use when it served as a nuclear site security vehicle. He has an old Cad Gage spotlight that came off of one side. The hole in the turret is to feed the wire. I think the PA speaker is a valid theory, as I have another Cad Gage vehicle that had a factory PA speaker on it.

If anyone of you guys is coming up to the MVPA convention, come say hi. I will have my M114 and our M75 up there.

Dave C
 
Top
AdBlock Detected

We get it, advertisements are annoying!

Sure, ad-blocking software does a great job at blocking ads, but it also blocks useful features of our website like our supporting vendors. Their ads help keep Steel Soldiers going. Please consider disabling your ad blockers for the site. Thanks!

I've Disabled AdBlock
No Thanks