OT-64 owners, how are they?

[MetaRinka]

I'm looking for some OT-64 owners to talk to about the reliability of the vehicle, quirks etc. I'm thinking of taking the plunge sometime soon

As a note, I'm not looking to do a period accurate restoration. First thing I'll do is drop the motor and tranny for american made refurbs, as I can get parts much easier and know the reliability of american diesels. I'm also doing this as a hobby/side business to maybe make a little pocket money by being eye candy at trade shows and the likes.

Anyone do anything like this, any Ot-64 owners care to chime in?

 

[MetaRinka]

Does anyone even know any OT-64 owners that I could contact?

 

[Driver_Neil]

I looked at one recently - first issue is if you are over 5'6 and not of slim to medium build it will be VERY uncomfortable behind the wheel. Driving visibility as dire too - definitely a 2-man job to move on the road. Mechanically complex as you might expect - everything is waterproofed as they are amphibious so expect any work on the suspension and brakes to take at least twice the time.
No idea as to the work involved in swapping the engine and gear box for US ones - the gear change is air operated though so take that into account. Existing engines are very reliable, problems seem to lie in the gearbox. I've spoken to two owners thus far and both reported the same thing - conscript drivers would put them into 3rd gear and leave it there so 3rd is usually totally knackered.

 

[Augdog1964]

All I can say is BiffJ and I were in the Czech Republic, one of the homes of the OT... they hated them... overly complex, bad plumbing, constant maintenance, and very cramped driving position. The highlight however is the one thing you were going to pull... the Tatra diesel... everything else was a problem. It was afterall, a vehicle designed by committee, between the Poles, Czechs and another country I cannot remember.

 

[datadawg]

Hey Metarinka, did you ever scratch your itch on the OT-64? I kinda have gotten the bug, though still in research stage.

 

[MetaRinka]

Hey Metarinka, did you ever scratch your itch on the OT-64? I kinda have gotten the bug, though still in research stage.

Yah, I researched it thoroughly, got quotes for shipping it to my door, and had a friend go talk to the mortar investments and discuss. As people have mentioned that gearbox sounds like nothing but trouble. I ended up buying an international 4700 armored truck for much cheaper. Once I finish this build and sell it, I still want an OT-64 but that's easily a 100K project If I do everything I want.

I love the looks but it doesn't seem like it will be a walk in the park type project.

 

[datadawg]

Yah, I researched it thoroughly, got quotes for shipping it to my door, and had a friend go talk to the mortar investments and discuss. As people have mentioned that gearbox sounds like nothing but trouble. I ended up buying an international 4700 armored truck for much cheaper. Once I finish this build and sell it, I still want an OT-64 but that's easily a 100K project If I do everything I want.

I love the looks but it doesn't seem like it will be a walk in the park type project.

Armored truck? Huh, that's pretty interesting. What are you planning to do with it? It's 2 WD I presume, so mudding is out of the question!?

 

[MetaRinka]

Armored truck? Huh, that's pretty interesting. What are you planning to do with it? It's 2 WD I presume, so mudding is out of the question!?

I've got into building party buses as a side hobby. Here's a picture of one of the armored trucks finished http://imgur.com/acW9nCi I own the exact same model and year, but my interior is completely different (sorry don't have pics handy).

I really want an OT-64, but that's easily a 75K project once you start chopping and dropping in new motors, tranny's etc etc.

 

[datadawg]

Armored party bus in Pittsburgh?? Is it a novelty or do you actually have a demand for that kind of thing?? My company does financing for paratransit vehicles and some limo operators, so I'm a bit puzzled and curious at the same time. Post some pix!

I've been thinking about importing a BRDM or OT-64. Kind of cool to have, plus I speak Russian, so that would be useful in dealing with the exporters who are mostly in Eastern Europe. But the overhaul scares me. Do you really think it's a $75K cost??

 

[B3.3T]

The reality of armor is nothing is cheap. You pay, either up front for something really nice in the first place, or you pay later with the misery of trying to find the right parts, shipping, paperwork( Form 6 for parts, too) and the risk of getting the wrong part, or junk part, or scammed. Then be back to zero.

 

[MetaRinka]

Armored party bus in Pittsburgh?? Is it a novelty or do you actually have a demand for that kind of thing?? My company does financing for paratransit vehicles and some limo operators, so I'm a bit puzzled and curious at the same time. Post some pix!

I've been thinking about importing a BRDM or OT-64. Kind of cool to have, plus I speak Russian, so that would be useful in dealing with the exporters who are mostly in Eastern Europe. But the overhaul scares me. Do you really think it's a $75K cost??

well here's a rough break down of cost:
~25K for an OT-64 shipped to my door.
15K for donor motor and transmission from a class 6 truck
30K for complete interior/exterior refurb.


I've been budgeting between 25-35K for party buses/limos in this length. I do all the major work myself so I have no labor, I don't paint and I don't do major servicing on diesel motors.

You also have to keep in mind with things this big and heavy you need a recovery vehicle just to tow them and a crane to pull the motor. If you pay someone like STV group or mortar investments they'll get you a rebuilt OT-64 for about 12-15K and you can probably work out a spare parts deal or buy a second parts truck. Issue is once you are stateside parts are going to be impossible to come by. I'm looking for releability and practical onroad use so I'm pretty much forced to go ahead and do a motor swap with something that's still in service and I can find parts for.

 

[Driver_Neil]

The Tatra diesel is pretty reliable and long lived. As said before the weakness tends to be the gearbox. They are repairable but best would be to get a couple sent over with a vehicle so you can keep one in running, one spare and one under repair at any given time No matter what you use for the power train, replacing a part is going to be a pig due to the design of the vehicle.
Try other suppliers than Mortar, like Moto-Armia or Pa-Ko in Poland and see if you can trade one off against the other to get the price down. I've always found Jarek from Moto Armia to be a good person to do business with.

 

[duncan]

There is a detailed topic on the Russian Military Trucks forum about the OT64 vs the BTR60: http://www.russianmilitarytrucks.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=37&t=3778

In short, the OT64 is overly complicated because too many politics got involved.

 

[DoctorCheney223]

I bought one last week. It looks like it was completely refurbished before shipping and the engine compartment and engine are like new. Not a drop of oil anywhere. The transmission is different though. The air pressure has to get to 5 PSI (kind of like an LMTV) in order to engage. I like that fact that I now have another place to shoot my DShK from