roll call of EXISTING Vietnam gun trucks

[frank scholer]

Photos of the mounting of the box on the chassis, with help from the guys in the MVCC. The truck will be a tribute truck for the Grim Reaper from the 4th ID, which is currently stationed here in Colorado at Ft Carson. See pix 149 on page 41 of Lyles book"Gun Trucks in Vietnam" of the original.

 

[frank scholer]

More pictures of the fabrication of the gun box and mounting the panels in the bed.

 

[frank scholer]

Here are a few detail pictures of the rear door that I built. I thought it would be good to have it since climbing over the side to get in and out is for younger guys. I couldn't find the right latch mechanism so I had to build my own. It works quite well and is not too obvious from outside.

 

[Another Ahab]

The latch looks great. That was inventive.

 

[frank scholer]

Thanks; the plate on the door frame is at an incline so as you rotate the handle, it gets tighter. Can't claim original design, I saw it somewhere else.

 

[frank scholer]

My organization here in Colorado, the Military Vehicle Collectors of Colorado, has a slide show of pictures of my gun truck project. Go to www.mvcconline.org home page and click on Newsroom, then link to gun truck conversion. Right now I am doing a number of minor touches and putting together a 50 cal post mount with equilibrator and a dummy gun. I plan to debut the truck at the Colorado Springs Veteran's Day parade.

 

[frank scholer]

Here are some pictures from my gun truck project. It is based on the Grim Reaper of the 4th ID, 4thS&T, truck B15. Thanks to the guys of the MVCC here in Colorado for help and to James Lyles for info about the truck.

 

[Another Ahab]

Here are some pictures from my gun truck project. It is based on the Grim Reaper of the 4th ID, 4thS&T, truck B15. Thanks to the guys of the MVCC here in Colorado for help and to James Lyles for info about the truck.
View attachment 672283

Your truck looks real good. It's a great tribute to all the men of the gun trucks.

God bless them all. Amen

 

[Elijah95]

The M35 tribute truck "Squatter Swatter" was built by Eddie Black and his son in Palmetto, Georgia. Unfortunately Eddie was killed in a car wreck a few years ago.

He also built another M35 tribute truck called "Thunder Road". It had armor on the sides similar in shape to some of the trucks that carried quad .50s. Eddie had a mortar in the back of that one. I don't know where either of these trucks are now.

There is a M37 gun truck in FL, I think it's a replica of either Mr. Nice or Otto. I'm thinking Mr. Nice, but I don't remember for sure. The man that built it bought a demilled M60 and some dummy M16A1s from me a couple years ago for it.

Good luck with your M37 gun truck project!
Joe

Hey! I was raised in palmetto! And live about 20 miles from it in the land of the walking dead (Senoia)

 

[Another Ahab]

Hey! I was raised in palmetto! And live about 20 miles from it in the land of the walking dead (Senoia)

Sounds like a rough neighborhood.

 

[prguntruck]

Psychotic Reaction is now in Nashville TN area; I beleive Satan's Little Angel has also moved.

 

[frank scholer]

I re-read the original posting of the gun truck list by Maddog308 and it seems my truck should be considered a replica, not a tribute, since it closely follows an actual truck. I got the two terms mixed up. Anyway, the list currently shows a M35 Grim Reaper as a tribute. Is that another M35 Grim Reaper gun truck or is that mine (44ST B15)? As far as I know, mine is the only gun truck in Colorado.
I plan on taking mine to the Army-Air Force football game at the AFA in Colorado Springs in November, as part of a military vehicle display.

 

[Another Ahab]

I re-read the original posting of the gun truck list by Maddog308 and it seems my truck should be considered a replica, not a tribute, since it closely follows an actual truck. I got the two terms mixed up. Anyway, the list currently shows a M35 Grim Reaper as a tribute. Is that another M35 Grim Reaper gun truck or is that mine (44ST B15)? As far as I know, mine is the only gun truck in Colorado.
I plan on taking mine to the Army-Air Force football game at the AFA in Colorado Springs in November, as part of a military vehicle display.

You got to give us a pic. You know:

- Pleeeez

 

[frank scholer]

This was taken last year at a parade in Denver.

 

[Gun Trucker]

We also have;
M54 replica, BRUTUS
M54 replica, THE COLONEL (APC)
M35 repro, THE FUGITIVES
M35 tribute, THE MORTICIAN
M35 tribute, SNOOPY
M37 repro, DAUGHTER OF DARKNESS
M54 repro MADAM PELE

 

[Gun Trucker]

Not sure if my post went through or not so here it is again.
M54 replica, BRUTUS
M54 replica, COLONEL (APC gun truck)
M54 replica, MADAM PELE
M35 replica, THE FUGITIVES
M35 tribute, THE MORTICIAN
M35 tribute, SNOOPY
M35 replica, LOVE / PEACE
M37 replica, WILD HONEY
M37 replica, DAUGHTER OF DARKNESS

 

[Gun Trucker]

Found another one in a casual search online - the M35 Squatter Swatter. The more I look, the more gun trucks are out there.....

Squatter Swatter is a (tribute) gun truck with a fictional name and graphics.

 

[sandcobra164]

I had an opportunity to purchase "Proud American". I had to pass due to lack of funds but I had found a place to store it. I would have hated to scratch the paint anymore than I already had but I use my trucks to do work. The moment that I felt I had made the right decision came on January 22nd of last year. The place on MCLB Albany that I was cleared to store the truck was destroyed by the tornado and if it had been stored inside the building, it would be headed for the scrapyard. I even called PB a few days later to tell him that the place I thought was safe was gone, thank goodness we didn't make a deal. To my knowledge, it's still in good shape and spending time as a museum piece. Papabear and crew did a great job putting it together. I have learned so much from PB and the two guys in the first picture. Those two were the surviving members of the crew that were on the original "Proud American" that met it's demise a few days after it was built. They never got a chance to paint it as pretty as the replica but the intent was there when PB and crew did it. Member "Red" sent me some pictures of the original.

 

[Gun Trucker]

Just remembered another replica. It's a 2-1/2 ton Quad-50 named The Great Eve Of Destruction at the Fort Sill Museum.

 

[Gun Trucker]

SATISFACTION 88th TC

Another one just showed up. A gun truck replica called SATISFACTION has been built by VFW 295 in MN.