----- Original Message -----
From: <DerykWalker@cs.com>
To: Military Vehicles List <mil-veh@skylee.com>
Sent: Monday, June 19, 2000 7:40 AM
> Recently my local car parts store had a custom and classic car show. I
asked
> if I could bring down my WC-56 Command Car and Chris Davis's M37. ... You
> should have seen the looks from the chaps with the highly polished and
> tricked out cars. We might have just landed from Mars or some other weird
> place. These guys were out there polishing every piece of chrome and
touching
> up the paint job with the tiniest brush. I was tempted to get the spray
can
> of OD out and start painting but resisted the temptation.
***** I used my touch up spray can the night before - by the light of a
mini-mag light flashlight (and I had the spray can in the tool box just in
case!). At a large local Father's Day car show in Mission, BC, CANADA (an
hour East of Vancouver) there were a lot of looks of envy as we drove in and
out -- at least I think it was envy! $5 registration fee got me a dash
plaque (no way am I sticking that on my jeep!) and an instant doorprize of a
$75 dollar backpack which I promptly gave to my 16 year old son. My original
1942 BSA folding airborne bicycle also got a lot of stares.
***** As usual, if you grow up with something, you take it for granted. My
son was more interested in the 1960s muscle cars than in my jeep! Oh well.
***** I parked my Willys MB (in British Mickey Mouse Ear camo paint pattern)
next to a new white Hummer (civy). I drapped a WWII camouflage between my
jeep and a big tree and camouflaged half of the jeep. People loved it.
Several said they did not notice it until they came around the other side. A
LOT of people stopped to read the story of the history of this jeep that I
had written up on the computer and taped inside the windshield glass. At the
end of the day there was a real path beatten around the jeep in the grass. I
shall have to work up a better history with photos etc. and laminate it.
**** One owner had a restored (in civy garb) 1951 Canadian Army Chevy
'carry-all' type vehicle (Made Feb 28, 1951) but he had the otiginal
military data plates on display on a panelt in front of the vehicle and
called it ARMY BRAT! He is looking for a rear seat. I'm trying to recruit
him into our club. It is also the closest I have come to finding an MV made
on my birthday (1951 Mar 08).
***** One year our club took a lot of vehicles to this event and tracked
vehicles (US Otter and current air force issue DAREOD M113 APC bomb-disposal
version) chewed up some of the grass. The organizers accepted it gracefully
though and many people asked why so few of us MV owners were out this year.
Our club has so many events that the guys and gals were simply busy. We got
some good leads and met some other MV owners. A year or two ago, one of our
fellows had a BSA M20 on display and a farmer GAVE him an old rusty BSA
airborne bicycle he had. By the way, while I was at the show, someone bought
a BSA airborne bicycle for $20 in North Vancouver. Aggggggghhh!!!!! Now if I
can just find out who, I'll offer to double or even triple his money. Fair
enough? Right? :-)
> ...classic cars ... they were a little "snotty,"
**** I am happy to say that so far, I have been very well received. My jeep
is 'combat class' . No complaints from owners of Mustangs, Chevys, Cobras,
Rolls Royce, Lotus, Hummer etc. owners who were nearby. One caution - don't
get carried away and start zooming around. It is DUMB and I did it ONCE
(many years ago) and clipped a new pick-up truck which dented my pocketbook
more than it dented his new truck.
...and let them get behind the wheel. ...
**** Kids and parents LOVE it when you invite them to climb in.
***** There was a lovely 1942 Canadian Pontiac 4 door for sale that would
have looked great in army paint! I just did not have the $7,500 CDN to buy
it. Maybe my wife would ride in that "MV"! Years ago she did ride in Reg
Hodgson's restored Ford 4 door sedan (done up as a staff car) and quite
enjoyed that. I can't recall ever getting her into my WWII jeeps or CMPs,
though she did ride with me in my M38A1CDN2 once but only because she was
marooned in a snowstorm and it would go, but her car was stuck.
*****Colin Macgregor Stevens
MVPA Member 954 (since 1977)
Editor MAPLE LEAF UP (Est. 1977) newsletter
of Western Command Military Vehicle Historical Society
Pitt Meadows, British Columbia, Canada
E-mail: colin@pacdat.net
Personal web site: http://bcoy1cpb.pacdat.net
1944 Willys MB
1942 BSA airborne bicycles (2)
(northen outpost of British Empire)
...> Deryk Walker
> 1944 WC-56 "Baby"
> Mission Viejo, CA
> (Last outpost of the British Empire)
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