I am not sure if this goes here or under the vehicles thread. If it needs moved, can someone please move it. I have a friend who drove a Ward LaFrance / Kenworth Heavy Wrecker M1 / M1A1 during WW II. Since he is getting up in years and one of his wishes is to own or at least be able to touch one and drive one again, can someone put me in touch with someone who has one, or where I can buy one? I do not care if it is a basket case, partial basket case or totally restored if for purchase, I plan to buy/restore it and then let him have it and when he passes put it on display at my tow company. Any help would be appreciated
You can find 70s or 80s wreckers without much difficulty but a WW2 wrecker is not an easy truck to find. I'd try posting on Steel Soldiers, G503 and on the MVPA (Military Vehicles Preservation Association) website. You'll likely get a lot more attention there. Here's one for sale out of Holland: http://www.milweb.net/classifieds/view_large.php?ad=81100&cat=4 Good luck!
Thanks, Yes the WW II will be difficult and I have reached out to everyone I can think of that even might remotely know of one. i contacted them and waiting on a response. Not sure what 15,000 Euros is in American dollars, but might be worth the investment I do have several 'modern' ones. One for Korea, and 2 that were made in the 1980s. I even have a Mator from the movie Cars. I guess I will keep looking since I want this wish of his to come true. Just wish I had found out about it years earlier. But his daughter told me this morning it is one of his wishes/desires
One dollar currently gets you .888 Euros. Usually fees are added to the transaction, hidden or not. Fortunately The Netherlands ( Rotterdam) is one huge port but shipping can be expensive. Cars often go in contains but a wrecker ? It is a remarkable thing you are trying to do. Gaines
This site is based in UK but has a lot of US members and they have info on wreckers from all over http://hmvf.co.uk/forumvb/ This is their wrecker section: http://hmvf.co.uk/forumvb/forumdisplay.php?56-Transporters-amp-Wreckers-%28All-Nations%29&s=6d8d8f3e25ed6e000eb283dd1d596ee4 This one might be useful too: http://www.mvpa.org/
I appreciate all the help. He is like a father to me or a beloved grandpa. If I can make his wish happen, I am going to try
You're a good man. I'm sure any owner in the US would be thrilled to give him a ride and let him drive it if he is up to it. They would enjoy it as much as you two and would have a million questions for him. Traveling to its location might be an issue, of course. Buying or buying and restoring one would be a whole different ball game. Good luck
I just got an answer from the one in Holland. The price is good and it is all original (even has some TMs with it), but the cost to ship it will be more than the purchase price of the wrecker. Still a possibility. I have contacted several of the websites listed above and I am waiting on responses. I think he would enjoy visiting them or them visiting him. I think he would be a good source to talk to. He is one who helped me start my tow truck business a long time ago. Just listening to stories he would tell. I might not be able to purchase one or restore one in time, but maybe he can ride/drive one if I can find one in the USA. He just turned 91, still in fairly good health, but the clock is ticking I think. Side note, he got to go to Washington DC with the Honor Flight. What an experience. Never heard of them until then, but I am a huge supporter now. FYI 15,000 Euros is about 16,881 American dollars
Maybe contact these guys Redball Military Transport Club http://redballonline.org/Redball_Home.htm Looks like they might be in Pennsylvania They have at least one member who has one. http://redballonline.org/Members_Rigs.htm
Thanks The wrecker is a Diamond T, close but not what he drove. I suppose it might have to do for him to ride in maybe
Its not a big deal to export MVs from Europe. I brought 4 Pinzgauer 712s over from Switzerland a few years ago. 2 fit nicely to a standard sea container. Drove them to the docks, loaded them in the container, on the ship and off they went. A few weeks later I headed to a yard near Toronto and drove them home. Prices for shipping have gone up, but provided that you are willing to pay its perfectly do-able. In fact, a WW2 wrecker might be easier to do the paperwork for due to the age. I don't think you'd have trouble fitting one into a container. Length would not be an issue, I believe the width is less than the maximum permitted and likewise for the height.
I have contacted several shipping companies. Still in the figuring this all out thing. But if it is driveable and such, they can put it on a RoRo (roll on, roll off) which is not to bad expense wise. If it is not driveable, then they need to put it in a container and that would be a lot more expensive. If they container it, then it will cost about half of what I can purchase the wrecker for. Why I am still looking for other shipping companies
I'd second Dave's suggestion of a chat with the people at HMVF. The members are mostly in the UK, but are certainly a nest of contacts and tips on obtaining vehicles. The big Wreckers are a not uncommon sight at UK showgrounds, presumably as they're so useful that their survival was helped by commercial use. People do seem to have great affection for the beasts though, so I can only suggest hovering on Milweb. That one GP spotted in Belgium looks like an absolute beauty. Most uncommon to see them without an engine conversion, which perhaps explains what seems like a strong price. (Do not take my word on prices! I've let my eye wander on monitoring such things and it does all seem to have gone up quite a bit for WW2 stuff since I last looked.) Anyway. The very best of luck with it. Anyone keeping 'em rolling (especially with such a wholesome specific aim) has my respect. The whole process of obtaining/importing/restoring etc. would be of some interest to quite a few here.
This is the picture on the page that I meant. Pretty sure it is a Ward Lafrance or its Kenworth clone. Not positive though
I missed that one, I will have to look again. I have reached out to a lot of reenacting places that have been suggested here and other places. Just waiting to get results. I started researching prices on them and there is a HUGE variance on pricing. I think mostly due to greed on the seller or some just undervaluing what they have. The one I am after that George Patton mentioned in Holland so far seems to be the best. Even with shipping and other fees, I should be able to get it for around $30,000 USD. But still negotiating with them. If anyone knows of shipping companies that are good, please let me know. The few I have contacted seem to be all over the place on prices.
