M2A1 "Hell Hound" project

[prestone]

Wouah

it really is a beautiful work that you realized

I'm jealous of the results


Prestone

[FrankUSMC]

I see in the photos you are doing the restoration inside a canvas shelter. I am thinking of going this way with mine, when ever, and "if" ever I start on it. All my buildings are full, and I just do not want the finished vehicles getting in the way. Would you tell me the size you went with, and what you would do different with the shelter now that you are under way in the building of the halftrack? So, I hope to learn from any mistakes.
Thanks.
One of the few, Frank USMC RET

[steve1973]

I think it is the one Costco sells. I know Don has a halftrack in one.

Steve A.

[67tank]

Frank
Shelter Logic from Amazon
I think its 12 feet wide by 20 feet long.  Lots of options on size.  The first tent I got was a cheap one that leaked and eventually fell apart.  Shelter Logic has a very sturdy frame and the covering is tough.leak proof (so far). 
With a friend or two over I can move it front to back/side to side to create more work space for whatever side I am working on. 
If I was going to do it again I would get one of their tents that was 2-4 feet longer.  M2A1 with the luggage rack installed is rubbing on the ends.  M3 would not fit in mine. 

PK

[yd328]

Pat,
Good work, the track looks great. Your in the home stretch

Gary

[67tank]

Early this year I picked up an original WW2 era M49 ring, trolley, mount and ammo can holder from Rick at BMG.  The ring, mount and holder were simple to clean up and paint.  The trolley was another matter.  I soaked and tore it down as far as I could but couldn’t go any further without my dumb ass breaking something I couldn’t replace.   I called Rick and he recommended Paul Greenstein in LA.  Paul agreed to take on the trolley as long as I wasn’t in a rush.  He soaked the trolley for months, then applied hat and more soaking.  After some gentle persuasion, he got everything loose without breaking anything.   He then had to EDM the pins out of the shafts to release everything…..I did not know what EDM was (electron discharge) and that alone told me I had done the right thing by sending it to him.  Sandblast, paint and re assemble.  He gun blued all the hardware and wheels, and the rest is painted with manganese phosphate as original.  Paul stopped by this past Sunday with my “new” carriage.   Great guy and very pleased with his outstanding work. 
Time to mount the .50

[67tank]

And pretty much completed the inside/rear.  Had to weld in two new bow studs for the M2A1 since the M2 bow studs were now located under the side .30 caliber mounts.  Easy.  Tanks are now wired and plumbed in. 

[steve1973]

WOW!! LOOKS GREAT PAT!! Can't wait to see it in person next year.

Steve A.

[col.halftrack]

OMG 
 Pat??? look what you've done now!
 You have built a awesome half-trac.
WTG

[yd328]

That is great work, your halftrack looks terrific.

Gary

[67tank]

Thanks all.  Much appreciated.  Did not want to wrench today so worked on getting some stencil work done.  I put a lot of thought into how I wanted to mark the track up.  I loved the sand /OD camouflage and over sized invasion stars that 2AD applied on their vehicles for Operation Husky - however, that would be July 1943 and the 2nd Armored would not have received the A1 versions of the M2/M3 - at least I have never seen a photo of one in Sicily. 

I received a bunch of photos of 2AD tracks getting ready for and then going ashore for Normandy -  a few tweaks for the invasion - giant yellow speed numbers were applied to all division vehicles, the Landing Ship Tank (LST) that the vehicle was assigned to was stenciled onto the front bumper.  As far as I can tell, most of this disappeared seven weeks later when 2AD applied a black camo pattern before Operation Cobra. 

So I decided to capture what the vehicle would have looked like (as best as I can) before it rolled up onto LST 1030.  Which went to the bottom of the channel when it hit a mine at Normandy.....

[67tank]

My progress to date. 

[67tank]

For the back - 2AD Halftracks have a custom built storage box on most of the tracks from the ref. photos I have seen.  As much as I like it, just not going down that rabbit hole (right now) so tried to capture the essence of the rear markings. 

Now I just need to finish out Speed Numbers on the ammo doors/stars on the side and then tackle the Hood.  Rick (from Military Stencils) has provided all the stencils and he and I had a long discussion for the star.  All of the photos I have seen has the cirlce "cut off" on the side of the hood since there is not enough room.  Due to the printing machine, Rick can either produce a 36 in star or a smaller star with a 36 in diameter circle.  the later is just not big enough - It needs a 36 in star and then the circle.  Looks like I will be puting a lot of tape down and cutting out my own circle after I put down the star......

[Tapper02]

Coming together nicely Pat. 

Can you post up a pic of the stenciling on the battery cover?

What is the marking on the driver's side fender in that last vintage (Combat Reels) pic?

-Tom

[Smadge]

You've done a wonderful job and your work will be inspiration for my M2A1 restoration!

Paul