AM General HMMWV or Humvee

[THarrison351]

So what does a mail truck have to do with one of the most recognizable vehicles from Desert Storm and the Gulf War? They came from the same company, AM General. A subdivision of AMC. The High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV) better known to most everyone as the Humvee was the replacement for the M151 Jeep, the M561 "Gama Goat", and other light trucks in 1979. Incredibly wide at 7 feet 1 inches, it is very stable. It also has very little front and rear overhang which allowed it to climb and depart steep obstacles. The fully independent suspension has helical gear-reduction hubs similar to portal axles which attach at the top rather than the center of each wheel to allow the axle shafts to have a full 16 in of ground clearance. The 4 wheel disc brakes are tucked up near the differentials. At 15  feet long, 6 feet high and weighing between 5200 to 8500 lbs this truck is big. Powered by either a GM 6.2 Liter V8 diesel a 6.3 Liter gasoline with a 3 speed automatic transmission or in later configurations a 6.5 Liter V8 turbo diesel or non-turbo diesel with a 4 speed automatic transmission. As big as this sucker is, there is only room for 4 people. To maximize ground clearance, the drive train takes up the center of the vehicle. Even the area for the 4 seats is cramped due to the locations of the wheel wells. I've ridden in these things, and at 6 foot 4 inches, it ain't no fun. There is a utility bed in the back for storage. It had run flat tires that were capable of being aired up or down and a self sealing explosion resistant fuel tank. And like most military and off road vehicles, it could be equipped with snorkels for deep water travel. Like a Jeep, the body can be configured in multiple ways. The top comes off and other types can be bolted on. I've seen the Humvee without any top or doors, the full top with portal in it weaponized for a machine gun or TOW missile launcher, half top, leaving the bed open like a pickup, canvas top, never knew what they were used for, ambulance body and then there were the up-armored vehicles and weaponized platforms I saw in Baghdad just before I left the military. This model however is from Franklin Mint and surprisingly when originally released, was only $69. They came in three different colors, olive green, olive green, brown and black (Euro Ops) and Tan (Desert Storm). All of them came with the same accessories, a machine gun, TOW missile, a field pack, a whip antenna and this round object that I've never been able to figure out what it is used for. There is a place in the cabin that looks like the round object might fit on, but it won't. The rear deck and tailgate opens exposing more ammo for the TOW missile and other equipment, but it's all fixed in place.  Up under the back end there are implements of destruction (shovel, pick, and axe) fixed in place. The roof hatch opens and folds and you can install the machine gun and the TOW missile launcher, but in reality it would be one or the other, not both. This is also built in the original non-armored configuration. The front bull bar folds down and the hood will tilt forward. My hood's hinges were broken off when I purchased this, so I created new ones and used fabric material to limit it from opening too far. The suspension can be moved as well. Other Items I had to fix were the mirrors and one was missing a part of the tube so I had to make that too. Here are the photos.

Sellers picture with broken hood and mirrors

Tomorrow I post it's older brother, the 1954 Willys Mail Truck

[kilrathy10]

This is a really nice model.... I used to love these things... I, too, have ridden many times in these.... You're right... Not much fun, but WAY better than humping it back to the fore... We didn't mind the bumps, needless to say... ? They had they're drawbacks, as revealed later on, after I got out, but they were always cool looking vehicles....

I'm glad you posted this one... I acquired a red, civilian one, a while back... I displayed it, but was wanting to do a little something more with it... Just not sure what...

Your model looks really well done.... I'm going to have to look for one of these versions...

[randyc]

Nice.  Lots of little things to look at there. 

[Gramps46]

13 hours ago, THarrison351 said:

 

 

Thanks for posting the photos but I have to ask, what are those things that look like the legs of an alien?

[THarrison351]

Not being a member of the army or a follower of ground weaponry. I'm going to guess it's a tripod for mounting the TOW missile system on the ground, because I've looked at some online pictures and they sort of match. It's too bad they molded this as a solid piece instead of making these removable parts.