Full episodes of Military Collectors.
This week Bob is traveling to one of the largest Air Shows in the Southeastern United States: Warbirds Over Monroe. The show is hosted by the city of Monroe, North Carolina which also owns and maintains the only flyable T-46 Troop Transport Aircraft remaining in the world. “Tinker Belle”. For all of you military aviation collectors -Bob has a special treat in store as we feature the War Birds and a special segment on Tinker Belle.
Season 1, Episode 7
Join Bob this week as he travels to Cairo, Georgia and meets up with a life long collector and military vehicle restoration expert, Russell Deese. Russell has a very unique story to tell during his past 40 plus years of collecting and restoring military vehicles.
Russell has built and provided and built vehicles for movies like Fast & Furious, The Hunger Games and X-Men First Class. Russell will also show us the things to look for when buying a military collector vehicle. Don’t miss this episode!
I have been in love with the Jeep since I was just a little boy, but not just any jeep. I wanted a real Army Jeep since I could remember.
Russell Deese
My dad had a salvage yard since the early 40’s. There were always Jeeps around the junk yard. I was born in 1962 so most of the Jeeps that my dad had at the time were starting to look pretty rough by the time I began to get interested in the little trucks.
I think I really began the love affair when I was around 6 years old (1968). My dad would buy me a little toy of the little Jeep. He told me before he passed away in 1997 that he would watch me carry the toy Jeep everywhere I went, church, dinner table, to bed, well you get the picture.
It became my security blanket. I still have my little Jeep. It is very old and it has all the wheels gone and pretty weathered as well. I believe it was made by DINKY. It is a cast metal Jeep of a Willys MA or FORD GP but not sure.
Anyway to make this a shorter story and I think I could go on for quite some time, I will shorten it. I use to help my dad fixing cars up and pulling engines. I was 12 when I pulled my first engine. It was a Chevy 350 out of a 1969 Chevy pickup.
My dad turned me loose to take it out. The only thing I think he did wrong was to give me the key to the 4400 Ford forklift tractor as help to get it out. Well I got it out, but not a pretty sight. I think I only took off the 2 motor mount bolts and transmission mount bolts. Everything else I figured would just disconnect itself, ha-ha.
It did and what a mess I made. I was so proud of myself, and when I hauled the engine up to show my dad, transmission still attached with all the wires and fuel lines etc., hanging off, well you can imagined what the look on his face looked like.
The neat thing is he wasn’t upset with me at all. He just looked at me and said “now if you can get the good motor I have over in the shop and put it back in the truck
and make it run again I am going to give you any vehicle in the junk yard you want, yes anyone of them”.
Well that settled it. I had always wanted the 1942 Ford GPW in the back under the big Oak tree. I use to go and pretend I was in the Army fighting our battles for the US Army from Live Oak, Fl. right there from the seat of that little GPW Army Jeep.
Anyway that was the vehicle I chose for my dad to give me. And I knew the only way I was going to be able to get it was to fix that old Chevy truck again.
After about 4 days of reading manuals and trying to make things fit with crying, mashed fingers, and plenty of electrical tape, ha ha, I did it! It ran and and actually pulled off on its own power!
Well I got my first Jeep but not just any Jeep. It was my USA 1942 Ford GPW serial number 66292 original Army JEEP. WOW! It was all mine.
It sat for years after that as my interest changed a little, but in 1978 I got my drivers license, and it was time to DRIVE and I knew which truck I wanted to drive. My Jeep.
So I began to fix my little GPW, and many many hours later, and after many reading hours I had brought the little thing back to life again. Can you imagine the feeling of driving this Jeep for the first time for real? Not pretending anymore, but really driving and feeling all the bumps and the wind in my face? Wow I did it.
I could go on and on, but to make a long story short, I now own “Russell’s Military Vehicles” and I restore Jeeps for a living, and business is good.
I have restored vehicles for the D-Day Museum in New Orleans, and for the Mayor of Orlando, Fl., as well as Camp Blanding, Fl. military base museum. I have also done one for Fantasy of Flight in Florida too.
Love affair? No, it’s more than that. It’s my life now.
My website is www.generationjeep.net
Season 1, Episode 6
This week Bob is traveling to Philadelphia, PA to meet up with George Baxter, the CEO of one of the largest suppliers of US Military Jeep repair and replacement parts in the country!
If you have a military vehicle from WWII thru Vietnam, you’ll want to check out George’s toy store for every military jeep collector worldwide.
Learn More:
ArmyJeepParts.com
Season 1, Episode 5
This week Bob is down in Florida featuring one of the largest military collectors swap meets in the country… The Florida chapter of the Military Vehicle Preservation Association is hosting this national spring kickoff event. Bob will be featuring some very unusual collectors and their personal best examples of military vehicles.
Renninger’s Mt. Dora is a 117-acre conglomerate of flea and antique markets perched atop a hill along U.S. Highway 441 in Mount Dora. It is not only big it is arguably the largest of its kind in the Southeast. Renninger’s has made a commitment to the success of this show with attractive vendor participation, space available to rival any location nationally and to become the premier biannual military vehicle show in the nation.
The First Florida Chapter MVPA was founded in 1981 by Earle Byers
Our Club covers the entire State of Florida. It is divided into 7 Regions, each with a coordinator. We currently have over 200 active members with nearly as many vehicles. Some members own more than one Military Vehicle. Our calendar lists over 100 events for our members to participate in each year. Click on the Calendar Link to see our current Event Calendar. The highlight for the club is our Annual The Charles Craven Winter Rally and Swap Meet held each year in February at the Renninger’s Flea Market in Mount Dora Florida. We recently completed our 2015 Rally and it was a huge success! We had over 100 Vehicles, 40+ vendors and thousands of spectators. The 2016 Rally will be in February and promises to be even bigger. Click on the 2016 Rally link to the left for more information.
We invite everyone to join our group. You do not have to own a Military Vehicle to be a member, just an interest in them and a willingness to be part of a dedicated group of Men, Women and Families who enjoy Military Vehicles, making Friends and enjoying life in Florida. Click on the Membership Link for more information. You can also see an issue of our club newsletter, THE SOUTHERN OUTPOST there. Each issue is packed with stories and photos of events, members vehicles, For Sale and Wanted, Event Calendar and much more. After you join, you will begin receiving the Newsletter by mail. An electronic copy is also posted in the MEMBERS ONLY section located in the Membership link.
Season 1, Episode 4
If you know anything about military equipment, especially the M151 series jeep then you have to know that most if not all of them have rusted out at some point in their life. This week Bob is in Upstate New York at one of the premier M151 body panel manufacturing facilities in the world: Cameron Manufacturing.
Cameron Manufacturing is the home and founder of the replacement panels for the popular M151 MUTT. The parts that they manufacture are as close as possible to the originals. Cameron uses the correct sheet metal gauge, match the bend radii and have purchased custom tooling for stiffener ribs and drains. Parts are manufactured from American-made materials on modern CNC Lasers and Press Brakes ensuring accurate and consistent part quality.
We’ll talk to Guy Loomis the creator and engineer behind these reproduction jeep panels will take Bob through the manufacturing process.
Don’t miss a single minute of this episode!
Season 1, Episode 3
Bob is on the road this week visiting the GovPlanet staff!
Have you ever wanted to own a piece of modern Military history? Join us as we take a look to see how GovPlanet prepares all of their Dept of Defense Surplus equipment for auctions to the general public.
That’s right, THE GENERAL PUBLIC! GovPlanet is the place to vist and bid for anyone that wants to purchase surplus military equipment and vehicles.
Now is the time, so if you want to start a military collection or add to the one you have, this is a show you have to see!
Season 1, Episode 2
Join Bob this week as he travels to link up with the Military Vehicle Preservation Association’s 1920 vehicle convoy reenactment in Charlotte, NC.
The Bankhead Run is one of oldest historical ground convoy tests in US Military History.
A show you won’t want to miss!
Season 1, Episode 1
