I got a couple of Tamiya Ford Mutts in the stash, which I was planning on using in the Twilight 2000 group build, but armour ain't my scene

Does the US still use them? If not when were they phased out? Does anyone else still use them?

Thanks

I don't know of any unit that still uses this vehicle. I believe the Army started phasing them out in the early to mid '80's...we still had them in my active duty unit in '84 and I'm sure many Reserve and Nat'l Guard units had them even longer...perhaps into the early '90's.

No, all the Mutts have been completely phased out of the Us Forces. In fact all that were turned in to DRMO were cut up and were not allowed to be sold as complete vehicles because of the safety problems that they had.

My unit in Germany got rid of them in January 1989. When I returned to the States, I recall seeing a National Guard M151A2 on post at Fort Hood, TX. I do not know which state ARNG it was, possibly Texas, but since many states in the region send their units to do AT at Hood, it could have been any southwestern state. I don't know when the Regular Army or National Guard finally got rid of them. The Marines used the M151A2 "Super Jeep" as late as Desert Storm.

I know there is one in private hands in southern New Hampshire, near Keene. I see if for sale when I drive home. I also recall seeing one in private hands at Fort Hood in 1995. It used to park in the DIVARTY HQ parking lot.

Thanks guys.

Do any other countries still use them?

I don't know if other countries still use them or not. Even if they don't it is still fine for the Twilight campaign. A lot of things were "pressed" into service in the game the campaign is based on. I would say the MUTT is good to go, regardless.
Heck, I cobbled together a Sheman chassis with a 105mm cannon for the last one.
Shaun

The Marines used the MUTT FAV Super Jeeps until late 1996 in Bosnia and during that earthquake in Turkey. IRRC, I wrote in my article that the FAVs went in 1993, and then pulled out of storage in 1996 for one last hoorah! They were all painted black. Only six were used in 1996 and like four were converted with the HUMVEE turret ring. They carried M2, MK-19, and TOWs. Only the TOW ones look like the Super Jeep kind.

I wrote an article on it for defunct Journal of Miliary Ordnance, and yes, the speed of 100 mph seems to be an error---then again maybe I took his exaggeration literally. As for Sgt. Ferry, I haven't wrote to him in years. The Marine MUTTs are all gone around 1997...Sgt. Ferry doesn't know where. The Mercedes IFAV replaced them. At the end of the tour in 1996, the USMC MUTTs were falling apart.

I'll see if I can upload those FAV photos to my Gallery here and submit the article to a DG. I have the Kirin FAV....never built it yet.

JoMO also showed MUTTs used in El Salvador. They look almost the same, but have miniguns in the back. I think the web has photos. Try searching under MUTT or M151 FAVs. I know there are some websites out there. The black FAV is the Marine one....I know one website has a photo of a black one.

Hope this helps.

Link to some M151 FAV pics below...

Shaun
http://www.muttmotorpool.com/M151FAV.html

http://www.muttmotorpool.com/Miltruck.html

That's a USMC FAV that looks like it underwent another modification (under a private citizen?).

The last in-service USMC FAV had the Humvee ring over the cargo bed. This FAV doesn't seen to have a Humvee ring, only a pintle mount.

Again, I'll post photos and the article when I get a chance.

Note how the FAV can't carry as much cargo as the DUMVEE or Land Rover...one reason the M151 FAVs weren't favored too much for LRRPs. FAV it is, anything else it isn't.

That is one cool vehicle. I am going to have to try and build one.Thanks for sharing the url with us.

Up until about 2002, I still had lesson plans to teach M151 maintenance as well as some repair parts for the Jeep. Just in case some 63B Light Wheeled Vehicle Mechanic had to go to a unit that had Jeeps. Of course, we didn't have any Jeeps on hand, although they were dropped off of my property book only last year.

Thanks for all the replies folks. Those FAVs look seriously mean!

As its for T2K, the diorama I'm planning to put one in I intend to have an account written by one of the soldiers involved. I think I'll just have him saying "where the hell did that M151 come from?"

Of course, I might just have to do some spurious add ons to it......not sure what, but maybe thats a good thing? Being a zoomie I can think outside the box, as it were #:-)