That's awesome SP, and a good thing you're doing for a vet.

Bravo sir!!!

Hey Stik good back story on the build .

I like the kit , got one in the ole stash . Looking forward to this one my friend .

Thanks guys! I am very much looking forward to doing this one up right for him.

Stik,

     Be sure to share a boastful YAT-YAS (AmTrac motto, You Ain’t Tracs, You Ain’t S#%!) with that AmTrac’r.  The books by AmTrac Viet Nam veterans I have read (Casting Alpha, The Dirty Bird) are very interesting reads but stories directly from the person would be fireside and scotch worthy.

     I too have a couple of these in the stash, one to be built with full interior and the other to be converted to an LVTH6; I am saving $$ for the metal individual track links by Spade Ace for the pair to add to the goody pile for these builds.  I do have a healthy collection of P5 photos acquired over the years and even the rebuild manual for the H6 that I can share if needed for those hard to find/spot details.

YAT YAS

Daniel

Looks like another fun build coming up Stik!  Can't wait to see more!

Daniel, I could defintely use some shots of the interior of the troop compartment (or whatever you guys call that area). He and I have talked a bit about his experiences on the tracks, and from listening to his wife, I sort of get the feeling that with me being a fellow vet of a different era and place, he opens up a bit more about it.

NH, this will definitely be a fun build, but there is a bit more pressure on me from inside to get this one right for him to honor his service. I will be taking my time with this for that reason.

Very nice Stik!  Not a subject we see often enough and building for a neighbor/vet!  I'll keep an eye on this one!

stikpusher

NH, this will definitely be a fun build, but there is a bit more pressure on me from inside to get this one right for him to honor his service. I will be taking my time with this for that reason.

The beautiful thing about it is that, if he is anything like most vets, he may care less about the "rivet counting", but more about the gesture.  If I may be permitted a brief tangent.....

A guy I know went to Battleship Cove in Fall River Mass where the U.S.S. Massachusetts is docked as a floating museum with a few other ships (I ashamedly admit I have not yet found the time to go down there myself.)  So there is my friend walking around with his young son, and he sees this old vet near a display looking a bit forlorn as everyone just walks on by without stopping much at all.  My friend said he saw that, took his son (who was about 7 years old or so I think), walked right up to the guy, and began what he called an enjoyable 15 minute talk with the old vet.  He said the old guys eyes just lit up as he recounted his old war stories to my friend and his son.  Seems that is all the old vet wanted, just someone to listen to his stories.  My friend likes to think he made that old vets day.  So yeah, sometimes all it takes is a simple gesture to show appreciation.

A great model and a great story.  I'm sure the recipient will love.  I did one a while ago for my wife's uncle, who was also an LVTP5 driver.  I put a full interior from scratch and mounted it on a base for him.  He loved it.

Here are a couple of crappy pictures of it (sorry, cheap digicam at the time).

I scanned the couple photos I have that include interior shots, fortunately a couple are even in color.  As you can see the two manuals that would provide the most helpful information are so thick I cannot put them on the scanner as I fear that would break the spine of the books.  I can take photos of the various interior components as needed though.  The smallest of the trio is actually a manual for the experimental version of the LVTP5, she is referred to as an LVT5 in the book and it’s armored brethren as an LVTA6, eventually becoming the LVTP5 and LVTH6 respectfully.  I included the exterior views from the book because there are slight differences, there is no turret and she has rudders (and subsequently no rudder control in the driver’s station), neither of which traits are found on the production LVTP5.  I have an actual data plate from a P5 that I removed from a derelict (with permission from the Philippine Marines – the owners) vehicle in the Philippines that I can dig around for scanning if that is needed as well, along with the starting procedures plate.

Thanks for the moral support in this guys. NH, yes just listening to those guys almost always is a bright spot of the day for both parties. HA, that is exactly what I am planning for my neighbor. Just leave the ramp up, scratch the troop compartment detail, and make the mods peculiar to his track.

Hello Stik - yes, I will definitely follow this one. Scratchbuilding the interior is something I tried, even had some nice results, but still haven't finished it. Some day I plan to start over with the resin interior and re-use some of my scratch building.

As for the books, I can heartly recommend "Casting Alfa" - that's a very good book.

deattilio - those manuals might prove extremely valuable. At the time I was trying to build the interior I did an extensive search on the internet and some details of the interior were just impossible to find. Like the equipment installed directly in front of the engine compartment bulkhead - I still don't know what it is and how it looks like. I believe there's a personal heater on the left side and some circuit breakers or something like that on the right - could you post some drawings of those?

Stik - good luck with your project, I look forward to the next updates and have a nice day

Paweł

I found the starting instructions placard for the LVTH6 along with identification plates for vehicle and it’s turret.  The starting and id plates should be identical to those used on the LVTP5; I need to do a little more digging for the LVTP5 data plate.  I am looking at purchasing a scan wand that would allow me to scan the manuals without having to open them to the point of flattening 'em onto my scanner.  If that doesn’t work I’ll be taking pictures of the individual pages and cleaning up the photos in Photoshop before posting.

Daniel, all those photos will be most helpful. Thank you again. Love those start up instruction plates. A few more steps than starting the 113 series tracks that I am familiar with.