The gentleman on the US West Coast with the huge MV collection is(was) the late Jaques Littlefield. He was out of the San francisco area and his estate is still functional (he passed in 2009) as the Military Vehicle Technology Foundation.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Militar...ogy_Foundation
http://www.mvtf.org/index.html
A German Pzkpfw IV Panther of any version was a nightmare to keep running, even under the best of circumstances. A recently retired M60A3 with a complete interior/driveline that could be crewed/maintained by veterans at the local VFW's would be a lot easier by comparison.
I wouldn't try to do that either, probably more so because it would totally imbalance the scenario/game.
What I had in mind were some of the easier to maintain MV's, especially those that have a lagely truck based driveline. As far as tanks go, the M3/M5 Stuart and M24 Chaffee (and derivatives) are powered with older GM V-8's ( flathead Cadillacs). I've seen an M5 repowered with a single basic 350 Chevy because the owner got a largely stripped hulk. Any place you can put a GM V-8, you can put the 6.2L/6.5L diesel from a HMMWV.
The White M3 Scout Car and M-2/3 series half tracks are ideal here; they won't totally imbalance a scenario, they are just as simple as it gets, and just about any truck mechanic can keep it running. You don't have to keep it running exactly the way it was built; you can always swap in the engine/trans and/or driveline of a HMMWV or M35.
The US half tracks really are trucks with the rear axles replaced with a rubber band track. Given some enginuity and the metalworking tools found on most farms, machine shops, and tool rooms, repairs and ressurection can be performed on an old MV within reason, especially if you have a covered workplace and all winter to work on it.
I've seen ground up restorations and band-aid grade restorations done by hobbyists with some aptitude and a decent trck based welder. Look around; there are heavy equipment repair trucks wherever you have excavating companies. If they don't have one on site, they have one on call. Most have a welder, air compressor, tools, and a crane in the 1-5 ton range, depending on the size of the repair truck.
It all depends on what you want to use it for. Do you want to do regular patrols with it? Perhaps then a surplus Ferret, M-3 scout car, or M-8/M-20 is better. They are easier on fuel and easier to keep running. For use as a response force, a couple of M-3 half tracks and/or gun trucks would work nicely. There was also a M-3 half track with a 81mm mortar in it called the M-4.
I'd really recommend anyone with an interest in this look around and find a reenactment local to them. There are several in Chicago throughout the warmer months and you can get up close to some of these vehicles and see just how easy they are to work on.
I just want to say that the intent was not to suggest trying to take a M-46/M-47/M-48 Patton off a concrete pad and attempt to use it. Most have been sitting far too long and have been stripped of most of the interior and driveline anyway. Most that I see probably aren't worth the fuel to drag them with bulldozers and the expertise you'd need to get it running probably isn't there anyway.
However, what's to say you couldn't get a M-5 Stuart running? The cannon barrel would have been plugged and the breech ring removed (the breech unscrews on the US 37mm), so I'd toss it and slide in a 50-cal MG. Pair that with a pair of 30-cal MG's in the hull/coax spots and you're in business.
Were some of the steering brakes unusable, you could probably cobble something together from a medium size bulldozer.
The Stuart also has the appeal of having dual driver controls; you can teach someone to drive while you ride in the bow gunner spot.
I wouldn't even bother trying to find, much less use ancient cannon/howitzer ammo. Even if you could find it, the main guns on almost all retired AFV's have been demilled by plugging the barrel and torch cutting the breach. Putting a live round in even a repaired weapon is asking for a fatal accident.
Were I to have time, I might even try to kitbash a model of a M5 Stuart hull with a Bradley turret on it!
Here are some of the vehicles I had in mind:
M-3 Scout Car
M-8 Armored Car
M-20 Armored Utility Car
Ferret Armored Car (UK)
Saracen 6x6 APC (UK)
Humber Pig (UK)
M-2 Half track
M-3 Half Track
M-3/M-5 Stuart Light Tank
M-24 Chaffee Light Tank
Universal (Bren) Carrier APC (UK/Canada)
I've tried to keep this at least semi-plausable, i.e. keeping it to those vehicles I've seen for sale in the US and those I've seen in the flesh wihin a couple hour drive of Chicago.
Like I said, I encourage anyone to get out there and take a look at the real thing if you can!
Thanks,
Dave