[Tusker4x4]

Originally Posted by '72 Bullet

Hey, this OTR really looks great. Who does the green MM 550 with the green netting belong to? I drive by that house in Gurgaon almost everyday..

Kudos to the gentleman who takes care of all those amazing vehicles. I have been seeing a GAZ 69(if i'm not mistaken) in the making. I also remember seeing something that looked like a Jonga Chassis parked right outside the house not long back.. Not to forget e couple of vintage cars (is one of them an Austin? pardon my ignorance).

Once while driving by I also saw 2 Defender 90s parked there (was that a club meet?).

You sir, lead a very interesting life indeed.

Hi,

That MM550 with green net is owned by NIOC's SLS MOD (Laxman). the chasis you are talking is one of his latest additions a 3/4 tonner Dodge weapons carrier. He is restoring it.

He is also a part of a Bikers Gang called Free Riders. He has a Harley.

About defenders I knw one of the owner the other one I dont knw. They are a part of this Bikers gang and a new member of NIOC.

regds

Amit

[Ym-enjn]

Lakshman ji and the tractor looks made for each others. Overall very nice OTR and Randeep very nice coverage.

@72 Bullet: the green netted jeep belongs to Mr. Lakshman.

[bigman]

What are the 2 steel ropes for on the sandy/cream Jeep with the Storm 09 Serice stickers ?

[Kandisa]

Laxman ji keeps on springing surprises..! Great to see some tractor actions

Originally Posted by renegade

kandisa i know where this is coming from.even i liked the seats,they are electronically operated,which i dont like personally on a jeep.dont worry we will find good seats for you soon.

He he can't help it. Thanks a ton man.

[randeep04]

Originally Posted by bigman

What are the 2 steel ropes for on the sandy/cream Jeep with the Storm 09 Serice stickers ?

Satnam,

The sand coloured Jeep belongs to Raj Kapoor who own "Performance Offroading", his company is the authorized rally car/Gypsy modifier for the Desert Storm/Raid the Himalayas and other Rallying events. He does performance upgrades for most of the Rally teams in India.

The two steel ropes that you see attached from the fenders to the wind screen are actually for keeping away the bushes from hitting the windscreen. As I was informed by Mandeep, these were used on Land rovers and land cruisers involved in serious off roading.

@Kandisa the sand bashing was done approx 90 Kms from Hisar where the tractors were working on a huge sand pitt. We all went in and fist had some fun in our own vehicles and then requested the tractor drivers if we could have some fun on their tractors. While Laxman ji was riding the tractor, the tractor driver was testing his Jeep skills on Laxman ji's Jeep and Harjeev was there to keep check he does not go over board.


Cheers !!!!!!!!!!!

[docfreak]

hey randeep, interesting that you are collecting headlights of tanks, etc. any reason, or just like that ??

some where i read you did drive a tank, true???

i did drive a t72 and bmp2 on a couple of occasions, and have a license (at times gloating about one self feels good ha ha hhaa. wicked), at a tank regiment in rajasthan then at a place near leh, awesome ride, specially when you move straight and then perpedicular, also was a party to a competition of firing max rouds in a minute, hell of a time we had.

share your experience.

[Alfa_Kilo]

Originally Posted by docfreak

hey randeep, interesting that you are collecting headlights of tanks, etc. any reason, or just like that ??

some where i read you did drive a tank, true???

i did drive a t72 and bmp2 on a couple of occasions, and have a license (at times gloating about one self feels good ha ha hhaa. wicked), at a tank regiment in rajasthan then at a place near leh, awesome ride, specially when you move straight and then perpedicular, also was a party to a competition of firing max rouds in a minute, hell of a time we had.

share your experience.

I like the gearshift pattern in the T-72, 7F+2R, all along one long gate with offset notches.....

[randeep04]

Originally Posted by docfreak

hey randeep, interesting that you are collecting headlights of tanks, etc. any reason, or just like that ??

some where i read you did drive a tank, true???

i did drive a t72 and bmp2 on a couple of occasions, and have a license (at times gloating about one self feels good ha ha hhaa. wicked), at a tank regiment in rajasthan then at a place near leh, awesome ride, specially when you move straight and then perpedicular, also was a party to a competition of firing max rouds in a minute, hell of a time we had.

share your experience.

Docfreak,

Clarification.
No where have I mentioned that I like collecting head lights of tanks etc. I guess the person you are referring to his handle is Brutus. Neither have I mentioned about me driving a Tank, yes I have been on many for many tank rides and also have sat and played around with the controls in a tank but never actually driven one. I have sat and been in many tanks such as the T54/T-72 and also BMP's. What I have actually driven is a Tatra 8WD and lately a Tata 2.5ton 4x4 truck.

Questin for you is "How in the weirdest possible way did you manage to drive a TANK in LEH?"

As far as I am aware of there are no tank regiments in Leh or any place near by. Please correct me if i'm wrong. The Artillery regiments are surely there which also have the bofors but no tanks there. Licence to drive a tank? please throw some light here.

Cheers !!!!!!!!!!!!

[Brutus]

Originally Posted by randeep04

Questin for you is "How in the weirdest possible way did you manage to drive a TANK in LEH?"

As far as I am aware of there are no tank regiments in Leh or any place near by. Please correct me if i'm wrong.

I may have to differ. Even though i don't know much about army placements, but i think there can be a chances of tanks, not in Leh, but nearby places. I'll have to ask my younger brother who was in the armoured before he volonteered for the special forces.

There are history reports, that in the 1947-48 war of Kashmir, a time when the roads were a lot more narrower than they are now, but lots of places like the Zojila pass never had any sort of roads, a few tanks, probably Stuart
light tank's, were dismantled(i.e. hull and turrent seperated)and airlifted to to the Zojila pass, and the engineers reached there by foot, assembled the tanks and repelled the enemy.

So, thats why it seems there's just a chance, nothing more, but still a heavy tank like the T-72, or even the older T-55's would be very difficult, although i've seen T-72's being carried, without being dismantled transported in planes, and there is an airfield in Leh that is big enough for an IL-76 to land(i see them moving to and fro from leh to chandigarh air-force station, ferrying rations, amongst other supplies, a no. of times everyday).

Anyways i do remember reading a newspaper report about a T-72 that was being carried behind a Tatra tank tractor, and then suddenly, one of the shells stored inside the tank blasted, starting a chain reaction with the other shells, and finally a destroyed tank(frankly this, along with Gun-heating problems in the desert, and the automatic loading system that has been known to ampute the gunners arm, have been known as a incurable disease with the T-72 family, and since the T-90 is nothing but a Upgunned, uparmoured, etc T-72, so it might too be having the same sort of problems, though it is said it has a modified and therefore different auto-loading setup). This tank was destroyed somewhere beyond the poonch sector, so maybe it was being ferried to somewhere at a higher altitude.

[Tusker4x4]

Originally Posted by Kandisa

Laxman ji keeps on springing surprises..! Great to see some tractor actions

He he can't help it. Thanks a ton man.

Hi Khandisa,

Boss thats NOT a tractor. Thats a 3/4 ton Dodge weapons carrier. That was used by indian Army to carry Amunition in the war. Thats a petrol engine.

That would be a sight to see it perform.

Regds

Amit

[GoSlow]

Originally Posted by Tusker4x4

Hi Khandisa,

Boss thats NOT a tractor. Thats a 3/4 ton Dodge weapons carrier. That was used by indian Army to carry Amunition in the war. Thats a petrol engine.

That would be a sight to see it perform.

Regds

Amit

Amit - I think Somen (Kandisa not KHandisa) was referring to the Video in which Laxman is driving the tractor on the sand dunes.

Cheerio
Ankit

[randeep04]

@Bikram,

There was a tank regiment posted near leh during the 62 war but was just on trials. The regiment is called "20 Lancers" and the tanks that they had deployed there were the AMX 13's which were French tanks. This was the only armored regiment to be posted at approx 14000 ft. above sea level. Since then there have not been any movement of armored regiments in that area.

So the possibility of driving a tank in leh is somewhat impossible unless he was part of the 20 Lancers in the 62 war.

P.S. Information gathered from R.B Sir (Handles CSD supplies for Unilever India) and a few serving officers in 20 Lancers, 90 Armourd and 72 Armoured regiments.

Cheers !!!!!!!!

[USR]

Well it is still a record to drive a tank in such an high altitude. All the tank were dismantle then they were carried on 3tons (SHAKTIMAN'S) and rearranged for the fight, Read it in a book..Also the world highest helipad is in India- siachen But that’s Off the topic.. @ Randeep- tatra is 1 hell of a drive..i too drove it that too on NH-1 (Dad was going on an army exercise)
Do freak- how come you have a licenses for driving a tank or army vehicles’ ( Were you in Defense?)

[randeep04]

Originally Posted by USR

Well it is still a record to drive a tank in such an high altitude. All the tank were dismantle then they were carried on 3tons (SHAKTIMAN'S) and rearranged for the fight, Read it in a book..Also the world highest helipad is in India- siachen But that’s Off the topic.. @ Randeep- tatra is 1 hell of a drive..i too drove it that too on NH-1 (Dad was going on an army exercise)
Do freak- how come you have a licenses for driving a tank or army vehicles’ ( Were you in Defense?)

@USR,

Very true, The Tatra is one amazing truck. I drove one in Hissar and the other near Pokhran where 72 Armored regiment was for its exercises. But I must say the Tata 2.5 ton 4x4 is also one amazing vehicle. I drove one there along with fellow NIOC members. We went through sand and slush with such ease even in 2wd and after engaging the 4wd it just glided through the terrain.

Cheers !!!!!!!!

[USR]

@randeep.. I just drove it once that to 2wd.. :( Guess i missed the fun of the DADDY of all 4wd .
People i have a question. I was talking to my dad and he was telling me that SHAKTIMAN truck can be drove with 3 kinds of fuel. Petrol - Disel and normal oil. Is this true. because i dint beleive him.
Any Answers