restoration of our 1975 Mowag Roland

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Kcimb
G-Sergeant First Class
G-Sergeant First Class
Posts: 85
Joined: Mon Jun 11, 2012 7:08 am
Location:

restoration of our 1975 Mowag Roland

Post by Kcimb » Wed Jan 11, 2023 2:52 am

Retired from the Greek army/police. 1975 year of manufacture. Chrysler 318 engine, np435 transmission, Dana 70 axles, np205 transfer case, pretty simple vehicle.

Unloading off the truck was nerve wracking but went simple as can be. Reverse, stay level for about 10 feet then see nothing but sky.

Took it for a spin, runs and drives good. Stops too. Shifts smoothly, sounds like it’s running well.

Tires are cracked all over so no real heavy driving.

Job for the upcoming weeks (when I actually get free time!) is to change all the fluids, sand and paint the lower interior Rockers.

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Originally Posted By OverScoped:
I know a guy that lives in the UKR that is an expert with those...
Really, do tell.

More work in the last 2 days has been done. On Sunday m35ben came over and the oil was changed. Trying to figure out why there is gas in the oil.

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Begun wire wheeling the hull floors to prepare for painting.

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https://i.postimg.cc/6pKH7vqg/A60755-BA ... 6513-B.jpg

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About an hour with the angle grinder to get these rusted nuts off the back floor so it can be cleaned for painting. Both were totally corroded and stuck.

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Floor is ready for painting. Using hammerite smooth white.

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A good shop vac makes everything better!


The seat has to move so the driver tunnel can be wheeled clean and painted.

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There’s a few pounds of dried leaves in the front driver floor well. Shop vac it all out, wire wheel it, and paint.

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It’s going to look a lot better when it’s cleaned up.

I have to work for the next few weeks straight so I won’t have time to get back to this unfortunately.


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Also a former radio antenna hole to get Welded up


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Rust. Unacceptable.

Better, ground down and ready for painting

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My intent was to have the entire inside done and ready for painting next week but I couldn’t. I got a lot done but I still have a lot to do. I’m about half done with the front driver well and it wasn’t as bad as I thought. Mostly just thick grime. Very little pitting.

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These parts are ready to be painted. I just need the time Image

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Not good

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Much better!

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Been spending an hour or two in the shop after I get off work and working on the interior.

The front hull was absolutely disgusting with a half inch to inch of What I think was just grime mixed with grease and paint and rust.

After 2 hours of cleaning

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After 3 hours of cleaning

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Since I am a shade tree mechanic I used my
350$ surefire lawman light as a mechanic light. Totally works


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Showing some perspective of what I’m working with.


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Getting the exterior ready for painting

I’ll be back tomorrow with hopefully the front hull floor totally clean

Cleaned up the turret a bit today

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This will be getting repainted too.

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4” .375 ar500 antenna replacement rounds arrived. Going to chamfer the ends and smooth it out.

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Paint day. Most of The internal removable pieces are done with the first coat. Hammerite smooth white goes on easy and looks good and is durable. For the outside it’s getting the same, just blue.

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[youtube]shorts/dJu209kb9Ag?feature=share[/youtube]

https://youtube.com/shorts/dJu209kb9Ag?feature=share

Lots of progress today! Exterior is 40% done.

Engine is up and running after @m35ben threw on the tweaked carb. Doesn’t appear to be dumping gas in the oil.

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Now need to:

Re arch springs
Change gearbox/drop box oil
New tires
Finish inside/exterior put back together PAAAINT
New seals
Redo interior seats
New periscopes and Vision Blocks
Build air filter assembly

The list is endless. But the good thing is it’s more or less running and driving
Side done

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Front mostly done, then the top and other side

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Slowly cracking away

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Usmc/Army
1976 Czech brdm-2rkbh
1975 Mowag Roland

Looking to buy:

ASU-57
French Panhard AML / EBR
BRDM-1
Mowag Grenadier
Ferret scout car


Kcimb
G-Sergeant First Class
G-Sergeant First Class
Posts: 85
Joined: Mon Jun 11, 2012 7:08 am
Location:

Re: restoration of our 1975 Mowag Roland

Post by Kcimb » Wed Jan 11, 2023 2:53 am

Another day

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Took the drivers hatch off, easier to clean inside the crevices.

Sun came out so I called it quits before I could finish. Only about an hour and some change left to finish grinding the exterior.
Usmc/Army
1976 Czech brdm-2rkbh
1975 Mowag Roland

Looking to buy:

ASU-57
French Panhard AML / EBR
BRDM-1
Mowag Grenadier
Ferret scout car

Kcimb
G-Sergeant First Class
G-Sergeant First Class
Posts: 85
Joined: Mon Jun 11, 2012 7:08 am
Location:

Re: restoration of our 1975 Mowag Roland

Post by Kcimb » Wed Jan 11, 2023 2:57 am

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In case you were wondering why it was so loud

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My
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Turned out a little brighter than I anticipated, but will be fine.

Some were a little darker, some much darker.

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More progress.

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More progress tonight. I didn’t finish the radiator covers because there are some additional spots I need to touch up.
Bunch of completed interior pieces

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I promised folks I would spend the evening working and put the brdm back together and do a lot more work on the Roland.

Didn’t happen.

I did spend a bunch of time and remove old nasty rust and paint from the hull of the Roland. I felt it was too wet to paint right now.

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Snapped four bolts getting this thing off. Water seeped into the threads and it was rusted and corroded badly. Time for penetrating oil and if that doesn’t work more helicoils Image

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Cleaned up underneath and all inside the individual grill vents

Spent some time on the hull

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If I spend about one night a week and 4-5 hours I can have this all done in a couple months.

I’m going to have to hammer the periscopes out. That’s what’s keeping me from finishing the outside right now.

Goal: Have a totally 100% turn key ride with no rust.

I'll get there eventually.

Cleaning up some missed spots.

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These were exposed to water and had some flash rust but a wire wheel and some drillin' and it's cleaned and suitable for painting.

Which it got.

This is the engine air intake cover.

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This is the engine bay cover.

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Turret hatch interior-painted, but I need to get a foam pad for it. When it hits your head it hurts.

Researching seals since I need 6 replacements-rear hatch, rear troop overhead, side doors, turret, and drivers station.
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The periscopes normally have a latching mechanism but they were stolen off this vehicle. It also has a lot of rust and corrosion locking the periscopes in. I’ve been using penetrating oil to loosen it but no luck so far.

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My angle grinder decided to give up the ghost and slowly started spinning slower and slower. It couldn’t handle the thick glass and plastic of the periscope.

Troop compartment overhead door seal fitting

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Turret hatch seal measurement

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Turret and drivers hatch are dimensionally similar seal wise. So I can order 2 rubber pieces and it will fit both.

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A friendcame over and worked on converting it back to the original mechanical fuel pump. At some point a 12v in-line fuel pump had been installed. Less than ideal.

Once the reciprocating saw arrived I cut 80% of the periscopes out. I’m not sure how I’ll get the rest out since it’s pretty well nestled inside the mounts, but I may need to use a torch and/or air chisel to drive them out.

I can’t finish the exterior until tnose periscopes are out because I need to paint around them
Usmc/Army
1976 Czech brdm-2rkbh
1975 Mowag Roland

Looking to buy:

ASU-57
French Panhard AML / EBR
BRDM-1
Mowag Grenadier
Ferret scout car

User avatar
W. Winget
LTC, U.S. Army
LTC, U.S. Army
Posts: 4448
Joined: Mon Dec 16, 2002 10:37 am
Location: USA, Virginia, Carrollton
Contact:

Re: restoration of our 1975 Mowag Roland

Post by W. Winget » Thu Jan 12, 2023 5:07 pm

Neat posting.
How about slicing the top corners of the periscope guards at 45 degrees with a cutoff wheel, drive out the residue scope, then weld the tops back on at the 45 degree cuts.
V/R W. Winget
Looking for 1918 Standard B 'Liberty' truck parts

Kcimb
G-Sergeant First Class
G-Sergeant First Class
Posts: 85
Joined: Mon Jun 11, 2012 7:08 am
Location:

Re: restoration of our 1975 Mowag Roland

Post by Kcimb » Tue Jan 17, 2023 1:42 am

W. Winget wrote:
Thu Jan 12, 2023 5:07 pm
Neat posting.
How about slicing the top corners of the periscope guards at 45 degrees with a cutoff wheel, drive out the residue scope, then weld the tops back on at the 45 degree cuts.
V/R W. Winget
I've though about that but I'm hesistant to cut like that into the hull itself.
Usmc/Army
1976 Czech brdm-2rkbh
1975 Mowag Roland

Looking to buy:

ASU-57
French Panhard AML / EBR
BRDM-1
Mowag Grenadier
Ferret scout car

Kcimb
G-Sergeant First Class
G-Sergeant First Class
Posts: 85
Joined: Mon Jun 11, 2012 7:08 am
Location:

Re: restoration of our 1975 Mowag Roland

Post by Kcimb » Tue Apr 25, 2023 9:25 pm

A lot of progress since the last update.


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Usmc/Army
1976 Czech brdm-2rkbh
1975 Mowag Roland

Looking to buy:

ASU-57
French Panhard AML / EBR
BRDM-1
Mowag Grenadier
Ferret scout car

Kcimb
G-Sergeant First Class
G-Sergeant First Class
Posts: 85
Joined: Mon Jun 11, 2012 7:08 am
Location:

Re: restoration of our 1975 Mowag Roland

Post by Kcimb » Tue Apr 25, 2023 9:35 pm

I found replacement shocks. The originals haven't been made since 2001 and those were probably replacements, too.

Monroe 65474s are 50$ a piece vs 220$ a piece for similar koni shocks. I'll take it.

I went to a local tire shop and showed them the roland tire and they gave me, yes gave me, a rim to take home and see if it fit. Unfortunately it didn't. My new plan is to dump all of the original split rim wheels and tires (they are horrible cracked and dangerous) for some modern single piece steel rims and LT truck tires.

Much safer and more effective. I do intend to hit the road this summer and put some miles on the vehicle.

I plan on finishing the interior this next week and putting it all back together the next.
Usmc/Army
1976 Czech brdm-2rkbh
1975 Mowag Roland

Looking to buy:

ASU-57
French Panhard AML / EBR
BRDM-1
Mowag Grenadier
Ferret scout car

Bradym114
G-Staff Sergeant
G-Staff Sergeant
Posts: 57
Joined: Mon Dec 10, 2012 4:28 pm
Location:

Re: restoration of our 1975 Mowag Roland

Post by Bradym114 » Thu Apr 27, 2023 4:18 am

Thats looking great!

Kcimb
G-Sergeant First Class
G-Sergeant First Class
Posts: 85
Joined: Mon Jun 11, 2012 7:08 am
Location:

Re: restoration of our 1975 Mowag Roland

Post by Kcimb » Mon May 22, 2023 7:25 pm

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Usmc/Army
1976 Czech brdm-2rkbh
1975 Mowag Roland

Looking to buy:

ASU-57
French Panhard AML / EBR
BRDM-1
Mowag Grenadier
Ferret scout car


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