Alvas Stalward 6 x 6 trucks

[westernair]

OK so out of the blue I was contacted by a life long VW friend of mine indicating another friend of his has 4 Alvas Stalward 8 x 8 trucks and that he is wanting to sell off 2 of them. He indicated that 4 weels turn and that they float. He also indicated they have never been licenced in the states before.
So my question is what are trucks like this worth and does anyone know of any on the road legally in the US?
Like I need another truck, but you know how it is, this damn disease just makes me do things I really should not.

[westernair]

After I have looked at them and decided what/if I want to do anything with them I'll post pics.

[Garrycol]

My mate here in Aust has one and is on the road - they are an extremely complex machine and not for the faint hearted. I thought they were all 6x6.

Follow his thread on my Aussie Landrover site http://www.aulro.com/afvb/101-forward-c ... te-fc.html

A specatcular vid http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mr_pCrhTkk

My mates Stalwart with his son acting as the observer (one is required to meet Aussie rules). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybiC2Uo483U

With another local Stollie that I know, to make the vehicle more user friendly (on transmission, fuel and drivability) he has made the vehicle 2wd (can be reverted back for offroad), given it a higher final drive and put it on gas (LPG) and it able to do 55mph at reasonable fuel cost and better tyre and transmission wear.

They are very hard to get to be able to swim them - while my mates Stollie is now on the road it will take a long time to get it back to swimming standard.

Garry

[mopar]

Very big vehicle cool but not the most nimble for offroading

[undysworld]

They're legal to license here in Wis., but only for parade/car show use. There was one in town many years ago, parked on the street, but I don't recall seeing plates on it. It was bigger than I expected. I was thrilled, since I owned (and still own) a Matchbox version and always thought it was very cool. They're even neater yet in person. I too have only ever seen the 6x variant. I'll enjoy seeing your pictures.

[westernair]

My mistake I think he did say six by six. I was thrown off when he said the front four wheels turned and just figured it was an eight by eight. My goal is to go out and look at them next Tuesday.

[edzz]

Good read, I tkink I'll stay with the Pinz.
http://www.4wdonline.com/Mil/Alvis/Stalwart.html

4.5 mpg?

[David Dunn]

I have had thoughts to get one, but they have too many negatives for me...
Extremely heavy (from someone that has a 24k lb dump truck )
A Haffy is just as fast ( with better mileage)
Just barely road legal for width
Full time 6x6 drivetrain winds up on hard ground.. my Supacats are 6x6 but with open diffs ( same Ackerman steering and SCs have skid steer too)

[mopar]

Good read, I tkink I'll stay with the Pinz.
http://www.4wdonline.com/Mil/Alvis/Stalwart.html

4.5 mpg?

Yeah and this was my favorite part
"Not put off by that ? There's more ....... A full tank of 90 gallons can reasonably be expected to take you just over 400 miles. Yes, that's 4.5 mpg, driven lustily. There are 5 gallons of oil in the engine, 3 more in the gearbox, 15 in total of hydraulic fluid. There are countless more fluids and lubricants required all over the place. There are seals, unions, hoses, joints, gaskets and such, in more places than you can shake a stick at. Go swimming and all those fluids may, nay probably will, need replacing. "

[westernair]

OK so last night I watched several video’s of the capabilities of these trucks,
All I can say is that they look cool as heck and I would love to drive one off a cliff into the water.
Then when reading about the truck, I see it would be a nightmare to maintain. Because of this I am going to pass on looking at them in fear I will talk myself into owning one.
Knowing that “boat” stands for “bust out another thousand” when doing repairs, and knowing that eclectic vehicles such as this typically have expensive and hard to find parts. I for see this being a Pandora’s box I am not willing to open.
If someone else is interested in perusing one of these trucks PM me and I’ll pass on the info.

“Self-knowledge is better than self-control any day, and I know myself well enough to know how I act around cookies.”

[acebee]

just in case .. of seconds thoughts...

http://inlandempire.craigslist.org/cto/3569509338.html

[Dreadnought]

Alvis...please it is Alvis... They made many a military vehicle, but also made some beautiful cars, just google images Alvis cars, the last ones in the late 60,s were handbuilt, bodies in Aluminium and quite beautiful, with very good performance from engines around the 2 Ltr mark. Stalwarts were never meant to be good on 'Gas mileage' they have a Rolls Royce Straight eight B81 gasoline engine....following them at night in convoy was easy....just follow the flames from the exhaust when they accelarate or change gear. Alvis were good at Armoured cars way back as well....plus the clebrated Scorpion light tank range, the Saracen, Saladin, Supacat..... and many more. (my dream of an Alvis TD21 is long gone now...A Bristol 411 would have been my second choice and a Bristol Blenheim 3 my 3rd)

[undysworld]

Dread,

Alvis...please it is Alvis...

If you're correcting it, why not point out that Stalwart was spelled wrong in the title too? I noticed you spelled that correctly in your post, so I assume it was an oversight. It had bugged me before too, but it didn't seem worth a correction, since everybody seemed to understand anyway.

Cheers,
Paul

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alvis_Stalwart_(FV620)

[Dreadnought]

I didn,t miss it, but I was away in the clouds dreaming of cruising down a white gravelled drive in an Alvis TD21 convertible!!!!!

[undysworld]

Dread,
Perfectly plausible reason. Keep dreamin'...
Undy