Intro to MV Dealers

There are enough military vehicles in private hands to constitute a good market so there are suppliers for parts, service, and complete vehicles in most countries. Some serve the collector and restorer market while others cater to commercial or industrial users such as logging or construction companies who find heavy military trucks just right for their needs. There is also a strong market for spares and service for vehicles still in use by military or police/security organizations that have purchased or inherited the vehicles from the original military users.

Military surplus tires at Tomlin
Military surplus tires at Tomlin.

For example, the armies of countries allied with the United States often keep their U.S. military vehicles much longer than the U.S. does. This has created a market for spare parts for generations of military equipment, a market that is well served by an international network of dealers.

Today in WW II: 17 Oct 1941 USS Kearny [DD-432] torpedoed but not sunk by German submarine U-568, near Iceland, killing 11 sailors, the first American military casualties of WW II.  More ↓
17 Oct 1943 At Gothenburg, about 10,000 seriously wounded and sick German and British POWs, about half from each side, make up the first British-German prisoner exchange of WW II [17-21 Oct].
Visit the Olive-Drab.com World War II Timeline for day-by-day events 1939-1945! See also WW2 Books.

Olive-Drab Military Vehicle Supplier Database

The Military Vehicle and Parts Dealers Database indexes a large number of suppliers (surplus dealers or manufacturers) who regularly sell military vehicles and/or parts to the public. Many, but not all, of these dealers advertise in Military Vehicles Magazine , or the MVPA publications. They have additional vehicles and parts inventory coming in all the time. Many of the vehicle dealers also stock parts and can help you with your projects. Many of the parts suppliers have a vehicle or two for sale. If they have a web page, there will be a link in their listing. Just click on it. Where an e-mail address is shown, click on it to send an instant message.

You can search the database alphabetically from the Military Supplier Index at the bottom of every Olive-Drab.com page or you can use the Olive-Drab Search page to find suppliers by keywords or by geographic location. Click on Search at the top right of any page.

If you are a supplier or if you know of a good source who is not listed, please contact Olive-Drab for a free listing.

Military Vehicle Condition Scale

It is very useful to have a standard way to describe the condition of a vehicle. Here is a guideline for description which can help you as a buyer to agree on vehicle condition with a seller when you can't actually inspect it. Send these categories to the seller as the basis of discussion:

  • CONDITION 1 - EXCELLENT: Restored to current maximum professional standards of quality in every area, or perfect original with components operating and appearing as new. A 95-plus point show vehicle that is not driven.
  • CONDITION 2 - FINE: Well restored, or a combination of superior restoration and excellent original. Also, an extremely well-maintained original showing very minimal wear.
  • CONDITION 3 - VERY GOOD: Completely operable original or "older restoration" showing wear. Also, a good amateur restoration, all presentable and serviceable inside and out. Plus, combinations of well-done restoration and good operabale components or a partially restored vehicle with all parts necessary to complete and/or valuable NOS parts.
  • CONDITION 4 - GOOD: A driveable vehicle needing no or only minor work to be functional. Also, a deteriorated restoration or a very poor amateur restoration. All components may need restoration to be "excellent," but the vehicle is mostly useable "as is."
  • CONDITION 5 - RESTORABLE: Needs complete restoration of body, chasis, and interior. May or may not be running, but is not weathered, wrecked, or stripped to the point of being useful only for parts.
  • CONDITION 6 - PARTS VEHICLE: May or may not be running, but is weathered, wrecked and/or stripped to the point of being useful primarily for parts.

Dealers in Military Vehicles, Parts, or Related Services

Use the menu bar on the bottom of every Olive-Drab.com page to list suppliers alphabetically by name. Since most of the dealers do not specialize, or "specialize" in multiple things, an alpha list seems the best choice. If the company name is a person's name, it is alphabetized by the last name. If "the" is the first word of the dealer name, it is skipped.

Take a look at the Parts Suppliers topic in the "Buying & Owning Military Vehicles" sectopm for more information about buying vehicle parts, including an explanation of "NOS" and "TO".

You should also check out the MVPA Web Links Page which has a very well organized set of links to vehicle and parts dealers as well as other resources. The MVPA list is by dealer type and vehicle type so you may be able to find things there more easily in some cases.

I should point out that there are a number of companies who SELL lists of dealers and directions on how to participate in Government auctions. For example, Dulite Guides. In my opinion, you do not need to buy this information; every major source is listed in the Olive-Drab.com database, no charge to be listed or to look up suppliers. Regarding auctions, click for the whole story on locating and buying from US Government auctions.

Links and phone numbers change frequently and Olive-Drab.com may be the last to know. If you find a link to be broken or otherwise not what you expected, or if you want to add someone to the list, please contact Olive-Drab.com.

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