Anyone win this 1976 Saracen from Public Surplus

[K9Vic]

Auction is closed and was wondering if someone from SS won this Saracen APC from Sierra Vista, AZ? If I had the money and place to keep it I would of snapped it up. But was it a good price at $13000?

Public Surplus: Auction #627872

 

[glcaines]

I would have loved to get my hands on that! Too rich for my blood though. I hope someone from SS got it.

 

[zeusdaddy]

Looks like maybe it didn't sell since just to the right of the "Final Price" it says (Reserve not met). Maybe someone here still has a chance to get it though if they try to auction it again.

 

[Stalwart]

If you knew anything about them you wouldn't be so enthusiastic. Even at their best, they are a bit of a nightmare. At their worst, you'll regret they day you saw one, let alone give your hard earned money for one. I would not take one as a gift . . . and I collect British stuff.

 

[glcaines]

If you knew anything about them you wouldn't be so enthusiastic. Even at their best, they are a bit of a nightmare. At their worst, you'll regret they day you saw one, let alone give your hard earned money for one. I would not take one as a gift . . . and I collect British stuff.

I know they have a lot of problems to keep running, but they do look good!

 

[goodguyzy]

looks like it comes with a lot of spare parts

 

[Bill W]

My buddy has one (along with a Saladin)
The B80 Rolls Royce engine runs great,starts right up after sitting for months.
I drove it once in a parade and the only complaint I had was my feet got really hot down in that tight driver compartment but worth it as far as "COOL" factor goes

 

[K9Vic]

Looks like maybe it didn't sell since just to the right of the "Final Price" it says (Reserve not met). Maybe someone here still has a chance to get it though if they try to auction it again.

Did not notice that, oh well yeah if they do run it again maybe someone here will get it next time.

 

[Stalwart]

The only good part of the vehicle is the 160 hp B80 engine. I have 7 B81's (220hp) and 2 B60's (130hp).

The gearbox is toast from, no doubt, some idiot using the gear change pedal as a clutch. They do NOT gave a clutch pedal and if used as one, especially in such a heavy and underpowered vehicle, the bands are shot in no time at all. The transmission was wholly inadequate for the weight of the vehicle, the same can be said of the brakes. Not to mention the problematic hydraulic system . . . I have never heard of a Saracen owner NOT having hyd. problems.

Go ahead, buy it, but I warned you. I wanted to buy one years ago, my supplier in England said, "No, you'll hate me and never purchase another vehicle from me." He went on to give me a laundry list of problems with them. This was a guy that sold me several Stalwarts that are immensely complex in their own right with similar powertrain arrangement but with manual transmission, power disc brakes, and a straightforward hyd. system.

 

[hoop]

http://www.steelsoldiers.com/heavy-armor/56425-who-going-buy.html
Old thread

 

[m151tx]

I think they get a bad rep in many respects.

They can be a pain but no worse than other Brit armor. A little better in some ways as stuff is easier to get too.

Mark

 

[saddamsnightmare]

November 29th, 2011.

Not meaning any offense here, gents, but the British are the world's greatest or second greatest engineers, and the world's second lousiest constructors. Anyone who has owned an MG knows about Lucas Electric, the "Prince of Darkness", and I haven't seen anything past a Ferret that I would want to own. I think possibly that the Germans or the Russians were the greatest armor engineers in terms of survivability and maintainability, and we were the greatest when it came to sheer output (particularly in WWII). But, if it were cheap enough, say in the $300 or $400.00 range, I'd be on it for scrap.
The operative word above is "No worse then other British Armor", I haven't seen too many non-British client states or former colonies raving over the British Armor, I think the Russians outsold and out gifted about 10 to 1.

Just a thought,

Have a safe Holiday Season,

 

[Bill W]

Its a hobby vehicle not a daily driver
As I stated earlier, my buddy has had one, and for the 14 years that I have known him and it has broken down once ( I towed it home with my first deuce ) other then that its been ready for any last minute parade that might arise. Flat batteries are the only problem I've known him to have but my friend has over three dozen MV's so dead Batts are always a problem for him. I myself would like to own a British Saxon one day and no bad news about upkeep will convince me not to buy one

 

[B3.3T]

It was most certainly not a 1976 model as the production ceased in 1962.