My attex 8x8 military trainer

[marshgunner]

Well I am back from picking up the attex from Denver about 18 hours round trip. The attex is going to need a lot of work but I am ready to give it a try. I ordered a plastic welder and a bunch of abs rod to practice with.

I will tack it all together before I remove the body band and split the haves.

Looks like I will need to make a list of the parts that I am missing and or damaged.

one or two axles
engine cover/back seat
rear taillight
front headlights with rubbers

and the list will go on

[Mike]

I'm glad you were able to pick it up. Good luck with the rebuild and keep us posted on your progress.

[jpswift1]

I'm glad you were able to give this machine a good home. Stay persistent and determined with the build and it will really pay off......these things are awesome machines! I have a feeling that this is going to be an exciting thread to watch. We're all going to love watching this machine come together! I was really excited just seeing those pics you uploaded. The good thing is that the parts that you're missing are very common and easy to find Attex parts.

Here are some videos of Hydromike's and Larry W's Attex tank trainer in action for some motivation:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztlggJItbEA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ahop...eature=related

[hydromike]

Congratulations 'Marsh!

It looks about how I remember it being when I saw it on Craigslist. Maybe a li'l worse. Overall, you've got a great starting point. It looks like it's been nailed pretty good on the front left corner, which tweaked the upper. When I got Big 5, the front right lower tub was basically a giant mass of fiberglass mat and resin where similar damage was. I could actually see light through the resin, suggesting that the plastic isn't even there anymore. Whoever did this repair on my machine did a great job, and it's about the stoutest corner I have on the machine now. We still have time to see how Race's repairs hold up after a good flogging (The ABS goo and mat method), but I think he's on the right track.

Since the upper and lowers are both a bit tweaked, I say split the bodies before tacking much together, so it's easy to wrangle things back into position. Welding the cracks up and riveting a few hundred pounds of polyethylene to the pig will make her indestructable. All the parts you're missing are a cinch. Finding parts is the easiest part of the whole darn hobby.

Great find, and good luck... Keep us posted.
There are four of us now!

[marshgunner]

I will be using a few ideas from the tank builds that I have seen so far.I really like the 25" tire look that is on the your Big 5 along with your metalwork so that is my path so far. That is a good idea to split the haves first. I just did not want to end up with a puzzle.

[racerone3]

it would probably make your head spin, but you could # the cracks before you split it... that way chunk #13 stays with crack #13...

[hydromike]

I can appreciate your apprehension regarding a "puzzle", but I think you'll have a really limited number of tank pieces should you split the bodies. Numbering them is probably the way to go, just in case.

25's are a piece of cake to fit on there; you just have to find them.

[marshgunner]

I think the body band makes the body tweak look worse than it really is. It reminds me of a pretzel. It is really bent and twisted in spots.

Did anyone upgrade the axles in their builds? I have not called Adair Argo to check prices on axles yet but I might have sticker shock afterward!

[racerone3]

I will slowly be accumulating used Argo axles/ sprockets, and bearing flanges over the next year to swap into "Rhonda". The first pair should be here next week, but have been repurposed for the wild wolf as I'm sick of it breaking Right Rear axles. I hope eventually to run Argo drive line parts in 2 of the 3 Attex machines, but that is a lot of parts to gather up.... someday

[hydromike]

I intended on upgrading 5 to splined axles, but it's pricey.... Even if you get the axles for free, upgrading to new sprockets, bearings and bearing flanges gets expensive real fast. I'm also notoriously lazy, and wripping the 8 wheeler apart and pulling the frame out would be alot more work than fixing the errant bent axle now and then. I just know what it is, what it isn't, and try as hard as I can to drive within its limits. Handing the 'lats over to GeoJem though, is a different story. She's the best test pilot I could ask for. Anything that can break.....will.