Any Rat Patrol viewers, past/present?

[larrybuck]

If some of you can remember the show, early on the weekly intro shows both jeeps leaping over a last ridge of a sand dune.

They catch some air, so the jeeps look tough. They catch enough that if you watch closely, in each jeep, the guy sitting in the back manning the machine gun takes quite the jolt to his back when the jeep lands.

I do not have really any 4whl. drive experience, or dune buggie stuff.

My question: It looks great for the camera; tough looking, but in real life would the sand come flying out from the front skidplate as it seems on that show,
or is that just Hollywood bogus???


It always makes me laugh to see movies, or shows where a vehicle explodes with so much force, and fire!!!

Don't know how many of you are old enough to remember the Rat Patrol series.

I know my Dad watched in the basement, and Mom forbid my watching such violence as a kid with my Dad. ( Gunsmoke was the same way)

Anyway, I have a great county library system near me, where I can get several full seasons of older TV shows on DVD to watch. The Fugitive w Jannsen is a great series to watch older vehicles.

Thanks for your takes!

[cfg83]

larrybuck -

I didn't see many episodes, but I was fascinated by it because I've always been a WWII North Africa campaign buff. I think the Rat Patrol was based on the LRDG.

I even got a Rat Patrol model diorama in 1/87 scale. It was a cheesy bad model kit, but I loved it anyway. Ha ha, here it is! :

1967 AURORA 340-200 The Rat Patrol - Still Sealed (1/87 Scale) | eBay

CarloSW2

[cfg83]

Me -

Originally Posted by cfg83

...

I even got a Rat Patrol model diorama in 1/87 scale. It was a cheesy bad model kit, but I loved it anyway. Ha ha, here it is! :

1967 AURORA 340-200 The Rat Patrol - Still Sealed (1/87 Scale) | eBay

...

WOW, it's up to $204 on ebay!!!!!!

CarloSW2

[ecomodded]

After checking the Rat Patrol's introduction online I can honestly say it's the real deal.
Brings back memories for me, I watched the series 30 yrs ago.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X34OFJpnRwE

[gone-ot]

...a machine-gun on a Jeep! The "ultimate" WWII 'dune-buggy'

[slowmover]

I loved it as a kid. Secret Agent Man, another. Original Star Trek. Re-runs of Have Gun Will Travel.

Same for the mix of Beatles, Stones, Doors, Nat King Cole, Count Basie, Sinatra to be found on the same radio station in those days.

Don't forget the Mattel M-16. Legendary Saturdays playing "war" in the creek bottom and surrounding property with a half-dozen others.

But gave up on TV and pop music radio in 1974.

While a jeep with a 30-cal is cool, it was the anti-aircraft M43 Half-Track with quad 50-caliber Brownings that took ones breath away:

God's Lawnmower



Good for massed Chi-Comm human wave assaults



.

[JasonG]

Not havong much experience in dune offroading I can only surmise.
When landing in a mud hole, the front skid plate makes the same effect as shown in the intro.
The off road videos I've seen on dunes look similar.
That is just good live action video, none of that shoot the gas tank and get a 20' fireball mess.

[LUVMY02CREW]

LOVED that show as a youngster! I guess I'll be checking for it on netflix now