stanleywindrush

Hi

Progress has been good.

Starting with a very degraded AMX13 I have now managed to restore at least 2 to running order over the last three years. I have now exhibited at Tankfest 2021  and will again at 2022.

My latest is a 105 from deep storage in mainland Europe. Started off beige, now back in green. Its a 1964, used by Dominican republic, then in Asia... back to France and now with me in the UK.

Looking like Im starting to know  a bit about these tanks!?

// Pictures of latest restoration

Recently restored peugeot p4. Immaculate inside and out. Low mileage engine, on the button and a good drive. One of only a handful in uk, but parts are easy to buy. Historic motor class. Based on the mercedes g wagon, so formidable off road. Bristol based,  but can deliver. 11,250 (no vat) Was used in gulf war and only recently released by french airforce.

Yes that's a panhard aml60. I have a 90 in a state of disassembly as well. These are lovely little machines. I would ad pictures but cant seem to do that from a mobile for some reason..

Yes there were two SPG's and one larger field gun too. The 'obus' versions had a fixed superstructure and one with a rotational turret.

Everyone likes a 'rag to riches' restos - so heres a few. Two AMXs now completed, two in progress and a 'wreck' in the wings.

I slowly purchased them all from a bone yard in Europe over the last 2 years, and have been working with a small team to (slowly) get them all going.

Next year (2021) show season we should be exhibiting the AX13 105 (in sand colour below, but should be in green soon) - Feel free to come up for a chat  and have a look around them at any of the shows. We should be at Tankfest in the tank park..

The pictures are 'before and afters'...

We have also amassed a lot of spares and knowledge, so if you need any help, PM me.

Thanks Baz

Hi, the last six months has been busy. One cosmetic Amx13 restoration for a private collection, and I am currently working on an Amx 13 VCI (amx troop carrier) built in mid sixties and rebuild in 1980 I found it languishing in an armour bone-yard in Belgium. After a couple years of negotiations and a lot of paperwork, I got it back to UK just over a year and a half ago. It entered the workshop just before covid19 hit. Therefore progress has been slow yet steady as we can't have more than one person in workshop at a time.. More pictures as we progress.. Repaint completed, now on to engine, wiring, suspension and lastly reinstate the interior.. 

As part of the Fort Paull auction in June (museum closing) there should be two sumbs up for sale. They were mine I gave them to the museum in exchange for a knackered exhibit I was after. One was in very good nick, I had addressed all the rust and it ran sweetly with crisp brakes. The other was not very good, but I sprayed up so looked presentable.. I put the v8 from the knackered one on a stand as an exhibit for them.. 

On 3/26/2020 at 9:12 PM, Martin brind said:

Hi everybody 

I have a simca  french army truck and I am looking for a master brake cylinder for It , has any body got one or know where I can find one.

 Thank you 

martin brind

I seem to remember we used a series 3 landrover, it worked treat.. 

Started the clean up.. Found a few spent rounds in the process.. 

This weekend members of the French army reenactment group started work on a rare beastie indeed. We will post up pictures of the restoration as we progress. 

This is a mortar carrier variant of the widely used AMX family of vehicles. It has sat outside in the holding area for a while.. gathering rain water.. But now its entering the workshop for some tlc. 

When purchased it came in a batch of stock standard vehicles, but soon we noticed it was slightly different in build and shape from the other vtt we have, so after inspection we can see it was originally a mortar carrier, that has been modified, probably for driving instruction use by a North European country. Manufactured by Sofem in 1964, and judging by the dates on the ammunition we found under the floor, probably in some sort of military use as late as the early 90's.

THIS VEHICLE IS NOW SOLD. 

I  have access to tons of NOS spares, so sourcing parts is available.

Somerset based, only serious enquiries please. 

Baz 

All sorted, tracks tightening (after the pictures) steering adjusted. Just the remanufactured front canvas turret bellows to fit.. and we are complete. 

Just finishing off the interior, ready for show season this year.

In all just over 2000 hours of labour and a fair whack of money - but worth it, as we are all (those that worked on it) very pleased with the outcome.  This is especially true when we consider it was our first tank restoration... and working in its tiny confines was described by one chap as like; 'doing mechanics whilst potholing'. Next will be the VTT, but only once we have enjoyed driving/ showing this one.

Turret now mounted on chassis.. Just fettling / detailing left to complete. 

Yes very likely. I have x3 amx13 and two amx vtt still left to restore . Of this, I only want to complete one vtt so there will be enough to make up a couple of full amx13 from the parts left easily.. If you are interested to talk further then mail me. I have a nice early hull that comes from the dominican republic I would say was the best starting point.. 

Hi

I would be interested. Feel free to email me ebarrimore@hotmail.com to talk money and logistics.. 

Maybe this was originally from sabiex but the diesel they put in for Mexico were detroit I think. This is deutz and only country with deutz i read was Argentina?? 

Still a way to go, tracks now on and driving though..

Some of the latest pictures of the AMX going back together.

33 minutes ago, Packhow75 said:

Nice... think I have an unwanted shell case for one of these.

Hi,

I'd be interested in that shell - I had bought a 75mm but it turns out to be a sherman firefly round.  Its only the brass shell with a slightly crumpled rim (where the projectile goes)  the french shell is about the same length but thinner and tapering along the entire case. 

Hi Peeps,

Been a while as I disappeared down a rabbit hole of french wheeled armour (Panhard AML60 an AML90).  Glad to say I re-emerged, but bitten badly by the 'exoticisms' of our Gallic cousins across the channel.

I purchased a few AMX's in varying conditions abroad and had them all shipped over six months ago after at least 3 years negotiation - getting armour out of France is a lengthy business...  I'm glad to say after an intensive period I have nearly completed the first full resto of an AMX13 from 1958, that had been modified as a 'demonstrator' for possibly the Argentinians, mounting a Deutz air cooled,  V8 turbo diesel in that small space at the front of the tank.

Here's a brief photo montage of the resto of mine that is reaching an end. If people are interested I will post more pictures and detail, but please note some these photos are to be used in a book soon, so if reused please at least credit me (ta!) 

I have saved the petrol restos (probably another two squeezed out the 5 other wrecks I have) for another day - but I guess they wont perform like this pocket rocket.. with its 350 HP, twin turbo'd lump. In  a tank of only 14 tons - that's relatively useful HP per tonne. I have driven it a couple of weeks ago, and was happy to stay in 2nd!

This demonstrator tank wasn't taken up by the Argentinians (although they fitted a similar Deutz to their AMX fleet back in S America) so it went into 'outside storage' for about 20 years - open to the elements.  The interior was in a much worse state than the exterior, believe me!

This first posts are of delivery and disassembly, with a couple of internal and external hull restoration.

The next post will be reassembly...

(If you cant wait, check out the resto blog on facebook under 'French Army Reenactment Group')

Yep.. I go for metal caged filters as used on early Mercedes.. Paper can buckle and break.. 18 from jeepparts. I get the equivalent ordered through euro parts for tenner. Don't ask me part number just now as filters are out my unit. 30 mins away... 

I have all these parts.. New. Mail me ebarrimore@hotmail.com 

Hi 

I'd go for cheap 15w40 mineral but change every 6 months. That's if you have the v8. The diesel probably semi synthetic.. Yep put a dodge/ jeep filter on the block s you can change filters. Where you based??