Found: Tank

[Ryan]

Hi all,
Asking for a friend who is a long time tank fanatic. Into models, r/c etc and now wants to get into 1/1 scale. Has cash, has the land but has no contacts.
Is there anything available out there ATM in southern Aus? Prefers WW2. He is looking around the 25k mark. Doesn't need to be complete.
The Valentine in SA recently is a good example.

Is John Belfield selling or still buying?

[maple_leaf_eh]

You will have to sit him down when you tell him this. In the US a running Sherman tank starts around $200,000. If it is a particularly desireable model and a very well done restoration, try $500,000. Universal Carriers are attractive and the price is rising. They are also fussy little creatures that need love, care and massage to perform at expectations.

The least expensive alternative is to go for a former Warsaw Pact tracked vehicle that is not a tank. Vehicles like a BMP or MTLB ( sovietarmor.com/for_sale.html ) are simpler than British vehicles, even though the instructions and parts are all in Cyrllic. American vehicles have too many Arms Control restrictions. German vehicles are either postwar and scarce, or wartime and unbelievably expensive.

Another source of information is milweb.net/classifieds.php.

Good luck, and let us know what he decides !

[Tony Mathers]

I think this is as cheap a running tank, that is locally available:

http://www.milweb.net/classifieds/la...ad=75938&cat=1

[Ryan]

Cheers guys but he is not after parade ground quality examples. Hence the price. Doesn't have to be complete or running.

[charlie fitton]

Tell us more about the Valentine in SA, please

[Ryan]

Originally Posted by charlie fitton

Tell us more about the Valentine in SA, please

Check out Shane's cab 12 thread in the resto area. Has pics. It's a couple of pages back from the last.