Australian Lepoard Tanks

[Tony Smith]

I can offer you a good price on a shipload of 33 T72's, delivery to be organised ex Somalia.

[Ian Pullen]

Guys,
If the govt were to actually allow these things to be sold off via public auction, I very much doubt that many would remain in Australia. There would be cashed up buyers (exchange rate is looking good for them) from overseas waiting in a line also.
To be brutally honest there would not be too many collectors here who could afford one, transport it, run it AND maintain it. We have to admit that our hobby is small here compared to the USA, UK & Europe. I would expect about 80% would end up there. Considering there would be less than 100 tanks that would be sold off, if they were to go. That's not many left....
4 MPG @ $1.70 plus per litre, plus costs of transport to & from. Ouch.....
Parts are non existant and to get it to a meeting and back would cost literally thousands. The logistics would be a nightmare also. Escort vehicles, road closures, bridges etc, it would not be easy.
Is that talking them down enough???????????
If they were to go up for auction, my wife would leave me, but then I suppose I could always sleep in it......
I would however like to know more on the T72's though.

[Dinty]

G'day All, read all about it here http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/new...cle4831652.ece cheers Dennis

[Wayne Henderson]

Gee Ian, lighten up! Everyone knows that the minute a collector buys a tank some nutter with a gut full of whisky and a manic dislike of government property nicks it anyway. Owning a tank is just the same as owning a massive stinkboat or having a mistress, something that costs bucketloads of money and is used rarely, but oh the ride....
When I win lotto I'm gunna buy a tank, I've already got the whisky...

[Ian Pullen]

Yeah, sorry gentlemen. I suppose that was just venting.

A very good friend of both my wife & I has just passed. Given only two years to live five years ago she fought on. She said she wanted to hang on just to up the betting odds. Aparently no one apart from her, had anything more than three years on the sweep. (Hey, it was her idea, cleaned up too).........

There have been other things this week also including having to put my dog down. Seems I'll no longer have any one to blame my farts on after 18 years of having Boxers.

So gentlemen, I was just needing to vent. It's just been a week I'd rather forget.....

[Snowy]

Just saw this SMH article about the Leopard-in-your-cornflakes-box giveaways. There would be a lot of disappointed people over this:
http://news.smh.com.au/national/vete...1028-5aft.html

[Ian Pullen]

Gentlemen

I am trying to find a copy of the original proposal for the "gifted" tanks. This way I will be able to answer many questions over this fiasco. I had a copy somewhere & I will find it eventually

I seem to recall that it stated they were to be gutted completely of any and all internal fittings. So basically an empty hull.

Devoid of power packs, radiators, hydraulics etc.

All sights, vision blocks etc removed and welded over.

All external binning and ALL crew access (hatches) welded shut.

Am unsure but I think the turret was to be welded in position as was elevation of the barrel.

The complete external appearance of the vehicle was to be refurbished to new condition including tracks.

Barrels were to be cut at the chamber and breeches stripped of most of the components and then welded in position plus a cut in the breech ring.

I believe that there was also a covenant in the contract that the vehicle was never to be sold off and would have to be returned to the government when it was no longer required.

Upkeep was to be at the expense of the proprieter (not the government).

I am fairly sure that there was mention in the original draft of the expression of interest that transport costs were not to be at government expense.

As I cannot find a copy of the original expression of interest (yet) I will not put my hand on my heart and state that these terms are definite. I recall seeing these points written somewhere though.

I think I mentioned almost a month ago about having seen none of these so called gifts actually out there.

I have heard rumour of an overseas group of cashed up gentlemen who are waiting in the background wanting to buy the entire fleet if they were somehow to go to public sale.