anyone want to buy a tank

[Mark Whiteman]

Those Brits have collector clubs for anything. I was perusing the Algore Internet and stumbled onto a website for "cockpit collectors". People that collect old warbird nose sections, usually set up on hardstands. I wonder how complete those are. Next step- Microsoft Flight Simulator!

 

[pcosmar]

You don't need Micro$oft. You can get a flight sim here.
http://www.flightgear.org/

It's cross platform, and has a lot of aircraft choices.
Now for tanks, go here.
http://www.bzflag.org/

 

[tegemu]

Fuel would break you.

 

[krimmie]

Now the boards gonna have a thousand threads titled.

"Mossy 500, Rem. 870 or T-55"

 

[klover]

It would be easy to parallel park.

Simply drive over anyone in your way.

 

[Phaetos]

Odd .. they can't have guns or knives, but they can sell tanks?! What's wrong with that picture?

 

[Leedavisone]

$40,000 is the cost. But, what I would love is one of the "Field Kitchens" for $6,000. And, no FFL is needed!

 

[Kaeto]

$40,000 is the cost. But, what I would love is one of the "Field Kitchens" for $6,000. And, no FFL is needed!

Then you could be the Head Cook. And your motto would be "Death from Within!"

 

[scrat]

sounds kinda funny that you would have to make the main gun inopperative. there is a museum over here in south el monte. they must have around 100 tanks. The tanks get used a lot for movies. Same time they must be able to shoot as i have never seen a movie where one did not shoot something. So if they have them there im sure you could get one that had a working gun in some way.

still love to see you drive it down the street or to work. that would be a site.

 

[ABTOMAT]

Movie tanks usually shoot propane or muzzle-load blanks, I think. You can have a tank with an operative gun as far as I know, but it counts as a destructive device and so does every round for it.

Armored vehicle collection/ownership is big in the UK. I'm not sure of the legal reasons behind this, but I think it has to do with domestic equipment not required to be destroyed like the US has since the '50s.

Once you guys realize the supporting stuff you need to own a tank you'd never want one. First you need the tank itself and a place to put it. Then you need a tank transporter to take it anywhere. Plus a heavy crane to perform maintenance involving the engine or turret. And a collection of huge and specialized tools. Plus a parts source for all kinds of funky stuff that wears out. And lots of fuel. And money to pay for it all.

I'd rather have a wheeled scout car or APC. Much more practical, and you can drive it on the roads on summer weekends.

 

[fedlaw]

whats the point? for it to be legal for a civvie to own, it has to be demiliterized.
Namely a nice cutting job torch that removes lots of armor from the tank. For starters the entire engine compartment armor has to be removed, the barrel rendered unusable, turret armor removed....

You could not be much more incorrect Unless you said it was against the law to own a tank. On T-55 and T-34 You need to demil the Breech and torch cut a hole equal to the bore in the high preasure area. Nothing else. No removing armor, Barrel is still usable as a prop propane gun, Which is alot cheaper to fire then live rounds.

My buddy, a machinist, helped "restore" a deck gun, which resides in his neighbor's garage. Funny how much larger the gun looks when it is out of context.

 

[vis-à-vis]

I went for a ride in the Ghetto 3 weeks ago. I saw a rather inconspicuous 8-10' US Air Force missile on a platform in the middle the lawn. Guess he felt nothing says "keep off the grass" or "no trespassing" like a missile. I should go get a picture of it.

 

[scrat]

id love to see that. that would be great

 

[alucard0822]

Ive seen a few civilian owned deuce and 1/2's and willys jeeps around here, maybe not as cool as a tank, but alot more practical, you could probably rig a tank's maingun to fire potatoes, or whole spray paint cans, that might be fun

 

[CWL]

Never heard about removing armor. For AFV ownership, all you need is to de-mil the guns, beyond this, it's just owning a tractor.

Back when the Iron Curtain fell, Czechoslavakia was unloading T55s for US$5,000. The cost of shipping is what's expensive.

There's a billionaire here in No. CA that has a personal AFV collection of over 400 vehicles. Lots of Russian/SovBlok & USA stuff. Also some pretty rare stuff like German WWII armor and 88's.

If you have the money and time, there's several armor collector's groups located throughout North America.

 

[Avenger29]

There is also a member on this board that had some armored vehicles. In GA, I think- he had pictures of an armored car that he was driving around the city and people were having fits because he could

 

[Glockfan.45]

whats the point? for it to be legal for a civvie to own, it has to be demiliterized.
Namely a nice cutting job torch that removes lots of armor from the tank. For starters the entire engine compartment armor has to be removed, the barrel rendered unusable, turret armor removed....

You dont need to remove the armor just de-mil the gun. I saw an F-16 for sale on eBay once.....no joke it was the real deal. It flew and everything, just had the 20mm Vulcan Cannon and fire controls removed. Russia was selling an aircraft carrier last year and I think a U.S civi bought it. If you have the money you can own just about anything you want. To the poster that said U.S military has to destroy surplus not true at all. I have seen ex-military hummers for sale dated as recent as 97. If you got rubber tracks for the T-55 and registered it as farm equipment with the DMV it would be street legal.

 

[M2Pilot]

I don't think I'm in the market for a tank,but

if you're ever around Danville,VA, check out the tank museum there. Website is aaftankmuseum.com.

 

[tank mechanic]

Once you guys realize the supporting stuff you need to own a tank you'd never want one.

Amen to that. Tanks require constant up keep to them up and running.

I'd rather have a wheeled scout car or APC

Talking about the maintenance required for a tank and you would rather have an APC. No thank you. I think APCs were designed just to p*** mechanics off.

 

[ABTOMAT]

Talking about the maintenance required for a tank and you would rather have an APC. No thank you. I think APCs were designed just to p*** mechanics off.

Not a big tracked APC, something wheeled and relatively simple. No need for massive maintenace equipment, endless suspension work, or airplane engine parts.

To the poster that said U.S military has to destroy surplus not true at all. I have seen ex-military hummers for sale dated as recent as 97.

It's been a while since I looked into this, but the vast majority of modern US military vehicles are not allowed to be sold to the public due to liability issues. This inlcudes the Mutt, Hummer, etc. They cut them in half or drive tanks over them. IIRC most of the ex-military Hummers you see in the states are repatriated models that were exported to friendly countries, early preproduction surplus, or ones that were somehow trickled down through various municipal departments. You can't just walk into a DRMS auction and buy a Hummer or M60 like you can an old Deuce & Half or the like.

 

[hso]

An aquaintance of mine had a Centurion shipped over. Made for quite a sight motoring downtown!

There's no more reason that these shouldn't be owned any more than a motor bike. The guns aren't live and they're no more a problem than a piece of heavy construction equipment.

 

[Neo-Luddite]

It's been a while since I looked into this, but the vast majority of modern US military vehicles are not allowed to be sold to the public due to liability issues.

As far as I know this is true. The last vehicle that the US DOD sold as intact surplus over the counter (in quantity) was the m38a1 1966 jeeps. Some others made it out, one or two, of course since then. Or have come back in the US--(but Billie Clinton said no DOD can be re-patriated and I assume that included vehicles as well as weapons.)

That said, the yankee know-how finds a way. Anything once de-milled has been remilled and made to work. It's crazy baloney. As far as I know, it started with the jeeps after WWII and Korea: yahoo civies didn't get the idea that a real deal jeep will roll over in turns of any speed above 'nominal'.
No more jeeps.

There have been guys that have made trashed airframes of fighter jets fly again. And Humvees, mules, and muts by the score take to the road and get titled in friendly states (once someone gives it a title, it is again OK on the road).

Oddly, foreign armor can get in with little de-milling. It is really kind of sick for a car buff or miltary collector--all that tax payor money is crushed to no good end. Just because you can own it doesn;t mean anyone will let you drive it on the road.

 

[Dan Forrester]

I still can’t figure out why people spend $40,000 on a tank, but wont splurge on the extra $200 to the ATF to form 1 the main gun to keep it live and fire real ammo.

You would figure it would cost more than $200 just to demill the main gun.

Am I missing something.

Dan

 

[thexrayboy]

The Ferret armored scout car is an option. I have seen them occasionally advertised for sale. Would work well on the road and not cost a fortune in fuel.

 

[paramedic70002]

Now I remember seeing a WWII sub for sale once, that would have been a blast!