16 M3A1 Stuart Light Tanks discovered in Brazil

[Hauptmann]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meuzLhc0w6c&feature=related

[army historian]

Wow! I sure would like one for our Museum in Sacramento. Cheers Captain Albert

[peter monahan]

Wow indeed! It looks as if soemone is investing time in refurbishing one or more of them. Any word on who or where they're being 'done' or on their eventual fate?

Edited August 21, 2011 by peter monahan

[tankman10]

We are fortunate to be restoring one of these 16 tanks at the Tank Museum, Bovington, England. We decided that as the majority of these M3 (there were a couple M3's recovered as well... check them out in the footage)/M3A1's would be returned to their olive drab colourings, we would convert ours to a British "Honey" variant as the type that served us so well in North Africa. This mainly requires adding extra stowage and side skirts, along with desert camoflage paint scheme. So far over the last few years (we are all volunteers working on this project and spend one weekend a month working on her) we have cleaned the whole upper structure of old paint and rust, painted her in single desert yellow colour for the 2010/2011 season and, this year had the engine out and given a full check over/service at and off-museum-site company who specialise in aero engines. Future work to be completed is hoped to be the following... full repaint with 3-tone camoflage scheme, full interior restoration, addition of newly manufactured exterior stowage & fully stowed interior. I have added 3 photo's of the vehicle in her rust colour, partially painted and fully painted colours. There is also footage of her being run at this years Tankfest 2011 on youtube (find it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Km7hVDk_8g).

[tankman10]

further to previous post.. 3rd photo didn't upload... here it is. I am in 2nd photo, and you might also notice me in turret on video view.