"Can Someone ID This Tank" Topic

This AFV is sitting on the side of a road in Sour Lake, Texas. The photo is not the greatest as it was taken with a buddy's cell phone. I have not seen it in anything other than this photo. He said it had British markings on it so I thought it might be a Chieftan. Anyhoo here it is.

Most of you know your modern tanks so please feel free to opine. Thanks and salut y'all!

Bruce the Texas Grognard

Only in Texas will you find a tank on the side of the road. Sry Bruce I don't know what it is, I know it is not a chieftan though.

T-72

Allen

Well it is Texas…..

It is a Chieftain with the side skirts removed. The three storage bins along track guards are the giveaway.

And the return rollers, sloped sides and NBC box on the rear of the turret. Blue on Blue from Allen :->

Doesn't look like a Chieftain, no Armoured recovery vehicle parked next to it ready.

Just kidding, yes its a Chieftain.

Chiefy, same one/type that appeared in that TV series about zombies,with the stillbrew on the turret,

Tally Ho!

Which leads to the question…what the hell is a T-72 doing sitting along side a road in Texas???

I haven't the foggiest idea my bleu ami. I'm gonna have to go take a look at it myself now. It'll be a nice trip out to the sticks. I'll definitely bring my digital camera with me for better photos. Thanks for all the input y'all!

Bruce the Texas Grognard

It is awaiting shipment to PFL Phat Daddy. It undertook trials in Texas to verify that it could operate in jungle conditions, especailly the rainy season. The one remaining item to be installed is the mini bar.

Thanks… Now I remember where I left it. Things were a little foggy that weekend. I'll pick it up in a little bit.

Many years ago, a NYC cop was doing a foot patrol along the docks and came across a locked parking lot full of Soviet tanks. He raised an alarm, and after considerable investigation, it was discovered that the tanks belong to the Egyptians and were bound for complete overhauls in the U. S. The shipping company forgot to tell anyone besides the State Department…

Hah in NYC he didn't raise the alarm so much as tell the station the new squad cars were in.

Boy were they disapointed when they found out they were not for the NYPD.

it's a chieftain stillbrew, with the extra turret armour.

As long as they're de-mil-ed, you can just buy these things.

It's possible that some parts still license people to buy them in full working order, I don't know for sure.
-Kle.

Yep, CHieftain.

Along the side of the road on the way to Quakertown PA is a Ferret A/C. Name of the company it sits in front of is Blastco. I can only imagine what they do…

Damon.

Good thing I didn't have a round in the breech…

Allen

And don't forget to check the charge bins for the beer!!

Tally Ho!

Who in Sour Lake could afford a Chieftan? Are they going to haul logs with it?

I would understand a T-72 more than a Chieftain. Did the Brits sell a bunch of them off? A T-72 can be explained as a war trophy from the Middle East. Has anyone Texas fought lately used Chieftains?

The Chieftains at BATUS in Canada were sold off locally when they were retired.

probably a new border patrol vehicle for the minutemen…

Well looking at it again without the skirts it does look like a chieftan not a T-72.

A T-72 can be explained as a war trophy from the Middle East.

So can a Chieftain.

Also note:
link

link

Just do a dang search for "Chieftain tank for sale".
Plenty of people in the world have lots of money.
-Kle.

IIRC about 10-15 years ago they were selling for about $17,000.

17,000 – DAMN! That is a good price!

How many gallons per mile and did they come with a tool kit

Klebert L Hall wrote:

Also note:
link

That advert says "good engine". In a Chieftain. How did that happen?

All the best,

John.

Gotta be an upgrade to a forign diesel.

My understanding is that a Chieftan is like a Triumph, love it or hate it your girlfreind needs to be kinky about engine oil smells.

is an FV432 in "rally" condition?

According to my ex-chieftain buddy, the engine problems were sorted out by the later marks and by the late 70s they were no less reliable than anything else in the orbat.

The RN now has the leftover Chieftain engines in its training ships (two in each) and from talking to the engineer on HMS Exploit, they're good engines. His only complaint is that they're far less powerful than what SHOULD have gone into those ships. Somewhat alarmingly, when you go down into the engine room you see the words 'DO NOT MARINISE' cast i big letters on the top of each engine!

There appears to be a market in the American film industry for modern(ish) tanks that look the real deal, whilst not being the M1 – which nobody can get second-hand, not even Bovington Tank Museum. I have seen a Chieftan in "The Walking Dead" and there is another in "Zombieland" (a theme seems to be developing here …), so keep your eyes peeled for more example of the <ahem> British invasion.

Curiously the Chieftain in Walking Dead very briefly transmogrified into an M41 and then back into a Chieftain! I guess they wanted to re-shoot part of the scene on a later date, but couldn't get the Chieftain back!

Another Chieftan spotting – at the very end of "The Runaway Bride", where the UK's armed forces congregate to blam the spit out of an alien spaceship. In three-tone camouflage, to boot!