About a year and a half ago I posted a thread about some fellow armor veterans and myself working to fix up some museum pieces that have been neglected for decades.We started with an M60 MBT in our local military museum in Sea Girt NJ.

This is how we found her.

In progress.

Done. We decided on the Original as issued semi gloss OD for durability, ease and availability of paint. MERDC paint is long gone in the system.

Tom

Tom,
Nice job on the 1:1 scale item! The OD is probably the way that one started life anyway--she sure looks good now. I see there's an M103 in the background-- is that the next project?
VR, Russ

Russ thats a M48 Patton not a
M103

Nicely done.

I see that now--the angle makes it look like a103 with that high turret, but the coupola gives it away-- so is that the next project?
VR, Russ

Did you allow for scale effect when painting it?

It's good they had the tank on a concrete pad! Great job on the preservation effort.

USABOT!!!! while not a tanker myself, I ran track on a bulldozer and excavator as an engineer... so Im an associate.... our group did two tanks this summer.....

Due to environmental restrictions and an anal post commander we had to brush paint.

Brian we are USABOT too, Delta co. 4th Battalion New Jersey and NYC.
How you doing Bro!

The tank in the back ground is an M48A1 with a high rise cupola and yes she is next.

Tom

Great to see someone caring enough to preserve history and actually giving some thought to accuracy too.... if only some of the world's museums would follow suit

Thanks Peter, one of our major problems is a lack of concern from the National Guard leadership. They are not Armor officers and could care less about our states armor history. They gave away our M60A3 and M1 tanks to other states and want to remove the tanks we have left. They are a bunch of REMFs (rear echelon mother flyers) think old English.

Tom

Tom, funny story how I came to the unit.... (Abrams Co here). So, the first tank is an M-4 Sherman. Shes a war memorial in city of New Bedford MA, and is right across from my cousins house. A fellow model builder friend in AMPS group I am also in posts a couple of pics of them doing spot rust work and priming (all they had was white)....well.. 10 minutes after they leave the city PD starts getting flooded with calls about vandals desecrating the tank! LOL.... My cousin shoots me a photo on FB and Says LOOK what they did to our tank!!!! Now, I had seen the other pics from my buddy so I knew what was going on, put two and two together, and immediately hit my buddy up.... The guys are all trying to scramble to find some paint thats not white so neighbors dont panic.....Me, being former engineer/heavy equipment operator (finished up 15 years last year)....I had liberated a case of OD green spray cans some years ago... so I tossed em in my car and head out to see what I can do. Pulled up to two very frazzled members trying to do something, police cars just leaving, and my cousin whom i asked to tell them a guy would be up to help. The two members are giving me the hairy eyeball, because its now early evening, theyd been working on it all day, and had to put up with some drama... I popped the top on the case and started shaking OD green, and they just lit up like it was christmas LOL>.. we made introductions, killed th entire case of paint, but got her covered so the cops didnt get more calls. Made good friends and was encouraged to join as associate member.... and here I am.... A Co actually did 3 tanks in 2016, these guys like to PAINT! (half of us are model builders)..... I cant even begin to imaging having to hand paint....... our painter is a professional restoration guy for cars (and a modeller) so we got some serious paint jobs! Good meeting you and hope to see you at the Nats in CT this year!

There is an M-42 duster sitting at my old base, in the Haz Mat yard of all places... along with a 155 long tom, just rotting away. Our guys know about them, but supposedly they are verbotten to be touched, supposedly military doesnt actually own them anymore..... too bad cause they would make great gate guard at the base

Terrific job, and a perfect choice for the paint. You guys do good work. Thank you for taking care of her.

We have a duster too the sheet metal is a mess same for the 48. I decided to start on the M60 since with the aluminum fenders there was less rust. A lot of the sheet metal has rusted through on both.One of our volunteers has a connection and we got a replica M85 barrel machined. Our crew are all tankers or wrenches. It was great to climb back on a tank after retiring. It was like coming home.

Tom

Great to see some take care on our historical vehicles, even with leadership not caring.

Thomas (the Tank SGT), it looks that someone let you get inside the M60 to rotate the turret. And the tank does look better with the turret to the front. Hope you can do the same with the M48.

How to get those vehicles/howitzers out of the holding yard? A couple of suggestions - one: the Center of Military History is interested in where any old vehicles are located and see to their disposition. They could also take them away. Comes down to $$. The other way is to get one's local, state, and/or congressman involved.

Thanks to everyone that worked on these vehicles, and others that take interest in preserving our history.

USABOT here also Culin Company Upstate NY