WORKSHOP WEDNESDAY: Greatest tank BARN FIND in Australia! PART IV 

Rob sounds like a great Aussie. Working hard to make the country stronger _and_ protecting our heritage. Props to his family donating all this.

Dirk is awesome! What a great guy coming all the way to Australia to help. I really hope he enjoyed his time here and felt at home. I hope he didn't have any problems understanding that Far North Queensland accent! :)

"I know alott of you guys might not like the rust look," i think i speak for many people here i when say that seeing a tank or vehicle like this one , it really shows the work that goes in to an full restauration and how lucky we all are that there are people like the Parker family, that see the value of these things and at the very least save them for when the right moment and team come allong to pick up where they left off!

Vielen Dank für Ihren Besuch in Cairns und für die Zusammenarbeit mit dem Museum. Die Leidenschaft, diese Fahrzeuge zu restaurieren und zum Leben zu erwecken, überschreitet Grenzen. Was für eine wunderbare Art, einen Urlaub zu verbringen! 🇩🇪🤝🇦🇺

Not all heroes wear capes, some wear Ausarmourfest T''s and baseball caps!! Well done Ron

80 years old and still looks formidable. Thank you for keeping her alive

Ron is an absolute machine, ratrod grant looks amazing

What a great guy is Ron! And sooo bloody knowledgeable about the Grant tanks.. the way he got that turret ring free was nothing less than astounding. Only a bloody lot of hard and work and backache gets you the experience to be able to free one like that. Good on yer Ron and good luck with the rest of the Grants you want to do. Not that you need luck, just plenty of dosh!

Amazing. I'm so pleased you did this. The contrast with this and the restored one shows how they look when first found and after a full restoration.

15:07 the rust look is fantastic and I am not bothered what they look like side by side, sure they will be an excellent pair. Great work as always.

Well done Curtis. Whoever hired a social media manager did a great job.

How wonderful!! As a Military Vehicle hobbyist (owning/restoring vintage military vehicles) seeing one of these in unrestored condition is a rare thing, this will also show what these vehicles were used for when they were sold as surplus, there’s all kinds of great stories about how the vehicle was discovered then it’s journey to restoration.

Yay! It's Wednesday again. More great fun! Thanks guys!

Nothing better watching people totally dedicated to restoring historical machinery, these people at Aus Armour both permanent and temporary are the best but Rob really stands out with his knowledge and experience in tank restoration , well done

When your finished with Ron Ship him over to me in the UK 🇬🇧 you can see he knows how to get on! Great video!!

I love watching 2 talented craftsmen, an Australian and a German, working hard to restore this history together. We're all human at the end of the day. Thank you for preserving our shared history, so we may never repeat it.

Absolute surgeons in the restoration dept, bloody beautiful work every single one of you guys, dont stop.

Kurt, i think having the rusty Grant next to your restored units further demonstrates just how good your team is at what they do. Love how folks are wanting to join in from around the world, great series mate.

Best tank channel on RU-vid

It’s lovely that you didn’t over-restore her. Looks perfect, well done!

I appreciate the conservation of this tank. The layers of paint, rust and damage are all a part of its story and I think displaying it in this condition helps to explain why the restoration of other pieces in the museum is important in turn.

I know I always harp on about my love of Workshop Wednesday, but it gets better each episode. I would love to sit with Ron and have a cuppa to hear his stories. Thanks again for another brilliant episode, I was able to finish the dishes from dinner early so I could watch the episode. Cheers

It is a question of taste, of course - and despite the fact that I like fully restored vehicles more, I also like this project here very much! Best regards from Germany, Jens

Fantastic rustoration, she looks superb, be great one day to see her running maybe but so many projects still waiting to be done. Love all your videos Kurt, please keep them coming.

Boy what a job you guy have,I can see how hard it is, and the work you do,We all owe you so much for what you are doing. And yes I would love so much to Volunteer to work with you guys. Thank again for showing the world what you guys are doing down there. Hats off to you all 🇬🇧 🎩

He doesn’t muck around 😮straight into it 😊and works 💨

Thank you again to John parker and Family for providing the Grants from their Families paddock. Kudos to Expert Ron , Dirk (welcome to Oz) and Steve in the Rust -oration . I am wondering what the paint scheme colours or hues where ? And from the left over markings what Units did they come from in 1942-1945?

I look forward to receiving your videos every Wednesday 9am here in the UK. Thank you for another awesome video. Keep them coming!!!

I love the rust patina! Great work Ron!

LOVE the patina restoration. Sometimes it's great to see what the years have done to these machines.

Wahoo! Love it, found this thanks to the On The Bench podcast. But what a bloody Aussie legend Ron is!

What a job !!! What an achievement !!! Respect to all there... This one is a real BIG rustoration although being in rough shape, this one shows the REAL tank,in real life...As a former tanker (gunner) in Greece at mid 70's , I had the opportunity to know some tank types..M24s were our oldest back then , and the main types were M47s and M48s. The newest I served ,was the M48A1..Anyway, I think the oldest tanks in the Greek Army, of course after the Liberation from the Nazi occupation, were the Commonwealth's types..Cromwells and other types of this era (my late father was a driver of an Cromwell back at the 50s..) and a little later some Shermans. I do not think Greece ever had Grants (or Lees..) but as I always follow your episodes, I find your restorations very interesting...Tanks are almost the same about ... Please accept my congratulations to all of the personnel and there in the AUSArmor museum.

Fantastic to see how the love of historical vehicles saves these for future generations well done to all involved 👍

I LOVE! When they keep what left of the original pigment, adds a whole other dimension to tanks we so fondly recognize, yet forget. Their age, usage marks, and color, as most media from the time was in black and white. Just a small amount of pigment is the largest contributor to the figment of imagination & reality of how it once was.

while generally not a fan of patina restorations in cars in this as the unit markings and a good amount of the finish is visable I think you made the correct decision. excellent.

It was a great idea putting her in the museum next to a fully restored one . Pretty cool display. Thanks to you all

I got a big chuckle out of both Zimmerit comments. 🙂 I also appreciate Ron's fondness for that "tank smell". My father was an armored battalion XO and I spent a fair amount of time crawling around tanks, trucks, Gamma Goats, jeeps, etc. as a kid. Once in a great while, something will trigger that smell memory and I love it. Oiled canvas under the hot sun and my dog's insulin are two things that trigger the memory.

The thing I like most about these videos is that they are 100% genuine with no fake "up-against-the-clock/need to meet a deadline" drama like in the Americans do...

Great collaboration of like minded historic restoration tankers! I hope the Parker family gets to see the work done on the tanks they preserved!

Watching the two Grant restorations put me in the mind of two very different car youtubers The first grant, meticulously taken apart and rebuilt using all the right methods for precise authentic looks. Kinda like Jay Leno's garage. The second, bash it together , make it fit leave the rust.... Kinda like Coldwar Motors.

Your Dad would be proud Mr. Parker. Having your son take part in the rescue as well is something I'm sure your son will remember as well.

I like the rusted preservation or "Rust-oration". It shows like what modelmakers strive to try obtaining in a model kit.

This is a great video and is making me excited about heading out to the gym. OK, so part of that sentence is true, but it looks like even that level of restoration is a heck of a lot of work. Kudos to everyone who pitched in and I am really impressed the gentleman came all the way from Germany to do his bit. 👍👍

What a way to spend your holiday in Australia Dirk. Vielen Dank.

Woah, serious high energy level and know-how. Well done blokes.

Congratulations from Florida...I've been a tanker when I was a kid then volunteered for the service back in the 1970's..when I was a driver for the 1st Calvary Armor Divinion ..back it M60A3.....your channel content is awesome..

That was one serious drill for the door hinge mount holes!!

The contrast between the two tanks is so cool! Thank you all for sharing this.

It’s really cool to see the patina restoration but I’m hoping it gets a full restoration someday because it’s such a good example and so complete.

I have known Ron for 30+ years and he is a machine, he re-builds these things on his own and he is also a world class model builder hence the attention to detail he displays here and everything else he dose, great guy and I am privileged to call him a friend.

Fantastic contrast to watching car restoration projects where thin metal abounds with light tapping hammers and short burst mig welding pervades. Here its nothing less than a 10lb club hammer as a precision tapping stick to whack plate steel into a millimetre precise placement. Really enjoyed the journey through the enthusiasm of your team.

Being a fan of Mad Max and a wastelander myself I love the rust look..ether way you all do 1 hell of a job keeping history alive

The quality of materials and manufacture is attested to by how they came back to life after so many years exposed to the elements.

These guys have the coolest jobs in the world! I would give anything to even just be a shop hand cleaning up and making food runs working with these guys! Seriously this is a great example of if you love what you do, you never work a day in your life! These guys are getting paid to restore tanks! Screw a office where your boss takes credit your work where can I apply to be a tank restorer?! Seriously enjoy these videos n bow my head to these gents! Incredible work

What a superb makeover! No makeup needed. Your team succeed with the best patina! 😇🇭🇲

Thank you for sharing 🏆🙏🤗🇺🇲

"Rattle it loose.' Very high tech--and it works. 'Bland' US assembly-line engineering must have had its charms for maintainers. I can't help wondering how large were the machines that made such a concept possible. 'Oh, that room? That's where we make the ash tray.' Ron, you're amazing. Thanks for sharing your passion.

These guys are the true industrial legends of our time. Serious wealth of knowledge they share between them.

We all dream of this kinda of finds. Fantastic

I appreciate a 'rustoration' as much as a full restoration. Its nice to see the original paint and markings sometimes, because it is as close as we can get to seeing the original colours and such. I hope yourselves and other museums consider them more often in future, particularly when you can do both side by side! Great work, and communications as always!

This is an excellent video, much credit to Ron and Robert Parker for saving these iconic machines.

Patina looks great on this one.! Ron has the power the passion and vision it’s like watching a person from the time period work on it 😮

Jack-Hammering that rust into submission! Awesome job and must have been a joy to turn that ring after freeing it up.

Bit of a step-up from the days of making incredible diorama's Ron. Great work

I love the original, rusty look, especially when parked alongside the fully restored Grant! Another amazing piece!

Heading that way next year & looking forward to seeing the Grant. My dad drove them in the 2nd Tank Battalion, 3rd Tank Brigade, 3rd Armoured Division. Started with Stuarts I think, then the Grant and finally Matildas.

That is Awesome! Ron is a machine at restoring Grants!! Thank you for sharing this Awesome story Ausarmor!! Keep up the Brilliant work!!!!

Everyone working on this one's a top bloke. Take a LOT to restore a tank, but doing it without fixing everything up take a lot more restraint.

Workshop Wednesdays makes my week so much more enjoyable. Seeing all the hard work the folks do to bring old bits of history back to life, or giving them a new lease on life depending on if they get restored or just cleaned up to be shown off. Amazing work and a big congratulations to all the folks there at the museum.

Man! Ron has really been working! Well, you all do, of course. Such a good bloke for helping you all out.

I get the impression he's happy when the ring spins by hand I LOVE seeing a true craftsman enjoying his work!--Bob Bailey in Maine, USA

Things were made much better back then. Seventy years on the bearings are still good. .

Woohoo! Workshop Wednesday!!

Great to see these machines bought back to working order so future generations can study them.

having a restored and a survivor is PERFECT!!!

Great job. It is really cool to see a fully restored example right next to one with such a cool history and rust patina. Big shout out to Robert Parker and family for saving these tanks from the scrappers, and to Ron, Dirk and all of the regular crew for their amazing work. Kurt, great video and narration as always. Keep up the excellent work.

That rust-oration looks absolutely gorgeous! Plus some great footage around 14:30 of why annular cutters are a must have. But Ron's likely-contagious enthusiasm for the M3 Grant was maybe the best part. Loving this series.

The Grant tank was great in SE Asia throughout the war. People like Ron are amazing! Thanks for the video.

Absolutely love the rusty look. It’s draws its history out and makes it Look like the old war dog it is. Good job guys.

Ron is a legend.

Just love its patina !! Greetings from France

You’re a bloody legend Ron. Look forward to each Wednesday… but these Grant tanks are something special. “Tanks” guys 😀

Yay for the full troop!

In my opinion the rust is amazing!

This is how you wish you find them the family who looked after them must be so pleased and in not so much time Ron has done a great job with his team and all of you before and after

That was absolutely the right decision with that tank. It turned out beautiful! great display.

i really love that you left it rusty

Thank Ron for his great story about Grant Tank restoration !.

The comparison between the resto and the rusto also shows the level of work that's gone into the ongoing preservation activities. Great work, and if I ever travel to the opposite side of the planet, I'll be sure to check it out in person.

Einen schönen Mitwoch. Ihr seit die besten. Grüße aus Deutschland Jürgen

Love watching ya'll get these pieces of history put back the way they were. It's satisfying to see it preserved.

Yeah a big salute to Dirk, for helping out,--coming from Germany,-tanks & good engineering,-would be in his blood!!--

I was a Lt. In the army…1968…Armor…I learned on a M60 (105mm) and was sent to 1/73 rd Armor, Fort Beavers, Korea…we had M48 A2C (90 mm). I really appreciate your work and video…brought back many memories…thanks…

Great work... contrasting before & after!

Wow what a great video, you couldn't make it up, great stories from Ron's first restoration to the Rustoration and the willing and able new faces. What a great slice of history I would never have known were it not for the Australian Armour & Artillery Museum and all the fellas who make it work. Big thanks and you are all much appreciated.

Nice to see these old machines coming back together..

I love seeing tanks restored to conditions they would be in after years of war, like this

what a magnificent restoration. A real work of art to be proud of. Keeping the dream alive

I love the rust look! And having it side-by-side with the restored Grant displays the contrast really well.

Amazing restoration. My dad worked as a mechanic on M3 Grant tanks as well as on Stuart's, Matilda's and Sherman's during the war. His Regiment , the 2/8th Armoured Regiment, had 57 of them by June of 42. A total of 757 arrived in Australia by the end of 1942.