Workshop Wednesday (COVID Edition) - PANTHER AUSF. A

[@calessel3139]

"Never underestimate the importance of an intact turret ring." - should be the motto of your shop.

[@dnbeckmann]

yes, really great line

[@andrewmacdonald4833]

I've heard that this monster had a price tag of over 10 mil...while that's a fortune, there's no doubt that this machine has been restored beautifully...it's a masterpiece...and a marvel...

[@gentlemanlypanda]

it was 14million bob

[@caidengillam]

@@gentlemanlypanda 7 million AUD

[@goo_rocket5897]

14 m I think

[@pumelo1]

Without Czech golden hands, this Panther would not have reached from Britain to Australia! I saw the whole story here. Czech technicians were putting the engine together and it was sabotaged during WW2 and the parts were luckily replaced with a semi-finished product from a cave factory on czech border! These 2 guys on olive overalls. And also the twins and their boss is a good funny group😁😁👍

[@stevemercer952]

Bruce did a programme showing the engine rebuild in Czecheslovakia at the plant where it was built during the war. They found after stripping down that during the original build the engine had been sabotaged by milling a groove around one of the valve stems, creating a weak spot. Fascinating to see all these years later. Hope your fiance and the guys at the museum recover soon. Thanks for another great video. Stay safe and take care. Best wishes to you all.

[@jeffreytan2948]

Those immaculate torsion bars are a thing of beauty. I'll never tire of looking at a panther's innards with just the torsion bars being nestled inside their frames.

[@roberthocking9138]

You have to hand it to the Germans, the engineering in that tank, produced in the middle of a war, is outstanding. Hope you all recover quickly.

[@paoloviti6156]

In truth the quality of the Panther and the Königtiger was very good despite very heavy bombings. Despite nonsense also the quality of the armour was good up to the end. Both the allies and historians all stated the same thing.....

[@allangibson2408]

The actual engineering was shit as the gearbox was chronically overloaded from day one. That was because they increased the armor weight by 50% without any changes to the already ordered engines and transmissions. The transmissions broke regularly as a result - 200 km being average before failure (less than 10% of the life of an equivalent American tank). The second issue was the factory prioritised new tanks over spare parts for existing tanks - leaving tanks with broken gearboxes scattered all over Europe. The manufacturing was still reasonable quality however…

[@tekis0]

I agree! The tank was developed quickly and under tremendous stress. Eventually the kinks were ironed out, and the Panther turned out to be very good.

[@allangibson2408]

@@tekis0 Actually the Panther was never particularly good. It always was unreliable due to a grossly overloaded transmission and engine (for which the Germans never had the required spare parts in enough quantities).

[@justnsaliga8518]

@@allangibson2408 so you mean to tell me..... the most intense Bureau, most Nitpicking war department, that all modern R&D teams and post war to present US DOD, and the UK ministry of defense, and Germany obviously are based on. had the oversight of using a gearbox thats over 50% of its maximum Rating........................ Modern day they've done some dumb stuff... but its just Nitpicking like This handle could've been in a better place if it was 10 inches over here... or this engines junk or gearbox is junk it only lasts 800 hours of operation..... everyone forgets... these are war machines.... They dont exactly see the same kind of abuse that a Toyota prius sees on its daily commute to work.... all the thorough testing in the world in controlled environments can't account for the battlefield despite this..... i'd like Evidence that the gearbox was chosen on purpose for an application that makes it work at 150% its rated capacity.... no engineer smart or dumb would be dumb enough to do this. yeah im sure the transmission is in some way weak. war eventually will bring out the weak link in quality control and design.... if X isnt done this way then during Y conditions X will break. Unless its done perfectly the first time..... i think alot of people forget that a very large majority of American vehicles wouldn't even start right off the ship when they got to Europe..... guess its still somewhat the same.... Im more cautious of a brand new military vehicle than one with some miles and hours on it. you don't know whats been fucked up by the factory

[@veltruski]

That engine was restored to perfection. No smoke on startup!

[@grahamkeithtodd]

well it was runn9ng on decent petrol mate... unlike during WW2....

[@triggerme3]

Bruce and the gang done an amazing job on this one

[@Bill53AD]

She is a beauty. To the crew and everyone else. Take care and get well.

[@zinowijpankotski3281]

This is a huge, very huge, mega huge job... the result is amazing! This is unsurpassed!

[@bobstacey9311]

I do remember seeing on you tube Bruce displaying a Panther that the twins had to ready for shipping to Australia, so it was great to see that back storey of years of work in photos that was skimmed over in their 20 min show, brilliant work

[@53handyman]

Twins Nick and Phil are really awesome restorers !

[@tannerjones9687]

I keep coming back to this video .. 👍

[@ronsre-creations5289]

Absolutely Beautiful restoration ! Better I'm sure than when it was 1st built.

[@chrisnichols4962]

Having had it, I know it's no joke. I wish everyone a speedy recovery or a successful avoidance. Keep up the great work as well. My best to you all.

[@stephenparkes626]

Get well soon Kirt and very poorly mrs kirt and all the people at ozz armour .great video ,look forward to seeing you all next week .

[@aserta]

This episode is perhaps the best illustrator of how good a story teller Kurt is. AAAM did themselves a BIG favor in getting this fella, because he's really bringing the A game to the story of the museum's repair shop.

[@marty_debiru]

This is my total wet dream. The only reason I would ever work hard to earn big chunks of money. Finding, restoring and owning one of these cats would be... literally enough for me to die for.

[@richarddyson4380]

What a brilliant WW! I was hanging off every photo and had to stop and rewind a few times just to take in the amazing quality of the workmanship to restore this amazing piece of history. Phenomenal result from all concerned, including this video. Get well soon everyone.

[@welshpete12]

goes for me too !

[@404jamill]

I'm hoping for a speedy recovery for all of you who have been affected ❤

[@SPSteve]

Magnificent! What a tremendous job and a perfect restoration. Probably the finest Panther in the world.

[@ftumptch86]

Nice to see what the twins had to work with. Bruce's show can only show a tiny bit of what they do, so this is grand.

[@johnnydennett4248]

Was a wonderful opportunity to be involved with this project right from beginning to end. From remachining the torsion bars and making the tooling to make the torsion bar rubbers, right through to the last seals two days before it left for Aus.! And everything in between. 🤣Was a challenge to get that shot up gearbox serviceable again! I should probably sit down and sort out all the photos at some point 🤣🤣 Cheers. Johnny Dennett

[@zaynevanday142]

That’s Panther is a work of Art absolutely Beautiful the Museum should do a coffee table oversized book on the build

[@ianstewartbrown5308]

Bruce and his team did a fantastic resto on the big cat, hoping the Aus team are on the road to recovery real soon

[@goldenscales]

I love watching those guys starting this amazingly beautiful cat! Listening to it turn over and sit there with its idling purr, took me back to the first time I heard a V8 crank up and rumble, much the same as this Panther!

[@BarkingSpyda]

My hat is off to an amazing restoration ... just stunning. 🎩👌

[@gerardkavanagh144]

Everything you guys do is done to the highest standard; absolute pleasure to view these videos. Thank You.

[@speedhump231]

Stay safe and I hope the cups of tea help your fiancée fell better as well. Looking forward to the bets on what tank / vehicle you select for the wedding transport. :)

[@clivehibburt]

Great workmanship and great videos thank you for getting the vehicle back to 100 percent 👍👍👍

[@mikeodonnell1150]

That. Was the best build and repair job I ever seen on something of that size. Great job boys

[@dirkholthaus2231]

There is no sweater sound than a V12 Mercedes engine , gives me goosebumps every time i hear on 😁 Get well soon Greetings from Perth

[@senseofthecommonman]

Except a RR Merlin

[@gordon295]

The Engine in the Panther is a Maybach HL230

[@MarcABrown-tt1fp]

No sweeter sound then a fool who doesn't know what the hell he is talking about, getting corrected. Its a bloody Maybach engine, google is your friend.

[@dirkholthaus2231]

@@MarcABrown-tt1fp no need to be bloody rude either . So without google you wouldn’t have known either I suppose. Or are you one of those know everything kind of people . Mistakes are made nobody is perfect except you.

[@MarcABrown-tt1fp]

@@dirkholthaus2231 Well... making a flat out set in stone statement that is wrong comes with a responsibility to its own sincerity. I'm sure someone at Mercedes would have had the more colorful language if they were acociated with a nazi war machine. Imao... 🥶

[@clintfulford8103]

Wow what a piece of art can’t even image the amount of man hrs that went into that or the cost!! Worth every penny on startup 👍😀

[@terrypinner6909]

Get well soon guys. Thank you for the extra content. Its still very relevant and interesting regardless.

[@markuswagner8350]

Very good job! Well done! Thank you so mutch for restored this tank of my Land. I hope i can see and hear it live in action 🙂👍

[@Mr_Fu_Manchu]

If you guys can refurbish a vehicle in such condition, you can do anything. You have my respect.

[@rayw3332]

Hope everyone gets better. Shocking your supreme industrial know-how and ability!! Presumably original manuals are in use. Your restorative powers are beyond believable. Determination and organizational skills off the charts. Though men have an attachment to anything internal combustion engine and the touch and smell of grease, gasoline, and burnt steel etc., let us appreciate the design capabilities and industrial might of WWII Germany (at war yet!!), that rose to the level of art form (then and now!), but never forget for a moment, the purpose of this beast as a killing machine, and not glorify it too much.

[@captngrinell]

Hope you are all better soon. Thanks for showing the Panther restoration pics. Cant wait to come visit Cairns again.

[@majorkursk780]

The dedication and skills required to bring this Panther to like new condition is simply astounding! Having an original Panther example with most, if not all the interior parts intact, is another amazing find.

[@guyatwood6969]

Greetings from America. I’m new to this channel and I really am impressed with your videos. I had that terrible sickness in 2020. Almost cost me my life. It was ugly. 18 months of side effects and I am up on my feet again. I wish you and the crew all the best. Really like that Panzer IV SHIRT your wearing. I think I need one. These videos really help someone like me climb in side the hatches and see what it must have been like inside these historic pieces. Thank you for all your hard work. Stay well my friends.

[@Tony-om5kr]

Thanks for the great Panther restoration video. Wish everyone a quick recovery.

[@robertmorey4104]

Sorry to hear you all are sick. Thanks for the Panther video, I'd like one a bit longer! Crompton and team did a fantastic job. Prob the finest restoration I've seen, except the Littlefield restoration in US. That is better than new! Bruce made a 10 min video of shipping it to Oz, really cool. Hope you all get better soon.

[@keithagn]

Wow! Excellent restoration. Get well soon. Regards from Canada 🇨🇦

[@Ever443]

Amazing work and beautiful results. Keep up the good work from a fan in the USA

[@TheSlugstoppa]

Guys Seriously, get well soon. And thanks for still posting something to drool over.

[@johnfirth6809]

Bruce Cromptom and his boys did a brilliant job of restoring the Big Cat. You can watch it on “ Combat Dealers” its a great program and some of the other restoration work they do is interesting.

[@MrDeancoote]

Though i recognised one of the brothers on the tank.

[@growlers90]

@@MrDeancoote I think the work the twins and crew carry out should feature more on Combat Dealers.

[@neilfairless4589]

One of the best edited videos i have seen in a good while, what a job on that tank. Thanks Kurt, look after yourself.

[@johntreloar8203]

Well that sucks, get better soon Kirt, hope you all feel better sooner than later.

[@tholei11]

thank you for preserving such beautiful mechanical engineering

[@CaptainCamperLP-CCLP]

Beautiful restauration, especially the gearbox and the engine.

[@peterdammeliusosterode3424]

A fantastic job. The cat spins again. The Armor Museum is clearly addictive This makes every Wednesday the highlight of the week. Speaking of sick girlfriends. With the experience of a wife and two daughters, I can only give you one piece of advice. Keep a low profile and do as she says. 🤭😆

[@JackKlemeyer]

Please take care and wishes for good health! Thanks for this wonderful post!

[@gousmc1983]

An armor modelers gold mine, thank you AusArmour

[@peterblakeslee4040]

God bless all of you at the museum and keep pushing those fluids and take those vitamins to get better! My whole family and I had Covid from all of December 2021 into January. We all just got hit with a strange cold a few weeks ago and now just got hit with the flu. These last few months have been hard health wise but because I discovered your KZbin channel in December it's made things better for me as it keeps a smile on my face. Greetings from Springfield, Massachusetts USA.

[@f1matt]

Hope all those sick get well soon. Must say this episode was fantastic from start to finish. And the work to restore the Panther was nothing short of magnificent. My hat goes off to all those skilled individuals involved.

[@georgebottarini1788]

Thank you. Hope you and your family get well soon.

[@johnbradshaw354]

Great video of the Panther restoration. Thank you for sharing.

[@CitizenSmith50]

Well put together video ! I did have to run it at .25 speed to appreciate it all ! Many thanks, and I hope all recover soon. Cheers from rural South Australia !

[@klausnagel3571]

What a great restauration. Your work is outstanding, the tank looks better than new. A great moment when the engine started directly after engaging the flywheel. And what a goosebump sound of the Maybach V12. 👍

[@p40f20]

Hope that all who have contracted the Covid will have a speedy and full recovery!

[@paulvanappeven3340]

Super amazing fantastic etc. Great wort. Thanks to you all. Grtz from Belgium. 👍🏻🇧🇪

[@meldonbelue9886]

Love the sound, you guys knocked it out of the park on the restoration, hope you all are doing better.

[@JamesTaylor-mr3hc]

Wow, congratulations guys…and with Zimmerit. Very impressive. Good luck with finalising the project

[@ianlarcher8250]

What a mint restoration! Feel for you guys as I'm getting over Covid myself.

[@americanpatriot2422]

I pray that your fiancé, the rest of the team and you make a quick and full recovery. Outstanding video.

[@jamienevill1768]

Thanks very much for this video. I didn't get to see much of the restoration and details of it whilst watching Combat Dealers. This has 'filled in the blanks' so to speak. Without that programme though, I wouldn't have known your museum existed. Hope you are all Covid free soon. 😊

[@garylawless3608]

This Panther looks like it just came off the assembly line! A great job by everyone involved. Hope everyone gets better soon guys, we need our Wednesday fix.

[@paoloviti6156]

Get well you guys with speedy recovery! You have done a magnificent job in Australia as now you have a fully restored Panther Ausf.A and hearing the powerful Maybach HL230 after, at least 75 years! As there are no photos of the derelict Panther when it was found I can surmise the shot that broke the gearbox can only come from the position of the drivers position, hopefully without the driver! Where can I find the story of this tank? Keep going and cheers from Italy 🇮🇹

[@John_Sharrock]

That's a thing of beauty..Incredible work 👍

[@commanddos]

Stunning work! Get well everybody!

[@dimievers5573]

Thing of beauty no longer munted. A proper restoration to when it was new 👌 awesome sight to see and the ease that engine started up with .

[@cameronb2765]

Haha I know the pain, I went positive this morning, hope everyone feels better soon

[@tekis0]

I'm speechless. The quality is stagger: both the design and the lengths that your team have gone to. I can't wait for the next video.

[@jamesroseby3823]

I hope you all recover quickly. What a fabulous treat you’ve given us.as a substitute from regular programming. Looking forward to visiting. 👍

[@alphamercstudios]

There's always that one that doesn't get the virus, great work as always and hopefully it's a speedy recovery

[@davidbeattie4294]

Incredible restoration. It looks ready to rock.

[@MichalKaczorowski]

Fantastic restoration.

[@Bill-xx2yh]

Beautiful sound..such a SUPERB JOB, ABSOLUTELY STUNNING.

[@t.jjohnson6317]

Super work.Love the Panther.Thank-you for your time and talent.Terry from Canada

[@chrishewitt4220]

It was great to see her running this weekend at the AusArmourFest. Thanks Curt!

[@johnmcmullen7358]

hope you all get well soon, dont worry about a video till your all better , love your work

[@justinreilly6619]

I hope your fiance makes a swift recovery, along with all the crew of your museum. 🙏 thanks for continuing to share your awesome content in these difficult times! 👌 Holy heck! That is one *incredible* restoration! Congratulations to all involved! 👏 Love your t-shirt!

[@davidgrey4487]

brilliant and interesting to see the stainless exhaust and something ive never seen - the two heat shields on the external storage bins for the exhaust

[@jimiorezzoli]

Absolutely amazing, I can't imagine this looking as good rolling out of the factory. Thank you so much!

[@petercliff4023]

Superb restoration - Well done every one.

[@nilemerton9558]

I'm just glad we got to see Kurt in his skivvies.

[@Splattle101]

Really interesting vid. I'm astonished at all the little bits and pieces the Germans welded together, when they should really have been cast and then machined on the working surfaces only. So many possible factors influencing those decisions, and so many questions. Look after yourselves!

[@davidbarnsley8486]

How good is that tank and it starts straight away and sounds so good 😍😍👍👍 Hope you all get over your colds Take plenty of vitamin c and d I have it every day and I don’t have it yet either

[@andrewlewis3486]

Your team has tremendous talent. I enjoy all your videos. Watching from Cincinnati Ohio

[@HK94]

Thanks for keeping us entertained every Wednesday, Hope a speedy recovery to those who got covid...

[@dnbeckmann]

Kurt, great video! First, hope your fiance is well by now. Very enjoyable job on coordinating the photos with the music! Brilliant job there. What a restoration, eh!!!! Beautiful. So funny youtube put the COVID edit on your video - NUTS. Cheers!

[@Willyslikey]

From the Colonies: Outstanding!

[@jimnewton6148]

I have watched all of your videos this far and many other tank restoration videos and it still amazed me to see you folks take a heep of junk and rust and turn it into a running work of art! Great work and can't for more videos! Hope everyone recovers soon!

[@derekwilliam1165]

Very well done. Again, you have risen to the challenge in a testing time. Hope the guy's get well soon and of course your fiancee. This week's programme has given me a good insight to the colour scheme internally. Keep up the good work 👏

[@suspiciousminds1750]

Simply incredible, better than "showroom".

[@therish7169]

I see why they’re legends, that thing is immaculate! Good luck with the Covid guys👍👍

[@peterrobinson7187]

Wow, what a project! Thanks for sharing and I hope you all get well soon.

[@Desertduleler_88]

Fantastic, what a thorough restoration I'd like to visit the Museum one day.

[@dieterwolf1122]

A beautiful work. Thank You to the hole team.

[@konigster13]

Get well soon .. looking forward to you being back at work 🙂

[@andrewcrampton3433]

Take care and hope everyone gets better soon.