Cold War-era tank a match for Bandon’s battlefields
The only drawback is you’ll need a fuel tanker and a very large wallet following its tracks.
John Buss, who lives near Bandon, Co Cork, is selling one “slightly used” tank for the knockdown price of €13,000 on DoneDeal.ie, and has already had a number of inquiries.
It’s only got 1,083 miles on the clock, which may be explained by the fact that you’ll be lucky to get two miles per gallon out of its six-litre RR engine.
The FV434 vehicle was built in 1968 and was designed as a support and recovery vehicle for tanks and armoured personnel carriers damaged in battle.
Only 100 were built and were designed for use by the British Army of the Rhine in case of mass-scale tank battles on the east German border with their former Cold War adversaries, the USSR.
John, 45, bought two of the beasts, and aims to use the money from the sale of this one to do up the other.
“It could well be used by a farmer or somebody involved in forestry,” he said.
“It’s an ideal vehicle for off-road, boggy places.
“It has an enclosed bay capable of holding two tank engines weighing three tonnes.”
Getting replacement parts won’t be a problem, as the British ministry of defence has scrapped a lot of them, put some on sale, and converted others into more heavily armoured Bulldog personnel carriers which are being used in Afghanistan.
However, John admits that replacement parts do not come cheap.
If the new owner wants to use it for heavy work, rather than just keeping it as a trophy symbol, they’ll have to invest a few bob.
The tank needs a new hydraulic grab, fire extinguishers, radio equipment, and batteries.
Then again, if you can afford to fill its guzzling fuel tank that’s the least of your worries.
