YouTubers found an abandoned tank and worked on it to see if it’d finally run
- YouTubers discovered a Chieftain abandoned in a field
- The tank had weeds and a tree growing out of it and needed a huge oil change
- The duo attempted to breathe life back into the steel beast
Published on Nov 30, 2024 at 4:00 AM (UTC+4)
by Andie Reeves
Last updated on Nov 26, 2024 at 4:34 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Wood
Two YouTubers attempted to start an abandoned tank they found in a field.
The old Chieftain was covered in weeds and even had a tree growing out of its front.
While most would be happy to simply admire a behemoth like this, these tank enthusiasts decided to try and get it up and running again.
Did they succeed? Well, let’s have a look.
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Discovering the legendary Chieftain
It’s not every day you stumble across an iconic army tank in a field, but the aptly named Tanks-alot YouTube channel managed to do just that.
It was a standalone tank, unlike the ones in this forest which resembled a tank graveyard in the United States.
The abandoned tank in question was a Chieftain, which was crucial to Britain’s army in the Cold War.
Featuring one of the most powerful tank guns of its time, heavy armour, and a well-protected passenger compartment, the Chieftain was focused on both power and survivability.
In its heyday, it could reach speeds of 30mph, but this tank hadn’t managed anything near this for a good few years.
Enter the guys from Tanks-alot, who spent hours trying to fix it up, with exciting results.
Breathing life into the abandoned tank
The YouTubers didn’t want this steely beast to be left to rot or used for parts like another army tank parked on a British street for years.
They wanted to get it driving, and luckily had a space for it on their farm.
The inside of the Chieftain was crusty, filled with everything from rust to foliage – even a forgotten cereal bowl.
It needed to be topped up with seven gallons of oil, which was probably still cheaper than a Bugatti Veyron’s oil change.
The fuel pump needed to be replaced, and the team had to fish out the broken bits of periscope that had jammed the elevation handle.
The controls of the tank are as complex as the interior of a Boeing 737, made all the more confusing by the layers of rust.
Incredibly, the duo got the tank to lurch into action and it tore through the muddy field.
The gearbox needs more work, as the driver couldn’t get it into fifth gear, but otherwise, the tank chugged along nicely.
Just ignore the black smoke and weeds still growing out of the front.
Andie is a content writer from South Africa with a background in broadcasting and journalism. Starting her career in the glossy pages of Cosmopolitan and Marie Claire, Andie has a broad portfolio, covering everything from sustainability solutions to celebrity car collections. When not at her laptop Andie can be found sewing, recording her podcast, taking board games too seriously or road-tripping in her bright green Kia.
