Focus on Jagdpanther 411 has begun this week to ensure she runs smoothly for the Open Day on the 22nd June. This is the first time she has been taken out to test the engine and the steering. The engine was perfect to begin with having received attention to the magnetos a few months ago. Steering commanded the attention of the team during Thursday with the right turn reportedly working well – left was the problem. The steering was adjusted but the steering clutch on the left hand side continued to stick. Friday saw resolution of the steering problem. A few more setting changes are yet to be done in this regard and we will be in good shape to test the vehicle more aggressively.
The SdKfz 261 chassis pushed on with the second cross member being fitted by being tack welded in position. The long dreaded exercise to recover the front of the chassis has started now. The fact that it has started is a positive as it really does look like quite the task. The engine for this armoured car has been stripped and shells are currently being examined and recorded for each of the connecting rods from a large list of spares left behind by the Germans in WW2.
The SdKfz 223 engine components are being gathered together and examined. We have discovered two distinct varieties of split cylinder heads for the Werk Horch 3.5 litre V8 engine for the Einheitsfahrgestell I 801 chassis or Ausf A 2 piece body armoured cars. We have written a piece on our findings with analysis in this week’s edition of Inside Track.
The final work on the VW 166 Schwimmwagen front axle has now ground to a halt as we discovered parts are missing from a recent restoration in Germany. We informed the individual concerned and have requested that these parts be located and sent to us as early as possible.
An original ‘Sahara’ fuel cap for our 1944 Zundapp KS750 was discovered with much excitement in our stores by one of our team. This has been blasted, primed and painted in the correct Dunkelgelb as established by our partners at Lincoln Conservation. An acquisition/swap which we conducted with a well known German motorcycle collector yielded a magnificent original fuel tank tool box lid complete with original acid etched plaque on the inside face. The only problem was the new original tool box lid was missing the locking mechanism which is back on its way to us.
