Mystery Fuel Tank, Hidden Breaker, River of Oil. Starting a Kanonenjagdpanzer

Steve takes on a low intensity itch he's been wanting to scratch for a while: our Kanonenjagdpanzer, or Jagdpanzer Kanone, a West German Cold War tank destroyer that hasn't run in four years. The rest of the museum staff are keen too, because with its MTU naturally aspirated V8 (essentially the same engine as the Swiss Panzer 61) and a simple three speed transmission, it should be a bulletproof little ride vehicle for AusArmourfest. It's also widely regarded as the last of its kind, the final chapter in a tank destroyer lineage that runs from the StuGs and Hetzers of WWII into the Cold War. After Ron helps shift a Bofors and a Conqueror training turret out of the way, the covers come off and the hunt begins. Dirk is back from Germany, and as a former Bundeswehr soldier he does the honours on the original service record: fuel pump adjustments in 1982, an asbestos free exhaust in 1994, deep storage test runs and a trip to Thyssen Henschel in Kassel. The engine has 496 hours on the clock and the fuel filter still says Made in West Germany. Then the detective work. The hydraulic system is a jungle of pipes, nitrogen accumulators and a hydraulic throttle with a clever emergency stop party trick. There's a mystery painted tin that turns out to be an improvised external fuel tank, some non-standard fittings that need returning to standard, and an axe handle of unknown provenance living inside the hull. Four batteries instead of six, a NASA grade insulating rag, a hidden 400 amp circuit breaker Dirk tracks down, a hydraulic lock scare, a sticky starter, and then the moment: the Kanone fires. Along with a river of oil. Steve patches the hydraulic leak, returns the accelerator mechanism to standard and tries again. And the AusArmour legend about this vehicle turns out to be true. It runs, but the oil is coming from somewhere, and Dirk doesn't get to see it move. Yet. Maybe by next summer. Thanks to Ken for sponsoring the afternoon refreshments, to Dirk for making the trek from Germany and putting up with our jokes, and to Dave for being a great member of the team. 📺 Another Cold War resurrection, the Chieftain series:    • Getting the Chieftain Going!   📺 Dirk's first appearance, Ron's first restoration:    • WORKSHOP WEDNESDAY: Greatest tank BARN FIN...   🎟️ AusArmourfest 2027 tickets are LIVE! Get yours HERE ⏩ https://bit.ly/AusArmourfest2027 TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 - Making Room (With Ron) 01:36 - All is Revealed 03:02 - Why the Kanone? 03:55 - Dirk is Back 04:14 - Reading the Bundeswehr Service Record 06:18 - Today's Plan 07:09 - An Early Leopard? The Hydraulic System 08:53 - What's in the Tin? 10:17 - A Mystery Axe Handle 11:28 - 496 Hours on the Clock 12:23 - Air Filter Out 14:04 - Fuel Filter Reveal (Still Made in West Germany) 15:06 - Batteries and a NASA Grade Insulating Rag 16:33 - Main Switch On... Nothing 17:17 - Dirk Finds the Breaker 18:47 - Ignition On 19:32 - Stop, Stop, Stop! 20:37 - Cranking for Oil Pressure 22:26 - It's Alive! 23:00 - Bloody Mess 24:25 - Busy Little Lizard 25:29 - The Emergency Stop Party Trick 27:32 - Run Number Two 28:29 - Trip Down Memory Lane 29:10 - Beer O'Clock 🎥 Editing by Ella from AusArmour The Australian Armour & Artillery Museum is home to the largest collection of armoured vehicles and artillery in the Southern Hemisphere, located in Cairns, North Queensland. We are dedicated to the collection, preservation, restoration and display of military vehicles from the 1800s to present day. Our collection includes over 220 armoured vehicles and artillery pieces from 15 countries. 🔧 Visit us: https://www.ausarmour.com 📱 Facebook:   / ausarmour   #Kanonenjagdpanzer #JagdpanzerKanone #Bundeswehr #ColdWar #TankDestroyer #WillItStart #MilitaryHistory