2006-2005: Priest M7B1

Below are links to the pictures of the restoration progress. New updates will appear on the top of this page site.

8 September 2006
Vacation is over so we could work at our Priest.

4 April 2006
Further work on the hull See the text under the photographs for more information / explanation.

3 March 2006
In the springs holiday, we worked to make the tank sandblast ready. Here is a small photograph impression of what happened.

27 February 2006
Ernest, Glenn en Walter have begun this Saturday to replace the cardboard for steel plates that were first used for the M7B2

26 February 2006
This Friday Ernest and Ivo had done some preparation work to restore the Priest back to an M7B1.

18 February 2006
Today we have done much work. The restoration back to a M7B1 is on going thanks to the ones who voted to restore it to a M7B1, so congratulated. We also removed the mid bogie-sections and place the tank in our workplace.

4 February 2006
This Saturday we did a lot of work. The plan was to remove the four gasoline tanks and to remove the 105mm canon. Because this would be easier for sandblasting and restoration work. We will need to remove more parts of the tank before we can sandblast it, but we have achieved much today

1 February 2006
The Power train was yesterday by Ernest and Glenn sandblasted. After that the painted it with our red/brown primer. Today Ivo Jr. and Sr. have painted the complete power train. So it looks like a brand new power train

21 January 2006
Today we have achieved much. The power train is ready to be sandblasted and stands now on a car with 8 wheels! This was really necessary because the power train weights at least 4 ton! Ernest will
bring him with the forklift to a big sandblasting cabin next week. Today we also removed the V8 out the Priest. This was relative simply naturally with the good preparation.

7 January 2006
Today we removed the Power train. this was really a whole chore. Most nuts and bolts are after all that time still perfectly! When the power train was finally removed from the tank. We had to see how the inside looks. We removed the inspection hatch to see the inside, because it has been outside for more than 10 years so we could only hope, but better than this we could not hope! See it for your self! The state of the power train is perfect!! Even the oil was new. It's clearly that the power train is rebuild and has never ridden or maybe a few miles.

3 January 2006
After the Priest was pushed in our hall with the truck of Glenn. We could clean it further the next day at a comfortable temperature. We removed the last ammunition bins and we will make new ones bases on the originals. the armour steel on the bottom is still very good. We were also very curious how the state of the power train is, so we begun with some preparation work to remove the power train of the tank.

30 December 2005
In spite of the snow we worked at the tank. Because we wanted as fast as possible place him in our heated hall. We have begun with the breaking of the tracks this was not easy, but we succeeded. So that we could push him on his wheels in our hall. Also there came some parts in around noon.

The Big Cleaning
Our Priest has been outside for 10 years, so it was filled with 3,5 ton cabbage grid 3.5 tons. There also had growed two trees in. Through the cabbage grit were a lot of roots that made the work not easy. After a lot of cleaning we used the steam cleaner and we stripped various bins and hatches.

Transport
Transport to Helmond