The restoration project is well underway and we’re currently in the strip-down phase. Components of KTV2 are being carefully removed and meticulously catalogued as they’re taken off. It has proven fascinating, given that KTV2 is the world’s oldest surviving King Tiger, and has a number of unique features (not just that tell-tale turret!)
Key stages we’ve tackled so far include:
- Removal of the turret (which proved interesting, as we couldn’t find a definitive source who could tell us exactly how heavy it would be)!
- Careful removal of the gun, which we recently confirmed (as part of this restoration project), that it is likely the original gun mounted on the vehicle back in the 1940s – long suspected of being a replacement.
- The tracks have been taken off ahead of the strip-down of the suspension and running gear (including no less than 32 wheels!)
- Removal of the vehicle’s 7 fuel tanks (yes – 7!), and strip-down of the fuel system. Reconstruction of which will require meticulous pressure testing of over 100 seals!
…and there’s plenty more to go!
Progress has been steady so far, with the team being careful and process-driven at every step. Any parts that might contain asbestos require full testing, and work must pause whenever there’s any suspicion of its presence, in order to ensure team safety.
It’s been a fascinating journey, with lots of interesting findings about the vehicle, which we could’ve only learned by undertaking such a project. We have uncovered more parts than we thought we had and we’ve even found some parts from other vehicles – but more on all that in a later update…
Scroll through the photos below to see more. Don’t forget to keep an eye on The Tank Museum Workshop YouTube channel over the coming weeks to watch the restoration journey so far.
Watch the restoration video update
Join The Tank Museum team to discover some of the challenges we’ve already overcome, and find out just how far we’ll go (literally) to source the missing parts to complete this restoration.
Support the restoration HERE.
