Arv
Well first a thankyou to Dave for pointing out that I asked about a vehicle that was not part of the museum collection and seemed lost on the base somewhere.
In fairness the gentleman I talked to told me they had 50 plus outdoor exhibits to keep track of but never heard tell of the said ARV. I point out again that I had a personal interest in the fate of the vehicle as I was involved in locating the replacement engine and parts. No slam here, though as I pointed out the haste at which the reassembly occurred resulted in temporary difficulties.
So with respect to the Base Borden museum they have an amazing collection of vehicles and you can get close enough to rub elbows with them all. I do find it frustrating that so little resources are available to restore, display them in a more interactive way with the general public, but then the function of the armed forces is not primarily to do with museums.
It is probably also true that museums such as Bordens feel like they are dammed if the do and dammed if they don't when they try something. Some years ago they sandblasted all the outdoor exhibits and repainted them' removing any specific markings but preserving the vehicles under a fresh coat of paint. Some in the restoration community were critical of this.
And finally they are justifiably gunshy about dealing with the public or hobby enthusiasts. Most of us in Ontario remember the fiasco a few years back when a high school shop program proposed to restore and repower a Sherman firefly. It did not end well - if for no other reason that when you get down to it armor is expensive to repair, to drive and to transport, hardly a job for a novice.
What is the answer? I dont know but it bothers me to see vehicles rotting that could be restored and running. The gatepost Sherman ( Grizzly?) does have a complete radial engine in it- could it have gone into the firefly? There are at least 2 Shermans In Ontario bases with Chrysler multibanks, and couldn't they collection of T54/55 &0,90 etc been started up once or twice per year to keep them mobile?? Just a few thoughts...
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