At least it isn't sitting there rusting away completely from lack of paint, no matter how poorly chosen as per color.
Can't be worse than the M1 helmet I saw last week with the peace symbol and flowers painted on it .No, it was not a Nam helmet, but some cr.p painted by a hippy demonstrator from the 60s.
http://www.afvregister.org/pres.aspx GE coords: N37 56.643 W121 16.088 N37 56.643 W121 16.088 - Google Maps Zooming into Streetview gives a nice clear shot of it. I see it's parked outside 'Capital Rubber' - Idle speculation, but I wonder if they've done some work on trackpads or similar. I'm with Clint - at least it's preserved and not completely neglected - Their tank, so they can paint it any colour they like. (And having seen some recent shots of M5s on display in Normandy - there are worse colour schemes out there... )
It's owned by Capital Rubber (JC Paper is in the same building), and the guy just likes having a tank. The rubber pads are rotting away on the tracks. He's been approached several times by collectors, and he won't part with it. The paint scheme, is anyone's guess. It's in too good a shape to have been painted 35 years ago. The worn off paint on the barrel if from kids swinging on it.
At least, when I last saw a Stuart Mk III "Honey" tank at Latrun, they had got the colours right ! http://ww2talk.com/forums/topic/42686-honey-tank/ Ron
I find it less annoying than the Sherman in Ortona which is the wrong type to what the depicted unit had. At least this Stuart is being anythingelse except Patriotic.
We should be happy that however sad shape that it may look it is not so bad as it has not been cut up and turned into razor blades like so many other great pieces of military history have been. Keep chipping on the gentleman, maybe someday he will see that it is a treasure and will fix it up. Heck he could only double his investment if he did. Cheers.
Many years ago a gentleman in Mexico City had a De Havilland Mosquito in his backyard. He refused to accept any of the numerous offers he received for it. With its wooden construction, it eventually disintegrated and was lost forever. The Stuart isn't made of wood, so maybe she will outlast her present owner and pass on to someone who cares enough to restore it.