Driving the restored StuG III at Drivetanks.com in Texas
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- čas přidán 12. 06. 2024
- Finally, the end of a lifelong quest! This stunning restoration has found its home here in Texas and you can take it out for a spin, too. I learned a lot for the first time behind the sticks!
Follow Drivetanks.com and book your trip out!
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Follow the history of this vehicle and its restoration by Mr. Phillips / stugiiiausfdrestoration
Celebrate my first drive with StuG designs on merch! teespring.com/early-productio...
My affiliate link to Amazon for Mr. Doyle and Mr. Jentz's StuG III 1940-42 amzn.to/3gF7CoC
This was amazing!! Congrats on your first tank drive!
I remember the 1st Time I drove a Deuce and a half
Sofi, if you ever come to Tampa let me know. i have a humvee and i have friends w/fun toys to drive. my buddy has a british FV432 apc thats a hell of a lot of fun to drive. lots of half tracks down here too
Come to Ocala Florida instead, we have horses! The first ever fighting vehicle, lol
If she comes to florida in general id love to see her drive both horse and apc lol shes awesome
@@bubazell1 I agree!
Drove an Abrams for 3 years. The first time was an absolute rush. Keep up the great channel content. Remember it’s all fun until you throw a track
I used to work around tracked vehicles for a living and can absolutely attest to what you’re saying!
Greetings from Germany. Thank you for this wonderfull Video. Its nice to see, that you americans give so much love in our old Tanks.
You looked like a kid in a candy shop while driving that StuG
It's hard not to be really, I've driven it too. It's so damn fun and while it definitely does take some time to get the hand of the controls..the only thing I can compare it to is getting to also drive the Leopard 1 and King Tiger. I wanted to drive the Panther "Deuce" they have there but it wasn't running at the time.
Who wouldn’t lol
Awesome! Very happy for you!
hey is that pet russian guy
Reaction from the person at the drive thru would be priceless
A Uber trip in a Stug would be priceless
@@jubisvaldo5450 perfect for Ubering in a Chicago ghetto.
Bet they wouldn’t screw up ur order.
@@glhmedic or, they would be too awe struck to get it right
Back in the 80s one M48A2GA2 crew managed not to refuel the thing. So on the march back from an exercise they had to field refuel. Our S3 was in the fuel station shop shopping for some sweets (he was a "shorter than the shelves" guy) when the platoon sgt (using a 4x4 to get there) came in, nodded to me (PFC) and then asked the station attendend "Do you have a high speed petrol pump? The normal ones are to slow for a tank!" The attendend was about "HaHa" when just at that moment the M48 walzed onto the fuel station tarmac.
End result: The S3 went "a bit ballistic" (and the platoon sgt realized where he had seen me before...), there is not high speed petrol pump and yes, the extensible fuel hoses are long enough to get more than one to the tank.
"The ATF made me cut it. Those guys are jerks." Indeed. ATF should be a store not a government agency.
I've heard accounts of the ATF requiring people to cut resin-cast machine gun replicas in half.
Your man the atf are jerks for not wanting an active 75mm gun trotting around :D
the ATF are organized thugs for politicians to abuse, just like the fbi...both are archaic institutions that need to be eliminated then DHS can assume any actual duties either had
@@freedomm323 oh America, never change :D
@@richardscales9560 Yes. There's an active 122mm imported from Russia and an active 75mm from Germany in America. And I'm sure there are many more out there. czcams.com/video/jC8QluMMELU/video.html czcams.com/video/T7fhBm1ouSU/video.html
It is good to see that some people can fulfil their dreams and have the possibility to drive such a tank!!!
Simply excellent!👍👍👍
My first AFV was an M60A1. I think my smile was as big as yours (and it never got old, no matter how many times I drove).
i finna get one of those on war thunder
@@SirenHead00 which one? The one that gets slammed by Leos and T-54s or the one that gets slammed by T-55s, T-62s and Object 279s?
@@noahdavis3236 the m60 im close to it lol
@@SirenHead00 which M60 tho lol, last time I checked there was more than 1 in the American tree
@@noahdavis3236 ik thats why i said “one of those “ lol
I lost steering in an MLRS once out in the field. It was a steering linkage bolt, so I know just what that’s like. 👍
The smile says it all! And you are probably the best looking stug driver ever!
Sof i just saw u drive the stug great job for your first time good for u and god bless young lady
Love StuG 111s, built many models of them, so cool to see one driving - Thanks Sofi!
This was definitely worth the wait, Sofi! Thank you so much for sharing your adventure
WOW!! I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU COULD DO THAT! Stug lll's will always be among my favorite German armor. I lived in South Texas for 2 1/2 years and the summer was around 110-115 F the time I was there. Then I lived in Austin, and it was 5 to 10 degrees "cooler in the summer. You have to "grow" into it.
Tank commander guy: it's hard to flip a stug cause it's so low
Sofilein: hold my beer!!!
I'm not sure I could give you enough thumbs up.
Thanks for taking us along.
First instructions- "We had to connect up the drives opposite, so left is right & right is left". Sofi nails it to failure!! LOL!!!
The StuG have been my favourite AFV for many years, this was fun to watch. Nice panzer wrap you are wearing!
Sofi, you are a genuine badass. What an awesome experience! thanks for sharing this!
*Beautiful as always ... pretty cool tank as well.*
Thank you so much Good Drive Ms Sofi!! 😍😉👍👋
AS a life long tank fanatic this was awesome to see, best wishes from England UK
Greatly appreciate the efforts of everyone keeping history alive, good health to you all, thanks Soph.
The real-life Tank Girl! Awesome :)
I love your knowledge and your on going passion for history , such a wonderful sense of life and you glow like the summer sun , stay gold and keep that tank on course
I got the chance to drive the M4 Easy Eight back in 2017 at DriveTanks - what a great place! Quite a workout from the clutch. Also got to fire their MG34, MG42 and MP40. But the most fun was firing their 75mm German AT gun.
Sofie, it survived the war, you won´t break it 🤣😂
But damn that was cool to see, and holy crap the size of the ceileing fan in the tent .
Thanks for a great upload.
That's a Big Ass Fan Co. Product.
Definitely the experience of a lifetime. I've seen that Stug at the Tank Museum, Bovington on Tiger Day X in 2018. Fabulous restoration. You did a great job of driving it!
That's where I first saw it, too! Amazing restoration and such a crazy treat to be able to drive it. Didn't think that would happen in a million years lol
@@Sofilein It was a range target that he brought back. Amazing job! I drove an FV432 APC a couple of years back. Same engine and transmission that's used in that Stug (easier to get parts).
@@Sofilein I'll have to check my Tiger Day photos again. You might be in them!
@@foxtrotromeo25 I've never been to a Tiger Day but I was definitely at Tankfest 2018 when she was
Awesome vid. So much fun to see how happy you look.
Also you look hella snazzy in that jacket ❤️
that was great. gives you a real appreciation for what tankers in the desert had to contend with,
operating those mobile ovens in that monstrous heat. good job Sofi.
That was incredibly fun to watch, thanks for sharing.
Hello "Sofilein"! Thank you for this video, congratulations on piloting the Stug III, very successful! A French "fan" who loves your videos ...
A tall, lean model gets to drive a StuG! How neat! Thumbs up for Sofie the tanker! 👍
Nice going Sofilein ! They finally get something nice, and you break it.
Your cousins must have hid there toys when you came over.
You are a lovely and lucky Lady to experience driving the STUG. Combining history with technology and making it a reality is awesome. I’m so jealous - that kind you for sharing this wonderful experience. Don’t stop educating and sharing with us!
Awesome video, it looks pretty nimble moving around the track. I'm so glad you had to chance to drive this machine :)
AWESOME! New thing on the bucket list!
Did this a lot of years ago on a private driving ranch here near Berlin on a T55A ARV - will never forget this, so do it!
Looks like you got a great workout and had "Tons" of fun.
113 had sticks, loved that toy. Bradley had a wheel , i never got used to it.
Hush little StuG III don't you shriek
Mommy's gonna drive you for at least a week
And if that little StuG III cannot run
We're at least gonna shoot stuff with your gun
And if your badass gun then will not shoot
We all still think that you're really cute
- Sumpter, 2020 at 4am
Righton! Really great to 'feel the vibe' from your enthusiasm! Achtung! Die Panzer Jagerin kommt !
Your great experience with that Stug brought forth so many memories. I've been aboard a B-17, a C-130, an Abrams tank and the ballistic missile sub U.S.S. West Virginia in my lifetime. Like your lovely Stug, none of them could be described as roomy or comfortable. But I'd wouldn't trade those experiences for anything! I never got to drive any of my craft. (Did get to push the button the fires a nuclear missile, but it wasn't hooked up so that doesn't count. Hope you keep having drives the rest of us can enjoy and envy! :)
The Stug III was beautiful to look at, very good at what it did and packed a real punch !
..........just like you !
Now this had to be some serious fun! Another place to hit my next visit to Texas!
Being a former Abrams driver, you never forget the first time driving. The feeling of that much power behind the controls is a rush. You also got to experience the joys of tanking: fixing a broken tank. Lol Congratulations kiddo! Never stop being adorable!
Surprisingly,Sofi bears a lot of resemblance to Lori Petty from Tank Girl. If they ever do a remake Sofi should get the part!❤️
Sofi's better looking.
Was about to post the same thing! Glad I read the comments 1st so I didn't look like a noob...
"Any similarities to anyone living or dead is purely coincidental."
@@MisterApol you are correct
Looks way more like actual comic tank girl
Congrats. Glad you enjoyed yourself. My first experience driving a tank was when I learned to drive a Leopard 1A4 MBT. It was an experience of a lifetime.
Brings back memories of when I drove my M113A2 in the Army.
You do some neat stuff, Sofi. Thanks for sharing.
Was I the only one whose blood turned to ice when that AT gun appeared?
Looked like great fun Missy. Well done Jon! StuG Lief Yo!
Sofi, I'm going through all your videos to see all you have done and I love tanks and Armor Vehicles...plus love history ❤!!!! You are so very Lucky !!!!! Wow !!!! Love your channel ....
Ummmm....Sofi......completely awesome.....thanks for sharing your video.....and all the hard work and historically meaningful effort of the crew at Drivetanks..
That Was Epic , Congratulations 👏
AWESOME! Loved the video experience of you operating the STUG!
This might be my favorite tank after playing war thunder. Hiding in a shallow crater one-shotting enemy tanks while incoming cannon fire glances off my top was good times. Keep on stuggin'!
Very cool! Seeing you driving a actual tank is priceless. I hope you get a chance in driving other tanks in your life time.
Omg I literally sat in that exact seat when this tug was at militracks
Wow, Congrats, can't imagine how amazing that experience was.
"The tank is still upright" 😂😂😂 omg i would have been probly more impressed if it wasnt😝 congrats on getting to drive one! 😳
The restoration vids are outstanding, John took scrap metal and brought it back to life
Beautiful LEDI !!!!❤❤❤❤❤
"After we went back to the shop" - Winner Winner, Chicken Dinner 😉😂🤣😂
Great job! To get to drive an almost-tank that's a pretty good tank destroyer! Good going, Tank Grrrl!
I’m just so happy for you! I know how important and how much you looked forward to this!
Enjoyed the Stug and watching how it handled for you.😎
Amazing ... thanks for sharing such an awesome experience Sofi
That was really enjoyable though probably not as much as it was you. Gratz and thanks again for bringing us along for a truly awesome ride!
That is so awesome!! There's nothing like maneuvering a track vehicle over terrain :D
You're one of the most awesome people on the Internet. A big fan here from the Philippines :)
Definitely on my bucket list. Thanks for the video!!!!!!
"the tank is still upright" lol
You made my day, go the mighty stug and tankgirl!!!
Honestly, first few seconds of a video were already more than enough to like it. StuG just makes it better.
Well done! Looks like great fun. Love the flaming logo. You have an awesome collection of jackets! 👍🤣👍
So awesome! What an amazing opportunity! 😁 You're a BADASS!!! 😎
You have the most amazing hair in the universe! 🥰🥰🥰
I got to drive this(and nearly run over my phone), when it was back in England before it was sold. Spending a quiet early English morning helping the owner prep the stug to run, and then having as much time as my girl and I wanted to climb around and all over the crew compartment, free to take as many pictures as we could. It was absolutely a dream to have a combat vet stug all to ourselves in the idyllic English countryside, with no rush and no crowd. Then getting to drive it for a minute was incredible. I was quite scared to give it gas, being a $2.5m tank, but my girl was not and just laid into it...in case you think girls cant drive lol
You can actually hear in the video why I was a bit prude on the gas initially. The diesel in it absolutely SCREAMS before it gets moving...it feels like you’re doing something wrong. Sofi sort of does it too but having someone in the tank on radios guiding you would quell that fear. I was alone in it with the owner 20’ away giving me hand signals 😂
Just discovered this amazing channel!! Quality content and a beautiful soul!
That was good fun. And your delivery is much better not rushing and so much more interesting well done
It's hard not to get excited... watching how excited you are driving this piece of history!
stylish start to tanking Soph
Not having the original engine is entirely understandable ! Of all the parts of a tank the two that always acted up the most were engine and transmission. Imagine getting your hands on the original Maybach HL and having to then keep it running ! I'm sure that was hard enough when the tank was new and engine parts were being made but now it must be utterly impossible. Well done just getting her going and keeping her going so we can all see this absolute beauty
Congrats on your first tank drive Beautiful 😍
That is really cool!
Such a cool video :) never realise how complex they were inside until you see something like this!
What an awesome experience! Added to bucket list!!
That must have been an amazing experiance! Very nice to watch, thanks for sharing! 👍🏼
Hi Sofilein, the book you recommend, does it cover the Ausf.G as well?
I did not know you were in my neck of the woods! This is literally my backyard(I live about 8 or so minutes up the road from the DriveTanks facility), and I've spent a lot of time there. They are some of the coolest people with some of the coolest vehicles. I've been in the Leo 1, M1 Abrams, M4 and Easy 8, as well as this Stug III in the video, a Panzer IV, and a King Tiger all because of Drive Tanks!
Awesome set up they have there.
I drove an Abbot, fv 432 and a chieftain at Juniper leisure in England.
The Abbot was really hard to steer one way as the gun is off centre it literally takes both arms to turn left.
The chieftain was awesome. You lay down, its auto and the steering is so light. The power was massive. Feels like a race car on acceleration.
But none of them was a stug.. Very jealous, Stug being my favourite vehicle of WW2. And you got to fix it too! I would have paid just to work on it.
Thank you for filming this.
Looks like a great day. Go Sophie!
"Fruit fly arms"😂😂 definitely a memorable experience, good on ya!
nice that you had that luck to drive that nice stug.
remember me when the tank were racing with the jeep in my army time lol.... we always lost against the tank
Congratulations, what a wonderful opportunity.
I was asking for this one since I watched the livestream ages ago, AWESOME !!!
Great video! Thanks for sharing!
Wow, I'm glad I found this very nice CZcams video. Sofilein you are so luckey to get to drive it.
Me, I've built a Tamiya 1/35 scale model of the stug III, Ausf C.
And that's quite ok.
Keep em' coming Sofilein !
Cool. Imagine handling these old machines in combat conditions. Madness.
You drove like a boss!!!
Awesome! Congrats on getting to drive a StuG III
Wow lucky girl and a good job done!