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M211 top

Carboarius

Member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
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Location
Alaska/ Wyoming
I have been discovered that finding a hard top for my recently acquired m211 is highly improbable and would most likely lead to me creating my own. The local fire district however, had some m211 series trucks that were equipped with a hard top off of the m35 series deuces. I realize that the cab top would have to be changed, but other than that, how easy would the change over be? The cabs seem quite similar between the two series of vehicles. Any thoughts or ideas? Or an m211 hard top for sale?
Best Regards
-Jacob
 

m1010plowboy

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Edmonton, Canada
Last time someone bought me pizza I hauled a hardtop from Edmonton to Yuma. How's the pizza down there? Not sure about the M35 lid fitting but I've got some slightly used for trampoline hard tops standing around. Logistics is the challenge! Come up for a road trip before winter!
 

Carboarius

Member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
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Location
Alaska/ Wyoming
Logistics doesn't seem to be that much of a problem, I have a solid connection. How much are you asking and could you send pictures?
- Jacob
 

m1010plowboy

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Logistics doesn't seem to be that much of a problem, I have a solid connection. How much are you asking and could you send pictures?
- Jacob
Will do, I gotta get to the ranch and help Terrh move a Dodge as early as tomorrow. I'd say that your cost would be dropping the cash into Steel Soldiers to upgrade your account so we can call this a "Parts Wanted" 'classified' add then donate any spare cash to a solid charity in Louisiana to help the flood victims. We'll chat through PM's once I get you pictures.

Four of these are parts trucks so I'll get you photos of what is at hand.

fleet.jpg
 

m1010plowboy

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Edmonton, Canada
You guys should chat up some shared transport costs and arrange a trip up to WY from SC. I could do a little negotiating too because I am doing a soft top project and need a few parts.

In this pic we see that the MM panel replaces the window panel sooooo......if I could get a passenger and drivers MM panel sent up from one of you kids, that would push my soft top project forward.

P8220785.jpgP8220784.jpg

The passenger and drivers rear window assembly would also need to come down south with the hard tops.

P7050218.jpg

I think the 2 side window/panels and roof were the only parts I needed to haul down to Gunfreak25 but we should make sure the RR panel is identical on both assemblies.
After seeing the mashed 55' Goat roof come into shape I know that any of the old beat up Tops can be block and hammered back to life.

I'll snap a few pics today if the 3" of rain we're getting doesn't slam my plans.
 

USMC 00-08

Well-known member
1,182
179
63
Location
Skiatook, OK
I have 2 MM panels for you. I owe you some parts anyway. PM me where I need to send them.

I did find one hardtop a year ago and it was easier to leave the RR panels, window panels and back panel that has the rear window attached. Like this.

100_2586.jpg

1944mb might be driving down here to visit in November. He's not terribly far south of you so that could be a way to get some stuff down here if he has room.
 
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m1010plowboy

Well-known member
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Location
Edmonton, Canada
I have 2 MM panels for you. I owe you some parts anyway. PM me where I need to send them.

I did find one hardtop a year ago and it was easier to leave the RR panels, window panels and back panel that has the rear window attached. Like this.

View attachment 640034

1944mb might be driving down here to visit in November. He's not terribly far south of you so that could be a way to get some stuff down here if he has room.
That's a sweet assembly. Wonder how many pilots flew over that F 4 6 and saw that deuce,,,,,I digress.

So the soft top to hard top upgrade needs a back window panel too?

Letsled brought back all the panels from the 'Plowshare' tri-cab project so I have 3 hard-tops and 2 sets of side/window panels ready to go. I know the window channels on the rear windows usually rot out, the bottoms of the rear window frames are usually rusted too so I'll need to get a better look....and pics....so the Carboarius would know what he's getting....and Sturmy too.

I tried to get pics of the worst spots. All three tops are workable and the side windows are real decent.

P8220799.jpgP8220788.jpgP8220789.jpgP8220790.jpgP8220795.jpgP8220797.jpgP8220796.jpgP8220800.jpgP8220803.jpgP8220787.jpg
 

SturmTyger380

Active member
482
30
28
Location
Easley SC
I am okay on tops. Was just trying to see how far south I could lure Plowboy.

I have one already on the ex-fire truck, then a parts truck and another rusty one from when another owner did the switch from hard to soft.

One of my runners needs a newer soft top or I need to fix the rusty hard top and put that back on.
 

1944mb

Active member
417
110
43
Location
Big Timber, MT
I am okay on tops. Was just trying to see how far south I could lure Plowboy.

.
Seeings as how last time I went to San Diego, he knew the area better than I did, and I lived there for a bit I would say it wouldn't take much to lure him! There is a pretty good chance I will be driving down to 08s this fall, so if something is needed we could work on the logistics. I'm in northern MT on occasion so lethbridge is a not too far away. Might be able to make a farther trip too. Nice collection plowboy, whats your plans for those that arent for parts? I may be willing to speak for a hardtop too, but I might work on the parts truck locally first that had a hardtop
 

USMC 00-08

Well-known member
1,182
179
63
Location
Skiatook, OK
So the soft top to hard top upgrade needs a back window panel too?
Yes. Our soft tops have a canvas back panel. I might even have a complete set of soft top canvas that would work if someone was good at canvas repair. It is the set that is shown in my avatar. The top is faded and there is a tear on the front but I can't remember how big it is.

Just curious as I look at these pics, what is the correct orientation for the bumper...?Some trucks have the winch 'cutout' up, and some have it down?
The cutout is supposed to be up if you have a winch and down if you don't is my understanding.
 

m1010plowboy

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
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Location
Edmonton, Canada
. Nice collection plowboy, whats your plans for those that aren't for parts? I may be willing to speak for a hardtop too, but I might work on the parts truck locally first that had a hardtop
Plans??? We're not supposed to have plans are we? Dagnabbit! The local MVPA collectors saw the G749 farm as a good spot to plant trucks to see if they'd grow into moving, preserved creatures. So far we've got the shop van M207 preserved, the M211 next to the preservation barn, parts distributed across Canada and the U.S., 3 cabs saved and another M135 on the highway with a crate transmission and engine. The original plan was to get three on the road for events and we nailed that this year. All the potential engines have been turned, oiled and protected from freezing so this fall we're going to have a test stand completed for drive-trains.....if I have anything to say about it!

The G749 series got a bad reputation as a difficult animal to tame and we like a challenge. I strongly believe that if they are main tamed they just keep going and going and going. There's a very cool Canadian history on the G749 trucks that few know about and we're going to make sure that the northern involvement in the protection of our continent isn't forgotten!

Truck 1 M135.jpg

I'm grabbing photos tomorrow of the back panels so we have a bit of a database of available pieces I'd be willing to part with regarding hard-tops. There are more trucks up north, about an hour from home, that have been hoarded for decades and I'm still working on getting parts of them to good homes. I did manage to negotiate the acquisition of a burned up "Flying Kitchen" M135 that was used in the recovery operations of Kosmos 945 back around 1978. At some point, a museum, next to a large trail area could be created, so the trucks can be loaded with guests and keep the history rolling. We won't call it a plan though, more like a desire to preserve a Steel Soldier's life so the men and women who served with the G749 will always be remembered.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kosmos_954








 

hndrsonj

Senior Chief/Moderator
Super Moderator
Steel Soldiers Supporter
7,584
363
83
Location
Cheyenne, WY
I have been discovered that finding a hard top for my recently acquired m211 is highly improbable and would most likely lead to me creating my own. The local fire district however, had some m211 series trucks that were equipped with a hard top off of the m35 series deuces. I realize that the cab top would have to be changed, but other than that, how easy would the change over be? The cabs seem quite similar between the two series of vehicles. Any thoughts or ideas? Or an m211 hard top for sale?
Best Regards
-Jacob
Where in Wyoming are you?
 

restlessrobie

New member
63
0
0
Location
Puget Sound
Yes. Our soft tops have a canvas back panel. I might even have a complete set of soft top canvas that would work if someone was good at canvas repair. It is the set that is shown in my avatar. The top is faded and there is a tear on the front but I can't remember how big it is.



The cutout is supposed to be up if you have a winch and down if you don't is my understanding.

I have a top shop Manager who owes me a couple favors. So if you need that top repaired I am sure he would gladly take a look at it for me. And make a few patterns while he was at it ;-) then we would be set for at least a few years if we needed parts and pieces of tops made.
 
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