50 year old M52 getting it ready to drive home

[ARMYMAN30YearsPlus]

As many of you know I am getting the 1957 M52 gasser here are a few picts of the truck and I am waiting for the title to come in and a few more trips to make it roadworthy. The tank mounted on the toolbox is getting extra bracing and is one that Tactical Truck (Jeff) graciously let me use since both of the ones on the truck had pounds of crud in them. The one missing in the photo is currently sealed and painted with Rustbullet paint and has been scrapped fairly clean and will be getting alkali treatment in the morning. I hope to get it going in April and get it home in time to bring to Aberdeen.

 

[OD_Coyote]

Looking good! Keep us posted on your progress.

 

[carguy455]

Great job David ! I just hope you can afford to drive it there with the cost of GAS right now !

 

[maddawg308]

Awright, another one saved! Glad I posted the ad listing for this M52 here on the board - for $2500 it was a steal for a 5-ton tractor.

 

[gimpyrobb]

Cool Dave, I am getting ready to bring a 53 home with me!

 

[BEASTMASTER]

whwhen you think about it the price of diesel is higher,and these things get the same mileage as a tractor trailer around 5 or 6 miles to the gallon everybody asks why do you drive that around? i don't chase women and don't hang around bars, what else am i going to do with my money???

 

[benni72]

good luck dave, i send you some pics as i go along with my m52a2. wanna have a race? you might win though, considering it took me 3years to do my 2 1/2 and about 1 1/2yrs to do my m151.

 

[ken]

That's a good looking truck. I'm amased it's still a gasser. I'd think it would have been swapped for a multi with the carc paint. I couldn't emagine the mileage it's going to get with a 127 in tow.

 

[clinto]

I agree with Ken, CARC, big mirrors and composites light but no repower.

Lookin' good, Army.

 

[ARMYMAN30YearsPlus]

I know having my class A CDL a diesel kicking out 400 ponies would be my choice in a tractor but on our farm in the 50's most everything we owned burned gasoline. From the JD A to the Case and Minneapolis Moline gasoline ruled the fleet. We had a 500 gallon tank high on a frame at the end of the Quansit hut my Grandfather got from Military Surplus after WW II. He did not consider it an equal trade as the government took his airplane to train pilots and all he got was a Quansit hut. The milage will be a thing to deal with but I am hoping to free up the intake and exhaust and keep it under 50 MPH. I have yet to see it run but the folks at the museum drove it up from the lower 40 to the maintenance shed using booster box and portable gas tank. I am excited about getting it on the road an will keep this thead updated as I get it close to and on the road.

 

[vtdeucedriver]

what type of plane did he have on the farm??

 

[timntrucks]

that suck about the plane, they never paid him for it?

 

[ARMYMAN30YearsPlus]

We had a landgrant farm that my ancestors got in the early 1800's in Illinois. It was 640 acres of the sweetest land I have ever seen black earth virgin timber stands and the Little Indian Crick running right throu it. His airplane was one he built with my Dad in the 30's based on the Jenny and he had thousands of hours flying it around the Illinois/ Indiana area. The government took many planes for this program and I hope it was a decisive factor in our pilots shooting down many of the enemy in WW II. I would have never left the farm if the death tax had'nt taken it from our family when my Grandfather died unexpectedly. Had I been even a few years older I would have gone in hock over my ears to keep it. That is the real reason I have been in the Army as a transporter for over 30 years.

 

[JDToumanian]

I would have never left the farm if the death tax hadn't taken it from our family when my Grandfather died unexpectedly.

Ooh, that burns me up... Sorry to hear that!

 

[OSO]

What is that stuff you are painting on those wheel studs? Not a light film of neversieze! The manual says dry torque on lug nuts ,I myself aways a little dab of grease, neversieze, or a couple drops of oil > Ia'm getting older and don't like to fight lug nuts.

 

[ARMYMAN30YearsPlus]

It is NAPA Never Seize. I worked as a truck mechanic on the New York Thru-way while I was in Bible College and all of us put never sieze on the lugs it saves the threads and they still torque right as you hear that charactistic creak and the lug grinds into the wheel. I have had lugs that because of rust and wear would not budge with a 1" gun running 175 pounds of air. Had to cut them off with the torch and put in new studs. Way too much work for a tire change.

Thanks for comiserating with me Jon it was the most tramatic thing I went through as a young man way more earth shaking than losing my first girlfriend. I love that cartoon too.

 

[steelsoldiers]

Great progress David! I love it when a plan comes together (he said chewing on a cigar)!

 

[timntrucks]

i was wondering if i could use never seize on my lugs but didnt want them to come off Tim

 

[motorolanut]

Good Deal..Be Safe Now...

 

[tklm539]

Very nice. Looks great. Death tax sucks! People are loosing their heritage, so that wealthy folks can come in and create the latest, greatest subdivision. Its happening all over the country. With the way things look, I do not expect it is going to be getting any better.