Abandoned M135

[Andrew Y]

Hey everyone, new member here. I just joined because I found an M135 while exploring an abandoned state owned facility. It looks like it was used to plow the grounds, it has a huge plow frame. Anyway, Im speaking to the town assessor (local police said they manage the site) tomorrow and try to find a legal way to acquire this truck. I have a few questions for you guys.

The site has been fully abandoned since 2002, so I am assuming this is generally the last time it ran. What kind of running condition do you think it could possibly be in? I didnt want to poke around too much, but Im guessing the belts are dry rotted and batteries and gas are obviously no good. Would this be worth looking into? The hardest part would probably having to get it running on the site, the car trailer I have would snap under this thing's weight. Any recommendations on what specifically would need to be looked at to get it marginally operational?

Thanks!



Correction: This an a M211. Thanks everyone for clarifying

 

[212sparky]

 

[123mack]

Get with a wrecker company that has a Landoll or equivatent. They can winch it up on the trailer and drop it right where you want.

 

[Andrew Y]

It has a cummins generator on the bed, kinda cool.

 

[ODdave]

Hope this helps

 

[PaulbusMax]

That's a good looking truck, would be nice if you could get that for a song.

 

[NDT]

That is a M211, later 1955+ production. Someone will want the Cummins generator big time. I bet with two batteries, a 5 gallon can of gas, and an electric fuel pump, you can fire that girl up and drive it off. Brakes, however, will need days of repairs.

 

[Andrew Y]

That is a M211, later 1955+ production. Someone will want the Cummins generator big time. I bet with two batteries, a 5 gallon can of gas, and an electric fuel pump, you can fire that girl up and drive it off. Brakes, however, will need days of repairs.

How can you tell its an M211? I actually cant remember if it had dually rear axles, I only took 2 pics of it, neither showing the rear wheels too well.

 

[NDT]

How can you tell its an M211? I actually cant remember if it had dually rear axles, I only took 2 pics of it, neither showing the rear wheels too well.

If the truck was a M135, you would be able to see the rear hubs and lug nuts in the picture you posted. Also the front wheel is the type wheel used on trucks with duals.

 

[nattieleather]

Just looking at the picture you can tell the back two wheels are facing in showing that it's a dual wheel set up. So it's likely a M211. I agree get it hauled home by a company with a drop deck and then work on it at your leasure to clean the gas taken, change the oil, fresh batteries, and go through the brakes. Heck if you can get it cheep enough you should be able to sell the genset to pay for the truck, the tow and new parts... Welcome to the site and keep us posted on how this goes.

 

[rosco]

It seems to have civy tires. A lot better then NDT's

 

[Mastertech]

Hey Nice Truck id grab that in a minute, and Hey bonus genset on the back.
Like they said have it hauled home and go to work It will be a nice truck
with a little bit of work and parts.

 

[Andrew Y]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I spoke with the town assessor, and the land is in total control of the state. This might get alittle more complicated, Ill have to find someone at a different level to talk to. Id love to save it, as it sits now more teenagers are gonna smash it up and eventually light it on fire (like some of the abandoned buildings on the site ) . Shame it was left in the open.

 

[paulfarber]

Scores of restoreable MVs have met an early death because the first thing the new owner did was pump gas in it and start spinning components.

Its been sitting for over 10 years... take the motor apart and check for nests, rust, sludge, water, the broken parts that lead to the thing sitting in a field for 10 years etc etc etc.

I was talking to a guy who couldn't get a CCKW to idle... after beating him over the head for info it turns out that he was pouring gas directly into the carb (no fuel pump, just a line dripping gas into the carb) the oil was like tar and whatever used to live in the exhaust had a nest that was clogging it. The motor did go boom. And the truck was scrapped (or knowing the chuckle head, dragged out to the field and left).

Free advice.. take it or leave it... but take the head off, drop the pan and clean it and the oil pump intake, clean out the manifolds, flush the water block and radiator, put some oil on the metal to metal surfaces (cylinders, cam, crank) and then spin the motor.

 

[swordmd]

That is Very good advice. I know of a few "It ran when I parked it" MVs that burned when people tried to rush things. The wiring will need to checked or replaced. Small anaimals like to use wiring to make nests.

 

[overlordofmars]

That is a M211, I have two of them, its got duals. Looks like a really nice truck.

 

[overlordofmars]

Working with a state can get complicated. You might end up pulling a stunt we did ten years ago. We titled through a title company an abandoned truck that was on mining land. Once it was in our name we removed it, let them fight over a 50 year old vehicle. Its in your name and you posses it. Its not exactly clean and honest to do but most likely its not on any inventory any more and was totally forgotten. We did that with a 1940 COE. The state took over an abandoned coal mine facility. After five weeks of red tape and run around, I used a legal loop hole and took possession. I checked first with the DMV, no records found so good luck proving it was theirs. Records over 10 years not registered in the state end up purged. So there is no proof of ownership other than the one I got from International Title Service.

It worked, we had the truck 8 years till I sold it.

 

[porkysplace]

Working with a state can get complicated. You might end up pulling a stunt we did ten years ago. We titled through a title company an abandoned truck that was on mining land. Once it was in our name we removed it, let them fight over a 50 year old vehicle. Its in your name and you posses it. Its not exactly clean and honest to do but most likely its not on any inventory any more and was totally forgotten. We did that with a 1940 COE. The state took over an abandoned coal mine facility. After five weeks of red tape and run around, I used a legal loop hole and took possession. I checked first with the DMV, no records found so good luck proving it was theirs. Records over 10 years not registered in the state end up purged. So there is no proof of ownership other than the one I got from International Title Service.

It worked, we had the truck 8 years till I sold it.

Being the fact this is state property and was used and left behind by the state , I
would not commint fraud to obtain a title ,especially after inquiring about it to local officials ,they now know its not yours.

overlordofmars it not the best idea to write about title fraud in a open forum , some things are best keep to yourself .

 

[maddawg308]

Find who ran the facility, what department of the state, etc., and find the office that takes care of their motor pool. Talk to the person in charge, explain what you'd like to do, perhaps it may be a matter of "you can have it if you want it". If so, GET THAT IN WRITING from someone of authority. However, it may be an issue of the department saying that all surplus vehicles get auctioned off, then you have to WAIT for them to get off their duff and list it for sale.

Hope things go more smoothly for you....

 

[Stretch44875]

Sounds like it will have to be a GSA auction to be legal.