After a year and a half wait, she's finally home

[BKubu]

I purchased this M925A2 from GL in January 2006 and am just now getting her home. Before you think, "Wow, I don't remember that truck ever coming up," it did not look like this when I bought it. I will attach before and after pictures. The truck was missing the motor, transmission, steering column, cab top, CTIS, alternator, gauge cluster, wiper switches, wiper motors, and many other misc. parts. Fortunately, a good friend named Tommy Craig was able to help me put her back together. From there, the truck was sent to another good friend, John Winslow, who reinstalled all of the CTIS parts, mounted new rubber, and painted the truck. Dave Olchak (N3UKA) and just drove down to King's Dominion in VA to meet John on Saturday to pick the truck up. The M925A2 drove like a dream on the trip home. If not for the overspeed light that kept blinking, I could have driven the whole trip at 65 mph. Tommy Craig told me that he thought the truck had less than 2K miles on by the looks of what was there (and by the fact that there was still plastic remnants left on the seats!). The motor came out of a wrecked wrecker with 6K miles on it.

First, the "BEFORE" pictures...

 

[BKubu]

...AFTER...

 

[BKubu]

...pictures (sorry)...

 

[Armada]

Who'da thought... What a transformation! Well done! Congrats Bruce!!

 

[Cdub]

Wow.....She is just beautiful.......

I wish you all the best of luck with your new green machine.

and yes, we need more detailed pic to drull over....Hahahaha...

Cheers,

Craig

 

[jeli]

Great job. Better than brand new. Even my pocket book hurts from looking at it!!!!!

 

[M1075]

Looks great Bruce! Nice truck.

 

[Recovry4x4]

Looks great Bruce, just what I would expect for your AO. What's the chief difference between your 925A2 and Chris' 923A2? Also, do you think your ahead of the dollar game by rebuilding this truck or just buying a runner? Just curious and if you prefer not to answer that, I would certainly understand. My last question or comment, either Winslow loaded that trailer seperate from the truck or he has some incedible backer upper in his staff.

 

[Sarge]

Bruce, I sure do love the 900 series trucks. I drove them thousands of miles, from England to Italy, from Spain to Poland.
I have to say, you are a better man than I. One look at the before pictures, that's all it took. I would have given up right there. All those parts missing! All that expense!
But then you showed the after pictures, and wow! Perhaps that should inspire me to get off my lazy butt and hurry up and finish my ultra top-secret project that will have all of the Steel Soldiers agog with awe. Ooops! I can't get that cat back into the bag!

 

[BKubu]

Thanks for all of the kind words.

I bought the truck from GL for $3200 plus the 10%. I figured I'd come out way ahead because I know the M925A2s bring $25K+ if you can find a clean one. Well, the motors for those trucks are VERY rare if you want a military motor. I did not want a civilian motor because of the high mileage. It took me about six months just to find the right motor...and it cost me $6500. The transmission cost $1500. Tires were $300 each plus mounting. When all is said and done, I would say I have about $23,000 in the truck. I am still ahead...but not by much. I never figured I'd have more than, say, $15K in it after getting it for $3200. I specifically targetted the truck BECAUSE it needed work. I probably would have missed it if it had come out complete because it would have gone high. What was there when I got it was straight as an arrow. The truck came out of TDC FJ, Tactical Doctrine Command Fort Jackson, and was part of the WVMS, Wheeled Vehicle Mechanic's School. By the looks of all the mud under the truck, they probably got the truck stuck and practiced recovering it. I also think they practiced taking it apart and putting it back together.

 

[ARMYMAN30YearsPlus]

Bruce:
Thanks for sharing this great information with us. The truck looks great just like is wants to come back on active duty. I sure hope one of these days we can meet since we live so close to each other sorry I missed you at Aberdeen. How about some of the truck driving aroud the Maryland countryside?

Thanks again

 

[jasonjc]

the 925 has the front winch and the 923 does not. they stopped useing W/W and WO/W. so there are twice as many truck #'s

 

[clinto]

WOW!!

Nice job.

Did you guys also do the cab interior?

 

[BKubu]

David,
I'll take some pictures of me driving the truck around. Until I get some more...here are a few that you will recognize from the trip home.

CLINTO: No, we did not paint the interior. It does not look like it in the BEFORE pics, but the cab inside was mint. The seats are still being held down by cadmium plates bolts...the cab has never been repainted since it came from the factory. All of the insulation was like new. I have new seats that I will install in it, but the old, torn seats are in it right now.

Bruce

 

[motorolanut]

Nice truck Congrats!!!!

 

[bigmike]

I love those 900 series trucks. awsome restore job.