Barn find, M35A3?

[fungus]

Thanks for all the hints fellas, I think this is the start of a long term relationship. For better or worse

The decode helps a lot. If I read correctly elsewhere, it sounds like the frame number (9-digit) should be what I use for registration if at all possible. Oddly, the registration number used by the PO can't be found anywhere on the truck. The PO passed away and no title was available. For all I know, the auction house stuck those registration papers in here from another truck.

Great news on the bumper! I'll keep my eyes peeled for winch extensions, although I may end up fabricating something for what I can find. There are plenty of heavy duty PTO winches available for cheap around me. 100% duty cycle

No date code on the engine tag other than the overhaul date in '87. Is there a chance the engine was overhauled and stuck back in the original truck? That would be odd to see a deuce with the original engine! I'm happy enough with NA, fewer parts to break. I might have a look at boring or sleeving depending on how much blowby there is. The axle was pretty wet from the slobber tube.

Thanks for the story guyfang, I'm sure that plenty of shenanigans happened in M109 boxes.

NDT, your decode makes sense for the bumper, but why the heck does this thing have the PTO and associated controls? It all looks original to my untrained eye. The PTO output is forward only, looks like a straight shaft with a flat. I haven't landed a micrometer on it yet to confirm if it's straight or tapered.

I'm considering a homebrew air assist for low speed, I'll share the steering shaft torque valve design once I figure things out. I'm trying to work out a mechanical solution that uses standard manually operated shuttle valves, makes rebuild/replacement a lot easier.

Thanks again folks, I'm grateful for the body of knowledge here!

 

[NDT]

Yes for sure use the frame number for registration, anything else is a slippery slope.
The military wouldn’t have converted a cargo truck into a shop van truck, I suspect that occurred after release by DOD. I also suspect the previous owner had hopes of adding the winch but never got a round tuit.

 

[fungus]

Those round tuits are awful hard to find, if anyone has extras I'll take a few.

 

[HDN]

@fungus glad you got yourself a truck - looks nice!

Weird things happen to these trucks whether it's before or after service. My dad's 1953 M37 came home from Fort Drum with three-tone NATO woodland camo. There's evidence it came from the factory with a winch, but it came home winchless with cuts in the forward frame and a non-winch bumper bolted in place. It also had snow tires on it. I compared the hood numbers on the truck to what's on the site here, and it seems possible that the hood was swapped in-service with another truck, possibly so the unit that had the truck could either keep it or get rid of it.

So maybe the truck had the cargo bed removed by a private owner and swapped with a box, or maybe the bed got somehow trashed in-service and got a spare box attached instead Though if the data plate is off an M35A3, I wonder what happened with the M35A3 that had it... From the sound of it I don't think a cab swap happened too - I don't believe any of the A3 trucks kept the multifuel info plates on the account of the multifuel being replaced with a Cat 3116.

 

[ldmack3]

Regarding the lack of title. My A2 had 0525 on the title. The DOT insisted that since there were 17 digits all total, the 05 was the year it was made, as in 2005. Not the bightest bulbs... I even had a dealer investigator tell me the 05 is when it was last overhauled and therefore that made it a 2005. When you do go to register it I would make certain you had info/evidence that 03 is NOT the year it was made. Don't know how your state & county will handle the no title aspect, just make certain you have plenty of evidence of the year made. I even had a copy of the title from a previous owner that showed mine was a 1971. Made no difference to the DOT here.
Good luck.!

 

[cattlerepairman]

Not to hijack but I echo the "do not allow stupidity to get a foothold" when it comes to the powers that be in the registration office.

I got them to accept the short VIN, I got them to accept a US title and import documentation, I navigated the "which colour is it? Green/brown/, black. No, the system only permits ONE colour". But they almost got me on emissions testing.

Because it was not previously registered in-country they expected a 1974 Deuce to pass a current heavy duty Diesel emissions test.

And pigs can fly. THAT took some heavy lifting on my part.

So don't give them any chance to apply their stupidity.




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[HDN]

I'm thankful that my truck was titled after being auctioned off to its first private owner - a green AM General pickup I registered the truck as historical and treat it as such.