Deuce Buy - Govt Auction vs. Ebay - Tell Me Your Experience or Opinion - Pro and Con

[longhorn789]

Never having been to a government auction, I am curious. Looks like the auctions are advertised on Government Surplus Auctions at Government Liquidation then held on miltary bases all over the country.

Are these Deuces typically serviced or beat down to the ground?

Would I be better off swinging a bat on Ebay and hoping not to get ripped off there? In all my car collecting thru Ebay, I am about 50%/50% on getting a honest seller vs. a total liar.

However, the government auction vehicles are just sitting there with no apparent explanation as to condition or history from what I can tell. It looks like the most information they will give you is whether it is currently running or not.

I am NO mechanic...and the Jeep I partially rebuilt nearly killed me in hours committed and I don't have the time or ability to end up with a Deuce that needs a bunch of work. This is my main concern..

What is your experience with base auctions? Should I go that route or not?

 

[Divemaster920]

"I am NO mechanic...and the Jeep I partially rebuilt nearly killed me in hours committed and I don't have the time or ability to end up with a Deuce that needs a bunch of work. This is my main concern.."

Then you are limited to buying one from a "VERY" Reputable Person.

 

[OD_Coyote]

IMHO - Its a gamble either way you go....If I were in your position I would try to buy one from GL and take a local SS member with M35 knowledge to go look at the truck(s) you are interested in bidding on. I bought my first deuce from a private party in 2005 and she is still running strong with no issues except a J pipe replacement. I bought another M35 from GL coming up on a year ago and she runs good too. Aside from general PMs and replacing an axle seal I have not had any issues with the GL truck.

 

[73X]

I bought mine from a fellow SS member and could not be happier. Just do your research, we will all help you.

 

[armadillofz1]

i think it pays to buy one from a reseller if you want a smoother buy. in general they will have several trucks to choose from. bring someone with some deuce knowledge and go for it. the guy i bought mine from had repainted the truck inside and out and gone over it fairly well. all for about 1000 more than i could have bought the truck from GL. and i didnt have to wait 3 months for paperwork to come through. i had a tag on the truck 12 hours after i got home from his place. that alone was worth $1000.

 

[saddamsnightmare]

December 23rd, 2009.

Longhorn789:

I will confirm what has been said above by several of our members. I bought a M35A2 from one of our members who advertised it on EBAY, and he did me a fairly good deal for what the truck was sold then for. It ended up needing cargo bed bows and cover, windshield glass replaced (1) as I am a nut for no cracks in the windshield, and has since needed a new muffler and an oil seal replaced. BUT I've run the truck 9000+ miles since January 2008, mostly highway, versus 1200 miles for the last 5 years prior in military and two civillian owners service.
I would say in either case take a SS member along to help in the inspection that has M35A2 ownership & operating experience.... it's a crapshoot either way, because most of these trucks are nearing 40 years and older. If you though rebuilding a jeep was tough, you might want to go to White Owl, Eastern Surplus or Memphis Equipment or other reputable dealers and get one thats already been done to the 9's... That way you won't have too many surprises.

Good luck and Merry Christmas,

Cheers,

Kyle F. McGrogan

 

[820jeep]

I won a Duce through GL at a good price. Paid for it. Waited 90 days to be told they were cancelling the auction becuase my EUC had not cleared yet ( not that I did not pass the EUC, that the Goverment had not done anything with it for 90 days).

I am now buying one from a friend for twice the price, but I know it is in good shape.

So, if GL and the Goverment do not put the trucks on a HOLD list or lose your paper work and the truck is in good shape ,you can get a good deal.
But for me I am going to give more and know WHEN and WHAT I am getting.
Just my two cents

 

[820jeep]

Longhorn, I am in Ft. Worth, if you find one around here I will be glad to look at it with you.

 

[Warthog]

This has been discussed many times before.

I have bought trucks from GL and GSA. Most have been okay but a few had problems.

What problems you ask?

I bought a truck that had sludge in the fuel system. It took a lot of $$$ to clean and then it required a new injector pump. Rebuilt pumps are selling for $1500. Can you handle that cost?

Another truck required required a new transmission, turbo and air compressor along with the labor to find and fix the issues. Luckily I had a parts truck that sacrificed itself for the greater good. Would have been over $1500.

Remember that these trucks are 35-40+ years old. There will be issues with them no matter where you get it from. And they do not come with waranties.

Also they where designed to transport troop/equipment at a slow speed. They where not designed to be driven daily at 60+mph.

Will I buy from GL again. Absolutely, because I am prepaired to work on them.

So if you get into the hobby be prepared to work on them. You will learn about:

fixing brakes
replacing wheel bearings
pulling transmissions
working on fuel systems
replacing clutches
learn how to read wiring diagrams
learn how to read technical manuals
breaking down tires to fix flats

Nothing hard, just bigger tools and bigger parts.

And the biggest problem of all. You will want more OD Iron. Resistance is futile.

 

[M1075]

You will want more OD Iron. Resistance is futile.

That is a great quote. I love it!

 

[Sephirothq]

It seems like in general materials from GL are in better condition then the GSA materials. This is just based on average. It is not true in all situations.

 

[swbradley1]

I have purchased a bunch of trailers and one truck from GL and one truck from an SS member.

You may or may not have problems either way but unless you have a hankering for adventure on your first big truck then buy one from one of the members here. No, I'm not selling, just speaking out.


sw

 

[TexAndy]

My personal experience dealing with GL has been very mixed. It ALL depends on which GL employees you deal with and what kind of relationship you have with them. Generally speaking, tho, they'll work with you if you keep up good comms with them and don't step on their toes.

Have a backup plan or try to finagle a way to make absolutely sure the truck will drive off the lot before you go to pick it up. If you can, try to start the truck in the lot before you even bid on it. The worst they can say is "no."

Also, multimeters are your friend. Test the batts. Take spare batts with you in any event. If you can, try to start the truck in the lot before pickup day. Oh yeah, and if each battery reads really low voltage, don't throw it away. It might be recoverable with a battery conditioner like batteryminder.

Test the brakes! If it goes all the way to the floor, you have a problem. But you might be able to fix it pretty easily. One of mine was that way. The wheel cylinders were just stuck from a little corrosion. Friend helped me apply some pressure with a little battery powered compressor and that fixed it.

Also, do NOT sign off on the invoice until you're absolutely sure you can get it off the lot that day.

hm... check ALL the fluids. Make sure all the belts and hoses are good. Have a way to air up the tires. Bring plenty of oil, coolant, dot 5, and fuel.

If you can, have someone meet you there in a 1009 or something so you can easily jump start it if you have to.

A chase vehicle is not a bad idea, either.

 

[longhorn789]

Longhorn, I am in Ft. Worth, if you find one around here I will be glad to look at it with you.

Thanks! I may take you up on that!

 

[sandcobra164]

For what it's worth, Mine was listed as "does not start" and when I put some new batteries in it, it fired up within 2 seconds. The ads on GL can be misleading, sometimes good, sometimes bad. Make sure to preview it or request that a fellow SS member can check it out for you.

 

[WyoDeuce]

I bought mine on GL and got a great deal. Pay attention to the condition ratings at the bottom of the listing. The description of my truck said allmost nothing usefull but the condition was B4. It turns out it had just been turned in by the national guard. Drove it home with no problems. Most of the deuces are rated H7 or F7 but are not all junk, they are just a bigger gamble.

 

[pcoz88]

Whats the average price paid????

What is the average price paid for a m35 at auction?Is there a list on here of average prices for the different trucks?Thanks

 

[pcoz88]

bump

 

[m16ty]

Pay no attention to the condition codes or what it says in the description as to if it runs. These have been known to be wrong in many cases.

Unless you are prepared to except less than what is advertised do not even think about bidding on a truck without inspecting it first.

 

[shootiniron]

Unless you do your homework along with a pre auction visit and visual,its a crap shoot.I will say that still all in all a better gamble than GSA.I gotta figure that with the GL trucks they are usually direct mil. turn-ins where the previous users have had some sort of training on the use and maint. Where as with the GSA vehicles, they not only endured use and abuse from the mil. but then as the coup de grace they are transfered to the federal dips***s whose training ended with "this is where the key goes". You get the picture,an ingnobe end to a once noble piece of our military history,,,, but hey they are just a tool...right????