Deuce worth the money?

[ColonelSanders]

Hi all. Went to look at a m35a2 w/w yesterday to start my collection. without giving away all the details, its got 37k miles, around 1300 hours. It seems to be in good mechanical condition, the guy drives it a couple times a week and has put about 1000 miles on in the two years he has had it.

hard top, no troop seats or cargo cover, spin on fuel filter, D turbo, cleaned fuel tank, new windshields, hard top and cab heater. starts and runs and all that, brakes are solid. my big concern is the quantity of surface rust. its not really bad anywhere, but it is extensive.

My question is really about pricing. Do you think this is worth getting as a first truck, and how much would you estimate its worth at? Thanks!

 

[tommys2patrick]

If you have a decent place to work on the truck without suffering complaints from the neighbors or worse then you can take your time and deal with the surface rust. While time consuming and messy it won't be as bad as having to aquire lots of repair parts. It looks pretty solid except for the bed in places where water collects, mostly at the bed side and bottom joints. Looks like you might have some boot and/or brake leaks that should be dealt with. So whats it worth? I am sure you know that what something is worth to one man may not be the same to another. Whats it worth on a farm versus whats it worth for parade duty? On the low side I would say $5K up to $10K. Professionally restored can be twice that. I have seen nice ones go for more and less but $7500 would be a reasonable price for most people I would think. The winch is a big plus but no staves,troop seats, bows and cover for the bed is a minus. That can be acquired though. I can tell you that buying will be one thing but cost of ownership is another thing. Your time, tools, parts, supplies, space, money and help from friends are another. You could be in it for several thousand a year depending on how much you drive, what level of restore you want to do and what goes wrong with it during ownership. Your biggest question may / should well be how much passion do you have for this?

 

[dilligaf13]

Just be aware that hours and mileage shown mean nothing. When speedometers are replaced the mileage now shows as zero. The surface rust on that rig looks about average, for a non show truck that's 35-45 years old. Especially one from an area that salts its roads. The fact that he drives it regularly is a good sign because sitting for long periods of time is military vehicles enemy. Prices on most FMTV's are what the market will bear and the buyer is willing to pay. I've seen almost identical trucks go for wildly different amounts. Much of it has to do with location, availability, desired features, timing and luck.

 

[frank8003]

http://www.steelsoldiers.com/showthread.php?55552-cost-of-ownership-(the-real-cost-of-a-deuce)

and

http://www.steelsoldiers.com/showthread.php?128479-So-You-Want-to-Buy-a-Deuce

 

[ColonelSanders]

Thanks for the advice. I've read everything I can get my hands on for the past 8 years or so, so I know what I'm getting into, and the costs of ownership and all that. It was way back in high school when I first realized that I could actually own one of these, and have been looking ever since. I just want to make sure I find one that is worth putting my time and money into.

I'll look into this one a bit more and might make an offer later in the week.

 

[Scar59]

Welcome from Kentucky. The truck is in pretty typical shape for its age and level of care is hasn't gotten. It will make a nice project. The biggest concern is , do you have a place to park it and work on it? (inside storage). Working outside will be a drag and possibly an issue with the neighbors. If you got that covered and it is in the $4k - $6k range, buy it. The winch is a bonus.
JC

 

[theeDIZ]

It all depends on how much you want to put into it versus would it be cheaper to find one already gone through . Best of luck !

 

[Big Dumb Truck]

i paid $6,500 for mine. it's in about the same condition. you will be spending a minimum of $1,000 and at least 100 hours on bearing and seals (just like i did) from what i see in your pictures. i think i paid too much. i hope this helps.

 

[FloridaAKM]

Welcome aboard & to the Green Iron Disease! The truck you are looking @ looks good from your pictures. The guys posting prior have just about covered the bases you need to know about. Approach the seller with a fair low price & see where it goes from there, the trucks always have something to be worked on, but that is usually the owners fault & sometimes murphy's fault. Keep us posted as to what you decide!

 

[dmetalmiki]

Bought at a fair price, ( the price you feel happy to acquire it for (6000 good, 4500 better and a "snip")) A stock of wire brushes sanding tools and paint, plus time , (And a lot of enthusiasm) will get that truck looking really good. Go to it. Good luck, keep us informed.

 

[frank8003]

Just buy it, drive it and fix it
Drive it some more.
Enjoy slow
Whatever, .....................
Just do not loose the inquisitive mind or the enthusiasm
One finds oneself turning more happy

 

[3dAngus]

Go to Lowes, get some masks and a rope wire brush set to go on your wire grinder, and that rust will disappear. If you're young, you could probably wire brush that truck down in one weekend if you work at it, maybe even paint it in the same weekend. If you resort to a handheld wire brush, make it a month of weekends.
I would put that truck at $5500-6500 if the winch works. The winch on these things are like gold, and the number one accessory. If it doesn't work well, it will probably cost a small fortune to fix, depending on what the problem is. If all the rust is on the surface and there is no cancer, you're in good shape.
I don't see any rust issues on that vehicle. I just see orange war paint. It comes off.

The leaks are of far greater concern, because of the heavy equipment needed to lift and work them, plus, time and money. You might need some help with that one, and definitely cannot do it if you live in a neighborhood with protective covenents and nosy neighbors.
The hardtop is added value as well. You can add $500 for that, even though I prefer a softtop for my personal pleasure.

 

[Rmtaunton]

same i would say 5500 to 6000 for a hard top winch truck in that condition probably a little more up north

 

[98G]

I sold one recently in about that condition for about $5k. Mine had NOS fiberglass troopseats and a cargo cover, and did not have the winch.

 

[bonedoc]

I would agree with the general consensus. I would say $4500-$6500, especially since it is a winch truck. In the pics you posted most of it appears to be surface rust, it looks as though the rocker panels are solid, you can sand it all down with a wire wheel and paint it up nicely. I paid 6K for mine. The body was decent, just surface rust and peeling paint, no rot, so it cleaned up and took paint nicely. Mechanically it was very solid as the previous owner had gone through the brakes and axles replaceing seals and such so all was sound. He also went over the motor, adjusting the valves, injectors, etc. My point being...while to some his price might of been on the higher side to some, it was well worth it to me knowing those things were good to go.
The main thing I see is some leaking pinion seals and atleast one wet wheel that looks like maybe a leaking axle seal. Those can all be fixed and given the age and condition of a lot of these trucks is needed on most....to one degree or another.
Bottomline how much it is worth is up to you. How much can you/do you want to spend? How much can you/do you want to repair/fix? There really isn't a part on the truck that can be replaced or refurbished so the question is how much work do you want to do?

Either way...it will still put a smile on your face and every little kid that sees it drive by!!

Good luck and enjoy.

 

[m109a2]

I would look in the classified on this site and compare.

 

[saddamsnightmare]

August 10th, 2015.


Colonel Sanders:


This will help you maintain your deuce, and better yet, keep it in a fairly safe condition for you, and others on and off the road. Add this to your list of things to do BEFORE you start your truck every day, and correct any issues in brakes, driveline or steering. You'll live longer because you do this inspection!

 

[kubotaman]

It could be better, but that can be fixed. With Duece prices going up, maybe $4k If it doesnt work out, we have 2 Deuces just south of you in RI. 1 with all options and one without

 

[ColonelSanders]

Decided to pass on this one. the seller wasn't quite as flexible on price as I had hoped, plus my parking situation got a little more interesting recently...

Anyways, not in a huge rush to pick one up, but i'll be keeping an eye out over the next year. Thanks everyone!