Found this little guy out in the woods behind my house, 1943 M3A4!!!

[mdmorgan]

So, the wife and I decide to start hauling out some scrap metal that we knew was out in the woods behind our house, previous owner was an auto mechanic, and we stumbled upon this trailer. I thought at first that it was just some homemade junk that someone left to rot and I was just going to scrap it along with everything else we had found. I was just about to try to scoop it up with the frontend loader on my tractor when Mahala hollered "WAIT!!!" I was like "what?" she goes "I think its military, it has a data plate on it." I said "There's no way that little thing is military." So, I huffed and hopped off the tractor to take a look and sure enough it looked like it just might be something military. So I was a little more careful with it and got it back up to the house and did some research and HOLY COW did we find something awesome! I feel sick at the thought of what I almost did to it.

A few things I know about it: Built in 1943 by Rock Island Arsenal, it is one of the more early ones due to not having the re-inforceing strip around the top and not having all the extra holes in the body for mounting various gun mounts, the axle is not the original and needs to be replaced, and the wheels are the right size and look military but have not seen a cart with any like these on it.

 

[doghead]

It's just the right size for Pokey!

 

[tigger]

Cool find! Havent you learned the wife is always right no mater what!

 

[emmado22]

Over at www.g503.com they have a handcart section, lots of info there. Looks to be in decent shape.

 

[doghead]

A google image search for "1943 M3A4" will yield some good pics of these neat trailers.

http://images.google.com/search?sou...366&bih=586&sei=PiH_UJPNCIXW0gGWqoEI&tbm=isch

 

[mdmorgan]

Yeah I've been doing a lot of reading already, pretty interesting little trailer/cart.

 

[emmado22]

http://g503.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=130 try this.

 

[timntrucks]

super nice find.. someone long ago brought that home and his wife said... what are you going to do with that junk

 

[sigo]

Sweet find! I want to find cool stuff in my yard- that I didn't put there and forget about.

 

[goldneagle]

Did you see the asking price for that cart? $2750

 

[3dAngus]

I wonder if the axles at Tractor Supply would work OK on that. They are not very expensive. Most axles on the trailers we're familiar with are going to be to big for that. If you have the measurements you can probably research it online.

It's scrap.

Just send it over to my house. I'll take good care of it.

 

[mdmorgan]

Yes, I have seen the asking/selling prices of these carts, that's why I was like HOLY COW!!!

 

[mdmorgan]

It's only about 24" wide so I will have to do some custom work to the axle, unless I can find an original/reproduction replacement.

 

[3dAngus]

Two feet??? Really? I would have never guessed that. That's over $1000 per foot.

What a find!!

 

[papabear]

So, the wife and I decide to start hauling out some scrap metal that we knew was out in the woods behind our house, previous owner was an auto mechanic, and we stumbled upon this trailer. I thought at first that it was just some homemade junk that someone left to rot and I was just going to scrap it along with everything else we had found. I was just about to try to scoop it up with the frontend loader on my tractor when Mahala hollered "WAIT!!!" I was like "what?" she goes "I think its military, it has a data plate on it." I said "There's no way that little thing is military." So, I huffed and hopped off the tractor to take a look and sure enough it looked like it just might be something military. So I was a little more careful with it and got it back up to the house and did some research and HOLY COW did we find something awesome! I feel sick at the thought of what I almost did to it.
A few things I know about it: Built in 1943 by Rock Island Arsenal, it is one of the more early ones due to not having the re-inforceing strip around the top and not having all the extra holes in the body for mounting various gun mounts, the axle is not the original and needs to be replaced, and the wheels are the right size and look military but have not seen a cart with any like these on it.

I just KNEW Mahala was the brains of the CAMO NE branch!!

 

[jw4x4]

Eyes on the ground are usually better than eyes in the seat. Nice save!!!
Looks like it would make a good "Deuce" hauler.

 

[wreckerman893]

Cool beans Daniel. So I assume it will be at the 2013 GA Rally in full restored glory.

 

[mdmorgan]

Eyes on the ground are usually better than eyes in the seat. Nice save!!!
Looks like it would make a good "Deuce" hauler.

Actually I'm thinking more having Deuce pull it And yes WM I'll have it at the rally.

 

[Capt Pat]

Yeah Tigger is right, if you don't believe it, ask your wife....... Mine makes a good ground guide, BUT.........

 

[clinto]

That's awesome! So cool to find something like that. All I find in my backyard is empty Heineken bottles.

super nice find.. someone long ago brought that home and his wife said... what are you going to do with that junk

hahaha, yupp.