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I thought about writing this up for one of the mags - but decided here may be a better, or at least more timely, place to "publish" this missive. It may piss some off - that is not the intent. Rather, this is merely food for thought.
I am fortunate in that my work and my hobby are somewhat intertwined. In the course of a week I spend a GREAT deal of time looking at photos and documents, talking with collectors and dealers, etc. And of course there is the compiling of information from all these (and other) sources.
I talk with WWII Jeep collectors, CCKW collectors, tank collectors, motorcycle collectors - and also try to follow the prices these things change hands at - and how quickly they sell.
While amassing material for my M35 books I have taken to looking at the online photos of every deuce listed on the GL site, and noting the details visible in the photos. So, my comments below pertain to the deuce, although they just as easily could be applied to five tons.
I've browsed the many photos that Memphis Equipment has taken in their 60 years of existance - photos showing row after row of CCKW that have been refitted with various commercial beds, frames that that have been lengthened or shortened, acres of M135s with similar conversions, or transmission transplants. Or huge piles of parts, the results of parting out these once-common vehicles.
Other dealers chewed through thousands of surplus Jeeps in the same manner - some of our members here have proudly dragged home batter, rusted remains of a MB or GPW and labored to return the vehicle to an "as delivered" state. Cursing the guy who threw away those hard to work on dangerous combat rims, replacing them with commercial rims.
Want to see a military vehicle that brings top dollar - take a look at a GPW with original body and matching frame/engine numbers. Or a CCKW with original wooden cargo bed and original engine.
While once both these vehicles were common - so common they were used up by "improving" them with V-6 engines in the Jeeps and steel grain beds on the CCKWs - today they are the vehicles that make collector's hearts race - and cause them to dig deep in their pockets when one comes on the market.
Today I am going through the GL auctions, and I notice a handful of 1972-built trucks with LD-465 engines and sprag transfer cases. These trucks very probably have their factory installed engines - true survivors that have escaped countless government rebuild programs and numerous opprotunities for "improvements".
How many of these already scarce originals will make it another ten years. Will they all be parted out, souped up, bobbed, turboed?
Today, the M35A2 is as common as the proverbial pig's tracks - but '09 is their last year in GI service. My research to date indicates that total G-742 production was in the 200,000 range, over an almost 40 year period. That shoud be plenty forever - no need to save any of them as historic artifacts, right? GMC CCKW production was a staggering 3/4 of a million in a five year period. When is the last time you saw a nice original CCKW cargo - or dump, or water purification truck?
We look at 1946-47 photos of these trucks being modified, used commercially or scrapped and say "why didn't they save some?" - then we log onto the internet, and ask "how can I add turbo, lockouts and airshift to my sprag-equipped LD-powered M35A2 before I bob it?
And our children or grandchildren will find the remains of such an "improved" truck in a fence row or barn and say "I wonder if I can restore this, darn shame someone did this to it."
Something to think about.....
Regards,
David
I am fortunate in that my work and my hobby are somewhat intertwined. In the course of a week I spend a GREAT deal of time looking at photos and documents, talking with collectors and dealers, etc. And of course there is the compiling of information from all these (and other) sources.
I talk with WWII Jeep collectors, CCKW collectors, tank collectors, motorcycle collectors - and also try to follow the prices these things change hands at - and how quickly they sell.
While amassing material for my M35 books I have taken to looking at the online photos of every deuce listed on the GL site, and noting the details visible in the photos. So, my comments below pertain to the deuce, although they just as easily could be applied to five tons.
I've browsed the many photos that Memphis Equipment has taken in their 60 years of existance - photos showing row after row of CCKW that have been refitted with various commercial beds, frames that that have been lengthened or shortened, acres of M135s with similar conversions, or transmission transplants. Or huge piles of parts, the results of parting out these once-common vehicles.
Other dealers chewed through thousands of surplus Jeeps in the same manner - some of our members here have proudly dragged home batter, rusted remains of a MB or GPW and labored to return the vehicle to an "as delivered" state. Cursing the guy who threw away those hard to work on dangerous combat rims, replacing them with commercial rims.
Want to see a military vehicle that brings top dollar - take a look at a GPW with original body and matching frame/engine numbers. Or a CCKW with original wooden cargo bed and original engine.
While once both these vehicles were common - so common they were used up by "improving" them with V-6 engines in the Jeeps and steel grain beds on the CCKWs - today they are the vehicles that make collector's hearts race - and cause them to dig deep in their pockets when one comes on the market.
Today I am going through the GL auctions, and I notice a handful of 1972-built trucks with LD-465 engines and sprag transfer cases. These trucks very probably have their factory installed engines - true survivors that have escaped countless government rebuild programs and numerous opprotunities for "improvements".
How many of these already scarce originals will make it another ten years. Will they all be parted out, souped up, bobbed, turboed?
Today, the M35A2 is as common as the proverbial pig's tracks - but '09 is their last year in GI service. My research to date indicates that total G-742 production was in the 200,000 range, over an almost 40 year period. That shoud be plenty forever - no need to save any of them as historic artifacts, right? GMC CCKW production was a staggering 3/4 of a million in a five year period. When is the last time you saw a nice original CCKW cargo - or dump, or water purification truck?
We look at 1946-47 photos of these trucks being modified, used commercially or scrapped and say "why didn't they save some?" - then we log onto the internet, and ask "how can I add turbo, lockouts and airshift to my sprag-equipped LD-powered M35A2 before I bob it?
And our children or grandchildren will find the remains of such an "improved" truck in a fence row or barn and say "I wonder if I can restore this, darn shame someone did this to it."
Something to think about.....
Regards,
David
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. I have seen this happen with the m105 trailers here locally.
...It sure is neat to see all the things guys do at the shows, some are so darn good at correct stuff, and some have just made theres so awesome its just very very cool, I do like showroom condition, and combat ready condition , and motor pool ready condition, and mods too...