Hey, all ideas please...1953 m37!!

[deaner450]

hey M37's
i just came across this awsome 53 m37, what should i do with it, what would it be good for, should i just restore it, i definatly want to drive it around, need power steering and bigger tires, ideas and input please.

 

[muddog]

Good looking truck.

 

[Wolfen]

Restore it!

 

[wreckerman893]

Unless you are keen on keeping it I'm sure a collector would pay good money for it...looks like an easy restoration.

 

[Danger Ranger]

Figure out how to get it to my house!

 

[deaner450]

what would it be worth? it would be hard to part with.

 

[Jinx]

Restore it!

Please don't mod it though. Those old trucks are getting harder and harder to find. The M37 is like the old WWII Jeeps which were once plentiful, but over time many off roaders got their hands on them and modified them until they were unrecognizable as a military vet. Now it's difficult to find a good unmolested WWII Jeep.

 

[ralbelt]

REAL nice , wish I could run across one as nice. Keep it original as possible.

 

[steelypip]

That is easily the nicest unrestoerd M37 I've ever seen. Even well-cared-for fire department ones tend to be modded up for brush truck use. If you want to make one into a rock crawler or mud buggy, sell this one to a restorer and get one with a blown/no engine.

Yours is just too pretty for anything other than a restoration. And for the record, a restored M-37 is a perfectly nice drive in town truck that will turn a lot of heads or tow/haul a lot of stuff. They've also got good off road capability for anything short of extreme use.

If you restore it, you'll also get all kinds of approving looks, thumbs up, and cool stories from Korea to post-Vietnam era vets.

 

[deaner450]

any ideas what it would cost to restore it, what its worth now and what it would be worth fully restored. i dont have alot of money for this project right now and i want to budget it in.

 

[srodocker]

You should bring it down to the PNW rally in july 15th!

 

[deaner450]

and im glad to hear restoring it would be a better decision, it would really be a shame to pull it apart. iv been asking around on other sites and most people tell me it wouldnt be worth it to restore, and that they are still pretty common.

 

[deaner450]

srodocker, what is the PNW rally? where is it

 

[98taco3]

Restore her! Ill have about 4500 in the restoration when i am finished with mine. I started with a truck in a little bit worse shape than yours. GREAT score! Even though some say these trucks are plentiful it is not the case, i had to travel 900 miles to find one worthy of fixing up. And for what its worth keep the stock 230ci flathead! It adds character as ALOT of people swap in other engines. Its always neat to see the old flatty in there! Keep her on the road!

 

[gerrykan]

what should i do with it, i definatly want to drive it around, need power steering and bigger tires, ideas and input please.

It doesn't NEED power steering and bigger tires, you WANT them.
What you should do is drive it around this summer.
Maintain it in driveable condition and spruce it up a little here and there while keeping it driveable.

By winter you should know if you want to keep it or not.
If you still want power steering and bigger tires, you have had plenty of time to find the best upgrades to do this.

And while you are driving down the road smiling this summer, decide what amount it would take to buy this truck, so you can tell the folks that ask you.

Have fun and keep us updated.

 

[deaner450]

thanks for all the tips, i need to tighten up the steering somehow if i am going to keep it without power steering, iv never had a truck this old, its all new to me, definatly going to need some help. glad i found this fourm.

 

[srodocker]

The link to the rally is in my signature

2011 Washington State Campout/convoy

 

[gerrykan]

i need to tighten up the steering somehow if i am going to keep it without power steering

The manuals will tell you how to properly adjust the steering box.
It is possible that a lack of lubrication (due to poor maintenance over the years) has created more wear than can be adjusted out.
The M37 also has more steering linkage than most vehicles. A small amount of play in every pivot point adds up.
You should also check for proper alignment and wear in the kingpins.

 

[98taco3]

check out g741.org. it is a message board dedicated to the m37. Alot of great info here and over there.

 

[Wolfen]

As far as Restoration, we would need more Information. How Original is it? Does it have any bad Rust? Is the Engine Original and does it Run? Is it still 24 Volts Electrical System? Are the Brakes any good? Are the Transmission and Differentials Original? How does the Interior of the Cab look?