I'm 19 and seriously considering buying a deuce, am I crazy?

[Brad Nitzke]

i was only 16 when i got mine. when (if) u get one it takes awhile to learn all the ins and outs of them even after readind the TMs and such. and the do take some of the Green stuff $ to keep them going. with fuel, oils, filtters, anything that might be broke or needs replacing. and then if u want to repaint it or do any mods, its not cheep but i look at mine and think it was worth it.

 

[Heavysteven]

Just make sure you know what your getting into.

 

[Clay James]

It's a great age to get into deuces. As mentioned above they were designed for people our age. Working on them is way easier at our age too. I got A2 at 20 and my 109 at 21. I use them for ranch stuff, camping trips, shooting platforms, going on dates with girls, driving to college sometimes, and they're just fun to drive.

I researched them a few months before buying one, so I knew what I was getting into. Learned to drive manual on it and really didn't do much wrenching on vehicles before then. Inspired me to get more into doing that since they're so maintenance intensive, so now I maintain all my vehicles myself and I'm taking automotive classes in college.

 

[olly hondro]

I wish I had got a deuce at your age rather than wasting time , effort, and cash on jeeps, land rovers, and modified jacked up 2WD vehicles. Imagine you are not crazy, just an average guy looking for a truck , like maybe a 1 ton dually : what features would you like?

1. turbo diesel. Yep deuce has that.
2. 4 wheel drive. OK, you over achieve and get 6x6.
3. Air select front axle. Yep.
4. 20" rims, yep.
5. 1 ton load capacity, yep, 2 1/2 even better.
6. towing capacity, si senor, 5000 lbs easy.
7. ground clearance, 40 inch tires, shoot, get that with out even a lift kit.
8. chick magnet....well maybe not so much.
9. all for $5K to $15 K tops.

So whos the crazy one?

 

[commandojeff]

I'm 19 years old just like you. Well I turn 20 in a couple weeks so, but we are in the same age boat. I just bought a 5 ton from GL a couple weeks ago. I don't regret the purchase at all. I fully understand the risks of driving the truck and I consider myself very mechanically inclined. I'm going to school for mechanical engineering, so I have to be. I've been driving MVs since before I was driving real cars. My family does a lot of WWII reenacting so I've been raised with driving half tracks and stuart tanks.

My vote is. If you have the cash, a place to keep it, a way to insure it, and maintain it, go for it. I suggest you keep the truck as original as it comes. I see it as an investment.

Many people will tell you that you are too young and you should wait. This is America. You can drive em in the military at 18... why not own one? Just like owning guns. What's the big deal?

 

[Castle Bravo]

If you can insure it and afford it, the rest will fall in line. As cliche as it is - you only live once.

 

[commandojeff]

Get em while they are cheap. Cause they wont be when you want one 10 or 20 years from now.

 

[lawdog1623]

my advice would be to first make sure you have a dependable daily driver. Make absolutely sure you have your college taken care of as well (sorry, its just i have kids not too far off from you). Lastly, if you really want one then find one that you dont have to depend on and make it a recreational vehicle. There are a few things that certainly come with deuce ownership. Those two things are maintenance and cost. You will need a considerable amount of money to repair and maintain the truck. You will also discover that these things arent exactly the most economical option when it comes to fuel consumption. They are a blast to drive and they definitely get a lot of attention. You will also find that insurance (depending on where you are) is difficult to get and often limits use of the vehicle to strictly specified parameters. if you're going to use it regularly and it is outside the scope of the antiquity insurance that most of of get, you will definitely need to get regular coverage. This is very expensive when insurance companies find out that it is very old and has very few modern vehicle safety technologies. AND THE NUMBER ONE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO REMEMBER IS --familiarize yourself with the braking system, its components and its maintenance. I cant tell you how many times ive seen stories on this very forum that tell of drivers losing complete control of these goliaths at cruising speed and they are either lucky to have not killed themselves, someone else or seriously damaged theirs or anothers vehicle. weigh the cons against the pros and make an educated decision.

 

[Goose2448]

Reasons I have not bought one yet.

1. Money, student loans, rent, gas(not that I buy it anymore), and car parts...Still waiting on that pay raise
2. I just bought a BMW, it goes fast which helps that inner child in me (only 20 myself)
3. Insurance, Being a male under 25 in SWFL is tough, thats why I'm still on my parents insurance
4. Parking, my driveway is not thick enough, my Suburban cracked it, and there are 2 small cars, a burban and a 27' F550 in it already.
5. F550, I pump concrete for my uncle and he gave me a F550 7.3L ZF6 Speed 4x4 with a 3' deck(genset, air compressor) and 11' Reading Wide and Tall Tool bed. Scales at 13K and 18K with pump. Its 27' long and 98" wide, about the same size as a deuce. And let me tell you about driving it. I need 40 acres to turn around, and a mile to get to 60(though the new turbo has helped), and thats with power steering and over twice the power of a Multifuel. Stopping aint so great either. People think your in their way, cut you off, stop infront of you, and cus you out for smoking them out when all your trying to do is get going from a red light. And the Whistle, always wanted a C turbo, but after that new turbo we put in the 550, My head never stops hurting until sunday night, then monday morning rolls around. That has really made me rethink a Deuce in the near future. Its not that I cant handle that, I drive the 550 more than 40K miles a year, but I dont my weekend car to be a repeat of my whole week.

Your gonna have to plan extra time everywhere you go. Not just for the slow speed, but for warm up and cool down. That give you time to pre trip, and check for anything new once you get there. Its gonna be taxing on driving. Shifts have to be spot on, your left leg is gonna hurt for a while. Plan on a new pair of steel toe thick soled boots if you do get one, its gonna help with that clutch. And your gonna have to be ontop of your game all the time. Be Proactive, not Reactive.

Its up to you what you do, I just hope you take everything you are reading and think about it.

And Welcome to SS from the next state to be Hit by a Storm named after ME!

 

[bubba_got_you]

Got my first m37 at 16 and have had several trucks sence then and my m37 was my dd for about 2 years

 

[mattg2448]

Welcome to the site!

Let me just tell you, 19 getting a deuce isn't young at all, I bought my truck at 15 years old, and now I'm 17. I drove mine daily for quite a while, 6-8 months, and it was fun, but its nice to have another vehicle to one, switch it up, two, you can go more places, cheaper. I bought my truck from GL for around 1800 (Including taxes), all it needed was batteries. I have a historic plate, and historic insurance, which is 179$ a year.

Its a great hobby to get into, but it gets expensive fast. I have put 5 grand into my truck since i got it, and im still not happy, I don't like the paint, and i wanna get a whistler!

You've come to a great place, the people here are extremely nice and helpful, we will get you in the right direction!

 

[212sparky]

welcome to the site! I used to have family over in Nineveh and it was fun driving past camp atterbury. Like every body has said come out to haspin this fall and get some first hand experience with them. i was 24 when i got mine and have never looked back. I have had people offer me cash to buy it but never take them up on it. . . . yet. one day i will move up to a 5 ton. hope soon er than later. need an automatic so the girlfriend will drive it. parts are not to expensive or that hard to get. Get one if you can afford it and look for the options you want, air front end is nice and heat is also nice.

 

[reom35a2fluiter]

welcome to the SS site.

I bought my first deuce on my 19 years old. now I 20 years old. I love the sound of a deuce with the whistler turbo.

Here in the Netherlands costs a deuce around € 6000 to € 8000. and then it is almost in good condition. Oldtimers after 1960 must be inspected annually by us. This costs about € 175 per year. The classic car insurance swings between € 75 to € 200 I thought ( per year ).


Now I looking for a m66 gun mount for my deuce.

 

[dblcamaros]

Well here's my two cents.................Do your research first, like stated get the manuals and familiarize your self with them (helps a lot). If it's something you want then go for it..........just remember fuel is not cheap and they are not fuel friendly. But the best way to learn something is by doing it! There is a lot of good advice for you so far, but it ultimately comes down to you. Also if you can afford about 4K initially and have the means of maintenance then do it, if you find you don't like it at that price you can still get your money back, and remember they are not going to get cheaper in the future so it can be kind of an investment also. Just remember to take it slow and keep your head about you and you will be fine. The winter question depends on the person, about half on here drive them in winter other half don't, just like any other vehicle in winter, slow and careful, only thing that runs on ice is a zamboni. Good luck!