Introduction and pictures

[Shawn C]

I brought home a 1952 M37 a couple of days ago. I've not done much to it yet except to oil the cylinders (ATF) over the weekend and then turned it over this morning to make sure it wasn't siezed. I won't go into a lot of detail here, since I'm sure I'll have a lot of questions, but overall I think it's in decent shape for the amount I paid. There's very little rust and most of the parts are there.

It's missing the original front bumper, tailgate, and a few other small things. Most of the front wiring harness is missing (I have the cable from the generator to the regulator), and I have the regulator output connector (wires removed) along with the light switch connector (wires cut from that too). So, I'll be looking at buying or making a new harness.

I basically just wanted to get this out here and to see what you guys think. I have the dash plates with the exception of the main identification nameplate, but I did find a frame serial number (included in the pictures). No hood side markings I can see yet, but there are markings under the hood including one that appears to say ("TI JUNE 74"). Any idea what that might signify? On the front of the hood is a marking that says something like "RIGHT xxxxx TURNS".

I have several more high resolution pictures available in the link below:

1952 Dodge M52 -- Public - Google Drive

drive.google.com

I'll try to find some manuals for it, since I'm not familiar with these beyond the reading I've done over the last couple of days. I especially need a good wiring diagram to get started, along with any suggestions of where to buy a front harness (they look pretty expensive) or to at least get the connectors I'll need.

I appreciate any feedback or suggestions you all might have. I posted this same info to the g741 site, but so far it's not showing up there.

 

[kendelrio]

The manuals are located HERE and there are LOTS of knowledgeable people here on the forum.

Welcome to the site and great looking truck!

 

[Mullaney]

I brought home a 1952 M37 a couple of days ago. I've not done much to it yet except to oil the cylinders (ATF) over the weekend and then turned it over this morning to make sure it wasn't siezed. I won't go into a lot of detail here, since I'm sure I'll have a lot of questions, but overall I think it's in decent shape for the amount I paid. There's very little rust and most of the parts are there.

It's missing the original front bumper, tailgate, and a few other small things. Most of the front wiring harness is missing (I have the cable from the generator to the regulator), and I have the regulator output connector (wires removed) along with the light switch connector (wires cut from that too). So, I'll be looking at buying or making a new harness.

I basically just wanted to get this out here and to see what you guys think. I have the dash plates with the exception of the main identification nameplate, but I did find a frame serial number (included in the pictures). No hood side markings I can see yet, but there are markings under the hood including one that appears to say ("TI JUNE 74"). Any idea what that might signify? On the front of the hood is a marking that says something like "RIGHT xxxxx TURNS".

I have several more high resolution pictures available in the link below:

1952 Dodge M52 -- Public - Google Drive

drive.google.com

I'll try to find some manuals for it, since I'm not familiar with these beyond the reading I've done over the last couple of days. I especially need a good wiring diagram to get started, along with any suggestions of where to buy a front harness (they look pretty expensive) or to at least get the connectors I'll need.

I appreciate any feedback or suggestions you all might have. I posted this same info to the g741 site, but so far it's not showing up there.

.
Looks good to me!

TM9-8031-2 Power Train Body and Frame Manual for the M37

TM9-8031-2 Power Train Body and Frame Manual for the M37/M43/M42 etc series of trucks. This post is to replace the link to a manual in this thread that I posted back in 2015. Back then I wasn't able to upload it to the forum for some reason, so I just included a link in the hope someone else...

steelsoldiers.com

TM9-8031-2 Power Train Body and Frame Manual for the M37

TM9-8031-2 Power Train Body and Frame Manual for the M37/M43/M42 etc series of trucks. I thought I had added this a while back, but it seems I forgot. I hope people find it useful. I have tried multiple times to try to add the PDF to this post through the "manage attachments" system, but it...

steelsoldiers.com

TM 9-2320-212-10 M37 Series Operator Manual

TM 9-2320-212-10 M37 Operator Manual.

steelsoldiers.com

The -10 TM (Technical Manual) would be a good place to start.

 

[MarkM]

She has good bones. Nice and welcome.

Mark

 

[Joe Bertram]

Welcome my friend, great group of guys here. Nice looking project. Lots of parts available vintage power wagons and eBay have been my go-to working on mine

 

[murf]

Dunno what the stencil under the hood means.. The front of the hood says "WIDE RIGHT TURNS" although putting it on the front in normal print (not backwards so you could read it in a rear view mirror) makes no sense to me. BUT, it's the military.
You need to figure out a "plan". Is it a restoration or a "Whack-a-Mole" project? That pretty much determines your course of action(s).

 

[NDT]

Welcome. Looks like a great truck to start with. TI can mean Technical Inspection. Yes the reproduction harnesses are high dollar, lots of hours of manual labor involved to make them. It’s funny, another new member on here just bought a M37 as well, his irreplaceable hard top (same as yours btw) blew off while being transported and is lost forever.

 

[Txsrooster]

Welcome. Looks like a great truck to start with. TI can mean Technical Inspection. Yes the reproduction harnesses are high dollar, lots of hours of manual labor involved to make them. It’s funny, another new member on here just bought a M37 as well, his irreplaceable hard top (same as yours btw) blew off while being transported and is lost forever.

I felt the force calling me here....haha. Yes they lost the top during the transport, but i live in Texas so I was going to try and get a canvas top and frame for the truck anyway, just now, the transport company is paying for the canvas top and frame.
Nice looking truck btw..

 

[Shawn C]

Didn't expect so many positive comments this quickly, but I really appreciate it.

Agreed I need to come up with some kind of plan. I've at least determined the engine is free, and I can crank it with cobbled wiring. Seemed to have more resistance than I expected, so I removed the belt to ensure the water pump and generator were making life harder for the starter. That did help some, but the batteries I'm using are just random leftovers.

For the historical side of things, I was curious about the nameplate with the name "JAMES THOMA". My wife found a possible match listed at Malmstrom AFB and that he was part of the 341st Maintenance Operations Squadron and also that he was a Korean and Vietnam veteran. I've read (again, very limited knowledge on my part) that a lot of the USAF M37s had hard tops, so I wonder if this vehicle might have originated there. The current paint though appears very original with no blue color, so that's confusing. I was also kind of surprised that apparently this vehicle was in service in 74 based on the hood marking. Just curious of course, since my main concern at this point is just getting it running.

 

[Shawn C]

I felt the force calling me here....haha. Yes they lost the top during the transport, but i live in Texas so I was going to try and get a canvas top and frame for the truck anyway, just now, the transport company is paying for the canvas top and frame.
Nice looking truck btw..

You must have been terribly disappointed, but at least the transport company is trying to help out. And yeah, I'm pretty close to you (in the Tulsa area), so I might very well be looking to get a soft top in the future too.

 

[NDT]

The name James on the resp agency data plate is very likely from when the truck was in service. The TI stencil under the hood is definitely an Air Force only thing but the national symbol (stars) on the doors is an Army only thing. The arctic enclosure (hard cab) is also an Air Force thing. So who knows. Check for golf clubs behind the seat, that means Air Force for sure. Oh and M37s were still around in ‘74.

 

[Shawn C]

Didn't expect so many positive comments this quickly, but I really appreciate it.

Agreed I need to come up with some kind of plan. I've at least determined the engine is free, and I can crank it with cobbled wiring. Seemed to have more resistance than I expected, so I removed the belt to ensure the water pump and generator were making life harder for the starter. That did help some, but the batteries I'm using are just random leftovers.

For the historical side of things, I was curious about the nameplate with the name "JAMES THOMA". My wife found a possible match listed at Malmstrom AFB and that he was part of the 341st Maintenance Operations Squadron and also that he was a Korean and Vietnam veteran. I've read (again, very limited knowledge on my part) that a lot of the USAF M37s had hard tops, so I wonder if this vehicle might have originated there. The current paint though appears very original with no blue color, so that's confusing. I was also kind of surprised that apparently this vehicle was in service in 74 based on the hood marking. Just curious of course, since my main concern at this point is just getting it running.

One more note about colors, I just went out to check the engine number (T245A) and found that the block is blue.

 

[Guyfang]

In 1985-86- in White Sands, I saw lots of Gasser trucks still in harness out in the back 40. Some of the "Projects"out there did not have big budgets. So if a truck runs, it was used.

 

[M813rc]

Nice truck!

The Air Force operated M37s (and other tactical vehicles) in both blue and green.

Picture from Greenland in 1960.

Cheers

 

[Shawn C]

Nice truck!

The Air Force operated M37s (and other tactical vehicles) in both blue and green.

Picture from Greenland in 1960.

Cheers

View attachment 918444

Good to know. Not sure why it also has Army markings, but maybe it went back into service somewhere else.

Do you know how many of these were deployed and then later returned to the US?

 

[M813rc]

It is not unusual for vehicles to change services, either when no longer needed by the original service or when immediately required by another.

In the Marines, we usually benefited from other services' cast offs, but in a rare turn of events most of the Marine M35s went to the Army when the Marines rationalized their medium truck fleet to all 5-tons. That's why you will see Army deuces with Marine paperclips on their bumpers (or the cut off remains thereof).

Unknown on number of deployed/returned vehicles. sorry.

Cheers

 

[msgjd]

I was also kind of surprised that apparently this vehicle was in service in 74 based on the hood marking.

Several army national guard and air national guard units were still fielding M37's up into 1976-77,,, because that was when the majority of M880/890's/usaf commercial D200's started to roll in, and also there were many units which never received any M715's ... The M715 was intended to replace the M37, but for many units it did not