MVM and the M880 Issue 116 August 2006

[Bob H]

Just received the latest issue of MVM.
Glad to see an article on the M880's
Unfortuately it contains several inaccuracies.
including but not limited to;
2wheel drive operation, sorry they are full time 4x4 (the M890 series were 2wd, but the article was talking about the 4x4)
16 inch wheels, sorry they were 16.5
3/4 ton beefed up to 1 1/4 ton, sorry nothing different about the suspension with the exception of the M883, M884, M885 which had overload springs in the rear for the S250 shelter.
says Canadian Army used the heavier built Power Wagon W200, sorry the M880 is a W200 Power Wagon.

Still a decent article with some good info.

 

[Recovry4x4]

Bob, do you have the upper litters in place on your M886? I might have secured an M886 for my collection but no upper litters. Like to get a looksee of what they look like in place.

 

[Bob H]

One in the down position for sitting on and one in the up position.

I need the surgical light for mine.

 

[Recovry4x4]

Nice, I might need a few more pics if I buy one of these rides. One has no stuff in the back, the other has everything (I think) but the upper litters. Both have surgical lights I'm told. I've only seen the one. The surgical light and power vent work. Too cool.

 

[rizzo]

you going to "do" anything with it or just want to have it?

 

[Recovry4x4]

Considering a 4BT Cummins, add a roof air to the back and go camping.

 

[Bob H]

CAMPING

Along the AuSable River in the National Forest

The upper 'litters' latch down onto the lower creating a seat to sit upright on, they get suspended from the walls and a rod that folds down from the ceiling. So maybe you do have them ...........

 

[m880s]

Sorry to get back on topic here

I was kind of offended, it pretty much said that the 880's and 890's where crap. bob h it diddnt say they where 2wd, it said that they had the ability to be in 2wd mode... as in non-full time

 

[Recovry4x4]

Well if it said thay had the ability for 2wd mode, that's incorrect also unles you consider one front and one rear 2wd. Actually, I kinda like the dissing that the M880s get, keeps them affordable for the likes of me! Folks can bash them all they like but at the end of the day, they're still a former military vehicle just like a deuce or M37. Long live the M880

 

[McGuyver]

Many times those who bash on the M880 are the most ignorant of the truck. The whole part time 2WD comment is a prime example of this. The military vehicle magazines need an article written preferably by someone who is an admirer of the truck, or at minimum objective and not prone to bias bashing.

 

[Recovry4x4]

I've said this before among folks, I think the M880 is one of the best kept secrets of the MV world. Inexpensive to acquire, easy to maintain, can get parts anywhere and even a gorilla can fix them. While the mileage is a bit of a drawback compared to the M1009 Blazer, its a damn fine truck. With only a few little upgrades, this truck is in a class of its own for better or for worse. My idea and dream is to refit one with a 4BT. Then it will be "All it can be"

 

[N1265]

Seems to me that I read somewhere that a former officer of a motorpool stated that the M880 did have its draw backs, Mainly minor electrical problems and traction problems in the field due to the tires that were on them when they came from dodge ( all season radials and not a off road traction tire) .... However it served well for the role it was suppose to fill, was very dependiable and they were a lot easier to keep in service than some of the other equipment he had in his motor pool.

I think you guys are right.... the ones who really bash the M880 are the ones who do not have a lot of time around them. I would suspect that they are loyal to a "brand" like Chevy.

I have owned them all..... Fords , dodges , and chevys..... mostly late 60s to mid 90s and I have no complaints with my M880, have a ford as my daily driver and would have to think twice before getting another chevy.

 

[TacticalTruck]

Can you say "low bidder"? I've had a M890, M880 and a M886 and all were fine vehicles. I'm normally a Mopar man but I must admit I moved to the CUCVs. Don't take Steve Turdshet too personally. He can be quite opinionated and wrong. It is strange that all the M880s seem to have dissappeared from the shows. I guess people wanted power steering and diesel motors. Hey Kenny, a diesel powered ambulance with air conditioning? Can you say M1010? I would like to know how Dodge sold a 3/4 ton pickup to DOD as a 1 1/4 ton.
Please don't hate me
Jeff

 

[Recovry4x4]

No worries Jeff. I'm glad lots of folks stepped over to the CUCVs. I'm a die hard Cheverolet fan but the market keeps me from adding the M1010 to my fleet. Since I'm a tinkerer at heart, I'm sure I can buy the 886, repower it with the 4BT, add air to the cab and back and still be dollars ahead. Picture this! Remove the powered vent from the roof of the 886, add a 5000BTU roof air from an RV then bank up 8 golf cart batteries, 2 sets of 4, for 28 volts, then add a big 28v to 110V inverter to power the A/C at night. Recharging? The way cool 100A 28V system addable to the 886. My big concern and thought about any of this is the fact that it will be all but impossible to get any money back out of such a project for resale. I had to go outside the hobby to sell my M887 for more than chump change. Always respect your opinion Jeff.

Oh, How did Dodge pass the W200/M880 off as a 1 1/4 ton? Same way Chevy passsed the K-30/CUCV as a 1 1/4 ton. Magic Wand!

 

[cranetruck]

The man's name is Steve Turchet (spelling above just doesn't deserve to be left un-corrected). I'm a big fan of his writings even if kind of opinionated at times.

 

[Recovry4x4]

Bjorn, I'm pretty sure Jeff wrote it that way on purpose. Look at it again and I think you'll see what he's trying to say.

 

[cranetruck]

I know, that's the reason I'd like to see it spelled correctly. Jeff who?

 

[Elwenil]

Kenny, why a 4BT when the stuff to put in a 6BT is already out there? Weight? Intercooler issues? Price? Just curious.

I have never owned a M880 series truck but I have one with a new cab and blue (ugh!) paint I could get cheap at any time, but I am not sure I would want to. I should say I am biased towards the Dodge trucks in general because of my civilian Dodges, but personally I haven't bought a M880 mainly because I don't need another Dodge truck, but also because I cannot stand an automatic transmission in a truck and the full time system is more of a pain in the butt to me. In my honest, and obviously Dodge based opinion, I think my '74 W200 is twice the truck compared to an M880. NP435, divorced NP 205 transfer, and normal wheel bearings sure make for a nice reliable drivetrain. I would like to have disc brakes up front, but eh, you can't have everything. Granted my W200 is not an MV, but the M880 series just has too many drawbacks to me for me to go out of my way to get one just because it's military. In a lot of ways, my W100, which has the same drive train, with the exception of a 8 3/4" rear and a 383 big block I swapped in, is a more desirable truck as far as durability. I guess what I am trying to say is, while I love the look of the M880 series trucks and I am a huge Mopar and Dodge truck fan, I avoid the 75-81 and similar full-time 4WD trucks like the plague, lol. Comments?

 

[Recovry4x4]

Well, weight is a big concern with the 4BT vs the 6BT. There is a decent source of 4BTS with 400 turbos out there. Cost is also a big concern. I can get into the 4BT and tranny for under $1000. As bastardized as it might be, I would swap in the 4BT 400 combo as a unit and probably go with a 208 case unless a 205 case rears its ugly head. Going this route I already have all the nick nack parts to convert the front axle to lockouts using Chevy D44 outers. I have the internal hub rotors that use the same lockouts as the M1009 and I've got a pair on NOS ones in the correct black finish. I don't need any more power than the 4BT has since it will be more of a camping vehicle than anything. I'd go 4 speed but with the 400 already attached to the 4BT, its a lot more expenditure than I could justify. Remember, I'm thinking way way ahead. While all this sounds easy on paper, the project would probably go years.

 

[McGuyver]

My plans are to eventually swap in a 6BT with NV4500 manual five speed transmission and Dana 60 front axle into my M880. The final package would be very similar to a `90-`93 Dodge W250 Cummins turbo Diesel, except I would go with the second generation Cummins motor with the more desirable inline type injection pump (the `90-93 Cummins put in the Dodges had the rotary style Bosch injection pump.) Basically, I want my M880 to be all that it can be in a Diesel version.