My New toy

[pwrwagonfire]

Aannnnnnd shes home! With a new civilian 230 installed and completely re-built!

 

[dodgedougak]

Lookin' good, bet you can't wait to get it on the road.

 

[pwrwagonfire]

Lookin' good, bet you can't wait to get it on the road.

You're right, I can't!
Gave it a drive around the yard today, got it into second gear for the first time ever, that was nice!


Today after work, my buddy Dan and I put new spark plugs in the truck, and gapped them to .035. Also, new distributor cap, rotor, and condenser and points.
Truck purrs like a kitten!

Turns out the new plug wires I got for it were just a bit too short, so I have to remedy that as well.

 

[pwrwagonfire]

I've been working on it after work the last couple week...finally have REALLY GOOD brakes. I mean, enough to put me through the dash

I traded the old junk engine block (after stripping everything off it that was good) to a local guy who scraps a lot...in return he gave me a good condition blazer gas tank with a new sending unit in it. Depending on how this hurricane hits, I will hopefully be installing that this week.

I included pictures of the old block before I junked it, including the blown head and the flat piston!

NOTICE: I do have some good take-out parts that I am willing to part with via trade or whatever!
-Oil Filter canister (what the filter goes into)
-Bell housing,
-oil pump
-fan
-Box of good valve springs

Other parts too, letme know if you're interested and we can work something out/I can see if I have it

 

[Bill W]

Heck that piston looks fine!...well compared to the one that I took out of my M-201 parts truck

 

[pwrwagonfire]

Heck that piston looks fine!...well compared to the one that I took out of my M-201 parts truck

 

[pwrwagonfire]

So sorry I haven't updated in awhile, just got the truck home two weeks ago, and a freak nor'easter buried it for a few days!

Now its finally melted off enough, going out tomorrow to pull the old fenders off and put on the new ones I had shown above; will post pics!

 

[pwrwagonfire]

Finally after a few months of nothing, got to tear some stuff off the M37 today.

Took off the old fenders, put one new one on temporarily. Passenger side had a hole drilled for the heater box which I didn't even think about, so I'll have to get some big bits and drill that out to install it.

Took off the side of hood panels, my buddy who re-did the fenders took them home and is stripping/priming them for me as well.

Any progress is good progress

 

[desert demon]

I just got my 1953 M37 a few weeks back.I cant say for sure but i think mine has the origanal top on.It is the most rusted out peace on the whole truck.It has a sliding rear window to.Looks like a great find.Great price to.I paid twenty one hundred for mine and the guy drove 80 miles to deliver it.I dont know if mine is going to run or not yet.The motor turns over by hand.Found 6 rusty plugs and a very rusted distributor in a bucket of water LOL I found a guy here on the site that gave me an awsome deal on a rebuilt distributor so just waiting to get that shipped to me get a couple batteries and some plugs and cross my fingers after checking a lot of wireing.

 

[pwrwagonfire]

Started the body work on the cab today, and dropped the gas tank to be reconditioned...decided against using the blazer tank so that I will still be able to use the access to the sending unit through the bed!

Got the hood taken off, and my buddy began the body work on that for me...the hood side panels are all primed and re-attached to the truck.


I included a photo for reference for you guys of the blazer gas tank next to the stock M37 tank...

Found what must be the only rot on the **** truck! Crappy 20 year old bondo job I uncovered while stripping the paint today.

Still trying to get the bed on before snowfall. Just have to finish the gas tank, body work on the back of the cab/paint the back of the cab, and POR 15 the frame. Can NOT believe its the end of November in Massachusetts...and I'm outside doing body work in a t-shirt

 

[WarrenD]

Enjoy the break in weather while it lasts. I think I'm pretty much done for this year myself. Tired, sore and ready for a break from being underneath mine.

 

[pwrwagonfire]

Finished stripping the paint off the back of the cab today...found a HUGE bondo coverup on the driver's side. Someone cut out the rot, welded in new pieces, and used body filler to cover them...did a NICE job, but unfortunately I found this too late to save it.

Got the back all primed up with 3 or 4 coats of filler primer, got some bondo slapped on the trouble spots. Need to go back and finish sanding and feathering the edges of it before I can paint and put on the bed.

I know there's over-spray on the roof...its trashed and coming off to be replaced so no worries

 

[GUNNY 155]

Not sure about the top being GI. But it looks like you have good solid fenders. In most cases they are rotted out under the head lights. I found a set fro mine in AZ. But fenders are one of the few parts for M37's that are hard to come by.

 

[GUNNY 155]

Not sure what you did with your gas tank. Mine was in good shape but I had a process done to it by Gas Tank Renu. They coat the inside with a sealant and rhino coat the out side. Not cheap but life time warranty. John Bizal at Midwest Military also scored a couple nice tanks this fall so you might want to call him if you need one. Tanks are hard to come by. Saww a NOS one go for $800.00 this spring on E Pay.

 

[pwrwagonfire]

Not sure what you did with your gas tank. Mine was in good shape but I had a process done to it by Gas Tank Renu. They coat the inside with a sealant and rhino coat the out side. Not cheap but life time warranty. John Bizal at Midwest Military also scored a couple nice tanks this fall so you might want to call him if you need one. Tanks are hard to come by. Saww a NOS one go for $800.00 this spring on E Pay.

The roof is actually the hardtop to a GMC CCKW from WWII...it seems the Military adapted many of these to fit due to the shortage of actual hardtops manufactured for these things.
I actually am trying to get the same thing done to my tank as you did! Tank is nice and solid, definitely worth saving...about how much would reconditioning run if you don't mind me asking?



Another update; finished the bondo and primer of the cab today...also put a good coat of POR 15 on the frame

 

[GUNNY 155]

Had it done by Mobile Services in Wooddale Illinois 630-543-4700. 350 was the cost, still cheaper than a tank.

 

[pwrwagonfire]

Got my hood back today and installed, came out great!

Hopefully the snow we have forecast for this evening won't be the end of the work for the season! Finished painting the frame with POR 15 yesterday...my next step is to recondition the gas tank and install it

 

[WarrenD]

Gas tank Renu has an outlet in Albany, NY. They quoted me $450 last week. Not sure they understood what a M37 is....

 

[WarrenD]

Not sure what you did with your gas tank. Mine was in good shape but I had a process done to it by Gas Tank Renu. They coat the inside with a sealant and rhino coat the out side. Not cheap but life time warranty. John Bizal at Midwest Military also scored a couple nice tanks this fall so you might want to call him if you need one. Tanks are hard to come by. Saww a NOS one go for $800.00 this spring on E Pay.

How thick was the exterior coating? I'm having mine done and because one of the strap bolts is short (looks like it broke off before I owned the truck) I don't have a lot of threads to take an increase in coating thickness.

 

[pwrwagonfire]

I wish I had some progress to report...however spring is beginning to come way early here in the northeast, so hopefully that means more progress!

Next up has to be reconditioning the fuel tank, and a new sending unit. Then I can run this thing around the yard.

Haven't started it since early October...

Which sort of concerns me. The idle/mixture needs adjustment BAD however, so I guess waiting to seal up the fuel system is good.