Questions about M35a2 from a noob

[Ford Mechanic]

Hey guys i'm new here and i'm looking at buying a bobbed m35a2 and have a couple of questions.

How reliable is this truck? Can i drive it for years with pretty much nothing but normal maint? i am thinking about selling my very reliable daily driver to buy one and drive every day....Am i crazy? I only live 10 miles from work

What kind of fuel milage are ya'll geting on different fuels, diesil, gas, and waste motor oil? And any problems noted from running gas only or WMO only?

Is $10,000 to much for a reconditioned and bobbed m35a2? fresh paint, tires less than 40k miles, no winch?

And finally, do you think i'll miss the air conditioning alot?, i live in coastal NC, it's supposed to hit 96f here today.

Thanks

 

[hndrsonj]

It's 40+ years old. I've driven mine several thousand miles but wouldn't want one for a DD. I get 10 MPG on average. I would think a bobber may be slightly higher. I only run diesel. You could not give me anything else (i've never had a fuel problem and want to keep it that way). $10,000 is kind of high in my opinion. Last, they do get warm in the summer.

 

[JCKnife]

Yes, you're crazy. These trucks are a lot of things but daily driver isn't one of them.

 

[DeucesWild11]

Yeah it's a fun truck and pretty reliable but not for a daily driver in my opinion..

PS: Unless you know someone who works on them, prepare to be your own mechanic!

 

[Warthog]

Do NOT run the truck on straight gas, unless you want to see what the insides look like. (looking thru the hole in the side).

The Deuce has been talked about daily for over ten years on this site. Spend some time in the Alt Fuel forum reading about the different blends that the Deuce will burn.

These trucks ar 40+ years old. How dependable they are depends on how they where maintaned thruout thier life. All of them require upkeep, some more than others. The more you use it the more it will rerquire.

 

[cattlerepairman]

Your handle is "Ford mechanic" so I assume you are mechanically inclined. The Deuce is similar in design than other vehicles from the late 1940' and 1950' in the sense that some of its technology is downright primitive. The thinking behind this was to make it easier to fix, not necessarily last longer. Back then, cars and trucks had a horrible reliability record, compared to today. Hoses blowing, wires fraying and fluids leaking all over the place was pretty much normal. Nobody expected a 1950' deSoto to run 100k miles with oil changes only!

You need to look at a Deuce from this angle. It has 140+ grease zerks. What does that tell you? It is not a Hyundai that you start, drive 200k miles and throw away. For once, the clutch will not survive in stop-and-go traffic. You need to adjust valves on the engine once in a while. All stuff that is becoming increasingly "unheard of" in modern day vehicles.

 

[steelandcanvas]

The more you drive it, the more attention you have to give it. Daily driver? It's up to you, at 10 MPG I can't afford to drive it everyday, and $100+ for an oil and filter change, costs add up quickly. Air Conditioning? If you have any thoughts you can't survive driving without A/C, than the Deuce isn't for you. The cab can get hotter than the face of the Sun in the Summertime going down the highway. Not trying to be a pessimist, just a realist. Here's a link to the Operator's Manual for some light reading.



http://test.steelsoldiers.com/upload/M35/TM9-2320-209-10-1.pdf

 

[randini]

It really depends on YOUR expectaions. If you dont mind constant PM on your truck, its very reliable. They are dead simple. Not a lot of complicated systems. The downside is that some of the parts are 40+ years old. A blown hose will take down any Vehicle. But if it doesnt run there are only so many things to check. No Computer, No eletronic sensors, etc. Also if you are down, its a 7ton vehicle to haul. I have several other vehicles, my Deuce is one of the most reliable. I also dont drive it daily. As I have gotten older, comfort has become more important i.e Heat, Air conditioning, power steering, No 5 min idleing before and after driving, Parking. Dont get me wrong, for a fun drive I choose my deuce EVERYTIME!!!!

 

[Katahdin]

Note, the gearing is so low it takes three shifts to clear an intersection at a stop light.

 

[joshs1ofakindxj]

It has 140+ grease zerks. What does that tell you? It is not a Hyundai that you start, drive 200k miles and throw away. For once, the clutch will not survive in stop-and-go traffic. You need to adjust valves on the engine once in a while. All stuff that is becoming increasingly "unheard of" in modern day vehicles.

Is that grease zerk number for real? 140+?

I know my truck has a lot of grease zerks, but I didn't know I had that kind of bragging right if that is an accurate number!

Side track...when DO you guys adjust valves? My truck sounds so smooth I don't believe it needs it right now, but I don't know if these trucks are known for sounding great but being out of spec.

Anyways, I drive my deuce every weekend. It has been very reliable in the relatively short time I have owned it.

I have multiple older vehicles to drive if one lets me down. I don't expect my deuce to be trouble free forever. That is unrealistic. Knowing how to fix it when it breaks, and more importantly, having the cash to buy the parts to keep it going are crucial.

I run a mix of various waste oils (70-80%) and diesel fuel (30-20%). So far I have had no problems, but I'm sure it will bite me one way or another down the road. Luckily, I have a spare motor and 3 spare injection pumps and lots of other spare parts. My home made concoction of fuel costs me $1.25 per gallon. That includes the mixed in diesel, the filtering equipment, and the cost to pick up waste oils.

Don't think about running straight gas. The cost savings isn't worth risking engine components. If you do run gas, it should only be used to cut waste oil, like 80% oil, 20% gas, and that is only my humble opinion.

AC? Seriously? Come on, you know what you're getting into. If you're curious, drive around in your current vehicle with the AC off and the windows down for a day. I find it to be ok on a 96 degree PA day like it was yesterday, and I was sitting in the truck waiting for a parade to start for 3 hours. I have a hard top and a high tolerance for BS so your mileage may vary.

I think a bobber would make a slightly better daily driver. I haven't driven one, but I would expect it might perform a little better with less weight and that extra axle out back, but I am speculating. Larger tires might negate any savings.

Remember, top speed is typically 56 mph. Pulling out or taking hills can slow to a crawl. You can not be a hurry with these trucks or you will be pretty frustrated quickly.

I say try it and if it doesn't work out sell it to me at a discount!

 

[Blueduce]

Don't forget they are simple to work on but if you are considering it as a daily driver I would strongly suggest a cachet of parts in your shop. You can find most parts quite easy but it does usually take a few days to get them to you. I agree with joshs1. A/C would be a waste of time. If you only have a 10 mile commute the A/C would be just starting to cool off when you got to work.

It does sound like your asking the right questions and with a Mechanical back ground you should have no problem. These rigs are 40 yo+ but there no more expensive to operate or maintain than a classic Dodge, Ford or Chevy. The mpg is close to the same as a bbv8.

I would ask a few of the bobber owners the specifics. Ridgerunner is a great friend and a weatlh of info with a bobber himself. Also RedBeard the ZombieHunter is in the process of bobbing his rig as we speak. Reaching out to either one of them would not be in vein.

I can't comment on the 10K for this rig.It does seem a bit on the high side but maybe if we can see some picks.



Sorry fellas, I always wanted to do that.

 

[Ford Mechanic]

Your handle is "Ford mechanic" so I assume you are mechanically inclined. The Deuce is similar in design than other vehicles from the late 1940' and 1950' in the sense that some of its technology is downright primitive. The thinking behind this was to make it easier to fix, not necessarily last longer. Back then, cars and trucks had a horrible reliability record, compared to today. Hoses blowing, wires fraying and fluids leaking all over the place was pretty much normal. Nobody expected a 1950' deSoto to run 100k miles with oil changes only!

You need to look at a Deuce from this angle. It has 140+ grease zerks. What does that tell you? It is not a Hyundai that you start, drive 200k miles and throw away. For once, the clutch will not survive in stop-and-go traffic. You need to adjust valves on the engine once in a while. All stuff that is becoming increasingly "unheard of" in modern day vehicles.

Thanks Guys for the feedback.
Yeah i would say i was slightly mechanicly inclined
How's Ford drivetrain master and ASE master tech?
Our shops only trans tech, i also do all the alignments, and 4x4 systems. I also do gas engine and driveability, electrical, suspension......
See why i was asking about WMO?

The town i live in is a small farming town, 5 stop lights total i think? so no stop and go traffic here. And even if i go the long way to work it's only 8 miles, so no big fuel consumpion there.

And as far as AC, i work in this heat all day so another 15 min aint going to kill me.

Reply more tomarrow when i get back to work, no internet at home!

Thanks all!

 

[gungearz]

Welcome to steel soldiers newbie.... That's a great idea. Make sure you put 54's on it. Forget the 47's. It handles great with 54" tires and manual steering. Take it to your local oil change place to get it PM'd. Every 3000 miles. They might even do it for free since it would be there honor as American citizens. Get triple A for flat tires. They suck to change. As for the fuel.... I throw what ever I can in there. Its got a fuel muncher in the gas tank to break down and blend your fuel. Its a 40+ year old truck. Everything is manual, including the airconditioning. $10,000 is not that bad for a bobbed deuce. My uncle Sam had to pay $53,000 and it wasn't even bobbed. That's a heck of a deal.

 

[Warthog]

I say GO FOR IT!!!

You have all the know-how requirements that alot of guys have to learn on their own.

$10K is alot of money that you could spend building your own and KNOW what you have.

Here is a members website that gives most of the info you will need www.xm381.com

He uses his truck as a daily driver and runs automatic transmission fluid. He does have a few other cars handy if his truck breaks.

 

[Heavysteven]

Wow 10k for a bobber. I'd be looking at a 5 ton and with your skills bob it myself.

My advice don't put all your eggs in one basket. If you do buy a deuce for a daily driver make sure you have a backup car. There simple to work on but it's takes alot of time and money.

 

[Barneyszoo]

Just my 2 cents, I have an M35 bobber and an 813 I live 3 miles from work and work graveyard. These are the only veh I have I drive one everyday for about 2 weeks and than the other. The bobber gets about 16 mpg it has air asissed stearing with 395 tires. The 5 ton gets about 7 mpg and has 53s on it, I've been driveing them for about 6 years. Don't think I'll ever get a new veh ever again, no bad experiance with new stuff just don't think they hold up as well as older stuff does. Like I said thats all I have so I also drive them to the store, out to dinner, and camping, and use them as support veh for PGR rides. So I would say DO IT.

 

[EWhytsell]

It sounds to me like your in the perfect situation to daily drive one. You'd have a hard time stopping me from doing it if I had a 10 mile drive to work, but alas I am a field service tech so I'm on the road all day every day and that would suck in a duece.

 

[Ford Mechanic]

I say GO FOR IT!!!

You have all the know-how requirements that alot of guys have to learn on their own.

$10K is alot of money that you could spend building your own and KNOW what you have.

Here is a members website that gives most of the info you will need www.xm381.com

He uses his truck as a daily driver and runs automatic transmission fluid. He does have a few other cars handy if his truck breaks.

Thanks that's a great website! I was talking with the wife last night and have decided to just buy a original and just bob it myself and hopfully save alot of $$. And that gets around selling the newest and best of the 2 rangers that we just use for daily work driving, just sell her beater 93 first then use our weekend truck for a back-up

@ HeavySTeven What's the advantage to a 5 ton over the 2 1/2 ton?