Which military vehicle for a newbie????

[missouri dave]

I've been fascinated by military vehicles since I was a kid. I haven't restored one before. I did spend ten years in the army and have quite a bit of experience driving the duece and a half and the five tons. They also seem to be vehicles that could be quite useful. On the other hand, while I've never driven a jeep I think I'd like one. I am most fascinated though with the dodge command car. Unfortunately, I'm lead to believe they are quite rare. What would you guys recommend I start with? Honestly, at the moment I don't have the cash to get started. I'm beginning the research it'll be about two years before I have the money to buy. Thanks for the help

 

[Elwenil]

I'd look at either an M37 Dodge or a M715 Kaiser-Jeep, since it seems you are interested in the older vehicles. Anything from the WWII era demands a high price, but there are still good deals out there, but parts are harder to find. Vintage Power Wagons still has tons of stuff for the M37 series vehicles and there are other places out there that have parts also. I haven't had a lot of trouble getting parts for my M715 either, especially considering it was only a 3 year run and that was almost 40 years ago. If you don't mind newer stuff, the Dodge M880 series trucks can be had for really nice prices and the GM CUCV trucks are readily available, but the electronics and diesel engine can be a pain if you have never worked on one before. I'm steering clear of the Deuces for now until I know a little more about them and their engines. As with anything, you get what you pay for, but you are on the right track in doing some research and asking questions before you buy something. Market value of a given truck is set by demand, and the demand for military vehicles seems to be growing all the time. A decent M715 can be had for around $2k and the M37s for a little more. As for as restorations go, I think military vehicles are much easier to restore than a civilian vehicle. There seem to be more NOS parts, and for better prices. I did mopar muscle cars for a while, and that gets really expensive and you can never seem to get your money back out of them. Military vehicles seems to be more reasonable. Another plus is that you don't have to have a showroom paint job or a pristine body for a military vehicle to look authentic. Take care of any rust, go through the mechanicals, slap on an OD paint job and some markings and enjoy! Just my .02

 

[missouri dave]

Thanks for the advice. Another vehicle I'm interested in, but don't know the designation of, is the ambulance used in Korea like on the show MASH. Is that the 37?

 

[missouri dave]

WOW! I just looked up the M37 to find out what it was. It looks great. I know where one of those is not 15 minutes from here. Thanks.

 

[Longhunter7]

Mo. Dave,

I just sold my M35A2C, and bought a 1963 Dodge M37-B1. They are a great MV to restore, and parts are readily available!

If you decide to go with an M37, let me know and I will be more than happy to help you out!

 

[Recovry4x4]

I think the MASH ambulances were one of the WC series. I think the ambulances were WC 9, 18,27 AND 54. The ambulance version of the M37 is called the M43.

 

[FSBruva]

Kenny... Right on the money again!

Matt

 

[clinto]

I think M38 and M38A1 Jeeps are good choices, they're on ebay for pretty reasonable prices and they made a pretty fair amount of them. Incredibly fun to drive. Downside is that they don't have a lot of cargo carry or trailer towing capacity.

Deuces rock, they're the only way to fly, that's what I am buying.

 

[tractor]

To bring up an old topic there was 2 ambulances used in Mash a wc 27 in the opening that is at a museum in Southern California and the 2nd is a wc 54 and it still is at the site

 

[JeepMan]

What about starting out with something like one of those 10 ton tank retriever trucks w/ attached trailer!! You know, one of those with the massive double winches on the back with the tri-axle, ramps over the rear wheels trailer!!
I once had a NG soldier tell me he could make one of those dance when stuck !!
You'll defiently be the talk around your neighborhood!!

 

[maddawg308]

Start with something that's an easy transition between a civvy vehicle and military. An M-880 Dodge pickup comes to mind. The engine is a common 318 ci V-8, so parts are plentiful, tranny is a TF 727, with the exception of the tires (in the original size) most of the parts are still off-the-shelf at your local AutoZone. Finding one without cancer now is a little tricky, but that can be repaired if you have patience and skill with a MIG welder. Plus, the M880s are plentiful, cheap, and very useful. A M38 jeep is fun, but you can't fit much in it. A pickup lends itself well to hauling groceries or hauling firewood, it's cheaper to operate than a deuce, less maintenance intensive, and you can fit it in most garages.

 

[oifvet]

To bring up an old topic there was 2 ambulances used in Mash a wc 27 in the opening that is at a museum in Southern California and the 2nd is a wc 54 and it still is at the site

Wow! It's still there? It was there when I left LA back in 1996! The set (studio) was out there along the 118 freeway, wasn't it? Going out toward Simi Valley? I remember you could bike to it, or something. Are people allowed to go there? Rally?

That ambulance was always, "gettin it" in the opening. Great MV to have and display. Everyone would remember the show's opening.

 

[vtdeucedriver]

M37 is a good truck to start out with. If your budget can handle it, spend the money and find one that runs and is still 24 volt with all the accessories. Another plus would be some solid front fenders. The last few years, I have watched M37 parts dry up and get very expensive. You can still find most things but its getting harder to find sheetmettal and the people that do have it still, know what its worth.

But if I were to recommend a MV...................either the WW2 jeep or a M38 or M38A1. If there is no more around, there making it. There are enough out there and you can take your time working on it and buying parts and not need to worry about how much parts will go up in 6 months when you need a door for the M37 and cant afford it now.

 

[tractor]

No one is mentioning the Dodge wcs geez they are great. I may be biased due to owning a few. Oilvet yes you can hike to the site. They have plans on restoring the site and rebuilding the set as a memorial. There is two vehicles out there the jeep that actually belongs to the museum which the wc 27 1/2 ton ambulance is owned by and a wc 54.