Why aren't Korean era deuces as popular as others?

[mightyhammer]

Just curious as to why these deuces aren't so popular...Harder to work on? parts? Ugly? Just wondering, cuz WWII deuces in good shape bring premo prices...Just wondering...COOP

 

[clinto]

RE: Why aren

My humble opinion(s):

1. WWII stuff always brings a premium, perhaps due to it's iconic status........ (note MB/GPW values vs. M38A1).
2. M211/M135 stuff....... not as common as the Reo M44 series, gas vs. diesel (I prefer a diesel in trucks and I suspect there are a lot of folks who agree with me), automatic that a lot of folks are afraid of, etc.

 

[gimpyrobb]

RE: Why aren

I like my multifuel truck! If I had to pay gas prices verses the mpg of a gasser, I wouldn't be in this hobby. I do have one gas truck, but it is an M725. Not nearly as bad as a 6x6 on fuel. (if I ever get it running again!)

 

[hole]

RE: Why aren

More expensive is right, a guy down the road from me has a M211/M135 for sale listed at 25k. Its pretty clean but WOW 25k seems high

 

[Barrman]

RE: Why aren

The Gas vs. Diesel thing does play in. Plus, I think Korea was really a mixed bag of trucks and vehicles. CCKW's could have been there. So could M135, M211, M34 and M35 trucks. Most people look at WWII and think CCKW. Vietnam you get the Duece and the 5 ton. Desert Storm and it is the Humvee. Korea just had to many different options to get a single mental image. Since I own a pair of Korean vintage M35's, that is how I look at it at least.

 

[jasonjc]

RE: Why aren

The M135/211 was made for like 3-4 years. the M34/M35 for like 40 years. And they were in service for 50+ years

 

[m376x6]

Quite a few years ago a truck parts house by the name of Pioneer here in Denver (I'm pretty sure that was the name) decided to go out of business. It was a huge auction. Trucks galore with tons of used and NOS parts for a large number of civilian and military trucks. The M211's were for the most part bought for little or nothing and driven up the street to IMI Scrap Metal and sold outright. I personally like the style of the 211 dualled truck, but don't want the inevitable hassle with that hydromatic transmission. The sloping hood is really neat and the cab layout is open and clean. I had heard rumors that there have been folks over the years that have swapped out the transmssions transfercases and went with standards. A lot of trouble I would imagine. There had been a couple of 211's parked along I-76 out in Commerce City for the longest time, I'll see if they're still there when and if I go out that way. I'll bet a Bobbed 211 with a multifuel and A2 tranny/xfer would be a neat thing. On second thought, it would probably be much easier to just swap the body and front clip onto a stripped M35A2 chassis. The 211 beds and the REO's were identical as I recall. I believe the 135's and 34's were identical as well with recess for the taller 11.00-20 tires. CRAP, I shouldn't have let my mind wander along this dangerous territory. I already have too many stupid projects laying around here.

Regards,
M376X6

 

[rtjraleigh]

i was nervous about my m211 purchase. not knowing anything about them. mine had already been converted to a 5 speed stick. parts are a bit hard to track down but alfaheaven.com has been great to deal with and have most parts avail. i love my truck and i see keeping it awhile. rob. p.s. if anyone has any parts for 211's please let me know. i'm building up spare parts.

 

[M215]

Korean Vehicles

The GMC M211 series is one group that I believe is very identifiable with the Korean conflict. The early Reo M34 / M35 look to similar to the Vietnam M35A1 & M35A2 trucks as well as the M38 looking like an MB / GPW.

I have always identified my M215 as a Korean war era vehicle.

Karl

 

[m376x6]

Karl ,that truck is a thing of beauty. And it's a dump at that, twice beautiful. Is it original? How do you like the transmission?

Regards,
M376x6

 

[powerhouseduece]

that is one awesome truck!! i love how the front end looks!! kinda looks like....... (sorry i had to)

 

[reitenger]

That 215 is awesome. I hope my truck looks even remotely that that clean when I am done with it.

I noticed an attachment on my 221 today on the passenger side of the cab at the front between the door hinges and the vent. It's about 30 inches tall or so, and looks like it was meant to hold a pole or something. Any clue what that might be? I'll try to get pictures tomorrow if I get time.

 

[topo]

RE: Korean Vehicles

these trucks are easy to work on the fenders and inner fender come off together by taking out 4 bolts and loosening a fifth the side cover comes off by removing 3 bolts . the head light grill assenbly radiator engine and tranmission can be removed as a unit with out draining fluids .the bad part is ajusting the linkage on the trans mission because it afects the idle -reverse- when the transmission shifts 1 mode shifts at road speed and the other shifts at engine rpm and the linkage that puts the tranfer case in 6 wheel drive when in reverse hope I did not forget something but the linkage is the worst . the engine transmission and tranfer case are all made to work together and difficult to change one ond the other two . these trucks are worth the work to keep them on the road

 

[M215]

M215

Karl ,that truck is a thing of beauty. And it's a dump at that, twice beautiful. Is it original? How do you like the transmission?

Regards,
M376x6

Thanks for the cmplements, yes the truck is an original dumper, I did a complete 4 year resto 3 years ago. Only changes made were the addition of an inline cartridge fuel filter and turn signals. The transmission has a REB shift kit installed which I really like. The truck is very reliable, just completed a 350 mile trip. My only complaint is how slow the truck is 45-50mph max. and 25 on any hill.

Karl

 

[M215]

Ring mount

I noticed an attachment on my 221 today on the passenger side of the cab at the front between the door hinges and the vent. It's about 30 inches tall or so, and looks like it was meant to hold a pole or something. Any clue what that might be? I'll try to get pictures tomorrow if I get time.

The socket attached to the front RH corner of your cab is for one of the three legs to support a machine gun ring mount. The other two legs attach to the rear of your cab in two channels with U-bolts.

Karl

 

[OPCOM]

RE: Ring mount

I like the looks of the 211, but the cost of ownership and upkeep is more than I prefer.

 

[wsucougarx]

that is one awesome truck!! i love how the front end looks!! kinda looks like....... (sorry i had to)

LOL I laughed pretty hard. No kidding I was trying to think about the animal that the front end of the truck looked like. Then boom there was your pic....LOL

 

[ARMYMAN30YearsPlus]

They are definately a Korean war truck the hood slopes down so they could see the Koreans. It is really something being here in a market with thousands of people jammed together and I look out and see no one even close to my higth. Of course there are tall Koreans but in a market mostly Ajamas and Ajacees

That is a beautiful restoration job thats for showing her to us. I will see if I can find any pictures of them in the war from the 8th Army files

 

[pa.rich]

I have a XM211 and one thing I keep thinking is as time rolls on these will be more of a collector item because there arent as many of them in good shape as the M35's. About the automatics in them: they get a bad rap but they are tough and shift hard but that is normal for them and as you get used to it you can know when they shift and you get the hang of it after a while. OK and about the looks of the cab, lol, think about it, wasnt the Volkswagon different , but now everyone wants one? These are good trucks, built really well, easy to work on, I just did some brake work on mine and was very simple to do.Engine easy to tune up, etc. And lol, the dog picture is way more ugly than my M211!

 

[DDoyle]

The very earliest of these trucks had transmission problems. These problems were corrected during the Korean War, but the bad reputation of these early vehicles have plagued the entire series ever since. Great looking truck Karl.

Best wishes,
David