I fell for the OD Iron as a teenager, went for my first ride in a deuce at 16. Went to see a friend of mine in the Army and we snuck a Deuce out of the motorpool, took it for a joyride, brought it back unscathed, fueled it up, and put it back on line. Joined the military at 18 as a heavy vehicle operator, and drove all the deuces and 5 tons I wanted! Now midlife, I wanted to restore something fairly old and mechanical, looked at tractors, they were cool, but you have to trailer them everywhere. Thought about a COE (cab over engine) truck, late '40s or '50s, too hard to come by something decent. Then it came to me while looking at some pictures I'd taken of vehicles I was had been responsible for during my 2 tours of duty...A DEUCE! Now I am the proud owner of a 1971 M35A2 made by the AM General Company, which my wife lovingly refers to as "The Other Woman". We live in little town in Eastern Colorado, so I'll use it for Veterans Day Parades, Armed Forces Day Parades, helping our church move things around, being available for diasters, etc. I enjoy the waves and thumbs up I get whenever I drive "Her". Learn all you can about your truck, because people will ask all kinds of questions, know the weight, top speed, payload capacity, fuel capacity, engine dispalcement, etc. As far as working on your truck goes, be prepared to do some maintenance to protect your investment, not too worry, basic mechanical skills and the desire to learn will take you a long way. The SS crew is wealth of information, lots of smart guys out there and willing to help. Get manuals (book form or CD) they will guide you through almost everything. And lastly, WELCOME, and enjoy your truck!