Why did you buy your deuce

[Rebelpride]

Hey, I am new to Steel Soldiers and new to the MV world. I bought a 1985 M1009 back in July of this year and am in the process of stopping some of the rust and adding a few essential items to make sure that it lasts another 22 years. To get to the point I am 24 and am seriously considering buying an M35A2 from GL. My folks would crap a brick and they say I need to buy a house first, second I've bounced the idea off people at work and some say heck yeah when you gonna take me for a ride and others say why are you gonna buy that for, what you gonna do with it. And so my question is why did you buy yours, what do you do with it, and if I can be nosy what did ya pay.

 

[poppop]

RE: Why did you buy your duece

Wecome to SS!!! I bought m813 because I have always liked the looks of military trucks. I got it on a GSA sale for $4200.00 and it was in excellent condition. I bought the wrecker and dump truck because they were close to me and cheap. $5000.00 for the pair and they are handy here on the farm. I bought a duece from GL last month and have not picked it up yet as my EUC is pending. I paid $1240.00 plus fees for it. I bought it because I wanted one of the little guys and you can never get to much green iron.

 

[toddm]

M35A2

I bought mine because I always wanted one. That and I finally talked my wife into it, sort of. I bought mine from Joe Czarnik in Appleton Wisconsin. He is a great guy to deal with. I just finished installing 7 Goodyear G188 tires on it. I threw an extra spare in the bed just in case, since I have singles. Again Joe is a great guy and I would buy from him again in a heartbeat. I just received my clear Wisconsin title in the mail and got my collector plates a few days later. The cops never did give me a second look anyways when I was driving with no plates. I figure since this thing is no speed demon anyways and as long as you obey traffic laws. They can hear me coming though.
Thanks Todd Martin

 

[lovebloodhounds]

RE: M35A2

I am purchacsing mine to help with cutting trees and i have always wanted one plus it can pull the m37 a lot better than my pickupi like takeing it to cruise ins .

 

[halftrack]

To keep them from going overseas to be left on the waste side somewhere. They served our Armed Forces well which means more to me then some $100,00 corvette in a garage somewhere. Give me the choice of a deuce or a fancy sports car, I'll pick the deuce any day.

 

[MDSA]

I had always liked the rugged looks of military vehicles. Then I found out M35's could be bought relatively cheap. I also have 3 teenage boys at home who enjoy the truck almost as much as I, and I have too many very tall trees near my house so i hope to use my M35 for tree pulling.

 

[jasonjc]

I don't know. But I can't stop. Please someone help me

 

[spicergear]

And after you get your deuce people will ask you, "what are you going to use that for?!"

--What ever I want-- ...then smile. If they say anything it may be on the line of, "Cheese and Crackers, I guess!" Shortens up that conversation a bit.

 

[YankeeDuece]

Welcome to SS from the Great Northeast.

I bought my Deuce 1 1/2 years ago and have not regetted one minute of it. I bought it because I wanted something rugged and could not justify my first choice, a $30,000.00 HMMWV. My duece gets more general and practial use then I can in retrospect ever imagine using the M998 for.
I paid $4000.00 for my winch truck, but have found that the people/Vets that you meet at shows, hardware stores and on this site are the real value of ownership.

 

[ironhorsethegeneral]

We bought our first deuce from a place out of Pennsylvania. It was in drivable condition. We use it in Parades and help the Georgia State Defense Force haul things in national emergencies. We then bought another deuce that we use as a personal work truck.

 

[bugei]

an evil demon bought it on e-bay using my logon, and i would have felt bad for the seller if he got stuck with a bad sale. no....she did not believe me, but i did tell my wife that was what happened. actually, i bought it cause it looked like fun, it is.....except for the wife whining, i doubt many people on the ss site have any regrets, and they get over it.

 

[KaiserM109]

Because it's big and ugly!

If 4x4 is good, 6x6 is better!

The thing to consider is 'Where are you going to park it?' Most Home Owner Assoc's (HOA) won't even let you keep it in your driveway. 'Course, how many people live where there is an HOA? Unfortunately I do. While I was still making storage arrangements after driving it home, someone in the neighborhood called both the HOA and the city. It was there less than 48 hr.

There are some things in life that you shouldn't have to justify and owning an old piece of history, etc. is one of them. Beware, they take maintenance and you can't afford to hire it done.

 

[bugei]

kaiser, you forgot stinky and noisy.

maybe you could camo it like they did the "skunk works" during the war. paint shrubs and bicycles and yugo's and kias on a sheet, and put the sheet over your truck, the hoa enforcers will never know.

 

[KaiserM109]

I have wondered if a bobed deuce would be legal.

We once had a neighbor that even complained to the city code enforcement when I didn't role up my backyard hose when I finished watering. I had a beat up '70 F100 that was legal, so I started parking it in front of his property next to my driveway. In less than a week a For Sale sign went up and in 2 weeks he was gone. The problem is my deuce isn't legal for parking on the street because of its size and weight.

I'm going to have to find an M37.

 

[Rebelpride]

As far as maintenance is concerned can the average joe with a set of tools handle it. Are they expensive to maintain, do you have to work on them alot? Also as an aside the company across the road from where I work has what appears to be a 5 ton tractor that is sitting idle and I hear the owner wants to sell it. What do you guys think about the 5 ton tractors are they better than the deuce or about the same.

 

[gimpyrobb]

About the same. If you have normal tools, you will be buying new ones. The deuce and 5tons are easy to work on, they are just HUGE compared to a normal truck. I thought I would be ok going from a deuce to a 5ton, but no, I have bought many MORE tools to fix the m62. Don't make the leap, your wallet will thank you.

 

[2027Deuce]

I bought my first deuce when I was 17, that was 1984. I bought it because I was 17. My buddies and I used to take it to the drive in movies (bring back any memories?) Now in my early middle age, I realize what a great decision it was to buy the deuce. Yeah I guess I still think like a teenager. Now the green trucks are not only for me but two sons as well. These old truck have many practical uses and the value is exceptional, but if you like green iron then I would say the overall experience of owning a deuce is...priceless. Scott

 

[FreightTrain]

I will put it this way......I can do repairs on my deuce with nothing but a cheap socket set(one strip of sockets),Vice Grips,a hammer,some duct tape,and a electrical connection kit.I really mean that too.All my tools are at the race shop.I replaced my wheel seals,Filters,installed my turbo,replaced my turn signal box,horn solinoid,horn button,lighting,etc with nothing more than a 1/2" ratchet,one of those assortment of sockets from Advanced auto,2 screw drivers,a $10 electrical connector set,a hammer,cold chisel,a peice of black iron gas pipe,and some tape.And when I installed the turbo I even reset the timing with said tools.Now my old Ford with a 1983 6.9L-A engine....I had to make custom tools to do timing,Starter replacement,etc.A 5 ton is more expensive to repair than a deuce.Little harder too.....well,heavier.So take that into consideration.Either way,they ain't real bad price wise to work on.

 

[alphadeltaromeo]

And after you get your deuce people will ask you, "what are you going to use that for?!"

--What ever I want-- ...then smile.)

Have to laugh at this one...makes me chuckle each and every time I look at it. It's quite true though aint it.

With respect to your initial comments about buying a house first...I think that a deuce from GL that's below 3k will be quite a bit more economical to purchase than your first house but then again...purchase an M109 and you can have your first house...it's just a tad bit smaller than you'd probably like I'd imagine...

 

[ken]

I was assigned to mine at the Fire Dept for a few years. When the FD found out they could get a whole new truck from the GSA cheeper than they could get tires for this one they bought a new truck. They wanted to scrap it. Since they paid $900 for the newer M35 i offered them $900 for mine and they took it. So i drove it home for $900. Honesty i don't know how i ever got along with out it. It has done everything from hauling dirt for the yard to rescueing me and my family from floods during tropical storms. I've had it in 6 feet of water going down the freeway during tropical storm allison. I've used it to clear land. Help people move, removed stumps. pulled out stuck friends who went offroading. And ran alot of parades. And i know countless other tasks that i can't think of rite now. And as far as working on one. They are not complacated at all. Most basic hand tools will more than get you back on the road.