So...What happened to all the deuces. Need help in Oklahoma

[hkyplr18]

Hello everyone. Jordan from Oklahoma. This is my first time posting on here. I have been interested in an M35A2 for quite some time and have done a bunch of research and have actually looked at a handful of privately owned trucks. In fact, I met up with Clinto on a business trip last month. Great guy to talk to and I learned a whole bunch! He had some really nice trucks too! Cleptomaniac has also been helpful. Thanks Guys! My issue has been finding a decent M35 that's not 1000miles away. I have looked at 7 here in Oklahoma and I was pretty much disappointed in all of them. 2 of them were actually pretty nice but the owner never got an SF97 when he got them home over 2yrs ago???? The rest were complete rust buckets with Sprag front ends. I have noticed a few things in the market over the last 6 months or so.. One is, (and I am guessing here) no more M35A2's coming from GL anymore. I mean I see 1 or 2 for sale every once in awhile but they are in poor shape. Second is, the prices for these trucks have gone up at least 25% since the decline of GL 2.5ton trucks. I have seen some M35A2's in poor shape on craigslist selling for over 8 grand!! Seriously... I have watched the market for only 1 year and I can't believe the prices people are asking for their hunk of junk. Yes.. I would pay maximum 8k for a NICE truck but it would have to be very nice. Thirdly, Very few 2.5tons on the market. I remember about a year ago there were so many deuces for sale I couldn't believe it, but now there might be 5 NICE private deuces for sale right now. My other issue is distance.. I see some nice trucks for sale on here but **** they are always at least 1000miles away.. I just cant see paying 1000 bucks to either haul it home or airline ticket and drive it home. $1000 at least anyway you look at it. I am a month away from buying a truck one way or another. Does anyone know of a NICE, well maintained truck half way close to Oklahoma? Would prefer a later model possibly ex-air force truck. Would like - Air shift front end, Good paint, NO BAD RUST, heater, Hard top, C- Turbo, Don't care if it has a winch or not. Would like a cargo cover, and troop seats. ( I know) I can add any of this stuff later. I just want to start out with a nice mechanically sound truck. Also, does anyone know about the lot of deuces sitting on the side of I-44 between OKC and Tulsa. I found a thread on here but the question was never answered. They looked nice from the highway, but... Thanks for any help in advance!

 

[91W350]

There is a nice one in our classifieds in Missouri, buy it so I don't!

 

[Beerslayer]

The same thing will happen to the 939 series 5-Tons. Right now they are dirt cheap, but rows of them are getting parked in fields, plenty going to the scrapper, and in a year or three the price will triple. Which is still not that much.

Have you considered a 5-Ton? Half the price of the deuces you have been looking at.

 

[sandcobra164]

OP, it happens. I bought my personal deuce for $1045 from GL. 130 miles away, I did a preview. Here's the bad, batteries were dead, no cover or bows for the cargo area, leaking axle seal, D Turbo. Here's the good, it ran fine with new batteries, made the trip home, had 3/4 of a tank of old diesel which the Multi ran fine on, mostly rust free and a new in 90' Hercules Motor. As far as 8K for a private party truck, that's a little high but they are running out of them (Government) and after all my work on this truck, 8K would be cheap. Mine starts, runs, stops, is mechanically sound, has no major leaks, and I drive it to work every now and then with my 5 year old son strapped in on the passenger side. I'm upgraded to 11:00 Firestones, a C turbo (some call that a downgrade), freshend up the paint, added the missing cargo cover and bows, changed out quite a few seals and turned up the fuel. In the process of all this buying from GL, I've bought trucks with rods sticking out of the side of the block and barely broke even. I've also bought trucks off of GL and sold them running for less than the auction price lately. It's a gamble, I don't buy M35A2's anymore because alot of folks are in the GL arena now and they take a site unseen complete truck up to $2500 quick. They go for less than that on Ebay and those guys are taking a HIT unless they got them when the market was cheap. In conclusion, take your chances in either avenue, MINES NOT FOR SALE.

This in not a Classified Ad!

 

[wreckerman893]

There are still M35A2's in the pipeline but they are trickling out now.

I once bought four out of one sale for $1000.00 each and they were all runners. Most just needed some minor adjustments.

I fear that is a thing of the past unless there are great numbers in "War Stocks" that have yet to hit the DRMO system.

I am seriously considering moving up to a 900 series 5 ton myself.

They were not nearly as many of them as they were the deuces so it prob won't take long for the supply to get tight.

If you snooze you lose.

 

[hkyplr18]

Thanks for the reply's so far. I might consider a 5-ton. The reality is that I want to be able to work on the deuce and not break my back (as bad) as a 5-ton. Parts seem to be more plentiful for the 2.5's. I don't want an automatic for darn sure. What is the 5-ton standard Cargo variant? M813?

 

[KsM715]

Yep the M813 will give you a cargo bed and a standard trans.

 

[Blind Driver]

The same thing will happen to the 939 series 5-Tons. Right now they are dirt cheap, but rows of them are getting parked in fields, plenty going to the scrapper, and in a year or three the price will triple. Which is still not that much.

Have you considered a 5-Ton? Half the price of the deuces you have been looking at.

But they get 1/2 the fuel mileage and the parts are bigger....and badder

 

[Flyingvan911]

Welcome from Kansas City. Be patient and you'll find a good deuce at a good price.

 

[emmado22]

War stocks...... There are no M44 Series trucks in war stocks.

 

[wreckerman893]

War stocks...... There are no M44 Series trucks in war stocks.

I figured as much....but then I also bought three PA systems out of OKC a few years ago that were dated from the 50's......two of them had never been used. I wonder where they spent all the intervening years.

When I was out at the National Training Center in CA back in the 80's we unloaded vehicles at the railhead in Irmo (just south of NTC).

There were hundreds of vehicles stored out there in the desert to include choppers.

The guy at the railhead said they were "War Stocks" and were kept there to replace vehicles that might be destroyed if we were in a big war.

He said "if you think that's impressive you should see what is stored under the mountains around here". I don't know if he was yanking our chains or not.

The truth is stranger than fiction.

 

[sandcobra164]

When I was out at the National Training Center in CA back in the 80's we unloaded vehicles at the railhead in Irmo (just south of NTC)

He said "if you think that's impressive you should see what is stored under the mountains around here". I don't know if he was yanking our chains or not.

Richard, correct spelling would be Yermo Annex, Barstow, CA. I train guys out there to operate tactical gear. They have plenty of open storage but nothing under or in the mountains. Heck, they still have wooden warehouse's from way back in the day. Stuff that get's sold from GL comes from the other small base known as the Nebo Annex. For Cave storage, I hear Norway is nice but cold. I hope to go see it one day.

 

[swbradley1]

So you want a late model AF truck cheap. Good luck on your hunt. They just sold 4 by me all went over $6k without taxes/fees.

 

[goodguyzy]

Actually they do have a huge war stock. The goberment had a rare good idea, sell the trucks to the public and when we need them back for WW3....ok just a theory.

Hang in there a be patient, you will find your truck.