New guy with M35A2C

[NDRoughneck]

Hi all,
First off, I really appreciate all the info and help on this site. Thank You!!!
I've been wanting one of these for about 3 years, and earlier this year I finally got one.
Title says 1979, it was an Air force truck, power steering, heater, ether kit, drop side, hard top, and there are 2 hydrovacs. The truck shows 6500mi and 336hrs.
I've put new 2 batterys in, replaced a brake light switch, new headlight switch, headlight, bled brakes with new dot 5.
I sanded and sprayed with DuPont 222S adhesion promoter, then painted with Gillespie Coatings 595-34079-11 forest green.
Right now I'm waiting on a Kats 1500 watt tank style heater, but while I was waiting I decided to run the 5/8 lines, the threaded block plug behind the solenoid turned out to be a real bugger.
The truck drives excellent and is a blast to drive, and my wife and son absolutely love the truck.
Thanks All!
First 2 are before paint, next 3 are after paint.

 

[Prospector GM]

First off welcome from California. Congrats on the truck, it looks great I like it!

 

[clinto]

Hi all,
First off, I really appreciate all the info and help on this site. Thank You!!!
I've been wanting one of these for about 3 years, and earlier this year I finally got one.
Title says 1979, it was an Air force truck, power steering, heater, ether kit, drop side, hard top, and there are 2 hydrovacs. The truck shows 6500mi and 336hrs.
I've put new 2 batterys in, replaced a brake light switch, new headlight switch, headlight, bled brakes with new dot 5.
I sanded and sprayed with DuPont 222S adhesion promoter, then painted with Gillespie Coatings 595-34079-11 forest green.
Right now I'm waiting on a Kats 1500 watt tank style heater, but while I was waiting I decided to run the 5/8 lines, the threaded block plug behind the solenoid turned out to be a real bugger.
The truck drives excellent and is a blast to drive, and my wife and son absolutely love the truck.
Thanks All!
First 2 are before paint, next 3 are after paint.
View attachment 528320View attachment 528321View attachment 528322View attachment 528323View attachment 528326

Welcome to the site. Nice looking truck.

I'd like to know what the VIN is-if it has 2 airpacks, then it's a 1987-1989 model. Pre-1987 (even USAF) trucks are single circuit systems.

 

[Another Ahab]

Good score. Nice clean-looking truck.

Welcome from Virginia.

 

[NDRoughneck]

Welcome to the site. Nice looking truck.

I'd like to know what the VIN is-if it has 2 airpacks, then it's a 1987-1989 model. Pre-1987 (even USAF) trucks are single circuit systems.

Clinto,
I have the registration in front of me, will that vin work?

 

[clinto]

Yeah, you don't need to publish the entire thing if you don't want. The prefix is probably 1040, followed by 5 numbers?

And the USAF registration # is probably 87KXXXX, 88KXXXX or 89XXXX, isn't it?


This will help: http://www.steelsoldiers.com/showthread.php?18225-Late-Model-USAF-Contract-M35A2C-Spotters-Guide

 

[NDRoughneck]

clinto,
thanks for the link, I'll read more into that later.
At first glance the truck seems to match up with a lot of the info on the link. air traffic control sticker , rust proofing, no pioneer rack, drop side, air ride seat, seat belts, no slave plug, pintle instructions. bla bla bla.
The vin is 10**11499, and the numbers on the back of the truck are 88K 247
Ive also never seen one with a front pintle hitch.
thanks again

 

[clinto]

I'd say the odds are that truck is actually a 1988 model that someone mistakenly titled as a 1979 model.

 

[NDRoughneck]

I'd say the odds are that truck is actually a 1988 model that someone mistakenly titled as a 1979 model.

I just looked at a copy of the sf97 form, and it also shows 1979. So if its a mistake, it goes back to the source.
From the condition of the truck, and supposed year, I've had a hard time coming to grips with only a couple very small dents, and absolutely no rust! Especially considering it came from Washington.
Thank again sir.

 

[rhurey]

Eastern WA isn't as wet...

 

[mcmullag]

The late 80's ones had dropside cargo beds too. Cant tell for sure on pics, appears no dropside. Thanks for posting, nice truck.

 

[FloridaAKM]

Welcome from sunny Florida. Great looking truck you have there; it should also have electric wipers if it is in the year range 87-89. The pintle is an Air Force thing for what ever reason they added them. Did your truck have a complete VIN plate on it? Those are sometimes removed or disfigured.
Welcome to the Green Iron Disease!

 

[NDRoughneck]

Eastern WA isn't as wet...

Yeah I know, born and raised there, I actually was raised in North Bend, and moved east to Yakima, then Leavenworth "a town, not prison" for 15 years before moving to ND. We really do miss Wa though.
The truck actually came from Ft Lewis and had been wet enough to actually have algae & mossy spots on it. The rustproofing they put on these things is awesome stuff.

 

[NDRoughneck]

Thanks,
It doesn't have electric wipers. but it does have the dropside bed.
I'll try to get better pics up.

 

[Warthog]

As one of the people that keep track of the late model USAF trucks, yours is indeed a 1988 model. Makes it more valuable.

that first part of the vin is 1024

check out this thread

http://www.steelsoldiers.com/showthread.php?79736-Late-Model-USAF-M35A2C-Registry

 

[cobra5]

I can an 89 that I recovered from Fairchild AFB and it has vacuum wipers and no power steering. Whom ever you bought it from must have done these mods. Also the front pintle hitch is handy for pushing trailers into parking spaces thats why they were added. Take a look at this months MV contest, you'll see mine pushing my trailer back.

 

[clinto]

Welcome from sunny Florida. Great looking truck you have there; it should also have electric wipers if it is in the year range 87-89. The pintle is an Air Force thing for what ever reason they added them. Did your truck have a complete VIN plate on it? Those are sometimes removed or disfigured.
Welcome to the Green Iron Disease!

Although many were upgraded to electric wipers later on in their service lives, they weren't equipped that way from the factory. I have a copy of the USAF order form and they aren't on it. Of the 4 I've owned, bought directly from GL, none had the air wipers.

My VIN plate was disfigured and removed (found in the glovebox).

 

[NDRoughneck]

OK guys I took some pics with a real camera.

 

[cobra5]

Although it was auctioned out of the FT. Lewis DRMO, it could have came out of Fairchild AFB. When I got my truck out of Fairchild a few years back the guy in charge of the site told me that they ship most of their stuff to FT. Lewis to auction in off. The reason my truck was being auctioned at the base was because it was 1 of 5 trucks and they didn't want to pay to ship them out to the coast. So your truck could have been the only truck at the time and they shipped it with other stuff to the coast. The fact that it had moss on it just means it sat for awhile. The truck I bought was sitting on the lot for 2 years before they were told to get rid of it.

 

[Badojeep]

Nice looking truck