Steel Soldiers MV of the month 2024 - December VOTE HERE!

[patracy]

Welcome to the MV of the month poll sponsored by Consolidated Press. If you need decals, magnets, stencils, or anything printing related, please give them a call!

Now, onto the vote! Please vote for MV of the month! Feel free to campaign in this thread, but please keep it here and not via PM.

1. SCM35A2

2. cantwait

3. fuzzytoaster

4. Blaines2399

5. Weldman

6. flyfishtrailer

 

[patracy]

I normally remain neutral in these, but I'm voting for Santa.

 

[SCM35A2]

Here is my 1964 M35 A1/A2 w/winch truck, was converted over to an M2 model/multi-fuel in the late 80’s. I have owned the truck now for 5 years. The truck was in decent condition when I got her, so I started with the mechanical stuff to get her road ready. I pulled off all the wheels, removed 40 plus years of paint & repainted them. While doing that all of the brake components were replaced-(wheel cylinders, bearings, seals/gaskets, all hoses, master cylinder, rebuilt the air pack, brake shoes-all) & added a brake fluid reservoir kit to the inside of the truck. Other mechanic parts replaced was the entire exhaust system from the turbo back, speedometer/tachometer cables, gauge grounds, all filters-(oil/fuel/air), front axle boots, belts & removed the old axle vents & replaced them with ¼ fittings that allowed me to run the air lines up & away from them-(see pic). I also swapped out the old battery box for an updated/bigger plastic version so I could run two group 31 batteries along with all new cables & grounds. One last thing was to have the starter rebuilt & replaced the old solenoid. So now she starts, runs & stops!

Next I swapped out off the reflectors, headlights, air breather stack, mudflap guards/mudflaps-(semi-trailer) top winch plate & added a cover to it. Tailgate needed some new step handles & rear bushings so those were replaced as well too. Scored a vintage military issue Pioneer tool kit, so installed that along with all new hold down straps.

On the inside I’ve only done a few things such as new upper/lower passenger seat cushions, new pedal covers, shifter boot, new wiper motors & blades, starter push button, added a battery kill switch & new fire extinguisher.

The truck has the LDT-465-1D multi-fuel engine with the whistler c turbo & besides me completely taking it apart to clean/detail-paint everything its basically stock. The truck came with the non-air assisted transfer case, but however that has been since swapped out to the air powered model.

I just recently bought an M105 trailer to pull behind her & also have a tow bar that I plan to mount in the bed as well. As soon as I swap out the hard top on her for the better shape one I’m going to have a few rust spots fixed & repaint it.

I'm going to post pics of what I started with & how she currently looks...

 

[SCM35A2]

More progress...

 

[SCM35A2]

More...

 

[SCM35A2]

Few more...

 

[SCM35A2]

Engine bay & misc stuff...

 

[SCM35A2]

Current look...

 

[flyfishtrailer]

Holy cow that's a lot of politicin pictures. I can't compete with that but here is the story and a couple of Xmas pictures. I bought the LMTV from an estate sale and got a screaming deal. Too good to pass up. Turns out the truck was well maintained by the PO and all of the typical issues had been replaced or repaired (not a single leak air or fluid) . I live in a rural area and use it for military shows and local parades. This year was the first year it was not raining during the Holiday of Lights parade in town so I told Santa I would take the gunners turret cover off so he could stand and wave to everyone. I love tanking kids for rides around our neighborhood and towing the MKT to shows. Just hate all the emissions rules in California LOL.

First layer of lights

All dressed up and ready to go the night before

Santa loaded and ready for dark so the parade can begin

Elves loaded and ready to toss candy

 

[Guyfang]

Great looking truck!!

I left California in 1971, and NEVER went back. Good reason for that.

 

[Guyfang]

Current look...

Great looking truck. Drove a million miles in one of those fine trucks.

 

[M813rc]

My durned voting finger is getting all sore and cramped from hovering, moving, moving back, hovering, moving again......!

 

[Weldman]

Story goes I went to an auction in Nebraska 1k miles away in the middle of nowhere held in a corn field to look at the rig before bidding. Went through the usual inspection found that injection pump shut off was sticking and not allowing it to return when ignition is turned on without reaching up there and moving it so it would start.
Welp I put it back as I found it and no one hardly bid on it, went for $9k which included a 2600 gallon water tank on the back I could use and was worth almost the price I paid for the truck.
Bought the truck and drove it 1k miles doing 50 mph all the way home, last 30 miles it blew the air dryer purge valve that I ended up shoving whatever to plug it and bled the lines off so it wouldn't have to purge.
Been a work horse for me since day one getting stuff here that a pick up couldn't do nor a semi. Need to invest in a M920 to convert to a dump truck or try to get lucky and find a M917, need articulating axles up here.

 

[USAFSS-ColdWarrior]

Welp... I pulled the ol' nose picker outta my nostril long enuff to poke a votin' button.

May the best man & MV win!



If truth be told..... They are all winners this month.

 

[canadacountry]

@Weldman thats quite a big of a 'umm whops??...uhhh' photo of the truck being pinched by a tree off the slope?

 

[Weldman]

@Weldman thats quite a big of a 'umm whops??...uhhh' photo of the truck being pinched by a tree off the slope?

That is from trying to rescue someone who used to live out here who thought trying to get up the ridge in a truck with 2WD and no reverse on ice. I stopped the truck in time as I felt it sliding, but went to retrieve it with the excavator and the strap broke sending it sliding on down even with brakes applied.

 

[canadacountry]

@Weldman funny enough I had been watching a little bit of unofficial episodes of 'highway thru hell' on youtube the last few days (had watched many of it on live tv on and off in the past aside to also a little bit of tv app replays while I was at a toronto room two short holidays this year (the room had a tv, no cable service provided but a nice roku service was available nevertheless) .. its a british columbia of canada real-life tv series yeah

anyhow to come back to the point .. there was one of these 2024-dated episode on youtube that had the similar type of problem you described re stopping on a uphill-sloped icy unpaved road only to then a second later notice that even with full brakes on the truck was still moving so both the driver and the passenger videoman literally bailed out quickly .. another of the videoman that was already on the ground ahead showed the truck literally sliding backward&sideway toward the cliff but then the more shaggy edge of the road suddenly started gripped the tires to a eventual full stop with just the very rear-right tandem tire almost grabbing air

the driver much later on in the tv show said this particular day really freaked him out big time as that was almost a huge amount of money about to go down for good (a smaller-class heavy wrecker is easily at least 300k usd new, and as for an extra-heavy 4-axles rotor one mm well I'll leave that to you..)

anyway glad you apparently still managed to get your own truck out of there as much as that must had been an 'a bit of a fine mess you got yourself into' sort of day there .. and to perhaps be lucky the tree stopped you early too (versus a recover from much further downslope that is)

 

[Weldman]

@Weldman funny enough I had been watching a little bit of unofficial episodes of 'highway thru hell' on youtube the last few days (had watched many of it on live tv on and off in the past aside to also a little bit of tv app replays while I was at a toronto room two short holidays this year (the room had a tv, no cable service provided but a nice roku service was available nevertheless) .. its a british columbia of canada real-life tv series yeah

anyhow to come back to the point .. there was one of these 2024-dated episode on youtube that had the similar type of problem you described re stopping on a uphill-sloped icy unpaved road only to then a second later notice that even with full brakes on the truck was still moving so both the driver and the passenger videoman literally bailed out quickly .. another of the videoman that was already on the ground ahead showed the truck literally sliding backward&sideway toward the cliff but then the more shaggy edge of the road suddenly started gripped the tires to a eventual full stop with just the very rear-right tandem tire almost grabbing air

the driver much later on in the tv show said this particular day really freaked him out big time as that was almost a huge amount of money about to go down for good (a smaller-class heavy wrecker is easily at least 300k usd new, and as for an extra-heavy 4-axles rotor one mm well I'll leave that to you..)

anyway glad you apparently still managed to get your own truck out of there as much as that must had been an 'a bit of a fine mess you got yourself into' sort of day there .. and to perhaps be lucky the tree stopped you early too (versus a recover from much further downslope that is)

I would of been having to roll it back over if it went on over the side and still would easily get it. If you look at one of my pictures there is my tracked loader that weighs almost 60k lbs to easily retrieve it.

 

[biscuitwhistler37]

Me to me when the video started: "That snow doesn't look that deep..... How'd they get a grader stuck in it?"

Me to me after the turnaround watching the rear axle sink: " Oh "

Great stuff!

 

[Migginsbros]

Great campagning this month. Great MV.
Not easy to make a choice.