Thinking about getting an M-35A2

[steelandcanvas]

Matt, I applaud your determination. You can find Deuces in any price range. Keep an eye out here, you might just find "the one". Good Luck! BTW, you know you need a special license to drive a Deuce in Cali, right?

 

[WyoDeuce]

Good luck finding a deuce, I love mine and wouldn't trade it for anything else. You will find that they are awesome for local camping and exploration but they don't make good long range vehicles. There is a reason you see them riding on flatbeds on the interstate.

 

[Blood_of_Tyrants]

The first thing I would do is to get a heater and seal the cab as much as possible. Rain and air comes in places you didn't think existed on a deuce.

Then pull the multifuel and manual tranny and replace it with a Cummins 5.9l or International diesel and Allison automatic transmission. You can buy a used bus pretty cheap and get it from that.

Next I would get the best springer seats you can buy.

Get good road tires because the NDT's wear like crap and the NDT stands for No D#%@&* Traction.

Also, install the quietest muffler you can get. Noise in a deuce will drive you deaf.

Finally, install a 24v to 12 v converter and put in a radio/cd/ipod player and some 12v lighter jacks for charging your cell phone, running the GPS, etc.

Also, replace the red lenses on the gauges with clear ones so you can actually see the gauges at night and install an overhead light and or map lights.

 

[Gadget01]

Check, check, and check. thanks for all the tips. If anyone has more information that may be useful, please chime in. STEELANDCANVAS, thanks for the enthusiasm. I am looking into CDL requirements right now. I here that there are some exceptions to that rule though.

Still believing in myself. -Matt

 

[Gadget01]

Actually, a commercial driver's license in CA is defined as:

A commercial vehicle is a motor vehicle or combination used for hire to transport passengers or property or which:

• Has a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 26,001 pounds or more
• Is designed, used, or maintained for carrying more than 10 passengers, including the driver
• Tows a vehicle or trailer, which has a GVWR of 10,001 pounds or more
• Transports hazardous materials, which requires placards
• Tows any combination of two trailers or vehicle and trailer

-From the DMV site.

An M-35 should not apply according to this definition. I would be using it for personal use only. and not driving any more than 2 other people.

-Matt

 

[roscoe]

Check, check, and check. thanks for all the tips. If anyone has more information that may be useful, please chime in. STEELANDCANVAS, thanks for the enthusiasm. I am looking into CDL requirements right now. I here that there are some exceptions to that rule though.

Still believing in myself. -Matt

I say go for it. It would be an adventure for sure. Nothing is ever 100 percent perfect.

 

[100dollarman]

It is my understanding that you dont need a CDL in Ca., but a class B license because of the 3rd axle.

If you ever get down to socal, you are welcome to come by and drive a Deuce--- we usually have about a dozen or more in stock.

 

[jesusgatos]

Hey everyone, my name is Matt and I am new to the MV community.
Over the past 2-3 months, I have been thinking about purchasing an M-35A2 and preforming a few reliability upgrades to it, but I am not sure where to start. Since I am planning to use it as a cross-country touring vehicle it needs to be able to drive at least 1000 miles at a time. I am already thinking about Super Singles with Michelin tires, a new lighting kit and replacing all the fluids and hoses, but what else should I do to make this as reliable as possible?

Also, What would the cost for a fully functional truck be? To the best of my knowledge the truck would cost me $2-4k, and the Tires would be about $1.5k.

So basically what I am asking is: What reliability mods would you preform to a stock M-35A2 and how much would they cost?

Thanks, Matt

After mulling your suggestions over, I now present idea #2:

Buy a M-35A2 and spend a lot of time making sure everything is in tip-top shape. I think the local High School Welding shop will help out with rust abation. I can do all of the engine work myself. Then, after driving it around for a while, I will make my final decision as to if I want to turn it into my "expedition" vehicle. (Camper w/ long-range off-road capabilities.)

Does this sound reasonable? Can I procure a good truck and get it running reliably for less than $5000?

Thanks, -Matt

I'm building #2 right now, using an M109 as a starting point. Except I'm going a little bit further, building a rig that I'm planning on living in full-time. Don't know what your expectations are, but I'd budget AT LEAST $10,000-15,000 to build something like what you're proposing. The thing is though, it's your project. You can put as much, or as little, work and money into it as you want. You can definitely get a reliable M35 (look at the M109's) for under $5000, but it won't get you much further than that. Check out Expedition Portal for lots of good information related to vehicle-dependent adventures.

 

[SasquatchSanta]

When you start adding refinements like spin out hubs and too many other things to mention is when it starts getting expensive. My opinion is that a truck that you are going to want to take several hundred miles from home is going to have to be in A-1 mechanical condition.

Unless you've personally gone all through a truck, like I have mine, you don't know what you've got.

Unless you are touring within an area say 200 miles from home --- buy a Toyota.

 

[mcmullag]

mountain majesty

For the first 45 years of me life, I lived in St. louis MO, From my 20s to 40s, I took driving vacations to the Rocky Moutain states and traveled and camped the back roads. Over the years I used; a 88 Ford Taurus, a 97 Nissan Atlima, a 98 Chevy Blazer S10 LT.
I drove the forest service roads, etc. I went to Moab, Ut, areas of MT, WY, much of CO. You dont need a deuce to do that. I love my deuce but
.....see the USA in your stock 4x4 Chevrolet!..................

the older kids here will appreciate this vid from Youtube,
I have driven the backroads and main roads in this area
of southwestern CO
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EUP9rOLf30&feature=related[/media]

 

[mcmullag]

summit

Highest through road in North Ameria, 13,185 feet above sea level, you can do it in a stock 4x4. I have done it in a stock Toyota 4Runner and a stock 2500 Chevy Suburban. The National Forest service roads are great, get you into really awesome scenery.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4owzKpG4JPU[/media]

 

[Gadget01]

I'm building #2 right now, using an M109 as a starting point. Except I'm going a little bit further, building a rig that I'm planning on living in full-time.

Do you by chance have a build page? I would love to see what you are doing to your truck.

-Matt

 

[jesusgatos]

You dont need a deuce to do that.

What's that mean? How many of us really NEED our Deuces for whatever we do with them? But I decided to build an off-road-oriented motorhome, and THEN chose to build it out of a deuce, not the other way around. I think these trucks make an excellent platform for this type of project, especially considering the price (compared to anything else that might be comparable or better). I did a lotta lotta research before deciding to go down this path, and now that I'm almost finished with it (and have put several thousand trouble-free miles on it), I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it.

If you were only posting to suggest that a person should focus on the experience, and not get too hung-up on the vehicle though, I totally agree with you.

 

[jesusgatos]

I'm building #2 right now, using an M109 as a starting point. Except I'm going a little bit further, building a rig that I'm planning on living in full-time.

Do you by chance have a build page? I would love to see what you are doing to your truck.

-Matt

Hi Matt-

I will eventually get around to documenting the build here. I'm documenting the entire project for a series of magazine articles that are going to be published in 8-Lug magazine first, and then I can post more about it online. This site has been an excellent resource, and you'll find a lot of good information and helpful people here to answer any questions you might have. Feel free to ask any more specific questions and we'll help you out.