**M35A3 Owners**: Question about MFG date of your trucks

[rchalmers3]

My understanding is that the M35A3's were "manufactured" from 1994 to 1999 (according to Olive Drab).

If that is the case, do your M35A3 trucks have the newer manufacture dates from the 90's, or did they keep the chassis build date?

Thanks to all,

Rick

 

[rwoods]

I don't really know the answer your question. but I got my reman date from CARNAC and I registered the truck with the state and insurance company as a 1997. A lot of my components had 1996 on them, but I know of no stamped data plate with a year other than the contract year.

 

[rchalmers3]

I don't really know the answer your question. but I got my reman date from CARNAC and I registered the truck with the state and insurance company as a 1997. A lot of my components had 1996 on them, but I know of no stamped data plate with a year other than the contract year.

Your state allowed you to use the reman date without any verification. That's interesting. Just out of curiosity, what was the contract year displayed on the data plate?



Rick

 

[rwoods]

Rick, understand that I am not an expert and I am repeating only what I have been told and what I see on my truck. There are two separate plates on the dash that has the contract number. Most of the "number" is actually letters and right in the middle is "93"; it is my understanding that that represends the contract year and that is why so many GL listings are for 1993 trucks. Whether this is true or not I don't know. I understand that there were only 6000 or so trucks remanufactured from 1993 through 1999 and that they were sequentially numbered. I have seen several trucks with much higher serial numbers than mine listed as 1993 trucks. Also my truck has a rustproofing tag that has the contract number and other preprinted numbers along with a handwritten date of rustproofing - I can only makeout the year - 1996. As for titling, GL said it was up to me to determine the year so I contacted CARNAC. He said 1997, so I filled in the GL form with 1997 and it carried through to the title. Hope this may help you. Ron Woods

 

[rchalmers3]

Thank you Ron. You and Carnac have been informative.

I am exploring the possibility of using the M35A3 trucks for a specific need that requires the use of trucks 20 years old or newer. I have your shared experience and Carnac's explanation of how the gov did and did not always identify the MFG date.

My next step will be to contact AM General and see if they are willing to share their MFG data. Wish me luck.

Rick

 

[rchalmers3]

As for titling, GL said it was up to me to determine the year so I contacted CARNAC. He said 1997, so I filled in the GL form with 1997 and it carried through to the title.

Bingo. I just got the significance of this statement.

Rick

 

[ida34]

I was reopening this thread because of a question brought up in another thread. The question was like the one posed in this thread about manufacturing dates. One must keep in mind that using a couple of vehicles with new components amounts to making a new vehicle. In this example if you put a M35A2 next to a M35A3 you would be instantly be able to see which was which. You can not pick a component used in a build and make that the date of manufacture because the vehicle you are building was not built until you are done. If the vehicle used a 1969 frame was used it would not matter. The new vehicle is a 199X built by AM-General using the 1969 frame. When major sub-assemblies are assembled from at least two vehicles a new vehicle is formed. For an example, I have a 1989 Ford F350. I got a cab from a 1991 F-150 and replaced the cab on my truck. Since the truck cabs were essentially the same and the truck still looked the same with the new cab Michigan still considered it to be a 1989. Some states may be different. No matter what, I created a new truck from old parts from two different trucks. I needed to get a state issued vin attached. If I had attached a front clip from a new truck such as a 93 or later the truck would have looked different and it would have to have been titled differently.

My main point is the M35A3 has no ties to the older frame or vehicles it was built from. The new vehicle has a year that is the year it was rebuilt as a 199X.

BTW, I know people do all kinds of things like put a chevette body on a blazer frame and they keep the chevette title for the whole vehicle. This is incorrect and the vehicle is not registered properly. A chevette never came with 4x4 so this is new vehicle. I know people get away with putting a newer clip on a truck or such and I would say just roll with it. If I had put on a new front clip on my truck I would not have changed the vin but the fact the vin was attached to the cab kind of forced my hand. I am just giving this information so people can stay legal.

 

[rchalmers3]

I understand your reasoning Chuck, it's the date of reconstruction, not the build date of the parts that decides production date.

Question: Was there ever a re manufacture of the M35A1 into the M35A2? Or something similar? If so, when was that and where can I read up on the program? I checked Olive Drab and they only mentioned the A3 program.

Rick

 

[Keith_J]

I understand your reasoning Chuck, it's the date of reconstruction, not the build date of the parts that decides production date.

Question: Was there ever a re manufacture of the M35A1 into the M35A2? Or something similar? If so, when was that and where can I read up on the program? I checked Olive Drab and they only mentioned the A3 program.

Rick

Certainly were a lot of A2s that started life as M35s. Look at the right fender, noting the flame cut for the stack. That means it was at least a M35 fender, at the very least. Gassers had the exhaust out the back and low. Multifuel required the stack for convoy safety.

As far as build date, it is all up to who you can convince. If I had a classic car and dropped a modern EFI engine with auto transmission and 4 wheel ABS disk brakes, the state would still regard it as to the original date. Frame and body.

 

[rchalmers3]

Keith, were the gassers brought in under the knife as part of a re manufacture program? If so, what year and where can I read up on the program?

Rick

 

[WillWagner]

The cut on the fender just says that the truck started life as a N/A engine. The early M35A2's were N/A and had the exh out between the passenger side duals and had the LD465 When they were converted to the LDT465, the fender was cut for the stack. The M35A1 had the LDS427-2 and had a low exh. The M35's were dual wheeled M34 trucks and had the OA331 gasser in them. Gasser fenders are much different than LDS, LT, LDT fenders.
Hole has a 1954 Reo. It started life as a gasser, this is known because of the bolted in rt. rear motor mount. The factory multis had a rivited in rt. rear mount and, in the early 50's, the multi wasn't in service yet. The fenders were changed to the "diesel" type. His truck also had a complete depot OVH in the early 90's as evident from the hand stamped data plates. Carnac was able to give the original mfg date by a brass tag, wire tied to the drivers side loop on the frame.
So, judging by his truck, the gasser M35's WERE upgraded to at least M35A2 series trucks as late as 1990. But, his truck could have been repowered/upgraded earlier and just depot OVH'd in the early 90's with another multi.

 

[Keith_J]

Keith, were the gassers brought in under the knife as part of a re manufacture program? If so, what year and where can I read up on the program?

Rick

You would have to ask that question...from what I recall from my motor pool days, the A1 modification was sometime in the 1960s. These all were upgraded to the A2 with the 465 engine and those with transfer case problems were also upgraded to the air shift.

20+ years on my brain has only left that much. Of course all the TMs had been kept current, the old stuff was pitched out with the coffee grounds by the publication's NCO. So what I know is based on the 1980s TM versions.

The A1 and A2 mod programs were limited being only engine/transfer case swaps. Nothing like the A3 ESP.

 

[TexAndy]

Certainly were a lot of A2s that started life as M35s. Look at the right fender, noting the flame cut for the stack. That means it was at least a M35 fender, at the very least. Gassers had the exhaust out the back and low. Multifuel required the stack for convoy safety.

As far as build date, it is all up to who you can convince. If I had a classic car and dropped a modern EFI engine with auto transmission and 4 wheel ABS disk brakes, the state would still regard it as to the original date. Frame and body.

The truck Jarret and I parted out was that way. Extra wide fenders (extended into interior of engine compartment) and a poorly torch cut hole to accommodate the stack.

 

[saddamsnightmare]

January 9th, 2010.

Curious, Curious, Curious. "Saddam's Nightmare" in the icon annexed is an M35A2 with the normally aspirated White LD-465 engine, the cast date on the engine is a matter of two weeks or so before the truck was originally built. Both front fenders have the holes for the exhaust stack, but the left one is plated over and the right one has the collar around the stack base. Her fenders cover the frame rails on top, but both ones have the cut out for the exhaust pipe at the rear. The fender design makes it very hard to get at the starter motor as there is very little to almost no space to get her out the bottom. In fact the fenders rather resemble the Model T Ford (1927) which covered a lot of space and only left room for dust guards between the frame rails and engine. The design seemed intended to protect the engine as much as possible, and they do a very good job of it.
In rebuilds the A3's would be a completely different truck, but Army locomotives are known by their original year or manufacture, not by the year or remanufacture, so even Uncle doesn't always follwo through....

Thanks for the education,

Cheers,

Kyle F. McGrogan