The Deuce A2 or A3?

[lonegunman]

Not to wander off subject with the A2 apologists, but All of the things I've have said are common with A2's are common with A2's. I've driven quite a few and they lack power steering, mufflers and have marginal brakes as built for the military. There are a dozen posts with a rod through the block of a multi-fuel. Air wipers stink in the rain and a defroster is nice.

Of course opinions differ. I stand by my comments.

 

[bob1256]

Duece A2 or A3

MontanaMike lets talk about the A3's for around 10 or less.
I'm still open minded about the A2's I'll have do some research on the late model A2s. Thanks wsucougarx I'll look some more.
Once again I deeply apprecate the imput and help.
Bob.

 

[wsucougarx]

Hey bob1256, I have two late modeled A2's. My '88 M35A2C came with the Air-O-Matic steering. The late modeled A2's come STANDARD dual brake circuits (I believe it's the same master cylinder as the A3's). Brake failure can happen in your A3's as well. No vehicle is completely failure proof. When it comes down to it, several factors of the late modeled A2's were more appealling to me than an A3. There are no availability of parts issues with the A2's. Heck the A2's are still manufacture in Korea by KIA motors...no joke, they look exact. I guess the only way to really know what you want is to look them both over and try to drive them both.
You'll find there are many A3 purists and A2 purists out there. Every once in awhile a thread like this comes up so we can throw rocks over the fence at each other

 

[92RT-TT]

Having only driven an A2, I cant comment on the differences between the A2 and the A3, but until I get a chance to drive an A3, I am A2 all the way! No muffler, the whistle of the turbo, rowing through the gears, doesnt get any better then that!

 

[lonegunman]

I have now spent quite a bit of time in both. The A3 works for me. I use my truck for hauling and some cross country work on some property I own in the middle of nowhere. I like both types I just like the A3 better.

The only M35 series truck I never enjoyed was the fuel truck. When loaded it was a crawl up any hill and was always a question of who would win on the way down, gravity or brakes.

If you can't go all the way to A3 dollars, hunt for a retiring Air Force deuce. Many of them have the newer features and lower miles. Every one of these trucks has sat outside for at least a decade and will have a few issues, some just have a lot fewer issues than others. I was in a combat comm unit that had at least six trucks(A2's) with under 2K miles and have always wondered where they went.

If you go for a GL auction truck and can get someone to inspect them first, that is a good idea. Someone made off with most of my tools, but the truck was otherwise as advertized. I had my brother checking mine out before I bought it. He has been wrenching trucks for twenty years and gave it the approval.

 

[jollyroger]

I just love where these threads go......insert popcorn smiley here.

So bob 1256 you are new to the site and deuces in the private market. Welcome.

Something you will learn about this site like many others is everyone has their own opinions and will not hesitate to impart that upon you........Including me.

So really this whole thread comes down to YOUR opinion about the truck you want.

There is a ton of back and forth about which series truck is better. They are both good for different reasons.

A2: Nice looking front end. Parts availability is high regardless of what some may say. I can go to Napa and buy all of the filters for the multifuel too. 40 plus years for the series. Cost is low. 4 different engine types available. PTO WINCH!!!! Modernizable. Customizable. Great beginner truck. Simple and easy to work on.

A3: I have to say it. I know some people love it but......Goofy looking front end. CTIS. Cool feature if it works like it is supposed to. Not cool if it does not. Singled out on 43" tires. IMO the A3 picks up a lot of needed beefyness if it has 46" tires but the truck never came with them. Usually 3-4 times the cost of an A2. Hydraulic winch. See what they look like with all that crap hangin off the front end.

Obviously I prefer the A2. Neither one is a bad truck. I just think there are some goofy, band aid, things they did to the A3 to attempt to modernize it. It also costs more and IMO your options are less with regard to making the truck your own.

Dual circuit brakes are cool and a step up from the single circuit master cylinder. However if the A2's could not hardly stop them mine on 46" tires would just keep on rolling till it went into the sea. If the single circuit brakes were total death traps then the military would have changed the brakes over to dual circuit in the 1950's before the auto industry did. MV owners would be driving over people in the crosswalk every day. That's just not happening. The same risks exist with both braking systems. It's just the dual circuit brakes have a slightly higher level of redundancy.

NOTE: Just because you have two circuits DOES NOT mean that one circuit will be enough to stop the truck in the event of a failure. It's like having two engines on an airplane. If one fails it usually means it delays when you crash.

All the modern convinience on the A3 is nice. I will grant you that all day long.
But seriously. The power steering and auto tranny are the only things that I would say are the value add. And that would only be if I were physically challenged or driving the truck every day commuting to work or if I used it professionally.

Electric wipers and air wipers.......It's a flat windshield with a small wiper blade either way. Just sayin'.

Loud exhaust on the A2......I had no idea the A3 was so quiet on the inside.

IMO if I want good heat and good wipers and power everything then I'm gonna drive my dually pickup and go 75MPH at 20 MPG with the AC on the seat heaters on fry and the satelite radio turned up with the sunroof open.

A2 or A3 is a 2.5 ton all metal cab heavy truck with not that many luxuries. This discussion like all the rest are just splitting fine hairs. You will not go wrong with either truck. Just decide what you want regardless of what anyone anywhere says, never look back and enjoy the truck as much as possible.

I love my A2 and I know at some point I will have an A3 in the fleet. It is inevitable for me. As much as I prefer the A2 I know that an A3 will put just as much smile on my face.

 

[AceHigh]

That is a great analysis from the point of someone who is fairly unfamilar with the A3.

Just sayin.

At least you didn't say the A3 has all those electronics that we can't work on. BTW it is very easy to carry on a conversation at speed in the A3. I always tell people not to try to converse with me in the A2 because I really can't hear them without both of us leaning over very close.

Either research both then decide or buy both and then decide. Can't go wrong that way because you can always sell the one you don't want. Unless you end up falling in love with both (yeah it happens)

 

[jollyroger]

I'm not fairly unfamiliar with the A3. I just don't currently own one. That's like saying I am fairly unfamiliar with horses because I don't currently own one and I'm not partial to them.

I can carry on a conversation in my whistler turbo A2.

Like I said in my post. This is my opinion of the trucks. And that the gentleman should make his own opinion and really he can't go wrong either way.

 

[wsucougarx]

. I always tell people not to try to converse with me in the A2 because I really can't hear them without both of us leaning over very close.

That's one of the benefits of an A2. If I wanted to talk to someone I'd drive my GLI.

 

[bob1256]

Thanks, I think while I have the money and my wife doesn't use it first I'll go with the A3.
Thanks. Bob.

 

[bratpackdad]

This thread is like comparing a skinny chick to a fat one.

 

[wsucougarx]

Glad you were able to come to a decision. Be sure to start a new thread on your newest acquisition

 

[wsucougarx]

This thread is like comparing a skinny chick to a fat one.

Insert popcorn eating dude here

 

[DJones]

Good luck in your final pick, either way you will love it.

 

[Maxwell1815]

The A2 has a manual tranny! What more could you ask for?

 

[3dAngus]

I'mstill undetermined too. I like the fact that the A3 has the newer catepillar engine with just a few thousand miles on it. Yes, single digits. I can work on almost anything on a truck like that except the engine. But then I met a knowledgeable fella at the Georgia Ralley, and he said the Cat 3116 was unreliable and he wouldn't have it. He said he would rather have the multifuel. So I look into that and find out people burn oil in there for petro. How much filtering can you do? I would be afraid of the lastibility of putting recycled oil in the fuel tank due to all the contaminants, but this is just my feeble mind speaking out loud, and I haven't the slightest bit of knowledge you guys have, so there is a lot of fear factor along with the pucker factor of buying an engine with unknown fuels being used in it by people, who don't have to pay for any damage they would induce in it.

I'll probably just go buy a wrecker or something. As long as it is dang big and green!
Anybody see that wrecker sell today? I stopped watching it as it went over $10K.
Also, a dump truck I had in sight and bookmarked went for over $20,000.
I might have to get a second job!

 

[goodguyzy]

i took my own advice and got both, why not

 

[Maxwell1815]

i took my own advice and got both, why not

Now you're talking! Maybe someday i will own both. But my neighbors already hate me since I brought home the M35A2C home. I couldn't imagine what they would say when they saw another similar vehicle!

 

[lonegunman]

Just a quick comment on the 3116 engine. There are engines with issues, but there are also tens of thousands of engines with milions of miles and hours on them that have had zero problems. As of yet, no one with a deuce has had a single complaint.

 

[mikey]

Man, I was here two months ago too. A2 or A3?

I love that the A3's all have heat and the larger tires because one of my deuces will be a snow plow. I actually like the look of the A3 too. I didn't mind the automatic and although everyone has an opinion on the Cat engine, the theme I saw was many people bashing the cat never owned one, many people praising it did. The A3's are newer and will probably outlive everyone that buys one today. I thought I was sold on the A3. MUCH better breaking system in the A3. POWER STEERING??? c'mon, how could you not love the A3?

At first I bid on some A3's with a $4.5k limit... no luck. They went for $6k with no winch.

Then I talked to Clinto for a bit (thanks bro) and got a ton of useful info on the A2. I also read a lot of the deuce forum and tm's. There were certain factors and ss members who guided me back to the a2. No member guided me directly or with any bias. Just by lurking and reading their posts I felt better about buying an A2. Thanks everyone!

Mutifuel engine - I have a friend who owns an auto repair center and one who owns a restaurant. With an $800 one time investment on a Wolverine centrifuge, I'll drive for free for life.

Parts - The fight continues whether or not parts for the A3 are available. A3 owners say no problem. A2 owners say some are impossible to get for the A3. I have yet to read about someone who can't get a part for the A2 and I have read about replacement engines for $600 and trannies for $200 for the A2. I have yet to read about the cost of fixing or replacing a CAT. The A2 seems a better truck IF you run into problems.

Finally I began shopping for A2's and I realized not only are they much cheaper, but you seem to be able to get stepXstep instructions here for an A2 for just about everything. I don't see the same advice available for the A3.

I won two A2's today from GL. One with winch, one without. $3700 for both. I could have 4 A2's for the price of one A3. For my first deuce, I think A2 is the right choice. However, some day you will probably see an A3 in my driveway.

Mikey