Cost of getting a good truck?

[tiger422]

I agree with all the above but if it's what you want go for it. You can always sell if it don't work out. You may lose some money if somthing breaks and you sell for lack of repair $.

 

[OldGoat]

We are not talking about airplanes. Sure you could do it, you could raise more money & get it. Work, cut grass, sell firewood, clear snow, do handyman jobs. Do you know what the difference between a goal and a dream is? A goal has a timeline.

 

[JeepMan]

Well I am 18 living at home with the folks still, just starting college working part time making 7.75 an hour. Of course if I can find a better paying part time job I will go for it but I am not too sure I will find something soon.I think I will be in the same situation for the next 4-5 years as I am pursuing a bachelors degree. My monthly take home pay is around 500 dollars and after writing up a budget I feel I can save at least 150 dollars per month, perhaps 200 if I can eat at home more, spend less on booze, and enjoy myself less on weekends. If I was able to get a truck for this much I could keep saving the monthly 150-200 for repairs and maintenance.

I intended on doing all the work/maintenance if possible. Tool wise I only have a 260pc craftsman set, a 3/4" drive ratchet without sockets, as well as lots of miscellaneous tools like vice grips, pliers, adjustable wrenches, etc. However I like tools and add on when sears has a sale.

I want the truck as a play vehicle; something to drive on the weekends or occasionally to work or class, and pull out friends who got stuck somewhere ( time for me to return the favor ).

I will need to check into zoning rules about a three axle truck, however there is no homeowner's association. The homes in my neighborhood have ~1 acre yards and the next door neighbor parks his semi tractor on the road in front of his house or in his back yard when he is in town. There are two homes for sale on the road however, one directly across from us.

Right now I am using a recently acquired credit card to build a good score so If the deuce wont work out I think Ill try to use my 4k for a down payment and get financing on a motorcycle or dirt bike, but I would prefer something I can use year-round.

I dunno Luke, you sound sincere and not someone who's posting just to have something to post but I still think in YOUR situation a Jeep would be better for you all things considering. You can even get a older (90's) civy Jeep, paint it cammo and be able to do 60/70 on the highway. The guys on here bring up valid points both for and against but a Jeep is still considerd a "Steel Soldier" !!!

 

[randygk]

Sure they're neat and the smile I get when it starts is great. Just got a '67 M35A2 wo/w d turbo with an M105. Kinda let the heart overule the brain and had to have it. Paid $3500.00 and now the fun begins, new radiator - a grand, tax & frt--- new rear seals and bearings, new windshield on one side. I'm an older guy with extra money and an ex aircraft mechanic with many tools. Consider a smaller vehicle starting out. as far as price figure how far away it is, what it's going to take to get it home. Mine was 25 miles away. I'm now finding out Ca wants me to have a commercial license to drive it. What ever you decide --good luck, enjoy

 

[sandcobra164]

I've played the game and learned from the established crowd here on SS and so far, my truck has been free. What I mean by that is I purchased my Deuce in October of last year from GL, waited on the EUC and picked it up the day before Christmas Eve. Luckily, it only took a set of batteries and it was ready for the 120 mile trip back from Ft. Rucker. I've since purchased and sold another Deuce from Robins and the overall profit paid for the first one. I've also picked up a towbar and moved some trucks from an auction point in Albany, GA to help my truck make some money. You have to really devote some time to this hobby to make it work out for you and SS is a great networking tool that will link you up to people just as crazy as you are. It can be some hard work playing with these trucks. Gary Allen's new song, "Sometimes I think I get off on the pain" come's to mind when I think of this hobby.

 

[JeepMan]

I've played the game and learned from the established crowd here on SS and so far, my truck has been free. What I mean by that is I purchased my Deuce in October of last year from GL, waited on the EUC and picked it up the day before Christmas Eve. Luckily, it only took a set of batteries and it was ready for the 120 mile trip back from Ft. Rucker. I've since purchased and sold another Deuce from Robins and the overall profit paid for the first one. I've also picked up a towbar and moved some trucks from an auction point in Albany, GA to help my truck make some money. You have to really devote some time to this hobby to make it work out for you and SS is a great networking tool that will link you up to people just as crazy as you are. It can be some hard work playing with these trucks. Gary Allen's new song, "Sometimes I think I get off on the pain" come's to mind when I think of this hobby.

Now for YOU it's been a perfect mix.

 

[WyoDeuce]

Don't be discouraged. I have a great winch truck with hardtop, heat, whistler turbo and a bunch of new tires. A few guages don't work. I would sell it for $4500 and that would be a good deal for both of us. Big trucks are incredible fun but totally impractical. Fun wins with me. The trucks can be expensive to own but you get what you pay for. I have a near perfect m35a2ww that has all the acessories and is ready for a cross country trip but it will cost you $8000 to buy. If you don't need a truck in parade condition and are willing to turn some wrenches you can do fine on the open market. GL trucks are another headache all there own. My last one showed up with no brakes, fell off the trailer unloading and destroyed a very nice alluminum ramp. This left me with a very annoyed trucker. $$$$$$ If you are on a budget buy a running truck that you can test drive. Bringing home a basket case to rebuild will cost you a ton more. (I will sell you a basket case if you like pain and suffering!) Good luck with getting a deuce.

 

[dragonwagon]

Im thinking i got a heck of a deal , im new hear on your board . Just picked up a 71 M35A2 near Det Mi today for $3,800.00 Drove it home 140 miles and it ran like a clock . Not sure just what means ( depot rebuild 1990 ) tag on the dash radiator , hercules motor , well under the hood loos like new in general .

Darn thing drove very well . Heres a photo of it

Blah , its late im tired and this post is full of typos

 

[bratpackdad]

I agree with the money issues. I don't think you should spend money on a hobby if it breaks your savings account. These trucks are 2.5 tons of fun but 2.5 times the cost of most weekend hobbies. If you have to scrape up the cash to buy one, think about scrapeing up the same amount when it breaks down. A hobby is no fun when you're worrying about money instead of relaxing and laughing when something falls off or blows up. Being able to work on your truck is great but parts cost money. And the parts on the deuce are big and heavy. If you can't fix it you are gonna pay somebody to fix it for you. None of that should come from your savings or your wifes grocery money. Just my 2 cents.

 

[RAYZER]

I have been into off roading trucks since i was 18 ( 52 now ), the key to keeping the cost of repair and maint down was to do all of the work myself with the help of some friends, seems like the off road trucks that i have owned in the past have cost no more to maintain and repair than my deuce. Luke; the force is with you!! maybe you can get a loan from your family on your birthday or something!! good luck.

 

[Bob H]

Im thinking i got a heck of a deal , im new hear on your board . Just picked up a 71 M35A2 near Det Mi today for $3,800.00 Drove it home 140 miles and it ran like a clock . Not sure just what means ( depot rebuild 1990 ) tag on the dash radiator , hercules motor , well under the hood loos like new in general .

Darn thing drove very well . Heres a photo of it

Blah , its late im tired and this post is full of typos

Hey!
That's my old truck!
It found it's way back up North.
I'm over on the North side of Hale. Will be workin on deuces all day today.

 

[91W350]

A few years ago we went to a GSA sale in Manhattan, Kansas. They were selling a whole fleet of deuces and five tons. Most were old gasoline burners, but you could have bought your choice of many that day for under 500 dollars. We bought a GMC M135 with a winch that some fire department had dropped a 454 Chevrolet into for 150 dollars, bled the brakes, put some fuel in the tank, jumped it and drove it up on the trailer. When we unloaded it, my buddy's 14 year old son went to burning up every little draw and mudhole he could find in the pasture. The only limit to how much fun he had in that truck over the summer was how much gasoline Dad would let him have.

We also bought a M139 5 ton truck with a winch for 350 dollars. We went back after the lot had cleared some, put batteries in it and I drove it the 75 miles home. The guy that owns it has pulled who knows how many cottonwood trees out with it. He uses it like a high speed tractor around his property and all of the neighbors borrow it when they want to pull a tree or move something heavy around. It had 10 good 14-20 tires on the ground and six more in the bed on wheels. We put a couple of wheel cylinders in and a carburetor kit. It costs too much to drive recreationally very far, but we are all the time giving kids rides around the section with it.

I went over to buy a M715 and they all went way too high. We watched a not particularly nice M38A1 Jeep bring almost 4,000 dollars. Another really rough Jeep brought almost 3,000 that day.

They must have sold around 80 deuces and five tons that day, I am not sure any of them broke 800 dollars, looking back, I should have bought a few. I think all of them fired up with a jump and were driven off the lot to their trailers or home. Keep looking, they are out there and one will pop up. It helps a lot to put yourself around the people that have the trucks, those guys seem to flock together.... Look at us.... Glen

 

[Heavysteven]

"Well I am 18 living at home with the folks still, just starting college working part time making 7.75 an hour. Of course if I can find a better paying part time job I will go for it but I am not too sure I will find something soon.I think I will be in the same situation for the next 4-5 years as I am pursuing a bachelors degree."

Well I going to say it. You can not afford it.

Sorry but 7.75 part time. Wish I could be positive but I don't want to see you asking for a loan after you have bid on GL truck. It's happened....need to finish school first.

 

[dragonwagon]

Hey!
That's my old truck!
It found it's way back up North.
I'm over on the North side of Hale. Will be workin on deuces all day today.

HA HA yep i knew you had sold it to the guy i bought it from

Id stop over but im working today .

 

[unclemikey]

Luke, the money will always be a concern. Tomorrow will be tomorrow, you will have to plan for it with great care. Think it out well, but YOU go your own way. I tell you in truth, if I had read most of this post before I bought my Deuce, I would have NEVER bought my Deuce.

 

[dragonwagon]

Luke, the money will always be a concern. Tomorrow will be tomorrow, you will have to plan for it with great care. Think it out well, but YOU go your own way. I tell you in truth, if I had read most of this post before I bought my Deuce, I would have NEVER bought my Deuce.

I new here and started reading this thread after getting home with the deuce i bought . Good lord what did i do !!!!!

 

[SasquatchSanta]

Luke do you have another vehicle that you use as a daily driver? If you don't you won't be able to get insurance on your Deuce.

If I were in your situation I wouldn't do it --- There is a season for everything --- this isn't it. Concentrate on getting a quality degree. You've got lots of time for toys.

 

[velociT]

Im thinking i got a heck of a deal , im new hear on your board . Just picked up a 71 M35A2 near Det Mi today for $3,800.00 Drove it home 140 miles and it ran like a clock . Not sure just what means ( depot rebuild 1990 ) tag on the dash radiator , hercules motor , well under the hood loos like new in general .

Darn thing drove very well . Heres a photo of it

Blah , its late im tired and this post is full of typos

Awesome

Congratz!

 

[x-ray]

Hi Luke;

My advice is to seek out some local / semi-local SS members and try to connect with them at any rallies or at their place. If any are around and can show you the ropes, you might be able to make a better decision or you might be completely hooked into a new hobby.

If you have friends and family that are mechanically inclined and have tools that you can borrow, that is a plus as well. If you can borrow some of the tools, that helps cut down on the expenses.

I got into the hobby about 1 year ago and truly felt when I went to pick up my first deuce, it was a financial mistake, in fact the experience was quite the opposite. By the time I got it home after a 4 hour drive, I wondered why I hadn't done it sooner. I now own a second deuce. They have filled a void in my life and I love learning about these incredibly cool trucks. When I work on them, its not frustrating at all (I don't need it to drive to work, so I go slow and enjoy it). Shoot the shT with my friends and help them on there trucks in return.

I got into both for about $2500 and both were safe and driveable from GL. If you preview your decues with a mecahnic or experienced SS member, you can find some bargains.
I wouldn't say that I needed to put very much into them.

My brakes were and are good and no leaks on either truck. Both had good tires and one had new tires. I put about $1000-$1500 extra bucks total between both trucks, mostly for some minor repairs (New wipers on one, fuel gauge, mirror repair/replacement, cracked windshield in one, back-up lights, fluids, filters and grease. and paint/prep which is optional) You can do it slowly. as money comes in.

As far as tools - you can probably never have too many, but like I said, you can often find someone who has the right odd tools if you borrow and properly return and thank those who loan them to you. I would say you need the following minumum:

• Military Issue Tire lug wrench (if your lucky truck might come with one, One of my GL trucks came with 2, the other came with nothing. ($20-50)
• 8 - ton bottle jack or better ($20-$40)
• Quality socket set 1/4, 3/8, 1/2 ( Harbor Freight med grade combo might be fine ($40 to whatever you want to pay) you can get individual sizes as needed later or borrow the big ones.
• Wrench set and pliers set Again Harbor Freight - with coupons you can get acceptable sets each for under $20.
• Access to a compressor, airline and tire inflation tool. You can again get the cheap stuff at HF for $100-$150 with coupons.
• Screwdriver set - decent Quality ($20+)
• Grease Gun $20 or less
• Quality grease $10-$20
• Oil - 5 Gallons + 2 Qts, 15W-40 Usually on sale at Tractor Supply - $50-$75
• Tranny / Pumpkin oil - $50-$100

So for $2500 Deuce + $250 GL Fee + 200?Taxes , $500 tools supplies, (neighborhood of $3500) You can get into a deuce in my opinion and have a start on tools. But the more you drive, the more you may have to repair and improve or may even need to buy a second one.
Best of luck, if you were closer, I'd have you over to show you the ropes.

 

[Blythewoodjoe]

I have not had time to read all the advise here, but I have some anyway:

DON'T DO IT

I know most of you won't agree, but from what I read from Luke, a hobby is something you don't want to get real involved in right now. I didn't finish college and now I make a decent living, but I have to work like a dog in the heat (or cold). I would suggest you put college first in your life (unless your a God fearing person, then you know what goes first) and spent a little time hanging out with people that can afford these toys. I looked for anything to do when I supposed to study. My point is, money should not be your main concern right now. It's time. You can eat up a lot of time with these things, and that time would be best spent finishing college, getting a career, making real money and buying a tank. Wait a minute, that's my dream, you stick with the deuce.

Joe of Blythewood
College drop out
Heavy equipment operator
Master plumber
Certified welder
Inventor
Journeyman pipefitter
Commercial truck driver
Boy scout volunteer
Military vehicle collector
Ham radio operator
Father, etc.