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Couldn’t have done it without you.

1stSarge

Member
428
5
18
Location
Mount Vernon, Ohio
Hello all, we have had our new M1008 for about a couple of weeks now, and thought I would share my experiences. I have looked long and hard for an M880, being a dodge guy, I was very familiar with the way Chrysler does things. But I could never find what I was looking for. But it seemed very easy to come across a CUCV. I then started doing some soul searching, to figure out why I was biased, and I came to the conclusion that I really wasn’t, I just was not familiar, and a little intimidated by diesels.

After researching the heck out of CUCV’s (most of it here on SS), we began looking. I didn’t know much about GL, and I felt way more comfortable going to a lot and test driving, ect. We located a guy that had several about 250 miles away, and planned to make the drive.

To make a long story short, we drove about six of them and really looked over them good. We picked one out, paid cash, and drove it home. The drive went fine, but I was really nervous, it was a Sunday night, raining like crazy, and I knew next to nothing about the truck we just bought.:shock:

We arrived home at about 2:00 am, exhausted but proud and relieved.

Why we bought this one: bone stock, not one spot of rust anywhere, not one dent, the wheel wells are green inside and underneath the entire body is shiny black undercoating. The engine and compartment was completely grease and oil free, no evidence of any kind of leak. The truck started within one second of turning the key (and still does). And it drove great.

Funny side note, while at the dealer, after driving one of the other trucks, we were walking away from it and the starter relay kicked in, and began running. The dealer turned around and looked like a poltergeist just landed in one of his trucks. I knew what it was, where it was, and what to do, thanks to SS. I ran over and saved the day. ( I didn’t get a better deal on my truck after this, but he did let me scavenge whatever I wanted from the other trucks to go with mine, so I have the jack, tools, roadside kit, ect.:D)

SS has been a tremendous asset to our endeavors to break into the world of MV’s the resources here are great. I have been lurking and reading posts now for quite some time, and when I see questions in the heading I almost know who is going to answer and what they are going to say. I can almost picture Warthog with a text file on his desktop, and copying and pasting the same answers to the same questions to people that don’t know how to use the search functions.:lol: ( I had printed the FAQ, and downloaded the manuals before even purchasing the truck).

Others, like Doghead, and 319 have been my heroes in chasing down many small electrical gremlins.

I know next to nothing about diesels, but I am quickly learning the electrical systems of these vehicles, so can chime in on those topics. (But I might still need help there too sometimes).

I am going through the electrical system right now and snapping photos along the way that I think would be helpful in some of the most common problems. I will put them up in a later post.

We are looking now at GL listings and are planning our next purchases.

This is a great online community, and I am happy to be a part of it.
Couldn’t have done it without you.
 
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clinto

Moderator, wonderful human being & practicing Deuc
Staff member
Administrator
Super Moderator
Steel Soldiers Supporter
Supporting Vendor
12,596
1,129
113
Location
Athens, Ga.
Yes, that is a very good first post. I think I am going to recommend this to new guys!

Welcome to the site. We would love to see some pictures of your new truck. :D

You should hook up with some of the Ohio guys and ride down for the Ga. Rally in October. You'll get to meet a lot of the site members and you can rag on Doghead!
 

Warthog

Moderator
Super Moderator
Steel Soldiers Supporter
13,774
232
63
Location
OKC, OK
Hey look, one more person that reads my posts.....the amazement will never cease....LOL

Yes you have made a great first post. Thank you for taking the time to read, learn and digest what is provided here.

I had never been close to a CUCV or Deuce until a little over a year ago. I read as much as I could and then wentout and applied it. My first "project" was replacing the clutch in a Deuce in a dirt field. Talk about fun.

My first CUCV experience was last summer when I picked up Mkcoen's M1009 at Tinker AFB. It had been abused by the GL forklift and needed a bunch of help. I have now purchased 5 of my own and I am rebuilding 4 of them, one piece at a time.
 

1stSarge

Member
428
5
18
Location
Mount Vernon, Ohio
Thanks Crash

Thanks Crash, yeah the troop seats are all there. The other thing I was trying to show was the lack of rust everywhere I normally see rust on these things, not the seat. But yeah its pretty good, no tears or anything new dash pad, and very professionally done cigarette lighter?:confused: Just noticed that. Hmmm…

been really busy, these electrical gremlins are really kicking my rear, I might have to ask for help in another thread soon, but don’t get the wrong idea….I love my truck, and I WILL prevail !!!!! :hammer:
 

Stan Leschert

New member
1,662
90
0
Location
North Vancouver, BC, Canada
Nice truck! When I wore green, that was always a favorite truck to get. We were stuck with Iltis's or MLVW's. If you were in command, an ML was not tasked to you personally. Our "Jeep Substitute" (Iltis) looked good, but was not tactically usefull. You know which other truck we ususally had assigned to us. You have one now! A cargo cover would be a nice addition for you.


Cheers from a retired CF Ossifer! Good score!:beer:
 

davidkroberts

Active member
1,453
23
38
Location
west tennessee
it doesnt even have rust in the places you ALWAYS see rust on CUCV's great find. and about the electrical gremlins.... welcome to the world of military vehicle collecting....:mrgreen:
 
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