Daily Deuce

[wacastillio]

Hi, im new to the forums and im about to buy my first deuce. I have worked on them before and im determined to make a deuce my first vehicle. Please let me know what you guys would suggest to do to make a "better" daily out of one.
Here is what i was thinking.
Springs reworked (to have a ride spring and load springs)
fuel turned up
395s
artic heater
stand alone ac
bob it
reroute the exhaust
seal up the cab
better seats
key switch
air buzzer delete
gauges
sound proof foam and headliner
let me know any suggestions.

 

[Recovry4x4]

I drove an M275A2 as a daily driver for a year in FL with none of that comfy stuff. Looks like more of a project than a DD. I have a friend that did much of that and it wasn't a bit more comfy. Takes one heck of an A/C to cool a deuce no matter how much you insulate. Search for diablo build. BTW, why on God's green earth would you eliminate the low air alarm? Baby steps but leave the safety equipment.

 

[wacastillio]

I drove an M275A2 as a daily driver for a year in FL with none of that comfy stuff. Looks like more of a project than a DD. I have a friend that did much of that and it wasn't a bit more comfy. Takes one heck of an A/C to cool a deuce no matter how much you insulate. Search for diablo build. BTW, why on God's green earth would you eliminate the low air alarm? Baby steps but leave the safety equipment.

well i wouldn't completely delete it i would take the buzzer out and replace it with a light or something to not have to listen to it.

 

[King]

That is an interesting list, do you know which model (A1,A2,A3). 8 mpg does not make a good daily driver, unless you only drive a block to work
What part of VA?

 

[Recovry4x4]

I have thousands of miles in a deuce, please take this as sage advice. Leave the buzzer. Once you start it up, leave the truck to do a pretrip. Once you return to the cab, it will be off.

 

[wacastillio]

That is an interesting list, do you know which model (A1,A2,A3). 8 mpg does not make a good daily driver, unless you only drive a block to work
What part of VA?

M35a2, Virginia Beach, but im going to frequent up in northern Virginia.

 

[wacastillio]

I have thousands of miles in a deuce, please take this as sage advice. Leave the buzzer. Once you start it up, leave the truck to do a pretrip. Once you return to the cab, it will be off.

Sounds good, i guess I need to warm it up every morning anyways.

 

[King]

M35a2, Virginia Beach, but im going to frequent up in northern Virginia.

All I remember about Virginia Beach, is a sign that said "Dogs & Sailors, Stay off the Grass" No AC and there was a Pig farm across the road from my Navy A school, windows were open to allow the cool breeze and flies into the classroom.
Good luck with your truck, maybe I will see you at Graves mountain Rally, first weekend of September.......

 

[wacastillio]

All I remember about Virginia Beach, is a sign that said "Dogs & Sailors, Stay off the Grass" No AC and there was a Pig farm across the road from my Navy A school, windows were open to allow the cool breeze and flies into the classroom.
Good luck with your truck, maybe I will see you at Graves mountain Rally, first weekend of September.......

I've been to graves mountain more times than i can count i do plan to be there. Ill have the tan deuce with a punisher skull.

 

[porkysplace]

Sounds good, i guess I need to warm it up every morning anyways.

And let it cool down before shutting off.

 

[skinnyR1]

If I had to drive my truck everyday, I would surely hate it. As a toy or part time work vehicle it is great and I love it. But a daily driver in traffic on the highway? No thanks, I'll take a modern vehicle any day. A M35a2 is slow, takes 20 minutes to leave the driveway due to warm up and precheck, loud, slow, uncomfortable, loud, cramped, and requires a ton of maintenance. It would take the fun out of it entirely, if I had nothing else to drive and was forced to take it.

There are plenty of guys that have driven these as dailys. But I don't believe many do it by choice, more of necessity or due to circumstances.

In order to make it a good daily driver, the only modification necessary would be to trade it in for a 1/2 or 3/4 ton pickup.

 

[98G]

Skinny nailed it. 3 groups of people cosnider these as a daily driver:

1) young and inexperienced, who don't know what they're getting into.

2) someone in a bind who has little choice.

3) a very small sliver of the population is very specific circumstances that make it a perfect fit.

As to disabling a safety device ...

 

[bachman502]

98g, I'm going with number 1. Wacastillio, were not picking on you. But wait until you get older and you start having disc issues and shoulder issues. The truck will be painful to drive longer distances. Plus they are slow which gets annoying sometimes. Buy you a deuce and enjoy it as a hobby. Buy you a little car to commute in. Plus the ladies won't always love the deuce forever!

 

[winfred]

my current deuce the air buzzer is dead and i haven't gotten around to fixing it (i do watch my gauges pretty sharp on any vehicle and even more on this thing) yet, the one we had at my old shop as soon as i started it id just switch off the power switch till it built air while it was warming up so i didn't have to listen to it, an alternative if you have a shop with air is to precharge the truck

 

[59apache]

Springs reworked (to have a ride spring and load springs) no need for
fuel turned up - add pyrometer and be carefull...
395s - with larger diameter it would be a lead duck....everytime it only hear the word hill
artic heater - why not
stand alone ac - why not
bob it - noooo
reroute the exhaust - no need for. just add a muffler.
seal up the cab - good idea
better seats - also a good idea
key switch - good idea
air buzzer delete - dump idea - never ever!
gauges - only thing you'll need is a pyro
sound proof foam and headliner - good idea

 

[59apache]

Buy you a deuce and enjoy it as a hobby.

good advice....

Buy you a little car to commute in.

buy the little car to pick up parts and as a back up vehicle....

Plus the ladies won't always love the deuce forever!

Change the lady. If she don't like it, it doesn't work.

 

[71DeuceAK]

Interesting. I can relate to the OP, I was determined I'd own a Deuce as my first vehicle. (I still would). I almost bought one this past September; a '68 M35A2. only thing that stopped me was not being fully licensed so I wouldn't have been able to get it insured. At another, previous point in time, it looked like I'd not only have one as a first/only vehicle and daily driver, but also a 4hr/200mi round trip road trip in it every weekend, between Delta Junction and Fairbanks While I would have loved to have done it, I'm almost glad I didn't at the same time. There's no major 80MPH interstate around here, the biggest road I'd have been on was some 2-lane-each-way-speed-limit-60 freeway going through Ft Wainwright/North Pole/Eilson AFB, then it narrows down to 2-lane. I had similar ideas to the OP; 395s, arctic heater (this is interior Alaska), etc.

However, that said, I'm still crazy: I'd still do it, but I think I'm set on getting an M939 series 5 ton instead; much more comfortable than a Deuce!

 

[rustystud]

98g, I'm going with number 1. Wacastillio, were not picking on you. But wait until you get older and you start having disc issues and shoulder issues. The truck will be painful to drive longer distances. Plus they are slow which gets annoying sometimes. Buy you a deuce and enjoy it as a hobby. Buy you a little car to commute in. Plus the ladies won't always love the deuce forever!

You nailed that description on the head Bachman ! I had to go with modern seats as my back could not take it any longer. You also forgot all the shifting you must do. That really gives the old arm joints and knee a work-out too ! Plus if you don't have the power steering conversion you will either get extremely strong arms or in my old age case sever bursitis in the joints ! My arms are still pretty strong but the joints are garbage !