G749 Trucks hard to come by

[msgjd]

I spotted a XM215 almost 25 miles from me hiding among a bunch of storage trailers. I inquired to find he also has tons of extra parts for these including double-shaft pto's for dumps and fuelers, tailgates, extra NOS radiator and extra bed. It has been there about 15 years, driven up from Binghamton NY area and parked , owner hasn't had much time to do much with it. Tranny is A-OK. He didn't initially want to sell but admitted he doesn't have time for it. So he asked for an offer. I would have to take all the extras, many of it NOS, and he is looking for a number over $4k for the entire lot with truck. Good clean original truck only needing minor body repair (and yes paint) and a typical checkup from sitting awhile. I know the parts collection is worth quite a bit, no more shopping around and wasted time on dead-ends. What to do, what to do ? I already have way too much more stuff to get rid of, and am too old to finish maybe just a few of them if I'm lucky. What the heck would you guys do ? I am really torn, an unmolested 215 would sure look good just sitting at my old gravel pit with the other old machines and putter it around once in awhile. But I don't have time to restore it and no time to sell the tons of parts before I'm gone . As the saying goes and as of a few months ago, I have the $ but not the time ..

 

[jeffhuey1n]

I wish I were in your position. I have the time but not so much money. Plus, I’m in Wyoming, which really puts a kink in it.

 

[msgjd]

I wish I were in your position. I have the time but not so much money.

I was in your position until I was 17. From then up through the decades until just a few months ago, I was in the more-dreaded "I don't have the money nor the time" position

 

[Another Ahab]

I already have way too much more stuff to get rid of, and am too old to finish maybe just a few of them if I'm lucky. What the heck would you guys do ? I am As the saying goes and as of a few months ago, I have the $ but not the time ..

Maybe you could recruit a disciple to tackle that beauty (of you can find one with the time AND the money):

- Offer to be his or her Guru, and guide them towards the rewards to MV Enlightement

Any chance of that?!

 

[m1010plowboy]

I spotted a XM215 almost 25 miles from me hiding among a bunch of storage trailers. I inquired to find he also has tons of extra parts for these including double-shaft pto's for dumps and fuelers, tailgates, extra NOS radiator and extra bed. It has been there about 15 years, driven up from Binghamton NY area and parked , owner hasn't had much time to do much with it. Tranny is A-OK. He didn't initially want to sell but admitted he doesn't have time for it. So he asked for an offer. I would have to take all the extras, many of it NOS, and he is looking for a number over $4k for the entire lot with truck. Good clean original truck only needing minor body repair (and yes paint) and a typical checkup from sitting awhile. I know the parts collection is worth quite a bit, no more shopping around and wasted time on dead-ends. What to do, what to do ? I already have way too much more stuff to get rid of, and am too old to finish maybe just a few of them if I'm lucky. What the heck would you guys do ? I am really torn, an unmolested 215 would sure look good just sitting at my old gravel pit with the other old machines and putter it around once in awhile. But I don't have time to restore it and no time to sell the tons of parts before I'm gone . As the saying goes and as of a few months ago, I have the $ but not the time ..

Someone better get that truck in a barn or we'll tray to sneak across the border, play "let's make a deal Monty", haul it north and turn it into an M216 CDN. That truck is blue rare up here. Ideally, finding any markings could reveal a past that absolutely needs to have a future . That could be the truck that built the bunker we never talk about or the truck that hauled berm material for revetments or blast deflection. The data-plate and stamp behind the front passenger wheel on the frame will help. With that one photo I can see paint on a dump box that isn't full of pop holes from loading rocks. The rub rails don't even look bad and I'd like to see more.



Really appreciate you sharing the photo and the story. I sniffed outside and it smells like gear oil so I'm venturing a guess that someone already has a plan in the works and the correct family will have that truck.

 

[Another Ahab]

View attachment 815626

Really appreciate you sharing the photo and the story. I sniffed outside and it smells like gear oil so I'm venturing a guess that someone already has a plan in the works and the correct family will have that truck.

Every child needs and deserves a loving home, so I hope you're right, plowboy:

- Sure hope that Love retrieves that Old Iron

And carries it off to a Warm and Welcoming Home!

 

[msgjd]

Maybe you could recruit a disciple to tackle that beauty (of you can find one with the time AND the money):

- Offer to be his or her Guru, and guide them towards the rewards to MV Enlightement

Any chance of that?!

I am not having luck finding anyone handy who can take on these projects. They either have tons of their own things to do, or they are afraid of green machines. I'm even having a hard time getting someone to replace the wood decks on 6 of my my farm wagons with PT lumber.. Not many people out of work around here

 

[Another Ahab]

I am not having luck finding anyone handy who can take on these projects. . Not many people out of work around here

Depending on which side of the fence you are standing:

- I guess that's what's called "Good News-AND-Bad News".

 

[1944mb]

Well this maybe a bit off topic or perhaps right on topic depending how you look at things. After the last few years anything is not necessarily able to be considered odd. So I was working on a WWII jeep I've had for quite awhile and about 15years ago or so I replaced the speedometer cable, it was cheapy and it broke within a few days or so. I naturally figured since it was an el cheapo that it must be the reason for failure. But thorugh the years I reflected on the fact that maybe there was some excessive drag caused by the speedo-meter. So this weekend, new cable in hand I pulled the speed indicating device out and low and behold it could hardly be turned by hand. This lead to a bunch of reading and reflecting on whether I wanting to mess with such a fine, refrined device. After some careful thoughts and considereations and reading a few article I stumbled on one such article that said that these speedo-meters did in fact need to be oiled. Total news to me. Looking over the authors pictures of the back of their instrucmetn and my own-I noticed mine did not have an oiling hole. But after removing the large nut in the back of it-there was in fact a oily hole. The author indicated that they took clock oil. Low and behold after oiling, the old speedo-meter spun like new. After talking with USMC he confirmed that his G749 speedomter had the same oiling hole...Just a little FYI

 

[Another Ahab]

in the back of it-there was in fact a oily hole. The author indicated that they took clock oil. Low and behold after oiling, the old speedo-meter spun like new. After talking with USMC he confirmed that his G749 speedomter had the same oiling hole...Just a little FYI

There's always something new to learn, you know?!

 

[1944mb]

Well its been a few days, and life gets in the way, but got my engine back from the machinist. While the engine was sitting outside, with a couple plugs out of it, got some water in it and one or two of the cylinder walls froze and cracked out. I didn't think it could be salvaged, but machinist man worked his magic, resleeved and we are good to go. This was the engine in the truck when i got it, and low and behold the front main cap was cracked when we disassembled. That one the machinist, for whatever reason, thought we couldn't find a replacement that would work. I found a nos cap on a website. The machinist called and said it fit perfectly and the block did not even need to be aligned bored. The whole rotating assembly is balanced. Thanks to plowboy, got some much needed rod bolts. had some dome pistons cut to help build some more compression, i think we CC’d the heads at some like 118CC. As a reference a closed chambered head on a small block chevy is something like 64CC. So these heads have a lot of room. It probably wont be till the end of the year till i finish putting my shop in order but plan on building this engine then.

 

[Another Ahab]

View attachment 884695
Well its been a few days, and life gets in the way, but got my engine back from the machinist. While the engine was sitting outside, with a couple plugs out of it, got some water in it and one or two of the cylinder walls froze and cracked out. I didn't think it could be salvaged, but machinist man worked his magic, resleeved and we are good to go. This was the engine in the truck when i got it, and low and behold the front main cap was cracked when we disassembled. That one the machinist, for whatever reason, thought we couldn't find a replacement that would work. I found a nos cap on a website. The machinist called and said it fit perfectly and the block did not even need to be aligned bored. The whole rotating assembly is balanced. Thanks to plowboy, got some much needed rod bolts. had some dome pistons cut to help build some more compression, i think we CC’d the heads at some like 118CC. As a reference a closed chambered head on a small block chevy is something like 64CC. So these heads have a lot of room. It probably wont be till the end of the year till i finish putting my shop in order but plan on building this engine then.

Sounds like you are working miracles, 1944mb; glad to hear it's all coming together.

And, yikes, boots out of the stirrups; but "ride 'em, cowgirl!!"

 

[1944mb]

And, yikes, boots out of the stirrups; but "ride 'em, cowgirl!!"

Haha, oops. Proof I'm technically challenged