I just sorta jumped in with both feet,,

[lonegunman]

First of all, hello to all of you. I have been pondering buying a deuce for a year or so and wandering the internet aimlessly reading everything out there. I decided to try a gov auction and have failed a few times over the last few months. This week may actually be my week.

It looks like I just aquired a M35A3. My brother and I are going to do a road trip across the country and get it to my house. He is a great wrench and we figure it is in good shape to start with so hopefully it will just take a service to get things sorted out.

It is a solid running truck with 6300 miles on it and less than 500 engine hours.

I'd really like to find some manuals for it for starters. Any pointers?

It will probably need tires, any clues there would be great.

Have I made the worst mistake of my life? hahaha

I came up with this idea in three easy steps. First I have a buddy in Texas who collects mil vehicles and has a couple of jeeps and two halftracks, he loves them.

Second, I have some land for camping, varmits and target practice and really needed a truck to haul a couple of miles of fencing and equipment 45 miles to the place.

Third, I like mil-spec stuff and this will fit the bill for an all-terrain work truck for 1/3rd the price of the F-250 I was looking at.


So, again, HI. Any parts sites or recommended places are always welcome.

 

[73X]

First let me say welcome, then let me speak for all of the SS family when I say "Only one for the moment" . You should have stuck to the chips....LOL . Seriously good luck.

 

[Keith_J]

Cross country in a deuce? Hopefully you are under 30, that is rough. But it is an A3 so hopefully you have heat.

Manuals? We have some electronic versions here but I wouldn't know the number or if we have there. Will look and report back..

9-2320-386-10 is operators, -24 is the repair. You could use the -209-24 for some of the repair but transmission, engine, brakes and hubs are different.

 

[ABN173]

Welcome, btw there is a mini rally on the 6th of February near Olympia:

http://www.steelsoldiers.com/steel-soldiers-rally/45950-2010-pnw-mini-rally.html

-Dale

 

[airmech3839]

Welcome.....if it is near or around GA and need help let me know I will be glad to help...

as far as manuals....I have only seen the M35A2 manuals and the older ones on the site so that may be a purchase item....maybe e-gay.....

you will want another one before long......I already want a few more!! and just gotta convince mama to let me.... she is still warming up to it...

Good luck!!!

 

[broman78]

the hours seem a little funny when do the math. 6300/500 is 12.6 mph. I could have been on base like my truck and never saw any highway time.

 

[wreckerman893]

Welcome to the OD Greenloony bin.

You don't have to be crazy to fit in here but but it is considered a plus.

I picked up a deuce from Redstone for a guy from Washington last year.

He and his dad drove down in a Jeep and drove the deuce back with the Jeep in tow.

We did a complete service and installed two springer seats.....otherwise the deuce was bone stock.

I think they made it back in around four days.

I am in NE Alabama......PM me if you need assistance.

 

[stumps]

It looks like I just aquired a M35A3. My brother and I are going to do a road trip across the country and get it to my house. He is a great wrench and we figure it is in good shape to start with so hopefully it will just take a service to get things sorted out.

If it really is an A3, it is something of an esoteric variety of the deuce. The A3 was a recycled truck. They were built as part of a 3-for-2 manufacturing deal. The government sent out 3 used up M35A2's, and received back 2 brand new M35A3's.

Unlike the M35A2, the A3 is powered by a diesel Caterpillar engine, and has an automatic transmission. It frequently has power steering, and dual circuit air over hydraulic brakes. To fit the Caterpillar engine, they had to do some cosmetic surgery to the front end, and some like the look, some don't.

It is a solid running truck with 6300 miles on it and less than 500 engine hours.

It is impossible to know for sure what the mileage, or hours are on military vehicles. They swapped out instruments for a variety of reasons. Solid running is a good sign.

I'd really like to find some manuals for it for starters. Any pointers?

There is a manuals section in the "Resources" section under the STEEL SOLDIERS logo. Not having an A3, I don't know what they have for it, but most of the A2 stuff should apply.... I guess.

Have I made the worst mistake of my life? hahaha

You bought yourself a deuce, how could that be a mistake?

I came up with this idea in three easy steps. First I have a buddy in Texas who collects mil vehicles and has a couple of jeeps and two halftracks, he loves them.

Second, I have some land for camping, varmits and target practice and really needed a truck to haul a couple of miles of fencing and equipment 45 miles to the place.

Third, I like mil-spec stuff and this will fit the bill for an all-terrain work truck for 1/3rd the price of the F-250 I was looking at.


So, again, HI. Any parts sites or recommended places are always welcome.

Just because the trucks are surplus doesn't mean the parts are cheap.

You will come to love OD Iron, Spruce Mt. Surplus, Saturn Surplus, and a myriad of others. You will spend so much money with them that you might want to consider adding them to your will.

A couple of things you need to know:

1) Deuces are big noisy heavy trucks. They may be 6WD, but they need to be, as they tend to sink out of sight when driven on soft ground. They are not a subtle truck. If you drive across the lawn, there will be major ruts left behind if the ground is anything less than brick hard.

2) Deuces are no replacement for a F250 PU truck, they are their own thing. They kind of lumber along. They have huge turning radii, are slow out of the gate... sometimes it seems like the traffic light goes from green to red before you can get through an intersection. You need to wear hearing protection whenever the engine is running.

3) Deuces are big noisy heavy trucks. Insurance companies see them as commercial, and price accordingly. MVA's see them as big heavy trucks, and charge nicely for tags and titles. As a result, most of our trucks are registered historic, where we get a big break on prices, but cannot legally haul much.

4) Tolls will eat your beer and bait money big time.

5) 7 MPG is pretty good for a deuce.

6) Every part that you are used to just picking up on a PU truck will require a hoist, or a dolly on a deuce. The parts are heavy.

7) You will need big tools to work on a big truck. A 3/4 inch socket set is a must...one of many musts.

Have fun! You have entered a most interesting hobby, populated by some very interesting people!

-Chuck

 

[Scarecrow1]

Hello and welcome from SC...I hope you have a ball on your trip across country at least you will find out if it was a smart move real fast

 

[sandcobra164]

An A3 off the bat!!!! Good to go!!! I got an A2 while they were cheap in October of last year and have loved it ever since. Congrats on the A3's coming with heater's on your trip to Washington as I'm sure it's freezing up there at the moment. My A2 does not have a heater but I've got one in the works. If you got it from GL, there's a great chance that you have a good truck headed your way. They've been scraping the bucket on the deuce now and some really good looking ones are making their way into the fire. For all of those who let 4737 6362 pass their eyes, it looks alot better in person, was painted in 08/96, has a Hercules built in 02/90 and the description read "Does Not Start". Threw some batteries in and she started as if she had been parked there yesterday!!!!!!!!!! Now I'm a proud owner. Off my rant, these trucks are very solid and you'll probably be good to go on your trip home. Congrats!!!!!!!!!!

 

[lonegunman]

I'm not totally helpless, it will kind of suck to not fill out a supply chit and get the parts for free. I spent nearly 27 years in the AF/ANG. I spent quite a few in combat comm and we drove A2's everywhere we went. We even used them during a few good fire seasons in the 90's. Having power steering is a real selling point for me,,haha.

I know they swap a lot of insturments so the hours and mileage may not be quite right, but the condition looked right and my brother stopped by and inspected the thing. He works on trucks, and did in the army eons ago.

If we survive the trip, I have a shop that is big enough to park the thing in for cold winter repairs.

An A2 is always on my mind. I'm keeping an eye on the ones from my former unit, if they ever come up I'm going to try for one of them as well. that is of course if the wife does not send me to the looney bin.

 

[Goose2448]

Congrats and Welcome. Where did you git the truck form?

 

[GoHot229]

Often times the guages have been replaced when the motors are R&R'd. A tale tale sign is the lip on the firewall above the rear of the motor, (under the hood) has a scoush of bend, mangeling from when the motor was hoisted out. Hopefully yours is actually low mileage, but don't count on it as absolute.

 

[rowdyranger00]

there is a company in poca west va,that specializes in m35 series along with the m818 its name in clarktuck parts or go to clarktruck.com they have alot of tires and sell them reasonable also they usually deal with large orders but might deal with you on parts and tires

 

[srodocker]

welcome fello washingtonian! yay someone has a a3 over here hahah

 

[army_nurse]

Congrats and welcome to the addiction i mean hobby


are you married? if so has she seen it yet? YOU WILL LOVE YOUR TRUCK!!!! her on the other hand that is a different story. You may be one of the blessed ones that has a wife that likes the truck and understands. That would make you a minority.

I drove my truck from San Antonio Tx to Hulbert Oklahoma a little over 600 miles. That was in September of last year. make sure that you have pit stops planned. Take ALL of your tools even the ones you dont THINK you need. You will need that 3/4 inch socket set so go ahead and get it now. i found that a tankers bar is handy as well. I used one when taking off tires and putting them back on.

I want to be one of the first to wish you safe travels and many, many, many miles on your truck.


P.S. WD-40 or your liquid wrench of choice is a MUST


God Bless America

and Remember our troops are still fighting for US!!!!!!