In Love With An Older Woman

[SuperMochombo]

After many years of desire. After searching the internet high and low, and even looking around my home town a good bit, and faithfully sticking to my FCOS (Facebilk Conscientious Objector Status) I found her right here under my nose the whole time! Waiving to me from Unimog.net.

I just bought a 1968 Unimog 404. It has a hard cab, PTO front winch, and an enclosed box that has been partially converted to a camper. Also a hydraulic crane of some sort that mounts on the front bumper that appears original. Everything looks pretty clean and there is not a ton of rust. 22k on the engine, rebuilt transmission. It needs wheel cylinders all around, probably an entire brake system overhaul. Actually, I bet every system needs to be gone through, but the ones that stand out right away are the brakes and the fuel system. The truck will run off a boat tank with an electric fuel pump with the entire original fuel system bypassed. Has the original carb which needs a rebuild.

It's got a gas 6 cylinder, not sure which one. 6 fwd gears, 2 reverse. It comes with another transmission, tires good but old, tire chains, and a 4 gun rack on the box door!

No spare tire or rim, but it does have the 404 Workshop Manual, bonus!!

I'm still researching exactly what I married. I know it's a 404, but I've read that MB sort of custom built each production run for a specific customer, so the Swiss military 404's are slightly different than the German ones, which are different than the AG models, fire truck, cargo, radio etc etc. This box does not look like the radio truck boxes I see on many other 404's. In fact the hard cab is not terribly common.

Getting her going an running ASAP. I'm going to drive this truck to work from now on. I've had enough of the highway, I will go the back way from now on. It's 10 minutes slower than the freeway. In Praise of Slowness.

SMC

1968 UNIMOG 404

 

[SuperMochombo]

 

[SuperMochombo]

I've told a few good friends. All of them married. All of them scolded me, severely, for making such a dumb move. Money pit, won't really use it, whats a UNIMOG, etc etc. What I hear is:

" You butt head. no wife to tell you no. can I ride in it? and do we get to hunt some zombies?"

HA HA I'm pretty sure my married friends whose wives would never let them buy a MV are fully jealous. I sure would have been if I was still married.

Not saying all wives are killjoys.

 

[SuperMochombo]

Registered and insured. Heading up tomorrow with all kinds of stuff. Binging 404 brake rebuild videos. Might get to drive home.

The prior owner located two spare tires, and the crane.

 

[NDT]

I think that is the police version.

 

[Firemanmike69]

Registered and insured. Heading up tomorrow with all kinds of stuff. Binging 404 brake rebuild videos. Might get to drive home.

The prior owner located two spare tires, and the crane.

I'm going to PM you, I'm local of your end up in a jam driving it home

 

[dougco1]

I've told a few good friends. All of them married. All of them scolded me, severely, for making such a dumb move. Money pit, won't really use it, whats a UNIMOG, etc etc. What I hear is:

" You butt head. no wife to tell you no. can I ride in it? and do we get to hunt some zombies?"

HA HA I'm pretty sure my married friends whose wives would never let them buy a MV are fully jealous. I sure would have been if I was still married.

Not saying all wives are killjoys.

So true, married here but with limited purchasing permission. I pass up neat things almost daily.

It could be a good thing I guess, My back yard doesn't look like a used car lot and I still have most of my retirement fund intact.

 

[tennmogger]

Congratulations! These old trucks have souls! They get beaten down but bounce right back with TLC. Enjoy your adventure!

That box does not appear to have the pop-up portals on top or the protective framework above the ports. If it hasn't been modified then the box may be the ambulance version.

Looking forward to more pictures.

 

[Guyfang]

Kinda looks like one I spent a few days in, on an AFCE NATO Tac Eval. Yep, needs more pictures!!

 

[SuperMochombo]

I went up and discovered I had bought batteries that were too big. So I went to the local Napa and got two batteries that fit. Back to the truck and crossed the wires wrong wiring them in series and had a good scare. Burned one battery top, but after it cooled the plastic seems to have resealed itself. I'm hoping. I'm really hoping I didnt ruin the batteries. I'm hoping I work up the courage to try again. It blew a piece of the terminal fitting over my head and into a snow bank where it hissed like a demon for a long long time. If you're gonna be dumb, you better be tough.

I got the carb removed and home now with me. That is all I accomplished today. Hopefully tomorrow I will get up there earlier and not scare myself right away.

No belt on air compressor, but it turns and makes a farting sound so at least it's not frozen.

 

[SuperMochombo]

Here are some pictures. I explored the box. There is a propane heater in there that looks like a little wood stove, with a chimney and everything. It is from Michigan, and does not look original. There is also a 12v hydraulic pump, which also does not look original, but I'm pretty sure these came with hydraulics to operate the crane so maybe it is.

While removing the carb I noticed a very very rusted cam like thing just below the carb. It wobbles loosely. No idea what it is, but it definitely does not look operational.

I'm going to get my carb cleaned up on the bench tonight. Watching carb vids now....

 

[SuperMochombo]

 

[Guyfang]

Take a close look at the fuel cans. That is a typical German/European lock. So it might have started its life over here. There are still LOTS of fuel cans left over from WW2 here. If they are from Germany, there is a chance that you might get lucky. They look old enough.

 

[tennmogger]

That is a unique truck! Quite a find!

 

[SuperMochombo]

Yeah these locks and the keys that came with the truck are cool. Every lock has a swinging door that covers the keyhole. There's a bunch of padlocks, also with little swinging doors. And there are 5 skeleton keys of various lengths that actually work very well! I emptied a jumbo can of WD40 today. And I can't wait to play with those jerry cans. They have been neglected. I will love them.

So the report is, I got the batteries hitched up without blowing up, and they work, and i didn't hurt the truck bc the main battery switch that controls all the juice from the box was off. Headlights, dashlights, fuel pump, running lights work. I made no carb headway whatsoever. BUT the prior owner and I dragged it off the mountain and got in onto a road, and we aired up the tires a bit. I bailed for warmer climes. It is snowing like a banshee up there right now.

Thing fits just fine on a flatbed, and we measured the height 12'3" to the highest point on the rack.

 

[SuperMochombo]

Oh and I got the crane and spare tire. And I got rid of the back porch. Progress.

 

[Firemanmike69]

That sounds like some great progress! And it fits on a rollback so should be reasonably easy to get her home

 

[SuperMochombo]

more pics

 

[SuperMochombo]

Gotta say this really is a dream come true. This truck is exactly what I have been hoping for, for years. I joined the forum in 2017, but I had been drooling over M35s for a while at that point. So lets say this experience has been a long time coming.

I first heard of Unimogs a senior in high school in 1990. Immediately classified them in the unobtanium category, but filed away the universal coolness of the trucks as awesome. I couldn't hate them because they looked like a rich kid toy. For gods sake its a Mercedes, army truck, imported, king offroad. It checks so many boxes, for so many people.

So I'm feeling lucky. I'm a lucky guy. Probably don't deserve to be having as much fun as I am.

 

[Firemanmike69]

Gotta say this really is a dream come true. This truck is exactly what I have been hoping for, for years. I joined the forum in 2017, but I had been drooling over M35s for a while at that point. So lets say this experience has been a long time coming.

I first heard of Unimogs a senior in high school in 1990. Immediately classified them in the unobtanium category, but filed away the universal coolness of the trucks as awesome. I couldn't hate them because they looked like a rich kid toy. For gods sake its a Mercedes, army truck, imported, king offroad. It checks so many boxes, for so many people.

So I'm feeling lucky. I'm a lucky guy. Probably don't deserve to be having as much fun as I am.

You absolutely deserve to have this much fun! I can't wait to see more pictures and see how you get it going