M35A3 Inspection at Camp Beauregard La.

[ryker725]

Driving up to Pineville, La. in the morning to view the M35A3's up for auction this week. They have (I think) 26 total up for auction. Looking at the pics, most of them have very low or flat tires.

This will be my first time previewing, and bidding on a MV. What can I expect during inspection? Will they allow me to try to crank the trucks? Will they offer any information about them? The descriptions are very vague for this event. Not saying whether the vehicles run or not. They look like they have all been sitting for a while. What are the chances that they will run without draining and refueling? I do have a Caterpillar mechanic lined up to go through it if I am high bidder..

What should I be looking for? What questions should I be asking? And do I need to bring anything?

Also, what am I looking at as far as insurance? Do I need a CDL to drive it? Lots of questions I know, but I figure I need answers before I bid...


Thanks in advance....

 

[rpso970]

well my man a lot of them are on flats and some have cuts on the tirers I know they be sitting for about 6 to 7 years. We are expected to get snow in the morning. If you go around lunch time they will not be their. Check in at the side gate and drive to the back they are all out side. Good luck on the bid if you need some help i live in pineville. As far as the law. If you get it drive it like you stole it.

 

[mkcoen]

Please read the rules about posting current auctions.

 

[goodguyzy]

GL probably doesn't know much about them. Check the regular things, oil level/color, brake level/color.....open hood and check if every is there and not robbed. Check tires if they have sat to long and have split. Crawl under truck and look at everything and also "crawl" under dash and look at wiring, see if the mice have made it in. If you buy don't jump (over works alternator) More than likely will start with charged/new batts. I insure my trucks with state farm for around $300 a year. No CDL required, brakes are air over hydraulic.

 

[ryker725]

Great

Thanks for the info...

I am new guys, so I didn't realize I was breaking any rules. I read them and didn't see where I broke any. I'm simply asking questions..

 

[mkcoen]

Thanks for the info...

I am new guys, so I didn't realize I was breaking any rules. I read them and didn't see where I broke any. I'm simply asking questions..

This is directly from the Forum Rules:

Auction Postings: Please abide by the following rules concerning the posting of auction information in the forums:
• Do NOT post about future or current GL/GSA/eBay (including items for sale in buy-it-now formats)/local/city/state/Federal/estate auctions. You may post about any auction after the auction is closed.

 

[ryker725]

My bad.... I'm sure there is a reason for the rule...

How about this ad in Louisiana Sportsman... Classified.. Not an auction.. I may take this off his hands tomorrow.. 20 minutes from home..

Trucks Other • 1966 Deuce 1/2 Keiser Jeep M35 A2 - Louisiana Sportsman Classifieds, LA

 

[littlebob]

Just think of it this way, You just potentianally raised the auction price of the item you want to bid on. Welcome to the addiction from another LA member.

 

[3dAngus]

That's a nice looking truck.

 

[Trailboss]

I'm supposed to be on base at 1100 hours to pickup my expandable van semitrailer. If you see someone driving a green camo M818 tractor, come by and say Hi. I'll be glad to go over some trucks with you.

 

[ryker725]

Just think of it this way, You just potentianally raised the auction price of the item you want to bid on. Welcome to the addiction from another LA member.

Not really. I summarized that there are 26 trucks on auction. Never specified a single lot. I was just asking general questions..

 

[ryker725]

Boss, I may take you up... Be there at 1:00...

 

[ryker725]

Preview and Auction

I spent roughly 2 hours on Wednesday looking over the trucks. All of them had completely dead batteries except one that actually alarmed when I turned the switch. All of them had at least one flat tire except for one (different one). All of them appeared to be complete withput parts robbed. Some had good tarps, some not. One LWB M36 in decent shape. Diesel in tanks had an old smell to it. Oil in the ones I checked looked ok. One looked like the front axle had a bad seal as evidenced by the gear oil all over the tire and ground.

There were a lot of unknowns with the trucks. None were in a condition to drive home. If those bidding were planning to drive them, they will probably be in for a shock when they show up unless they are bringing batteries, an air compressor and a Cat mechanic. And then there are no guarantees that the brakes will function or may be even locked up.

After inspection, I made the decision that I would limit my bid to $4,000 on the 3 that I considered to be the best ones. All 3 of them went for over just over $4,000, but I had the discipline (and the wife with the checkbook) to let them go. Just as well.. My quotes from 2 local towing companies to do a round trip recovery was over $1,400..

Many of them sold for under $4,000, but these will need plenty of TLC to put on the road..

I am still wanting an A3 in the near future, but I don't want one that will require another 5 grand to put on the road..

 

[mkcoen]

I've picked up or helped pick up about 20 dueces and all had dead batts so that's not too big a deal. The tires are likely from the CTIS leaking so many would air back up as soon as the trucks were started. Still a lot of unknowns but I think $4k was reasonable for any in decent shape. If I could get retail out of my A2 I would have owned on of those.

 

[treessw]

Good for you my friend. The bids can get up quick. I just picked up an A3 from Ft. Meade on Wednesday and have spent the last couple days getting it back. Just got in this morning actually. There will be more but you may have to re-figure the budget a little, when I bid on Mine it was way over what I wanted to use as a budget and in a moment of weakness I folded like a lawn chair and went for it. Good luck!!!

 

[ryker725]

I bid on Mine it was way over what I wanted to use as a budget and in a moment of weakness I folded like a lawn chair and went for it. Good luck!!!

I know that feeling well.. I was bidding on an 87' Samurai a few years ago and could not stop bidding when it exceeded by limit. I won it 3 years ago and it is now undergoing a total frame-off restore.

My interest in MV's started a few weeks ago when I was going through a town an our north of my house and ran across an A2 for sale on the side of the road. I started doing searches on the net and here I am.. Turns out I can buy A2's locally for $3,500 - $4,000 in running condition all day long. I like them, but I just think the A3 is a very cool looking truck..

 

[ryker725]

They have more A3's in the grave yard in Pineville. Not sure when those will go up..

 

[3dAngus]

They (GL people) just run a vehicle over to the truck and hook up the slave cable and start it, if it will start from low batteries. Once started, the CTIS pumps up the tires.

You should have read the manual. $4K is not to much, but $3.5K is not uncommon for a A3. If it has a winch, $4.5K is a fair price. Batteries and tires mean nothing. Next time, either get a vehicle with slave cable to try to start, or bring two batteries to test the vehicle and pump up the tires. It's the only way to evaluate a M35A3 for road worthiness.

You have to start it, pull it forward, back it up, at least enought for the tires to rotate a few full revolutions after the CTIS pumps the tires up, and test the driveshafts in the process. It's easy. A second person would be helpful to watch the drive shaft rotate for uniform movement in order to make sure there is no forklift damage. Be sure to do a good visual on the tranny and connection points underneath as well before you start it up.

I'm a geek and not a mechanic, so if I can do it, anyone can.

 

[jeep-Jeep]

I got the long base m36 .
I had to pay $1305 more in overtime due to unexperienced bidders it went a xtra 45 minutes .
If any of you locals are willing to help out in anyway it would be appriciated .
mark has helped lots of texas trucks go on to other states thousands of miles away .
To my knowledge no a3 trucks have sold in ft sam yet except one totaled truck .
CD

 

[Trailboss]

Boss, I may take you up... Be there at 1:00...

Ryker, sorry I wasn't there to meet you. The landing gear crank handle on my trailer smacked me on the head, so I had to get home and to a clinic for 4 stitches.

While there, I tried to jump a couple of A3's with little luck. Of course the temperature when I got there was 24 degrees according to the Weather Channel. I had a hard time starting my M818 at 24 degrees with fully charged batteries. The odometer miles on some of the 916's and 920's also don't match the truck conditions unless they installed new engines and zero'd the miles.