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My 1952 M135 Build

LMRmopar

Member
10
55
13
Location
Alberta, Canada
I have been on this forum for quite sometime now looking at various helpful build/restoration threads and figured I should start a thread considering I have had this truck in my possession for a little bit and work is being done slowly.

How I came to acquire such a great vehicle is actually thanks to my grandfather who had purchased it in ST.paul, AB, Canada, in 2006. He had drove it 550 kms north and 140 kms offroad on sand to his trapline property in the great northern alberta forest. His plan for the truck was to use it for hauling Fuel/Water/etc. on the sand road which is not very suitable for vehicles. All had went well but quickly found out it is not ideal for the road anyways as it couldn't keep the speed going up the sand hills. So he ended up using it to haul wood around instead which of course a 12ft box can carry a lot more than a ATV Tub trailer :lol:. Carried on like that for years up until 2014 when he had to sell the property and move closer to town due to health concerns. Almost everything had been moved however most of the vehicles including the 1952 M135 Deuce was left out there to rot and probably never be driven again... Until recently. 2019 I had bought my first side by side and of course one of the first trips I had wanted to make was back to the old property to see how it was considering nobody had lived there since 2014 and of course, the M135 was still sitting there waiting to be rescued.

Now on to retrieving the M135, now this was not an easy task actually as you might believe because the road to get there is sand in the summer and the only way would be to wait for the winter road to open and try to drive in there with my truck. So waited until the winter road opened and attempted it, unfortunately I was unable to even come close to the truck as I would've had to drive through 2.5 ft of snow.

Ended up buying a plow for the truck to plow the road however later in the season the amount of snowmobile tracks had packed down the snow so much it was like trying to plow concrete. I had no choice but to wait until next winter :(. Summer came and went and in the fall of 2021 a few buddies and I had loaded up the side by sides with pretty much everything we could possibly need to get it going and we headed out.

Got to the truck spent probably 3-4 hours to get it going, had to clear the fuel lines from the rust and other remnants take apart the carb clean it, removed the air filter housing and sure enough something had nested in there, removed all that junk. Fuel Filter was clogged so luckily was able to find a fuel filter off an atv or something and made it work. The carburetor seals had become so brittle they disintegrated during removal so we made the main hat seal out of tire plugs and sealed the surrounding areas with duct tape so it wouldn't draw in air. Believe it or not after sitting for 6-7 years the greatest joy to our ears it fired right up with good oil pressure and started building air pressure. After moving for a while we stopped to check for leaks put more fuel into it and drove it 35 kms so it wasn't far from the main road and we'd be able to get it easily once the winter road opens.

Winter came and before the road opened we were able to get a key to the gate giving us early access from a friend who's trapline is nearby on the agreement that i'd plow the entrance to his gate, a small price to pay. Soon enough and after 4 kms of plowing deep snow we had got to the truck, put the batteries in, put fuel in, fired it up and drove it to the main road. After that had a friend of mine haul it from there to my driveway as I wasn't gonna drive this truck 180 kms with no brakes on the highway lol.

Now the fun begins on the build for it as I finally have it in my possession, the big plans for it are 5.9L 12V P-Pump Cummins NV4500 Install bigger tires (395/85R20) and Lockers for offroad use.

But first you gotta start with the basics and that of course is fixing the brakes and getting it to stop. I had also ordered a Carb seal kit to rebuild it from the deep woods rigging job I had done.

Luckily my Grandfather had replaced all the brake components years ago but yes of course the wheel cylinders had leaked after sitting for so long, I ordered 2 1-3/8" Wheel cylinders and 2 rebuild kits incase they were salvageable, pulled off the hub got to the brakes and found out he had replaced all the wheel cylinders with 1-1/4" wheel cylinders, and thats why I had only ordered 2 rebuild kits as I was unsure what the size would've been... Now I know.

Tried to find rebuild parts and/or wheel cylinders for the 1-1/4" and no luck tried all the local parts stores and nothing was available. So bit the bullet and ended up buying from rockauto again and just went with the 1-3/8" wheel cylinders which wasn't cheap compared to rebuilding.

For those wondering the CFR Is 52/50221
 

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LMRmopar

Member
10
55
13
Location
Alberta, Canada
Spent quite a few hours replacing all the Wheel cylinders on the truck. Successfully bled the brakes and decided to take it out for a lunch test drive.. WOW these trucks will stop on a dime with a fully functioning brake system, after lunch pulled it back into the shop and decided to try out some paint.

Couldn't stand the Hood/Doors/Wheels being painted white... It was an eyesore! Stopped at my local paint store and they had some industrial type paint that apparently they say would work good for my application, I opted for just a basic darkish semi gloss green only buying 1 gallon to see how it would look and I must say its not bad but I think i'll go for a darker green next time. Painted the wheels flat black to get rid of the white and would you look at that it looks like a military truck again!
 

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Mullaney

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
Supporting Vendor
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113
Location
Charlotte NC
I have been on this forum for quite sometime now looking at various helpful build/restoration threads and figured I should start a thread considering I have had this truck in my possession for a little bit and work is being done slowly.

How I came to acquire such a great vehicle is actually thanks to my grandfather who had purchased it in ST.paul, AB, Canada, in 2006. He had drove it 550 kms north and 140 kms offroad on sand to his trapline property in the great northern alberta forest. His plan for the truck was to use it for hauling Fuel/Water/etc. on the sand road which is not very suitable for vehicles. All had went well but quickly found out it is not ideal for the road anyways as it couldn't keep the speed going up the sand hills. So he ended up using it to haul wood around instead which of course a 12ft box can carry a lot more than a ATV Tub trailer :lol:. Carried on like that for years up until 2014 when he had to sell the property and move closer to town due to health concerns. Almost everything had been moved however most of the vehicles including the 1952 M135 Deuce was left out there to rot and probably never be driven again... Until recently. 2019 I had bought my first side by side and of course one of the first trips I had wanted to make was back to the old property to see how it was considering nobody had lived there since 2014 and of course, the M135 was still sitting there waiting to be rescued.

Now on to retrieving the M135, now this was not an easy task actually as you might believe because the road to get there is sand in the summer and the only way would be to wait for the winter road to open and try to drive in there with my truck. So waited until the winter road opened and attempted it, unfortunately I was unable to even come close to the truck as I would've had to drive through 2.5 ft of snow.

Ended up buying a plow for the truck to plow the road however later in the season the amount of snowmobile tracks had packed down the snow so much it was like trying to plow concrete. I had no choice but to wait until next winter :(. Summer came and went and in the fall of 2021 a few buddies and I had loaded up the side by sides with pretty much everything we could possibly need to get it going and we headed out.

Got to the truck spent probably 3-4 hours to get it going, had to clear the fuel lines from the rust and other remnants take apart the carb clean it, removed the air filter housing and sure enough something had nested in there, removed all that junk. Fuel Filter was clogged so luckily was able to find a fuel filter off an atv or something and made it work. The carburetor seals had become so brittle they disintegrated during removal so we made the main hat seal out of tire plugs and sealed the surrounding areas with duct tape so it wouldn't draw in air. Believe it or not after sitting for 6-7 years the greatest joy to our ears it fired right up with good oil pressure and started building air pressure. After moving for a while we stopped to check for leaks put more fuel into it and drove it 35 kms so it wasn't far from the main road and we'd be able to get it easily once the winter road opens.

Winter came and before the road opened we were able to get a key to the gate giving us early access from a friend who's trapline is nearby on the agreement that i'd plow the entrance to his gate, a small price to pay. Soon enough and after 4 kms of plowing deep snow we had got to the truck, put the batteries in, put fuel in, fired it up and drove it to the main road. After that had a friend of mine haul it from there to my driveway as I wasn't gonna drive this truck 180 kms with no brakes on the highway lol.

Now the fun begins on the build for it as I finally have it in my possession, the big plans for it are 5.9L 12V P-Pump Cummins NV4500 Install bigger tires (395/85R20) and Lockers for offroad use.

But first you gotta start with the basics and that of course is fixing the brakes and getting it to stop. I had also ordered a Carb seal kit to rebuild it from the deep woods rigging job I had done.

Luckily my Grandfather had replaced all the brake components years ago but yes of course the wheel cylinders had leaked after sitting for so long, I ordered 2 1-3/8" Wheel cylinders and 2 rebuild kits incase they were salvageable, pulled off the hub got to the brakes and found out he had replaced all the wheel cylinders with 1-1/4" wheel cylinders, and thats why I had only ordered 2 rebuild kits as I was unsure what the size would've been... Now I know.

Tried to find rebuild parts and/or wheel cylinders for the 1-1/4" and no luck tried all the local parts stores and nothing was available. So bit the bullet and ended up buying from rockauto again and just went with the 1-3/8" wheel cylinders which wasn't cheap compared to rebuilding.

For those wondering the CFR Is 52/50221
.
Well heck... Good start to your thread and Welcome to the Outfit! Yeah, she spent some hard years out in the weather but you did rescue her. Don't forget to download the Technical Manuals for your new-to-you truck. Keep us updated with new pictures and you make progress on your truck.

Again, Welcome to the group!
 

LMRmopar

Member
10
55
13
Location
Alberta, Canada
Yes, Thanks all and nice job on the restoration dmetalmiki! I didn't like the look of the GMC vs the M35 before but after comparing the two it really has grown on me and I'm glad I have the GMC!

This is not much of an update but progress is still being made slowly but surely, I had hoped for quicker progress but slow progress is better than none at all!

I picked up 2 Cummins 5.9 24 Valve engines yesterday for... Wait for it, $1000!! They're good mechanically as I have stuffed my bore scope down the holes and turned them over by hand, just have to mount them on my engine stands now and I can start picking away at them to be built. When I swap this engine in it seems to me there is a good want for the GMCs 302 inline 6 and a good working Hydramatic, would anyone know what I'd be able to expect dollar wise for this? I'd also give a good price if it goes to a good restoration cause.

One other thing to note I was able to get the M135 some new wheels and tires courtesy of a scrapyard in Saskatchewan, scored 7 11.00xR20s with Wheels for $1050. However on the way back from the shop after mounting the wheels the brakes hard started to stick pretty bad, took off one brake hose and of course found it disintegrated. Will be taking off all the hoses and having them made in stainless steel braided hose.. Will probably cost a good bit but Buy once, Cry once comes to mind especially to have good brakes.

Once the brake hoses are repaired I will start to work on replacing the Whole harness of the truck for the lights and adding signal lights. You know, it kind of helps letting someone know 13,000 Lbs of steel is about to turn rofl
 

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m1010plowboy

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
3,791
2,310
83
Location
Edmonton, Canada
Welcome to the round nose jimmy club. That's a great northern rescue story. It's tough working between break-ups, rain, too much snow and snowmobiles packing trails. We have 100 good days in a year to get things done and you did it. That one looks and sounds like a keeper. Where is that ol girl now? It might have some history still hidden on it. The data-plate should match a stamp on the frame behind the front passenger wheel. The CAR number was painted on the dash or sometimes just scratched on it. The CAR could be painted on the doors and sometimes stamped on the top of the left frame horn, near the rad.

"""""""""Marking schemes continued to develop after the Korean War; War Department numbers gave way to CAR (Canadian Army Registration) numbers, in the format YY-XXXXX. YY was the last two digits of the year in which the vehicle entered Canadian service, followed by a dash and then a 5-digit number unique to the vehicle. For example: 54-82501. Unlike the wartime Census Numbers, the 5 digits were not related to the number of vehicles acquired in any given year. These numbers were painted on vehicles in a manner similar to the previous Census Numbers. """""""

I sold an M211 to a Red Deer wizard that wedged a duramax into it. A re-engine is the best way to get more miles out of the round nose. There are a few videos on our channel but hearing a Cummins in a Deuce would be amazing. Here's the Duramax.

We found 3 complete trucks and a dozen more parts trucks so if you need parts let us know.

www.civildefence.ca
 

LMRmopar

Member
10
55
13
Location
Alberta, Canada
Bit of an update on the progress, I have successfully registered the truck for the local Fathers Day Car Show so we'll see how that turns out, considering I haven't seen any other military vehicles in my area. In the meantime I have been working steadily preparing it to be presentable and road worthy.

Brake hoses have been replaced and it wasn't cheap but they're done now, I have attached pictures because I know y'all love pictures lol. I also had all the glass cut and replaced and back on the truck currently.

All Differential fluids and transfer case fluid has been serviced, the pail of fluid is from the diffs and tcase... If I had to guess the fluid is a few decades old it is very broke down and horrible looking. I asked my grandfather when the last time fluids were serviced and he said he never did the diffs or tcase :rolleyes: oh well she's good now.

Whole truck has been painted in industrial paint for the time being. I'll probably do a full sand down and prep job next spring to make it look perfect.

I also removed the old muffler as it had many holes in it and there must be baffles broken or a nest or something inside because I can hear it rattling around when I move it around. I replaced the muffler... with nothing... the truck is currently just straight piped with a new stack and rain flap. I think I actually picked up a few horsepower because it definitely seems faster I think whatever was in the muffler might have been restricting air flow.

I also finished the signal lights and a few other things. I painted the frame and bumper it flat black and it does look a lot better, I have no pictures currently but will upload when I get them later and after the car show.

Next on the to do list will be replacing the seats. Thinking about seats out of a 2000-2007 Silverado as they have the seatbelt incorporated into the seat and they are super comfortable compared to the factory seats.

Also have to finish fixing the troop seats.
 

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Mullaney

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
Supporting Vendor
7,252
18,811
113
Location
Charlotte NC
Bit of an update on the progress, I have successfully registered the truck for the local Fathers Day Car Show so we'll see how that turns out, considering I haven't seen any other military vehicles in my area. In the meantime I have been working steadily preparing it to be presentable and road worthy.

Brake hoses have been replaced and it wasn't cheap but they're done now, I have attached pictures because I know y'all love pictures lol. I also had all the glass cut and replaced and back on the truck currently.

All Differential fluids and transfer case fluid has been serviced, the pail of fluid is from the diffs and tcase... If I had to guess the fluid is a few decades old it is very broke down and horrible looking. I asked my grandfather when the last time fluids were serviced and he said he never did the diffs or tcase :rolleyes: oh well she's good now.

Whole truck has been painted in industrial paint for the time being. I'll probably do a full sand down and prep job next spring to make it look perfect.

I also removed the old muffler as it had many holes in it and there must be baffles broken or a nest or something inside because I can hear it rattling around when I move it around. I replaced the muffler... with nothing... the truck is currently just straight piped with a new stack and rain flap. I think I actually picked up a few horsepower because it definitely seems faster I think whatever was in the muffler might have been restricting air flow.

I also finished the signal lights and a few other things. I painted the frame and bumper it flat black and it does look a lot better, I have no pictures currently but will upload when I get them later and after the car show.

Next on the to do list will be replacing the seats. Thinking about seats out of a 2000-2007 Silverado as they have the seatbelt incorporated into the seat and they are super comfortable compared to the factory seats.

Also have to finish fixing the troop seats.
.
Nice looking rig!
And a nice toy to ride on your truck too...
 

williamh

Well-known member
420
573
93
Location
SanDiego Ca.
Looks good. Like the rims ! Do you still have the wench ?
I had one several years ago. Does it still have the gmc 302 ? It would go pretty good on flat ground with that 4 speed hydromatic. Over about 65 that front end would start to dance 😉
 

LMRmopar

Member
10
55
13
Location
Alberta, Canada
I am still here and making progress, have not been able to post in a while due to the hectic nature that is called life, but I will not forget about you guys and how much you enjoy pictures! Lol. It's not often of course somebody puts as much time and effort into these trucks as the much later M35 series, GMCs can be cool too though!

I'll start off the updates from where we left off which was preparation for the Father's Day Car Show. It was a huge success and I let a vast majority of people inside to have their picture taken because it's not often a kid/adult will get the chance to sit in military vehicles of course. Talking to some of the older folks and some veterans who drove them back in the day was a treat, they're more than pleased with how good of shape the truck is in and that a younger gentleman such as myself was willing to bring it back to life.

After the Father's Day Car Show it was time to continue the upgrades and what not before the winter hits. I did take it out a few times to play in the mud and head down some trails, came across many jeeps/side by sides that couldn't believe what they seen coming down the trails! LOL.

The wood boards have been replaced with 1x4x12 spruce as I was unable to get 1x3x12 at the time but overall I think it looks great anyways!

Also in the pictures you will see the skeleton I put together for Halloween, as you'd imagine everybody loved it.

All 8 U-Joints have been replaced and honestly thought I was gonna struggle thinking they were gonna be seized in but not a single one was, they were all easier than most automotive u joints!

Installed an air fitting to the rear where the glad hands were so I can hook up my air hose and use my air tools, works awesome.
 

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LMRmopar

Member
10
55
13
Location
Alberta, Canada
Been too long since i've posted here, and a lot of progress has happened since the last time. We'll start with the interior overhaul, got rid of the flaky old paint as much as I could and re upholstered the seats myself which didn't turn out too bad i'd say. Overall it's a big improvement from what it was however there is still so much to be done. Had to add the Hula girl as well :-D. I will be uploading as many photos as I can since the last update on this post. This truck will also be 100% Cummins swapped in the spring/next couple months and I will document everything to answer a lot of questions on the process and to make it easier for the next person looking to re power their unit.
 

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Mullaney

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
Supporting Vendor
7,252
18,811
113
Location
Charlotte NC
Been too long since i've posted here, and a lot of progress has happened since the last time. We'll start with the interior overhaul, got rid of the flaky old paint as much as I could and re upholstered the seats myself which didn't turn out too bad i'd say. Overall it's a big improvement from what it was however there is still so much to be done. Had to add the Hula girl as well :-D. I will be uploading as many photos as I can since the last update on this post. This truck will also be 100% Cummins swapped in the spring/next couple months and I will document everything to answer a lot of questions on the process and to make it easier for the next person looking to re power their unit.
.
Looking good! Those seats - recovered - look pretty darn fine to me...
Noticed that the interior got a paint job as well.

Love the hula girl on the dash too!

.
 
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