My first m35a1!..i think?

[dasmiller227]

Have been following this site for a long time and have wanted a deuce for a lot of years but never could afford to get into one. Finally had one fall in my lap for next to nothing! Found her back in amish country here in Montana, after a long 82 mph back road drive at 25mph max on shotty tires shes home! She's not pretty but will be a fun project. As I'm digging into her I'm winding up with more and more questions. Frame is stamped 67 if I'm reading right, has a reo gasser engine but dash has marking indicating multifuel? Also has the reb transfer case, which I thought came after the gas engine but guess I'm wrong there? Someone sinned against the deuce at some point and welded some rounded wells to the fenders at some point... will be taking a cut off wheel to that soon and getting the real fenders showing again! Just ordered a new carb for her as the old one had a pretty decent leak develop on the way home and found a rebuilt carb for barely more than the rebuild kit. Going to slowly tear away at replacing all hoses and electrical, next big buy eventually will be tires... any tips/tricks/things to look out for or get into first with this rig/drive train?

 

[NDT]

Welcome to the site! Truck looks great and is already set up for super singles. Might have been a M34. Might have been a truck that Memphis Equipment built up out of bits and pieces. The only way to know for sure what it was born as is to analyze the frame serial number. The cab data plates don't match the engine for sure.

 

[jeffhuey1n]

That looks like one awesome looking project! If you stay for the full finish, you’ll have a truck that’s a thing of beauty.

 

[Mullaney]

Have been following this site for a long time and have wanted a deuce for a lot of years but never could afford to get into one. Finally had one fall in my lap for next to nothing! Found her back in amish country here in Montana, after a long 82 mph back road drive at 25mph max on shotty tires shes home! She's not pretty but will be a fun project. As I'm digging into her I'm winding up with more and more questions. Frame is stamped 67 if I'm reading right, has a reo gasser engine but dash has marking indicating multifuel? Also has the reb transfer case, which I thought came after the gas engine but guess I'm wrong there? Someone sinned against the deuce at some point and welded some rounded wells to the fenders at some point... will be taking a cut off wheel to that soon and getting the real fenders showing again! Just ordered a new carb for her as the old one had a pretty decent leak develop on the way home and found a rebuilt carb for barely more than the rebuild kit. Going to slowly tear away at replacing all hoses and electrical, next big buy eventually will be tires... any tips/tricks/things to look out for or get into first with this rig/drive train?

.
Looking on the drivers side of the truck - I see spark plug wires - so I am guessing you don't have a multi-fuel. Open the tank and give it a sniff? Way back when there was a kit to replace the Golden Comet (REO 330 Gas) with a 300ci Ford straight six) Color looks more Ford than I would have expected to see in that engine bay.

Welcome to the Outfit!

Figuring out what you really have might be the hardest part. Take more pictures of the motor and transmission area and maybe one of us can get you closer to knowing for sure. You mentioned already ordering a new carb. That's great but what did you order?

Again, welcome to the group too...

 

[glcaines]

Should make a nice truck. What information did the previous owner provide when you bought it? Can he provide any history, such as the owner he bought it from?

 

[GopherHill]

Looks like a Reo gas engine to me. They are good running engines as far as I know.

 

[Barrman]

Water cooled air compressor is from the 1950’s. REO engine looks like mine:

Does your cab have welded in door gussets?

 

[cattlerepairman]

 

[cattlerepairman]

I see that the data plate with the shift pattern appears to be showing the multifuel shift pattern (both 3 and 4 away from the dash).


Sent from my SM-G991W using Tapatalk

 

[M35fan]

Nice project! And welcome to Steel Soldiers. Perhaps someone did a cab swap at some point? It would explain the mismatched data plates.

 

[G744]

REB kits were not military, rather an aftermarket kit from Memphis Equipment. Nothing wrong with that.

The Reo 331 Gold Comet engine was one of the best commercial truck engines in it's class. Not cheap to overhaul nowadays, but neither is a Multifuel.

I'd lay money it was always an M34 gasser. If it runs good, I'd keep it just the way it originally. Also, it is unlikely a 1967 truck, more like mid-50's.

 

[Valley Rock]

Is that roof glass or metal ?

Between the back single wheels tucked in and those front fenders, it looks like an M34 that Memphis got ahold of way back in the day, the data plates reflect the newer cab that they would often upgrade to and not bother to remove them .

 

[Barrman]

I was thinking cab swap as well. But, the incredibly complex and about 15 piece Gasser throttle linkage seems to be all there and mounted correctly. I can’t see the tunnel covers to try and guess the age that way.

Is the starter foot push or finger push? REO Gassers had foot push.

 

[dasmiller227]

Welcome to the site! Truck looks great and is already set up for super singles. Might have been a M34. Might have been a truck that Memphis Equipment built up out of bits and pieces. The only way to know for sure what it was born as is to analyze the frame serial number. The cab data plates don't match the engine for sure.

Thank you! Ya that was the plan to go the super single route. May be a bit before I can swing putting tires on her, but guessing 11x20's would be the way to go for her? The frame serial I think says 67? Going to post pictures of the serial on the frame further down In the thread, sorry screwed up and forgot to post that with the other pictures

 

[dasmiller227]

That looks like one awesome looking project! If you stay for the full finish, you’ll have a truck that’s a thing of beauty.

Thank you! I know she's not much to look at now, but excited to get tearing into her and get the project rolling. May take a few years to make it happen but going to be a fun one

 

[dasmiller227]

.
Looking on the drivers side of the truck - I see spark plug wires - so I am guessing you don't have a multi-fuel. Open the tank and give it a sniff? Way back when there was a kit to replace the Golden Comet (REO 330 Gas) with a 300ci Ford straight six) Color looks more Ford than I would have expected to see in that engine bay.

Welcome to the Outfit!

Figuring out what you really have might be the hardest part. Take more pictures of the motor and transmission area and maybe one of us can get you closer to knowing for sure. You mentioned already ordering a new carb. That's great but what did you order?

Again, welcome to the group too...

Glad to be able to finally post my own rig here and be a part of the forum!
I'm pretty sure she's a reo, it has gold comet casted on the exhaust manifold unless that would have been able to transfer to the Ford in the change out? Will definitely get more pictures posted of those areas later this week or this next weekend! Have been out on a hunting trip this weekend
On the carb I ordered a Holly 885 ffg, matched up off existing. Is that the carb that would have originally come on the reo? Suppose I should have researched a bit more before jumping and ordering because I saw a good deal..

 

[dasmiller227]

Should make a nice truck. What information did the previous owner provide when you bought it? Can he provide any history, such as the owner he bought it from?

As far as they knew back she spent alot of her life as a water truck at Salt Lake airport. Was sold to someone here in the same small town I live in in 1998, they're the ones that put the hydraulic dump bed on her. The family sold at auction in 2019 i believe, when the fathers property sold after he passed away. That's where it wound up with the last owners, wife bought it as a surprise for her husband who had always wanted it then once she finally made it to their house he spent 3 days straight working on her and passed away. My turn to finish the project where he left off!

 

[dasmiller227]

Looks like a Reo gas engine to me. They are good running engines as far as I know.

She runs great, was a pretty smooth drive getting her home! Short of brakes not grabbing real well.. got them bled and pedal engages but brakes dont seem to actually be doing much. going to have to open a couple drums at some point and see if they need pads or just need adjustment.

 

[dasmiller227]

I see that the data plate with the shift pattern appears to be showing the multifuel shift pattern (both 3 and 4 away from the dash).


Sent from my SM-G991W using Tapatalk

Did the gas and multifuel have different shift patterns? It's definitely the shift pattern shown on the data plate

 

[dasmiller227]

Nice project! And welcome to Steel Soldiers. Perhaps someone did a cab swap at some point? It would explain the mismatched data plates.

Thank you! And hadn't thought about that, would make some sense though on that end. Or maybe motor swap where they went from multifuel back to a gasser for whatever reason?