My Four (!) New CUCVs

[nf6x]

I made low-ball (?) bids on six of the CUCVs out of Barstow in GL event 3547, not really expecting to win any. Well, just my luck, I won four of the danged things! I hired a towing company to pick them up for me yesterday. They used two flat-bed wreckers, each carrying one CUCV on the bed and pulling one behind (with its rear driveshaft disconnected). I posted a few pictures of the delivery last night, in a different thread where I had asked for towing company referrals.

One of them is a 1986 M1008 pickup, two are 1986 M1009 blazers, and one is a 1983 M1009 blazer. I don't know whether any of them run yet.

These are my first CUCVs. I expect that I'll keep one or two of them, and sell the rest after I'm done stealing parts off them and/or fixing them up. Here are some pictures of all four of them. I'll follow up below with more detailed pictures of each of them.

 

[nf6x]

Lot number 8600 is an M1009 dated 2/1986. It includes a radio mounting rack for a SINCGARS set.

 

[nf6x]

Lot number 8602 is an M1008 pickup truck dated 7/1986. The bed is in good shape, though the troop seats need new wood slats. Paperwork that I found in the cab suggests that I can look forward to fixing blown head gaskets. I may or may not keep this truck.

 

[nf6x]

Lot number 8603 is an M1009 dated 2/1986.

It appears to have been a Military Police truck for the Army. It still has a red light behind the front grille and a mechanical siren under the front, though the wiring looks like it's been cut, and the control switch(es) don't appear to be present. Do any of y'all know what the control switch(es) for the siren and light would normally look like?

I read another thread cautioning us about displaying police markings, lights and sirens. If I do decide to restore this truck as an MP truck, I guess I'll need to make magnetic covers that go over the MP markings, make a cover to go over the red light (even though it's somewhat concealed by the grille), and make sure that the light and siren are disabled when using the truck on the road.

There's a set of VRC-12 series racks on the radio shelf. Some of my VRC-12 gear might end up in this truck.

Based on its overall condition, this truck is my favorite out of the batch so far. I have a feeling that it'll steal the best parts from the other trucks. Paperwork found in the truck suggests that the engine knocks.

 

[nf6x]

Additional pictures of the MP truck.

 

[nf6x]

Finally, the last truck: Lot 8607 is an M1009 dated 11/1983. This one seems to be in the worst shape of the lot, and I think it's first in line to be my parts donor. The front driveshaft is missing. It previously had radio gear, but the radio shelf has been removed.

 

[Bobert]

That MP stuff on the truck is pretty cool. Is there a switch in the cab for it?

Looks like you got some good ones.

 

[superburban]

Dibs on that last M1009! How much do you want for it? I have a front drive line (plus half a garage full of other bits 'n pieces).

Congratulations on your win!

 

[nf6x]

That MP stuff on the truck is pretty cool. Is there a switch in the cab for it?

No, I didn't find any switches for the light or siren. I haven't looked at the wiring carefully yet, but I did find a cut wire in the engine compartment that was clearly added on (cable-tied to the original harness) and it was heading towards the front of the truck. Maybe it was part of the light/siren wiring, and it was cut out as a demil thing, just like the military police markings were painted over. If anybody knows what the light/siren switch(es) should look like, please let me know!

Looks like you got some good ones.

I hope so! Keeping my fingers crossed... I'm in the middle of a move, so I don't know how long it'll be before I can dig into these new toys very much. I couldn't wait to share pictures, though!

 

[nf6x]

Dibs on that last M1009! How much do you want for it? I have a front drive line (plus half a garage full of other bits 'n pieces).

Well, since I'm not quite sure what I have yet, I haven't decided yet whether I'll sell it as-is, harvest its organs for parts, fix it up and sell it, or some combination of the above! I'll certainly keep you in mind, though... maybe it'll end up in your garage before too long? Keep in touch!

Congratulations on your win!

Thanks! Wow, I guess I posted a real dog-choking mother-lode of pictures, but hopefully folks will enjoy them.

Hmm, now I need to figure out how to get SF97 forms for these. I haven't played GL in about 5 years.

 

[AJMBLAZER]

Nice scores. They don't look that bad to me...at least body wise. Makes me miss the SouthWest again.


Reminds me of my uncle's story about the farmer in the thumb of Michigan who bid on a bulldozer at a surplus auction in the 60's and won....five of them.

 

[mangus580]

GL has a new online setup for doing the 97's.... I have heard when it works its pretty slick.

 

[nf6x]

GL has a new online setup for doing the 97's.... I have heard when it works its pretty slick.

Ok, I found the form after a brief search. Hmm, that does look nice! Luckily I had the foresight to snap pictures of the dataplates and odometers this morning, so I was able to submit my request even though I'm at work, 40 miles away from my trucks. I guess that they just blindly accept whatever you type in for the VIN, make, model, etc., and leave it up to the DMV inspectors to catch any mistakes. If they issue the SF97's with the information that I submitted without introducing any errors (i.e., hopefully there won't be too many manual re-typings of the information by various clerks!), then this might work out nicely. I double- and triple-checked the info that I entered, while I've seen all sorts of sloppy errors on SF97's I've gotten in the past.

Since these trucks have "normal" looking VINs, hopefully they'll cause less confusion at the DMV and my insurance company than old MVs often do.

 

[AJMBLAZER]

Hahahahahahahahahaha...the infamous D will get you now that you've said that!

One of the characters (I believe it's the D) often triggers problems with insurance companies and DMV/Secretary Of State Offices that don't take the time to read that column other than assume it's the civilian vehicle character. D=government purchased vehicle in a GM VIN.

 

[nf6x]

Hahahahahahahahahaha...the infamous D will get you now that you've said that!

It's always something...

 

[AJMBLAZER]

I had to show the guy at the SoS in his VIN book what the truck was and how to read it.

The insurance company wanted a picture of the VIN plate on the truck along with pictures of the truck and several months after I started it's policy the national company called to confirm that it was in fact the correct numbers.

Some folks report no problems while others have almost had their insurance canceled before they got it straightened out.

 

[Croatan_Kid]

I got a letter asking if the VIN was correct, so I drove up to the insurance company and had the guy look at it and confirm it. He could tell I was slightly mad and insulted, but everything went pretty smooth other than that!

 

[CCATLETT1984]

When i got mine done, they asked if it was a postal truck? LOL

I said sure, if the marines deliver mail.

 

[Djfreema]

I too had a problem with my VIN and the insurance company on my M1009. The DMV was a breeze. Looks like you did good!

 

[nf6x]

I've been looking at that logo on the MP truck and doing some googling. I think that truck may have "belonged" to Captiain Bobby Britton, commander of the 670th Military Police Company at some point in the early 2000's. I don't know if he's still their commander, or still a captain, or even still in the service. Well, maybe it wasn't his own personal truck, but it just seems interesting that the apparently hand-drawn badge logos on each side have his name in them. Is that common practice for a unit's logo/symbol/standard/whatever?

Well, I think this is cool! How often can we track down the history of an individual surplus vehicle to an individual person? I'd love to shoot him an email and ask him if he recognizes his old truck, but I don't know how, or even if such a thing would be welcomed.