My Little Black Truck (Deuce ****)

[Menaces Nemesis]

That's amazing. I mean, that is a mountain of work.

I've been informed by many of your posts, spanning many years, and I'm pretty sure you've climbed more than a few "mountains" yourself (Thank You Clinto).

 

[J-Rod]

Thanks,
It steers and tracks wonderfully, but even with power steering, damper, and geometry improvements, at speed there is still some bump-steer encountered over bridge seams and the like. I believe that's just the nature of trying to tame the mass of 4' tires.

Good morning. I was thinking of purchasing a duce from boyce equipment. On utube it seems that the posts of people that have purchased from boyce sell them within 1 to 2 years.
Was going to get the air ride seats and power steering... but the cost is 40 grand.
Any feedback or recommendations appreciated.

Want the duce as my daily driver and to take on logging roads with my travel trailer. My wife has a nice new car and I have a camaro as my toy. Not sure if the duce is the ourchase for me. Have thoughts of a 4 link air ride rear suspension and a xummings swap in 3 to 5 years after purchase.

 

[Menaces Nemesis]

My theory about the typical, short length of ownership is this...
Most people buy M35's primarily because they find them to be "Big and Cool", which they are. However, especially in stock form, these trucks offer little-to-no comfort. Not too long after purchase, the romance fades as the buyer realizes that not only is the truck noisy, cramped, hot, cold, cumbersome, slow, and rides very rough, but the truck will also need to be cared for like any vintage piece of equipment. Last part can often require a good bit of interweb searching, bigger tools, heavy lifting, climbing, reaching, etc.. Bottom line is this; to be happy with this truck long-term you've got to love it for it's iconic form and the nostalgia, along with accepting all the maintenance and inconvenience that old things bring. Cummins swap it, 4-link it, air bag it, whatever you want to do, you're still going to be left with a significant part of the truck that is 70 year-old ergonomics and technology.

A word about having one made up by a Surplus seller...
A good surplus seller will go through and make sure that everything is "servicable", meaning that it works at time of sale. And, they'll often install new maintenance and safety-related items such as filters, lubes, bulbs, brake lines/components, etc.. Despite whatever piece of mind that, and a fresh coat of paint may bring, It's paramount to understand that the truck is still eighteen galaxies away from being "new". It's unreasonable to expect a vendor to inspect every component in every subassembly and replace anything that's out-of-spec for $30k or even $100K. Point is, the warranty period the vendor offers most likely won't be that long, and after it's expired, you will still have parts fail like springs, wiring, gaskets, seals, as well as mechanical things that may have been "servicable at time of sale" but were on the verge of giving up the ghost. That's just the nature of dealing with decades-old equipment, a suspect service history, and usage by teenage recruits who didn't care much if it got broke.

 

[Mullaney]

My theory about the typical, short length of ownership is this...
Most people buy M35's primarily because they find them to be "Big and Cool", which they are. However, especially in stock form, these trucks offer little-to-no comfort. Not too long after purchase, the romance fades as the buyer realizes that not only is the truck noisy, cramped, hot, cold, cumbersome, slow, and rides very rough, but the truck will also need to be cared for like any vintage piece of equipment. Last part can often require a good bit of interweb searching, bigger tools, heavy lifting, climbing, reaching, etc.. Bottom line is this; to be happy with this truck long-term you've got to love it for it's iconic form and the nostalgia, along with accepting all the maintenance and discomfort that old things bring. Cummins swap it, 4-link it, air bag it, whatever you want to do, you're still going to be left with a significant part of the truck that is 70 year-old ergonomics and technology.

A word about having one made up by a Surplus seller...
A good surplus seller will go through and make sure that everything is "servicable", meaning that it works at time of sale. And, they'll often install new maintenance and safety-related items such as filters, lubes, bulbs, brake lines/components, etc.. Despite whatever piece of mind that, and a fresh coat of paint may bring, It's paramount to understand that the truck is still eighteen galaxies away from being "new". It's unreasonable to expect a vendor to inspect every component in every subassembly and replace anything that's out-of-spec for $30k or even $100K. Point is, the warranty period the vendor offers most likely won't be that long, and after it's expired, you will still have parts fail like springs, wiring, gaskets, seals, as well as mechanical things that may have been "servicable at time of sale" but were on the verge of giving up the ghost. That's just the nature of dealing with decades-old equipment, a suspect service history, and usage by teenage recruits who didn't care much if it got broke.

.
Nicely written.
Nicely worded
And, the cold hard facts are in those two paragraphs above.

 

[Another Ahab]

Nicely written.
Nicely worded
And, the cold hard facts are in those two paragraphs above.

It broke my heart (and my bank account), but I write it all off as the cost of my education:

- These trucks can't just be gassed up and driven (as I had +/- hoped)

- They are heirlooms that require devotion and care (more than I had to offer)

- I wanted a work truck that I could put on the road every day without any particlualr effort

I didn't know then what I know now (wisdom is always an OLD Man with a LONG Beard).

I love them Deuces. Did then. Do still. But I love 'em now only as a spectator (doesn't cost me ANYTHING in time or money)!

 

[Jeepsinker]

If you're looking to spend $40k on a deuce, buy one from a private seller for $4k and do the work yourself. You can completely overhaul the truck with new components, paint, power steering, Cummins swap, 12 volt auxiliary system, etc. for less than that.

 

[Redneck of Enon]

Good morning. I was thinking of purchasing a duce from boyce equipment. On utube it seems that the posts of people that have purchased from boyce sell them within 1 to 2 years.
Was going to get the air ride seats and power steering... but the cost is 40 grand.
Any feedback or recommendations appreciated.

Want the duce as my daily driver and to take on logging roads with my travel trailer. My wife has a nice new car and I have a camaro as my toy. Not sure if the duce is the ourchase for me. Have thoughts of a 4 link air ride rear suspension and a xummings swap in 3 to 5 years after purchase.

I have one for sale with many upgrades for a lot less than $40K you should check out the classified's on this site .

 

[cattlerepairman]

I would say that the sale price at a commercial repair/refurbishing business reflects their business model. On top of purchasing, transporting and storing, they have to pay for every second someone looks at, inspects or works on this truck, and all the parts - and make a profit at the end. That is how they stay in business and how you arrive at paying $40k.

Most private owners of "classic cars" or "toys" understand that, by the time you sell, you probably won't get back what you have in it. Add to that, most owners do not calculate their time, just the money spent on parts when they talk about "how much they have in it". A business cannot operate that way. Person hours do count! That is the way it is.

A good running Deuce, well maintained, sells for up to XXXX dollars. Why? Because that's what people are willing to pay. That you replaced all the lights with LED and put nice shifter boots on does not make it sell for X plus $1000. However, it may well be the reason why YOUR truck sells and the other one in the classifieds didn't.

You need to do what you are comfortable with. If it was me, I would not be comfortable paying $40k for what is essentially a used, checked-over stock and standard Deuce that will need as much care and maintenance as any other good running Deuce out there.

And - it is all relative. When I bought my truck, I thought I was splurging, paying around $4500 for it. Now, today, living comfortably, I do regret not having been willing/able to pony up 17k for a mint, completely done M342 dump truck w/w, complete with bows, seats and tarp. That was some 10 years ago. Try finding one today.

 

[Mullaney]

I would say that the sale price at a commercial repair/refurbishing business reflects their business model. On top of purchasing, transporting and storing, they have to pay for every second someone looks at, inspects or works on this truck, and all the parts - and make a profit at the end. That is how they stay in business and how you arrive at paying $40k.

Most private owners of "classic cars" or "toys" understand that, by the time you sell, you probably won't get back what you have in it. Add to that, most owners do not calculate their time, just the money spent on parts when they talk about "how much they have in it". A business cannot operate that way. Person hours do count! That is the way it is.

A good running Deuce, well maintained, sells for up to XXXX dollars. Why? Because that's what people are willing to pay. That you replaced all the lights with LED and put nice shifter boots on does not make it sell for X plus $1000. However, it may well be the reason why YOUR truck sells and the other one in the classifieds didn't.

You need to do what you are comfortable with. If it was me, I would not be comfortable paying $40k for what is essentially a used, checked-over stock and standard Deuce that will need as much care and maintenance as any other good running Deuce out there.

And - it is all relative. When I bought my truck, I thought I was splurging, paying around $4500 for it. Now, today, living comfortably, I do regret not having been willing/able to pony up 17k for a mint, completely done M342 dump truck w/w, complete with bows, seats and tarp. That was some 10 years ago. Try finding one today.

.
Nicely worded cattlerepairman .
You covered a lot of ground with what you said.