New to me m59 dump truck...

[Another Ahab]

I've got blue parts in various places.

It happens to the best of us!

 

[jeffhuey1n]

 

[Evil Dr. Porkchop]

If it was an air force truck then the rest of the truck was sanded pretty well, I haven't noticed any other strata blue yet. Of course it's hard telling what's been changed over the years since the truck has been out of service for a while. I'm fairly certain the hood, fenders it had, and battery box door are not original since they were all forestry yellow under the paint and the fasteners weren't original. Then the cab was changed as well.

Anyway, earlier in the week I hooked up the pins for the piston/bed and I cut and rewelded the end of the hoist driveshaft. Probably not perfect but it was way off before. Today I installed the PTO and driveshaft and then hooked up and adjusted the linkages. It dumps! The piston looks good and there weren't any leaks or failures so I'm pretty happy considering it's a 60+ year old truck.

 

[Evil Dr. Porkchop]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=i2k0qEV_5F4

 

[texas30cal]

I'm keeping a eye on this, keep up the pics, it's inspiring to see such progress. It's looking good you've got A LOT done!!!

 

[OD_Coyote]

Looking good and sounding good too!!

 

[Mackafd]

funny my engine under the green paint is blue. I am glad the truck is coming alon. I am having issues getting my cab protector from the guy up the street his bed in the past few weeks has fallen apart almost daily but he still thinks he will fix it. also when your done with your cover modifications I would be interested in what you did since we are re doing the same style M59 truck

 

[OD_Coyote]

The engine and transmission from my M47 have strata blue paint under the green paint too.

 

[Evil Dr. Porkchop]

Looking good and sounding good too!!

I'm certain it's now as loud as it's ever been. It still needs a ton of work but it's looking better for sure.

I've been working on other projects lately so not a lot has been done.


On a related note, I've been searching around for an old pic of the dump truck back when my friend George owned it. I didn't find anything yet that was any good or where you could actually identify it. An SS member in VT who knew George since way back mentioned a couple months ago that he had a 2.5 ton dump truck that George ended up with, but he couldn't recall off hand if it was the same one as mine.

Yesterday I got my hands on some VHS tapes of military vehicle stuff from the late 80's and 90's that belonged to George and started reviewing them. On one tape was a VT public television series episode about military vehicles. It started out at the above mentioned SS members yard and then cut to shots of vehicles at the VT rally. After showing a nicely restored CMP, the narrator says something along the lines of "and a lot of them started out like this"

I'm pretty sure that's my dump truck. Nice tailgate, no passenger quarter fender, no cab protector, looks to be missing the same rearmost tarp hook on the passenger side, similar dents, and generally thrashed. Not exactly sure the date the episode was shot, but it was pre-1995.
So I guess my truck was used as an example of just how bad MVs can look before they get restored.

 

[Another Ahab]

So I guess my truck was used as an example of just how bad MVs can look before they get restored.

If you won't accept "no", you have a chance to work miracles.

 

[Evil Dr. Porkchop]

If you won't accept "no", you have a chance to work miracles.

It's quite the project but not too bad compared to what some people start with. At least in the pic above it's recognizable as a dump truck! I did find it funny how it was mentioned that way though. It has to be the same truck as mine, too much of the story lines up and there aren't exactly a ton of m59 dumps running around either.

 

[cattlerepairman]

It is quite nice to have the truck documented in someone else's film production. Not many of our trucks have "provenance".

 

[Evil Dr. Porkchop]

Not much has happened with the dump truck lately. Since the GMC dump body is so rotted that will be headed to the scrap yard pretty soon. I'll remove the tailgate linkage, some of the hooks, the tailgate itself (good for a pattern) and anything else savable. I'll be keeping the subframe too of course since all that is good for spares.

 

[Another Ahab]

Not much has happened with the dump truck lately. Since the GMC dump body is so rotted that will be headed to the scrap yard pretty soon. I'll remove the tailgate linkage, some of the hooks, the tailgate itself (good for a pattern) and anything else savable. I'll be keeping the subframe too of course since all that is good for spares.
View attachment 694164

Out of touch with the market:

- What's the going rate for scrap steel these days?

 

[Evil Dr. Porkchop]

I think it's around $60 a ton up here. Not a lot but it pays for the trip to bring it. Since I've got a few larger items showing up in the near future I'm scrapping out the few junk trucks, cabs, etc. so they'll be a little room in the yard. I hate to scrap this bed but it's rotten throughout and the subframe parts are worth more to me than the whole assembly is worth to someone else.

 

[milstencil]

Hey, Like that forklift!!!

 

[rustystud]

I think it's around $60 a ton up here. Not a lot but it pays for the trip to bring it. Since I've got a few larger items showing up in the near future I'm scrapping out the few junk trucks, cabs, etc. so they'll be a little room in the yard. I hate to scrap this bed but it's rotten throughout and the subframe parts are worth more to me than the whole assembly is worth to someone else.
View attachment 694211View attachment 694209View attachment 694210

It's $60.00 a ton here too.

 

[Evil Dr. Porkchop]

I scrapped the m215 bed a couple months back, got a few more dollars back out of that buy.

Last month I stopped by to see my friend jatonka and took a look at his stock m59 (also a 1954 Reo). Today I started making the lower passenger side quarter fender bracket that my truck is missing. Should work fine; I'll see about getting the top bracket reproduced since that is heavier steel and a little more difficult to get right.

Also of note, his stock cab protector is about 5 or so inches shorter than the one off the m215 I put on my truck. I'm still happy with mine as it's in really good shape and I don't think it looks too out of place.

 

[SCM35A2]

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[Evil Dr. Porkchop]

The reproduction top bracket for the passenger quarter fender is done, it's much better than I could make and the price was good. At some point I hope to get some real work done on the truck but winter is closing in.