Newbie here looking at a 1970 M35A2 have some questions

[banditt1979]

Hey guys I just signed up to this forum and have been reading some of the threads. I have restored several Pontiac Firebirds of various years and models, and recently swapped an LS engine into a 1985 Corvette so I have a decent amount of mechanical and restoration experience. I am looking at a 1970 M35A2, the guy wants 5k for it. It has 37k miles on it. Tires look ok but a little dry. The guy has cut out some of the rust and just left holes, which I am comfortable patching. The biggest issue I've seen is that the cap is from another truck and was torched off. Hes got it strapped down currently. I didn't see any type of latch or clip that would hold it on. Do these steel caps bolt on or do they have to be welded back on, like a quarter panel? This truck has a winch on it, and he says it pours out oil if you try to use it. Not sure what to make of that other than new seals.

If I buy it I plan on fixing everything that doesn't work, welding patches on the holes and basically restoring it. Maybe not showroom but daily driver status. Any answers/suggestions to my questions is greatly appreciated.

These types of trucks have been on my radar for a few years now. I would like to not only own a piece of our great history but be able to enjoy it and share it with my family and friends. Maybe do some parades as well, who knows.

 

[simp5782]

If it's local to Cincinnati maybe @gimpyrobb can lend you a hand on looking it over.

 

[Jbulach]

Sounds a bit high priced with the little info you gave. The tops bolt on but we’re going to need pictures! What area of town are you in, and where is the truck?

 

[banditt1979]

I am located near Western Hills in Cincinnati. The truck is out in Sunman Indiana. Guy selling it said he had too many projects which was why he wanted to part with it. Additional info: windshield glass was cracked and the frame was rusted pretty bad on the passenger side left corner. Cab was beat up a little which I think I could smooth out. We took a test drive and it went thru all the gears and ran fine. The transfer case did pop out of gear when we turned around. Guy said that was normal and that some people chain it to the back of the cab to keep that from happening. My general feeling is that he wanted too much. The cosmetic issues I'm not worried about, I've done enough quarter panels and rocker panels to feel confident that I could fix all that. Bed looked ok. No passenger seat, no hoops or troop seats or canvas.

 

[banditt1979]

I should mention that he said it was the whistler motor, I did not hear the turbo whistle. In videos I've watched of these trucks it should have been noticeable I think. I'll ask him for some pics of the engine. Something I did not look at very closely when I looked at it. My fault. But it did run pretty good. He did say he used ether to get it started because it doesn't like to start right away in the cold. That was a red flag for me.

 

[Jbulach]

I’m about 5 miles east of Sunman, I’m not familiar with that truck, but did see an unknown crusty m35 at IGA a couple of weeks ago. I don’t think the transfer case is normal, but Gimpy knows a lot more about the m35’s than I ever will…

 

[DaneGer21]

Sounds ROUGH for $5k. I’d pass only because I bought mine for $1500, and have about $1k into it so far.

 

[banditt1979]

Sounds ROUGH for $5k. I’d pass only because I bought mine for $1500, and have about $1k into it so far.

Where did you find one for that price? The one i'm looking at is the lowest price I've been able to find

 

[m715mike]

That transfer case does not sound normal. I’ve never heard of someone chaining their transfer case to keep it in gear.

If you get that truck, be prepared to invest a lot of your time and a lot more of your cash.

 

[DaneGer21]

Where did you find one for that price? The one i'm looking at is the lowest price I've been able to find

It’s was in Cuyahoga Falls, OH. It had/has its share of issues also; trust me. Not every scenario is like mine. I’m just not sure I could pay these prices with the same issues. I guess I got lucky…???

 

[glcaines]

$5K is too high in my opinion with what you described. The transfer case should not pop out of gear. It is worn and needs repair or replacement. You can buy a new front windshield, including frame, from Korea for a reasonable price. The winch obviously needs seals. However, does the winch actually work? You should get a demonstration with both speeds and reverse if you get the truck. The steel top is likely worthless if it was cut off and severely damaged. If only the bolts were cut off, it may be salvageable. The tops are bolted on. You can replace the hardtop or go for a soft top. Try to get Gimpy to look at it for you. Between the winch, transfer case, holes cut in body, windshield, and very likely other problems, $5K is way too much.

 

[rtk]

Have you checked the classified section for a M35 ? also you could also place an add for vehicle wanted in the same section . Do not be in a rush for your MV , nice ones are out there , just keep looking . As this is your first MV , I think you should be looking for a more ride and drive MV , You know the old saying "Pay me now or pay me later '" I will also add that you could also contact the local MVPA affiliate in your area , which is the Ohio motor pool , a big active group . good luck happy hunting !!!

 

[kendelrio]

Welcome to the site! This is a veritable clearinghouse of knowledge and there are some pretty sharp cookies here.

I owned a 1969 M35A2 and it would pop out of gear. it wasn't long afterward I lost the top gear and had to replace the transmission.

It's not a hard task, but as stated, in my humble opinion 5k is too much to ask for the truck. There are more reasonably priced deuces out there in better shape.

Check our classifieds and look around. Your truck will find you.

 

[HDN]

Welcome to the site! That's great that you've been into the restoration work for a bit. You'll need bigger tools for the deuces and larger trucks if you don't already have them, like 3/4" drives and a torque multiplier.

I agree with everyone else here, that guy is asking too much for that truck as you describe it. He might've bought it for $5k and is trying to get the money back. It sounds better as a parts truck.

If you keep looking you can find road-worthy trucks for $4000-$6000. My go-to places are here, Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, and EBay. GovPlanet is also an option as sometimes they do have some older stuff on there that's not government surplus.

Any particular reason why you want a deuce instead of a 5-ton? If I did it again I probably would've gone for an M939 series truck since they seem a bit more rugged, plus they have air brakes. The 5-tons I've seen typically cost around the same as deuces.

 

[M35fan]

Hello and welcome to the forum! Looks like wiser heads than mine have already answered your question. I will add my opinion, for what its worth.
The problems that you describe are all fixable, with money and time (plus a lot of work). I wouldn't call that truck a total lost cause, but it is not worth 5K. I paid 6 for mine, with a solid straight body and 90% mechanically sound. They are out there. Good luck with your search!

 

[Jbulach]

I should mention that he said it was the whistler motor, I did not hear the turbo whistle. In videos I've watched of these trucks it should have been noticeable I think. I'll ask him for some pics of the engine. Something I did not look at very closely when I looked at it. My fault. But it did run pretty good. He did say he used ether to get it started because it doesn't like to start right away in the cold. That was a red flag for me.

Did you make an offer or get a feel if the owner would come down on his price? I have a rule on twice the scrap price if I’m going to take a gamble on a purchase. Not sure what scrap value is right now but without seeing the truck in person with your description of condition, I’m thinking $1,500-$2,000 tops, if you have the time, space, and really want to put a lot of work and money into it, or just evaluate it for a future parts, or a part out truck.

Let me know it you go back and try to deal, I can help you pick apart the less obvious items on the truck as the chassis on the 2-1/2 and 5 tons are very similar, and I have a little bit of a feel for the nuances of the m35a2 after poking around them and years of reading here.

 

[cattlerepairman]

Wow. 5k. That would have been a "parts truck" a while back. Proud price for the amount of work and parts it needs in order to be more than a farm implement.
If you are looking for a serious project, the base truck needs to be way cheaper. If you are looking for a truck to maintain and enjoy, it needs to be in way better condition. The horror lies in between these two.

Sent from my SM-G950W using Tapatalk

 

[banditt1979]

I really appreciate everyone's advice and input. I wanted a deuce because of its ruggedness and no requirement for a CDL. We were looking to build a bug out vehicle that could go anywhere and run on different types of fuel which led me to the multifuel deuce. A project is one thing; I'm not afraid to take on a project but I don't want to go broke doing it. Or not be able to find parts. I'm not sure if he will come down on the price, originally had it listed for 5.5k then lowered it to just 5. Kept saying it has "good bones" but that he had too many projects.

I've been on all the typical websites. CL didn't have anything at all, FB marketplace is where I saw this one and a few others that were very high priced, like over 10k and one I saw was 13.5k. I did message a guy on here that had one for 7k and had a lot of extra parts to go with it but I never heard back.

I'm sure if I offered him 2k he would turn it down, but I might anyway just to see what he says.

It wasn't popping in and out of gear, the transfer case popped out when he hit reverse to turn around. Still not a good sign there either.

 

[18operator]

Without pictures, maybe 3k at most. If it did run and drive, that's a good start.

 

[fleetmech]

5k is too much for those problems. A multi in good condition can start in the frigid cold just fine, and that t-case is probably on its way out. He's absolutely lying about it being normal to chain it in gear. Thats just preposterous.

Of course it is worth noting that prices have gone up all across the board. $1K deuces have gone the way of the $80 Mosin and for largely the same reasons. Inexpensive, plentiful, and fairly durable meant they were bought, beat to death and thrown away. Especially with the world looking a bit grim people are looking for those qualities again, but the supply is running dry.