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The 73 - 91 GM truck body (Suburban, Blazer, Pickup) are MY body style.
I've owned three Subs, an M1009, an M1031 and I just added an M1028a3.
I will concur that the engine can be loud. The cab CAN be loud. There is NO A/C. Nor is there a radio. At least in stock form. But consider this. All of these issues CAN be dealt with, if you so choose.
First off, change ALL your fluids over to synthetics (including your axles). I personally only use Royal Purple but any synthetic should work. Plus I add in Prolong. My engine is much quieter than the other two M1009's that are currently in our club. I give the nod to the synthetics. I also use Purple ICE in the radiator and it will drop operating temps by as much as 20%.
Second, you WILL be able to drive at 70 mph (gear calculator shows it at 2500 rpm) all day long. You should get fairly good mpg at 2500 rpm. You would have a TH400 tranny, an NP208 transfer case with your axles geared at 3.08:1 and your tires SHOULD be 31" if they are 'stock' sized. Which is how I got the 71 mph at 2500 rpm.
To tame the noise there are numerous tricks. First off, use synthetic fluids. Second, USE LOTS OF INSULATION. I like Fat Mat. I cover that with at least one (generally two) layers of jute. Then cover that with a new rubber floor from LMC Trucks. My next cheat is to put on the hood insulator (again from LMC Trucks) if your vehicle doesn't have it and all but one M1009 I've seen do not. But on that ONE M1009 with hood insulation, you could not even hear the motor running when you were standing next to it or on the inside. Also, don't forget about a set of QUIET tires. I run Cooper Discoverer M+S's and they are SUPER quiet.
I will be taking noise readings in the coming weeks with my Radio Shack meter, read in decibels and will do a write up. First readings will be around town in normal traffic. Then up on the freeway for high speed (70 mph) runs. All this will be in stock form for a baseline set of numbers. Then I will insulate the floor as stated above and redo the runs and record the numbers. Then I will add the under hood insulation and redo the runs again and record the numbers. I'll actually have a buddy of mine take the readings and record the results OR let him drive while I take the reading and record the results.
A/C can be added. Mike at OD Iron offers you a kit that will help you add in A/C and works well from what I've read. You can also add a radio for helping make that long commute a little more tolerable.
So, can you use an M1009 as a daily commute? Yes. Will it be a comfortable drive? It depends on YOU and how much work you are willing to do. Realize that there is some work to be done, but it CAN be done. Do you need A/C? Man, that's up to you, but again, you CAN add it if you want.
There are all sorts of tips and tricks that make this possible. Plus realize that for the first time in at least four or five years, diesel has dropped down in price to be either equal to or cheaper than regular gasoline. And there are tricks that help you get good MPG. All my vehicles have an K&N air filter for starters. I ONLY use Royal Purple synthetics for another.
Plus I'll also mention one other thing. Chances are really good you will NEVER get a speeding ticket in your M1009. There are a lot of reasons. First and foremost, the setup of the M1009 is not one built for speed. It's built for MPG and endurance. The 6.2L J code engine is built stout to be used (abused?) by young soldiers who have never been known to treat things gently. Last, but not least, most LEO's just don't give two glances at your retired military truck.
And $3750 for a price? That's not that bad, especially as it's already in private hands. Things you need to realize that even if you get lucky and win an auction through GL, there are several 'added' (hidden?) costs involved. I just won an M1028a3 and here's what happened AFTER winning the bid at $4750. GL adds their 10% ($475). Then the state of New York added sales tax for about 8% and that added another $400. So they charged me $5650. To that, if you want an SF97 (needed to get your title), you will have to give them another $60. That brings MY total to $5710.
From that point, you will need to get it home. Don't do what I did. I bought mine in a different state. 2000 miles AWAY different state. And you can either pay someone to deliver it OR go get it. If you are lucky, you won't have to add tires (I didn't need to). And if you are really lucky, everything is ok with your truck. Mine was missing a bracket that held the NP205 transfer case to support it's weight. Because of this, one bad piece of road and the tranny ended up with a snapped tailshaft. THAT piece of bad luck costs me $2900. Then I went and picked up my truck. I drove almost 2000 miles in four days (from Scranton, Pa to Denver, Co) and trust me when I tell you, it was a long four days. NO A/C. NO radio (a plus, given that weekend was when the gloved one died). So I have recent first hand experience driving an MV a LONG DISTANCE for four days and what's involved. While it was a long drive, I FLAT LOVED IT. Four days by myself gave me lots of time to think. You would get that in smaller doses during your daily commute.
I hope that gives you enough insight to make your decision. I will say that I have NEVER regretted my purchasing of the four MV's I've owned. I've sold the deuce a couple of years back. And I recently sold an M1031. But I currently own an M1009 and my new M1028a3 and just couldn't be happier with the vehicles. That just my two cents.
I've owned three Subs, an M1009, an M1031 and I just added an M1028a3.
I will concur that the engine can be loud. The cab CAN be loud. There is NO A/C. Nor is there a radio. At least in stock form. But consider this. All of these issues CAN be dealt with, if you so choose.
First off, change ALL your fluids over to synthetics (including your axles). I personally only use Royal Purple but any synthetic should work. Plus I add in Prolong. My engine is much quieter than the other two M1009's that are currently in our club. I give the nod to the synthetics. I also use Purple ICE in the radiator and it will drop operating temps by as much as 20%.
Second, you WILL be able to drive at 70 mph (gear calculator shows it at 2500 rpm) all day long. You should get fairly good mpg at 2500 rpm. You would have a TH400 tranny, an NP208 transfer case with your axles geared at 3.08:1 and your tires SHOULD be 31" if they are 'stock' sized. Which is how I got the 71 mph at 2500 rpm.
To tame the noise there are numerous tricks. First off, use synthetic fluids. Second, USE LOTS OF INSULATION. I like Fat Mat. I cover that with at least one (generally two) layers of jute. Then cover that with a new rubber floor from LMC Trucks. My next cheat is to put on the hood insulator (again from LMC Trucks) if your vehicle doesn't have it and all but one M1009 I've seen do not. But on that ONE M1009 with hood insulation, you could not even hear the motor running when you were standing next to it or on the inside. Also, don't forget about a set of QUIET tires. I run Cooper Discoverer M+S's and they are SUPER quiet.
I will be taking noise readings in the coming weeks with my Radio Shack meter, read in decibels and will do a write up. First readings will be around town in normal traffic. Then up on the freeway for high speed (70 mph) runs. All this will be in stock form for a baseline set of numbers. Then I will insulate the floor as stated above and redo the runs and record the numbers. Then I will add the under hood insulation and redo the runs again and record the numbers. I'll actually have a buddy of mine take the readings and record the results OR let him drive while I take the reading and record the results.
A/C can be added. Mike at OD Iron offers you a kit that will help you add in A/C and works well from what I've read. You can also add a radio for helping make that long commute a little more tolerable.
So, can you use an M1009 as a daily commute? Yes. Will it be a comfortable drive? It depends on YOU and how much work you are willing to do. Realize that there is some work to be done, but it CAN be done. Do you need A/C? Man, that's up to you, but again, you CAN add it if you want.
There are all sorts of tips and tricks that make this possible. Plus realize that for the first time in at least four or five years, diesel has dropped down in price to be either equal to or cheaper than regular gasoline. And there are tricks that help you get good MPG. All my vehicles have an K&N air filter for starters. I ONLY use Royal Purple synthetics for another.
Plus I'll also mention one other thing. Chances are really good you will NEVER get a speeding ticket in your M1009. There are a lot of reasons. First and foremost, the setup of the M1009 is not one built for speed. It's built for MPG and endurance. The 6.2L J code engine is built stout to be used (abused?) by young soldiers who have never been known to treat things gently. Last, but not least, most LEO's just don't give two glances at your retired military truck.
And $3750 for a price? That's not that bad, especially as it's already in private hands. Things you need to realize that even if you get lucky and win an auction through GL, there are several 'added' (hidden?) costs involved. I just won an M1028a3 and here's what happened AFTER winning the bid at $4750. GL adds their 10% ($475). Then the state of New York added sales tax for about 8% and that added another $400. So they charged me $5650. To that, if you want an SF97 (needed to get your title), you will have to give them another $60. That brings MY total to $5710.
From that point, you will need to get it home. Don't do what I did. I bought mine in a different state. 2000 miles AWAY different state. And you can either pay someone to deliver it OR go get it. If you are lucky, you won't have to add tires (I didn't need to). And if you are really lucky, everything is ok with your truck. Mine was missing a bracket that held the NP205 transfer case to support it's weight. Because of this, one bad piece of road and the tranny ended up with a snapped tailshaft. THAT piece of bad luck costs me $2900. Then I went and picked up my truck. I drove almost 2000 miles in four days (from Scranton, Pa to Denver, Co) and trust me when I tell you, it was a long four days. NO A/C. NO radio (a plus, given that weekend was when the gloved one died). So I have recent first hand experience driving an MV a LONG DISTANCE for four days and what's involved. While it was a long drive, I FLAT LOVED IT. Four days by myself gave me lots of time to think. You would get that in smaller doses during your daily commute.
I hope that gives you enough insight to make your decision. I will say that I have NEVER regretted my purchasing of the four MV's I've owned. I've sold the deuce a couple of years back. And I recently sold an M1031. But I currently own an M1009 and my new M1028a3 and just couldn't be happier with the vehicles. That just my two cents.
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