Value of truck question

[sluggish]

The ball is in his court right now and I'm hoping I get a response soon, so I know either way. If I'm fortunate enough to get it, I will definitely leave it stock for the time being. If I find out it is a rare piece, I wouldn't be a fan of cutting it up and would likely look for another to do that with. Lots of thoughts and ideas but none of them mean a **** thing if I can't get him to part with it.

Funny thing is I wasn't actively looking(always said someday I'd find one I like) and then this thing pops up out of nowhere. I've worked there for a year and a half and had no idea it was just sitting in the shop doing nothing for the past 3-4 years. Now that I know it's there, and see it every week, it's all I can think about. Only someone with a sickness can go from "not really looking" to "I gotta have this" in the blink of an eye. And only another guy like it(or several others like him) can completely understand the thought process. My wife thinks I'm nuts but then again she always has.

 

[sluggish]

Oh yeah, the number on the frame matches the number plate on the dash as well. There are also some numbers on the back bumperettes if they mean anything to you.

 

[sluggish]

Finally spoke face to face with the owner today, although very briefly. Basically just long enough to set up a meeting for next week. Turns out he has wanted to approach me about the truck and work out an arrangement for me to attract tourists with it, and in the process, apply the revenue generated towards payment of the truck. We haven't talked $$$ yet but that will hopefully come out in the meeting. If I am able to purchase the vehicle by trading time(which I have lots of right now), I am all for it. Will keep you posted but one or another, it looks like the truck is at least available to me. Won't count my chickens before their hatched but at least it looks promising.

 

[sluggish]

Well I had my meeting yesterday and sadly, they have discussed it and would like to keep the truck for now. Too bad for me as I was hoping, but it's not the end of the world. I am at the top of the list if and when they decide to sell but I won't hold my breath.

 

[sluggish]

Well a year has gone by, plans and life have changed and I bought other toys, and a property, and today, out of the blue, the new guy in charge decides he will sell it. So I bought it. At this point I really don't have a place for it or a use for it, but I wasn't going to let it go. Now to determine whether to keep and park it or create a use for it. Won't my wife be surprised when she gets home from holidays tomorrow.

 

[m1010plowboy]

Girls love a clean Early Deuce....love them. Someone took care of that truck so I can't wait to look it over, with your camera. Really appreciate you sharing the pictures, it's so clean it must have spent the last 59 years at a spa. Beautiful.

 

[OilfieldRoughneck]

I hope you don't bob it, it's too clean

 

[USMC 00-08]

That is a great looking truck!

 

[sluggish]

Girls love a clean Early Deuce....love them. Someone took care of that truck so I can't wait to look it over, with your camera. Really appreciate you sharing the pictures, it's so clean it must have spent the last 59 years at a spa. Beautiful.

Well I know it was stored inside for the last several years, in the winter anyway. The resort I got it from originally bought it planning to use it as a static prop for their paintball area, but the paintball part of the resort did not get zoning approved by the township, so the truck sat in storage until they figured out what to do with it. That was for many years. Then last year they got an inflatable obstacle course that was 'army looking' and decided to use it as a prop to park beside that for people to look at. With kids crawling all over it, they were concerned about liability so it was time to get rid of it.(Could have just put a fence around it but obviously nobody thought of that, lucky me).

I went by to get the manual and paperwork today and fired it up for the first time, and I was actually shocked at how smooth and quiet it runs. I think I've just heard the multi fuel engines and the big trucks so I expected it to be really loud, but it's no louder than my flat head 6 dodge 1/2 ton, and definitely quieter than my skid steer. I'm sure the volume will increase dramatically when driving down the road but it is very quiet at idle and when giving it a few rpm. The brakes need to be topped up and bled as there is not much pedal. I'm guessing it leaked out as I do recall seeing a stain on the grass where it was parked last summer. Battery needs to be charged as well as it did turn over pretty slow. It only has about 20 miles on it since the last safety but that was a couple years ago, so I will need to go through it again before putting many miles on it. I'll put some pics up when I get it home, maybe this weekend if I get some stuff moved around on the driveway to make room for it.

I took my daughter with me today to see it and she had only two comments. "Daddy are you going to war?" And the other was "I think it's pretty cool, and ugly, but I think mommy's going to think it's just ugly and not like it."

 

[kubotaman]

Looks like a great truck. I'd keep in original and not touch it unless there are any major issues but it is your truck. Kids love MVs.

 

[sluggish]

It will be kept in stock form.

 

[sluggish]

Ok I am debating what I will be doing with the truck. It will be kept in stock 6x6 form at this point but I am considering adding some seats and using it as a tour vehicle, in addition to my Hummer. I am trying to figure if it will go where my Hummer does. I have no doubt that it will be able to drive through any of the terrain, but my concern is with some of the angles I put the Hummer on. I have some pretty steep side slopes that I drive on and I'm a little concerned about the deuce capabilities. The Hummer can handle a 40% grade on a side hill, what about the deuce? Everything else, other than some of the narrow parts are no problem, maybe need to do a little extra tree pruning. Anyone know where I could find this info, I have searched but no luck yet.

This is only one option of course. Another option is to just sell it or trade it for an already bobbed deuce and have another toy, and maybe add that as a tour vehicle, or not. Or trade it for a collector car/truck that I can use more regularly. Or just keep it until I find a use for it(prefer not to do this as it is just money tied up in a lawn ornament at that point).

 

[m1010plowboy]

Slip side slopin' away

There is a little info in the CDN-OM9-819A Operators manual.....but nothing about side sloping. I haven't pushed mine enough to give a testimonial however I have heard stories about the G749 climbing mountains while towing British units behind them. We need some experienced military boys to tell us some more stories about where they've taken the Early Deuce!



Breaking down, off-road in a 12,000lb, 60 year old truck sounds like a bad deal to some folks. If you're prepared for those kinds of recoveries then it could be a lot of fun. Your truck doesn't look like its had a ton of wear on it......however, everything electrical and rubber is still 60 years old so the fail point is unknown. Once you go through the catastrophic stuff like the service brakes, E-brake and steering, the confidence level can go up. Blowing 1 brake line in that truck while on a down hill grade could be nasty. This is avoidable with an upgrade to a dual circuit brake system.

There's also a ton of maintenance on the truck but once you've gone through it most of it doesn't need to be done for 12,000 miles...or seasonally, depending on use.



I'd run it and take a pile of videos. You'd only be doing what a ton of others wish they could be doing. Now, you can follow the hummer in the deuce and take the hummer where you wouldn't normally take a hummer. Then you can get that 5 ton and start taking the deuce where you wouldn't normally take a deuce.......

 

[sluggish]

Got a little glitch in trying to pick it up today. I cannot get the brake fluid cap off in order to add some fluid, and it needs it. Tried a 30" breaker bar with a snipe, and nothing. Can't drive it home until I can get some brakes, especially with the hills around here. An impact likely won't help since I can't budge it with the breaker bar. I guess I could get it towed home and tinker with it at home, where I have time to let some penetrating oil soak in, but really don't want to think of what that will cost me. Any ideas on how to crack this thing loose?

 

[frank8003]

Kroil
then wait two daze
Any ideas on how to crack this thing loose?

 

[m1010plowboy]

Got a little glitch in trying to pick it up today. I cannot get the brake fluid cap off in order to add some fluid, and it needs it. Tried a 30" breaker bar with a snipe, and nothing. Can't drive it home until I can get some brakes, especially with the hills around here. An impact likely won't help since I can't budge it with the breaker bar. I guess I could get it towed home and tinker with it at home, where I have time to let some penetrating oil soak in, but really don't want to think of what that will cost me. Any ideas on how to crack this thing loose?

Lately, in the best interest of the trucks, I've been calling a winch, deck truck to carry them home. We had one truck that dislodged a push rod so test firing is ok but 'firing it up' and driving it would have caused more damage. MVPA SuperDave insisted on pulling the valve cover and making sure all the visible parts were where they needed to be long before we used my old 'git er done' method. To prevent further damage, every component from Radiator to rear lights should be serviced before running them.

If all the maintenance has been done, oil, air, gas, coolant, plugs, wires, 60 year old rubber brake lines replaced, wheel cylinders checked within a year, E-brake drum assembly checked for cracks and adjusted and steering components adjusted and checked for wear,.........then we test it in a field.

You can add a lot of brake fluid to an MC only to have it flow out the end of a wheel cylinder, fitting or air-pak so they never see a public road until the entire brake system has been touched. I've never been fortunate enough to get one out of the field that we could add brake fluid to and drive, they all had a leak, somewhere.

Trying to bleed the brake system will help to determine where it's leaking but we don't drive them if the system leaks anywhere on these trucks. A leak can lead to an immediate brake pedal to the floor scenario and that is avoided by knowing every hose, fitting and rubber bitt on your G749.

Take your time with it, get it on blocks and pull the drums. If you're not pulling the box, grab some mirrors and a funky LED that straps to your head and look at every line.


Having it hauled will give you a chance to soak every bolt on the truck which made our tear-down so much easier. A long soak in degreaser and a hot bath is another thing that we do so we can keep things cooler and watch for fresh leaks easier.

Having to use a snipe on the master cylinder bolt is not a good start but post lots of pictures and we'll help out anyway we can. The boys are blowing the dust off the locks of the G749 parts warehouse any day now.

 

[USMC 00-08]

Kroil
then wait two daze
Any ideas on how to crack this thing loose?

Hammer down on the bolt that holds the cap on to free things up if there is corrosion. Not too hard though.

Then try loosening the bolt.

I agree with what plowboy says. I too have never seen one of these trucks that the brakes were ready to go with a simple fill and bleed.

 

[SturmTyger380]

I agree, when I first opened my brake master cover I started adding brake fluid but gave up as it apparently was going into the abyss. Better to tote them home.

 

[sluggish]

Interesting twist for me as I stumbled across a great unimog to add to my tour business, so it will soon be on its way to me. That means I will have no use for the deuce, so it will be going up for sale. Haven't even gotten it home yet and already it will be going bye bye. Oh well, $h1t happens. The unimog will be a much better candidate for what I do, and plus it will fit in the garage when I need to repair it.

 

[OilfieldRoughneck]

Hopefully sell it to another SS member who can appreciate it