Wanting to buy my 1st deuce have a question about mileage

[sac]

Hello all,

Newbie looking for some info. I tried the search and didn't realy come up with anything, so here goes.

A little back ground on me as to aid in my question. I have been working in a gm parts dept for 30+ years so I fully understand about the importance of the up keep of a vehicle, so with that being said what is high milage for a M35A2? I missed out on one with only 9,000 on it. The others I'm seing are 30 to 40 thousand and was woundering if that was high for one or if they had a lot of life left if it had good up keep and not used hard.

Thanks Scott

 

[dmetalmiki]

Firstly, welcome to the hobbie. You should allways look for the lowest mileage you can get, just like for any motor vehicle you might wish to buy. Same goes for the condition and any servicing records. And doing a google search reveals a wealth of information, as well as the technical manuals available on this site. Asking pertinant questions when you have derived some usefull information on this site will also get you access to a wealth of knowledge from members. So good luck in your quest to join the green "desease" and obtaining an ex military vehicle of whatever type you settle for.

 

[welldigger]

Truth be told most of us don't really know for sure what our mileage really is with absolute certainty. Reason being is if the speedometer went out they just swapped it out with a new one or functional used one and didn't bother to reset mileage in most cases. If an engine blew up they just swapped it. Same thing with every other part of the truck. Often records don't exist of the work done outside the military.

More important than the actual mileage is the overall condition of the truck. Does it run good? Does it shift correctly? How bad are the leaks? Just so you know deuces almost always drip or seep some kind of fluid. But if your getting large puddles under the truck you have a more serious problem.

Basically just check the functionality of everything and take it for a test drive like you would any other truck. Deuces always have some squeaks and rattles but if something is seriously wrong it's usually fairly obvious.

Just keep reading as much as you can about deuces and make an informed decision after you thoroughly inspect the truck.

 

[USAFSS-ColdWarrior]

Welcome aboard

Find a bunk, stow your gear, and prepare to get underway

 

[Flyingvan911]

My deuce was rebuilt by the military in 1985. The odometer said 42k when I got it. As mentioned above, the speedo may have been changed so who knows if it's right or not. (I think mine is original.)The best thing is to 1-research, 2-find an experienced member near you who can show you the ropes. High milage doesn't always mean trouble but it is reasonable to look for a low milage truck. I'd take a high milage deuce that's been well cared for over a low milage one that is poorly maintained.

 

[Jeepsinker]

Don't go by the mileage. If it runs good and purrs at idle, buy it. Everything else is just maintenance.

 

[EWhytsell]

Don't go by the mileage. If it runs good and purrs at idle, buy it. Everything else is just maintenance.

Exactly, lots of parts have rebuild tags, been swapped to keep one running, etc. No way to tell other than as is.

 

[Jeepsinker]

Main thing I would be concerned about is body rust. Find one with a good solid body and you're golden.

 

[m16ty]

I wouldn't worry about mileage unless it was something crazy high and even then most odometers aren't accurate.

I've actually had more problems with super low mileage trucks than I have higher mileage trucks. Trucks with super low mileage have all kinds of problems from sitting for long periods of time, the worst being they tend to develop leaks everywhere once you get to using them.

On higher mileage trucks, there's a pretty good chance they have had many parts replaced, and have been serviced regularly. Low mileage trucks are sometimes trucks that just get forgotten on a back lot somewhere and just sit without any service or periodic operation to keep everything lubed.

 

[mbehne]

Not sure where your at in Iowa, but if your anywhere close to the south east part, your more than welcome to stop by. I'll do my best to help you with a few things to look for and what one should drive like.

Mike

 

[FloridaAKM]

Welcome aboard! Now days, just finding a good truck is a stroke of luck. Buy one you can afford & try to have a knowledgable MV owner look @ it before signing the paperwork. The mileage on the speedo is never really known, just as all the guys in prior posts stated; you just hope it is correct!

 

[sac]

Not sure where your at in Iowa, but if your anywhere close to the south east part, your more than welcome to stop by. I'll do my best to help you with a few things to look for and what one should drive like.

Mike

North east of Cedar Rapids. I saw you have one for sale.
Thanks Scott

 

[sac]

Thank you for all the feed back. I'll check them out as a any other truck.

Thanks Scott

 

[bigbear83]

Just use common sense like the other members said, if it runs good and isnt a rust bucket and doesnt have puddles of fluids all around it, which will be hard to notice if parked in a field or grass, you will be fine. Look in the vehicles for sale section, unfortunately I discovered SS after I purchased my deuce. If I could do it all over again id buy from one of our members. Check out the vehicles for sale section. And get one with a winch if you can.

 

[m109a2]

Hey Scott could not agree with bigbear83 more,I bought my rig from a well known ss member.He knew the truck better than anybody.After talking to this gentleman on the phone,I jumped on a bird bought it and drove her over a thousand miles home.Most fun I had in a while.In my first MV!!!!!