What am I getting into with an auction truck?!

[Mogman]

Surplus 2003 AM General M997A2 HMMWV 2 Door Hard Top w/Ambulance Body in Albany, Georgia, United States (GovPlanet Item #6374969)

You can sell the ambulance body for more than scrap value, too damn bad they remove the doors or I might buy one.
Sorry I cannot speak about the holes.

 

[Autonomy_Lost]

It's amazing to me that they remove the rear doors as part of the demil process. How dare we peasants own a vehicle that can transport sick people?

Meanwhile we have no problem giving away fully armored M1151's with machine guns to the Taliban and Ukraine.

 

[BLK HMMWV]

Like Mainsail asked.
What is your end game with truck.
Trucks are plentiful in allot of variants.
Are you going to try and restore it?
Are you going to modify it?
What amount of patience do you have sourcing parts?

If you want anything with a functional turret in it in the end your better off buying something from a private party.
If you're in a hurry to get a truck, then you probably should find something from somebody that has already done all the waiting game part of the auction.
You plan on driving it on the road? Better check into it where you live and get an understanding of the process, you're going to possibly face trying to get it registered. Sometimes it might be better to buy one from a private party in the state you live in that's already plated for the road.

Live in a HOA. Might be required to park it inside.
Insurance might also require it be parked inside.

Like wrenching on things? not every part is available at the local auto parts store.
Not every local mechanic is used to working on them especially the electrical system.
No dealerships to take too for service.

Need it to be watertight? Best buying a civy H1
Want to be able to carry on a conversation and listen to music or answer a phone while driving it. Buy a JEEP or a H1.

But if you still want one at auction, remember the related fees, as well as transportation cost to get it from the auction site to.
Factor all that in then the long wait to get your paperwork.

 

[thoner7]

Like Mainsail asked.
What is your end game with truck.
Trucks are plentiful in allot of variants.
Are you going to try and restore it?
Are you going to modify it?
What amount of patience do you have sourcing parts?

If you want anything with a functional turret in it in the end your better off buying something from a private party.
If you're in a hurry to get a truck, then you probably should find something from somebody that has already done all the waiting game part of the auction.
You plan on driving it on the road? Better check into it where you live and get an understanding of the process, you're going to possibly face trying to get it registered. Sometimes it might be better to buy one from a private party in the state you live in that's already plated for the road.

Live in a HOA. Might be required to park it inside.
Insurance might also require it be parked inside.

Like wrenching on things? not every part is available at the local auto parts store.
Not every local mechanic is used to working on them especially the electrical system.
No dealerships to take too for service.

Need it to be watertight? Best buying a civy H1
Want to be able to carry on a conversation and listen to music or answer a phone while driving it. Buy a JEEP or a H1.

But if you still want one at auction, remember the related fees, as well as transportation cost to get it from the auction site to.
Factor all that in then the long wait to get your paperwork.

About how long have the wait times been recently? And how much are the fees? Is it a flat rate or % of the sale?

 

[Maxjeep1]

About how long have the wait times been recently? And how much are the fees? Is it a flat rate or % of the sale?

This is how much fees are paid you have to pay sales tax. Some people won’t have to pay taxes but I did even though my state doesn’t collect taxes on military vehicles

 

[spankybear]

Get an LMTV

 

[TOBASH]

That’s what I liked about my M1165. It never had armor.View attachment 884113

Mine also never had armor.

 

[Maxjeep1]

Mine also never had armor.

Yes, we have twins. I seen maybe 10 trucks like ours at auction. I like the roof better and I prefer the truck over the modern slant back.

 

[juanprado]

So I would have to assume its wear and tear is very light?!?!

I have seen this truck at veterans parades and the New Orleans Air show.
This truck looked very average in condition but it was special as it is a former forward air controller with the amtech hard top. Whats makes it special is that is has the extra small door for a slide out antenna base. They told me it came from a LA air national guard unit.
The gear in it and paint job with markings is strictly eye candy

 

[thoner7]

That’s what I liked about my M1165. It never had armor.View attachment 884113

I like that. Never seen that kind of top on it

 

[Mogman]

My helmet top, it is about as aerodynamic as a brick.
If anyone has one and they are not 6'6" I highly recommend flipping the side doors.
It has been swapped in its parking bay with the DuraVee as it's guna be in the 40s tomorrow and I have to go to town.
I have seen those doors on a couple helmet tops and wondered what they were for, I know where there is one of those mounts but mine does not have that door.

 

[Coug]

There are less aerodynamic versions of the Amtech top available also...



This is just the mid height version. The tall version is about 2' taller than this one.

 

[blutow]

As others have said, an auction like this is ultimately a crap shoot. If you can't absorb a major unknown issue (like a engine and/or transmission replacement, new injector pump, etc.), I wouldn't recommend it. I'm not saying a bad engine is likely in a "runner", but you just don't know. There are things you can do to improve your odds. Expect to pay a bit of a premium if you want the best chance to get a good truck. My approach was to focus on the cleanest, zero rust, lowest mileage truck that was never up-armored. I know folks will chime in and say you can't trust the odometers (and they are right), but the mileage combined with looking carefully at the pictures can help tell the story. Also, I made sure I was looking at trucks that were "reset" so that I wasn't dealing with 20+ year old main components. Looking at the mileage at the time of reset also helps tell the story. When I bought my 1123 back in September of 2021, there were a few each week that fit this profile. Trucks that had under 100 miles on the odometer and the pics showed clean undercarriages, the little nubs on tires, shiney bolts everywhere with no corrosion, just little things you can pick out that indicate the truck has had limited use (at least since the reset). The downside of these trucks was that most were really basic (2 door, no top/doors, no A/C, no bumpers, etc.),. Because nobody wants a 2 door, the auction prices on these trucks were ~$8k-$12k while heavily used 4 doors with tattered tops and doors and holes from armor were going for $16k+. It's easy enough to turn a 2 door into a 4 door (the biggest cost is the top/doors that you'd have to replace on the 4 door anyway).

There are some red flags in the auction inspection that I cared about and some I didn't. Oil leaks can be tough to fix. Fuel leaks are generally not a concern and tend to scare folks away (which is good unless it turns out to be an injection pump). I didn't really pay much attention to the "blow by" assessment unless it was pouring smoke from the oil fill. Without the CDR in place, you will get some smoke from the crankcase and many of these engines on the low mile rebuilds are not even broken in yet.

I ended up with a 2001 that was rebuilt in 2009. 32 miles on the odometer and 22 miles at the time of rebuild. I have no idea if that's right, but it's obvious it hadn't been driven since the rebuilt. The belt pullys still had fresh unworn paint on them, there was paint burning off the exhaust in places after running a while, etc., you can just tell when something hasn't been used yet. This isn't all positive, it means that nobody has really shaken out the truck yet. I found some loose bolts and poorly routed wires, had to adjust the throttle linkage a bit, just a few random things. The only things "wrong" was a bad washer pump, leaky fuel return line, a leaky hydraulic connection, and a couple sticky seat belt retractors that I eventually replaced. It also needed mirrors and windshield wipers. So, I paid a bit of a premium to get a very clean running (but basic) truck. It wasn't a guarantee that I wouldn't have a big problem, but I was fine paying a premium to increase my odds.

All that said, while there wasn't much "wrong" with the truck, almost all the trucks that have been sitting need the basics and you can go further if you really want to make them reliable. Tires are needed on almost all of them due to age, even if the tread looks perfect. Unless you are putzing around the farm/ranch at low speeds, you need to get some fresh rubber (~$2k for new, less if you want to go old stock or used). Most of them are going to need batteries (~$900 for original, less if you want to go another route). Obviously, all new fluids and filters. New spindle nut lock washers. All the rubber (hoses, etc.) on mine was pretty good, but I decided to replace everything since it was sitting in the desert for over 10 years. I replaced the fuel pump because it's a common failure point and has rubber in it. Then, you start adding the stuff to make it your own and more usable. New top/doors, LED headlights, 24 bolt wheels, rear bumber, radio tray, etc. Before you know it, your $9k auction truck has over $20k in it, but it's like a new truck and should be pretty reliable (knock on wood). And it's also a lot of fun getting them sorted out.

 

[Maxjeep1]

My non-runner had a really bad oil leak from auction pics. I changed the o-rings on the oil filter adapter because it looked like it was coming from there. When I changed the oil I put dye in it so I could find any other leaks. After I replaced the IP I let in run for a few hours off and on and maybe 30 minutes at a time. I seen a drop in the driveway and I put my uv light on it and it was glowing and it was dripping off the filter again. I got underneath and seen the entire exhaust manifold glowing green. After further review I have a power steering leak that’s running along the manifold and dripping on the oil filter. I need to see what has failed and fix it. I guess what I’m saying is pictures can be deceiving and even in person can make you scratch your head. It takes time to sort out a truck that doesn’t run. A/C blows cold. Lol

 

[juanprado]

My helmet top, it is about as aerodynamic as a brick.
If anyone has one and they are not 6'6" I highly recommend flipping the side doors.
It has been swapped in its parking bay with the DuraVee as it's guna be in the 40s tomorrow and I have to go to town.
I have seen those doors on a couple helmet tops and wondered what they were for, I know where there is one of those mounts but mine does not have that door.

View attachment 884154

I have only seen one at a surplus store in Tx. I was tempted but had no practical use for it. I wonder if we shopped the same store

 

[Retiredwarhorses]

Anyone buying an ECV and having owned and driven an A2 is going to be let down by the 3.08 gears…
I still get about a call a week from some new owner or shop asking if there is a problem because the
truck is Tac’ing so much higher than the A2 truck they own or owned.

As far as REV and ECV, neither is more or less expensive than the other, it’s all dependent on where you start from, meaning…if the truck you buy is a basket case, you may need parts that are specific to the REV as opposed to the ECV.
The REV is current production, so your parts availability is fresher, but at the same time competing with AM general who is still manufacturing the truck. Most everything is the same ECV to REV, except the Tcase, brakes,GFD and oil cooler.
The ECV stops as good as a REV, but for serious off road the Wilwood setup would outperform single piston calipers under heavy use, the viscous fan clutch is a plus for many as it does away with the hydraulic unit, I personally don’t care either way, but the indicated temperatures are lower on the viscous setup because the fan is always moving air.
M Daily shop truck is an M1152 ECV, love it….my other 4 are REV 51,52 and 65’s, yesterday I spent V-day removing the belly armor so I could replace the leaking fuel pump…so be glad your trucks aren’t armored.

 

[thoner7]

Is it worth it to buy a seconds parts truck? Seems like enough of the non runners sell for under 5k and could save you that much on new parts.

but I guess what I’m wondering is… are the parts even worth it? In my experience junk yard parts or used often fail so fast buying new is worth the cost.

 

[Autonomy_Lost]

Is it worth it to buy a seconds parts truck? Seems like enough of the non runners sell for under 5k and could save you that much on new parts.

but I guess what I’m wondering is… are the parts even worth it? In my experience junk yard parts or used often fail so fast buying new is worth the cost.

Possibly, depends on what parts you need. Dont forget that auction fees, tax, and shipping add up fast. And its more expensive to ship a non runner.

 

[BKubu]

Is it worth it to buy a seconds parts truck? Seems like enough of the non runners sell for under 5k and could save you that much on new parts.

but I guess what I’m wondering is… are the parts even worth it? In my experience junk yard parts or used often fail so fast buying new is worth the cost.

I used to horde parts for every vehicle I owned. I literally had thousands and thousands of dollars of parts, mostly NOS. I had all kinds of stuff, some very rare and highly desirable. I decided when doing a mental inventory that it made much more sense for me to just buy what I need WHEN I NEED it, even if I have to pay a bit more at that time. If you can get both trucks home for close to the shipping of one truck, it may make sense to grab a second one.

 

[thoner7]

Possibly, depends on what parts you need. Dont forget that auction fees, tax, and shipping add up fast. And its more expensive to ship a non runner.

Curious what people pay for shipping? I’m about 450 miles from the Albany Georgia location. I’d get it myself but I’d need to rent a trailer and can’t find a company locally.