Where to look for M35s/M109s?

[jimmbrooks]

I have been off of the boards for a while and now am back in the market to secure some classic iron. I see GL is no longer what I remember... any idea where to find a m35 or m109? I didn't see any posts about why I cant find anymore on any websites anymore. Is it just private sales for now? Can anyone help point this guy in the right direction?

Thanks guys
-Jimm

 

[kscarbel]

Good post. Back in the 1990s, Military Vehicles magazine had many classified ads posted by individuals (I still have those issues). But not any more.

 

[gringeltaube]

Somewhat related thread:

Current M35A2 value?

New guy here, just starting to get serious enough about purchasing one of these trucks after months of TM study and sourcing who has what parts. I'm noticing however that lots of people are asking 5 ton prices for their M35A2s. I figure if many people are asking $10k-15k for an unrestored or...

www.steelsoldiers.com

 

[jimmbrooks]

Thank you, I do look on Craigslist and ebay, but I was looking for what GL used to be. Like buying direct from military after decommissioning. There's just not many personal ads for deuces in my area of Connecticut. I emailed some of the forums sponsors but they have the m109 few and far between.

 

[M35fan]

Hi, Jim.
Welcome to the forum!
From what I have read (mostly on here), the surplus M35s from government auction have almost dried up. Private sale would be your best bet. Watch the classifieds section on here, M35s and M109s pop up often. If finding one that's local to you breaks the deal, you may have to be patient. I got lucky and found mine on CL one state away. Good luck!

 

[jimmbrooks]

Hi, Jim.
Welcome to the forum!
From what I have read (mostly on here), the surplus M35s from government auction have almost dried up. Private sale would be your best bet. Watch the classifieds section on here, M35s and M109s pop up often. If finding one that's local to you breaks the deal, you may have to be patient. I got lucky and found mine on CL one state away. Good luck!

Thank you. I'll continue to do that. I had thought that GL had gotten Into trouble or maybe the military stopped selling deuces but maybe that was a rumor I was trying fo find the answer to. To find out that all of them have dried up...wow I am late to the game.

 

[Charlie175]

I will have a standard M35a2 for sale in a month or so. It has a winch and hard top. 1968 model, Titled in Virginia
It was a former Brush truck and they had cut a few holes in the bed for piping. Need to fix that yet and the J pipe before I sell it.
I spoke to the Fire Chief that had it and he said they would have kept it but finding people to drive a stick was hard so they turned in to get a M35a3 with the Auto.

 

[jimmbrooks]

I will have a standard M35a2 for sale in a month or so. It has a winch and hard top. 1968 model, Titled in Virginia
It was a former Brush truck and they had cut a few holes in the bed for piping. Need to fix that yet and the J pipe before I sell it.
I spoke to the Fire Chief that had it and he said they would have kept it but finding people to drive a stick was hard so they turned in to get a M35a3 with the Auto.

What are the brake situations? Also have the PMs been upkept?

 

[Charlie175]

Brakes work but are the single line system. PM wise it was upkept by the FD according to the Chief but then it sat for a few years after it was turned in until .gov sold it. I got the truck as a package deal.
Mechanically it is OK. Body wise the fenders have been repaired. Has rust on other body locations like under the cab door area.
I rate this as a OK truck, nothing special, has warts and will need tires eventually (Has 10.0x20 Snow/mud tires on it now). Ideally it would need the fenders replaced.
Price wise I haven't thought about it much but it will be on the lower side of the scale since it is not a perfect unmolested truck.

 

[jimmbrooks]

Brakes work but are the single line system. PM wise it was upkept by the FD according to the Chief but then it sat for a few years after it was turned in until .gov sold it. I got the truck as a package deal.
Mechanically it is OK. Body wise the fenders have been repaired. Has rust on other body locations like under the cab door area.
I rate this as a OK truck, nothing special, has warts and will need tires eventually (Has 10.0x20 Snow/mud tires on it now). Ideally it would need the fenders replaced.
Price wise I haven't thought about it much but it will be on the lower side of the scale since it is not a perfect unmolested truck.

Well thank you for that and feel free to DM me when you take pictures and decide to let it go.

 

[gringeltaube]

Just a friendly reminder: This is a conversation thread and should remain such.
( -> No buying/selling in the open forums, please!)

 

[jimmbrooks]

Just a friendly reminder: This is a conversation thread and should remain such.
( -> No buying/selling in the open forums, please!)

Pardon me gringel, thread to remain a conversation only.

As for anyone else, is it still just private sales being the bulk of acquiring these trucks?

 

[Charlie175]

Sorry about that

 

[Charlie175]

I think I have run across 1 or 2 A3 models only on the .gov sale sites over the last few years. I too missed getting on the sale bonanza years back.

 

[msgjd]

sold all the M35a2's we had. but still one M35 gasser available in the yard ... Don't know how soon you want a M109 but in a couple years I think our 1970's M109A3 will be up for sale as one of the last items I am able to part with as I shut down the remainder of the business .. We bought it army-direct and personally set it up as a rolling shop with 3ft lathe, drill press, torches, welder, work bench, vise, steel office desk, multifuel potbelly tent stove, and rollaway bed under the bench .. I could be wrong but I don't think you are going to find any deuces of that era on federal surplus auction websites.. But state auctions and also the GSA Auctions site may have them and those will mostly be fire dept or forest service turn-in's

 

[msgjd]

I had thought that GL had gotten Into trouble

After we weren't able to direct-obtain from the DRMO's anymore, there was GL .. I had heard they got into trouble as well.. Trouble they caused for me is my catching their site people stealing items and parts from trucks after they were posted for sale.. Pictures would show certain items with the trucks and when you picked them up, things in the pics were missing ,, and then they would want cash from you in order to get those items back ... "Oh, that's too bad, those were missing when it came in. Maybe I can look around and see if I can come up with some of those .. " Yeah okay, that truck is sitting exactly where it appears in the auction picture .. (true story 1st-hand). Only had that sort of trouble at one base..
The most-common missing items experienced were;
1: front-rear tow rings & pins
2: tools
3: personnel ladders

All other locations we went to were apparently okay.. If not, at least they took the auction pics after items were removed

 

[jimmbrooks]

sold all the M35a2's we had. but still one M35 gasser available in the yard ... Don't know how soon you want a M109 but in a couple years I think our 1970's M109A3 will be up for sale as one of the last items I am able to part with as I shut down the remainder of the business .. We bought it army-direct and personally set it up as a rolling shop with 3ft lathe, drill press, torches, welder, work bench, vise, steel office desk, multifuel potbelly tent stove, and rollaway bed under the bench .. I could be wrong but I don't think you are going to find any deuces of that era on federal surplus auction websites.. But state auctions and also the GSA Auctions site may have them and those will mostly be fire dept or forest service turn-in's

Feel free to DM me with info on your m109 looks like I'm in the market but that market floats in the wind...if I pick one up I'll start a build thread on SS here... if not DM me I'm interested

Thank you for giving me some additional locations to look up.

 

[jimmbrooks]

After we weren't able to direct-obtain from the DRMO's anymore, there was GL .. I had heard they got into trouble as well..

What is a DRMO and when did that change... maybe that's what I'm remebering

 

[msgjd]

What is a DRMO and when did that change... maybe that's what I'm remebering

Defense Reutilization Management Office .. The days of sealed bids and direct-buying at military bases and facilities everywhere.. Run by civilian gov't employees, instead of contracted private outfits

 

[Gastrap]

Those were great times, seeing dozens on the GL lots at a time. Hope you find what you want!