Deuce and half restoration...interested?
- Thread starter Klunk
- Start date
surplusshooter
Regular
- Location
- BC Sea to Sky
well I am slow....
one 1952 SMP 2 1/2 ton in British Suffield colors
.....its for sale.....wanna do something new....
what it used to look like:
How much?
stencollector
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- shilo MB, the armpit of Canada
Remember the long rides in the back of the old deuces from Winnipeg to Shilo in the middle of the winter? Not that it was any warmer in the front...no heaters and frost shields on the windows to make sure you could see. Seems like a guy would always end up sitting on the broken slat on the troop seat that would open up and pinch your ass in an oversize version of a mousetrap.
Today's army has regulations prohibiting the movement of troops on the highway in the MLVWs.
Yup, guys would be sitting in their sleeping bags on the way from Calgary to Wainwright. For the life of me I couldn't figure why heaters/defrosters weren't standard on all deuces and 3/4 tons. I remember that it was SOP to strip the heaters out of a truck when it was going for PCC.
So funny to read you!! I would say it never change, except for few little things but you guys, will tell me to shut up and not complain about going in the field today. If the front cab have now heater and air conditionner, the life in the rear cab is almost the same. Asses pinched, cold as hell, dust all over the place... This part of the job is pretty similar to what you have explained!! ;-)
Martin
Martin
You young whippersnappers have a lot to learn. Anyone remember installing and removing frostshields on the windows? I don't know if you can even buy them any more. Some of us never knew what we were missing with the Deuce. We used to have a 1937 Dodge truck, and then a 1951, which were an excellent orientation to winter driving without the benefit of heat. Mind you some of us started off without electricity, indoor plumbing and central heating... then there was the 2 holer outside at minus 40, winter roads in the fields, going to school in a caboose and having to throw the odd kid to the wolves along the way, etc.
I am surprised the minister of national defense has not come begging you for Howitzer parts yet
ain't that the truth!!
Drove many a mile with that combo, non-directional tread tires have no traction on slippery wet roads. Slept in the back many times, cam nets are your friend! Frost shields, now that brings back memories of Shilo (ugh!)
there is an add in the 'militaria' section....this is militaria, no?
Most of our Deuces were the 6 wheel M135s. We also had the 10 wheel M211 with a flat floor and no wheel wells in the cargo compartment, like the M135. The M211 was a more universal cargo carrier because it didn't have the wheel wells intruding into the cargo space. The 6 wheel M135 did better in mud though.
Back in the UNEF2/UNDOF days in the 1970s we used the standard US Army M35A2C Multi-fueller with a manual transmission that was more forgiving than the automatic transmissions in our M135/M211s. When we were spec'ing out the MLVW I urged them to go for a M35A2C with a hard top cab, manual transmission and HEATERS/DEFROSTERS. One main reason given for using an auto transmission in the Canadian models was because of all the females who would be entering the Army soon, and who didn't have long enough/strong enough legs to depress a manual clutch.
I think that the MLVW has proved out to be a pretty good vehicle in service, even with an auto transmission. It has a flat floor and 6, rather than 10 wheels, which was a good move. I can't comment on it's heater/defroster vs the old Deuce because I never had any experience with it in the winter. The old Deuces lasted 30 yrs or so and the MLVW has now exceeded that standard. What's the best MLVW replacement? Maybe just another modernized Deuce.
Back in the UNEF2/UNDOF days in the 1970s we used the standard US Army M35A2C Multi-fueller with a manual transmission that was more forgiving than the automatic transmissions in our M135/M211s. When we were spec'ing out the MLVW I urged them to go for a M35A2C with a hard top cab, manual transmission and HEATERS/DEFROSTERS. One main reason given for using an auto transmission in the Canadian models was because of all the females who would be entering the Army soon, and who didn't have long enough/strong enough legs to depress a manual clutch.
I think that the MLVW has proved out to be a pretty good vehicle in service, even with an auto transmission. It has a flat floor and 6, rather than 10 wheels, which was a good move. I can't comment on it's heater/defroster vs the old Deuce because I never had any experience with it in the winter. The old Deuces lasted 30 yrs or so and the MLVW has now exceeded that standard. What's the best MLVW replacement? Maybe just another modernized Deuce.
stencollector
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- shilo MB, the armpit of Canada
The heater/defroster in the MLVW are marginal at best, but at least you don't usually need frost shields. On the MLVW I used as a MRT, I installed a second heater in the cab (an Iltis heater) for heat and the original was just for defrosting the windows. The heat out of this combination was incredible, even on the coldest days. I installed a thermostat on the dash to control the temperature.
The automatic transmissions in the MLVW were a good choice. They were, for the most part, trouble free. The choice of engine (Detroit 8.2 liter) was not the best, but for the limited mileage we put on them, it worked out.
The new truck for the regular force will not just be a modernized Deuce. Soft skin vehicles have no place in front line military service. The new truck will either be armoured or have armoured capability. Any MLVWs that we had in Kandahar were relegated to camp duties, even with the add on armour.
Here is a shot of my privately owned MLVW. While the deuce is strong, the MLVW is an absolute powerhouse. I was dragging full sheds around the yard with it this summer. I went with the earlier bias ply tires because I got tired of fixing the flats on the newer style michelin radials.
No winch on it unfortunately...I don't get nuthin!
The automatic transmissions in the MLVW were a good choice. They were, for the most part, trouble free. The choice of engine (Detroit 8.2 liter) was not the best, but for the limited mileage we put on them, it worked out.
The new truck for the regular force will not just be a modernized Deuce. Soft skin vehicles have no place in front line military service. The new truck will either be armoured or have armoured capability. Any MLVWs that we had in Kandahar were relegated to camp duties, even with the add on armour.
Here is a shot of my privately owned MLVW. While the deuce is strong, the MLVW is an absolute powerhouse. I was dragging full sheds around the yard with it this summer. I went with the earlier bias ply tires because I got tired of fixing the flats on the newer style michelin radials.
No winch on it unfortunately...I don't get nuthin!
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I remember one of the first times I rode in a Deuce was my first Milcon after I joined up. Driver almost ploughed into an ammo truck with our POL deuce during a tactical night move. Truck bed was full of sloshing jerry cans.
Probably nothing would have happened but we were happy not to find out.
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great looking truck!! did you upgrade the brakes? my only real complaint with them is the brake system.. way to easy for them to fail.
Most of our Deuces were the 6 wheel M135s. We also had the 10 wheel M211 with a flat floor and no wheel wells in the cargo compartment, like the M135. The M211 was a more universal cargo carrier because it didn't have the wheel wells intruding into the cargo space. The 6 wheel M135 did better in mud though.
Back in the UNEF2/UNDOF days in the 1970s we used the standard US Army M35A2C Multi-fueller with a manual transmission that was more forgiving than the automatic transmissions in our M135/M211s. When we were spec'ing out the MLVW I urged them to go for a M35A2C with a hard top cab, manual transmission and HEATERS/DEFROSTERS. One main reason given for using an auto transmission in the Canadian models was because of all the females who would be entering the Army soon, and who didn't have long enough/strong enough legs to depress a manual clutch.
I think that the MLVW has proved out to be a pretty good vehicle in service, even with an auto transmission. It has a flat floor and 6, rather than 10 wheels, which was a good move. I can't comment on it's heater/defroster vs the old Deuce because I never had any experience with it in the winter. The old Deuces lasted 30 yrs or so and the MLVW has now exceeded that standard. What's the best MLVW replacement? Maybe just another modernized Deuce.
i spent 8 years as a tech fixing those beast. compare them with any other miltiary truck in service, we used to joke around that if we were told to pick only one vehicle to drive from coast to coast (using only the LS,ML, HL,Milcot varients) most guys would take the MLVW, a roll of tape, a gerber, and some wire.
Hope you dont mind me chipping in at this late stage (I am a newbie on the forum) but here are a few of the restoration projects that a good friend of mine has undertaken....
Work in progress.
My son last year getting a feel of things to come.
The Sherman drive in the workshop. Various other projects on the go in the background.
Command car.
Just returned from this years D-Day commemorations.
Ditto.
The 'film star'. This M18 Hellcat was used this year in the new film 'Fury'.
From another angle.
I have been lucky enough to do a bit of work on the Sherman and my son and I have been promised a ride to the village pub in her when she is finished! That is one trip we cant wait to happen.
Work in progress.
My son last year getting a feel of things to come.
The Sherman drive in the workshop. Various other projects on the go in the background.
Command car.
Just returned from this years D-Day commemorations.
Ditto.
The 'film star'. This M18 Hellcat was used this year in the new film 'Fury'.
From another angle.
I have been lucky enough to do a bit of work on the Sherman and my son and I have been promised a ride to the village pub in her when she is finished! That is one trip we cant wait to happen.
