Who wants to buy a M135 truck from the 50's?

louthepou

louthepou

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Hi folks,

Somehow yesterday, I ended up in a dude's backyard where I saw this fine milsurp item:

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It's up for grabs, I think he wants $4,000. It looks great and apparently it works well too. I do know for a fact that my wife would kill me if I came home with a big 6-wheel-drive truck so I didn't make him an offer!

Well if anyone's interested, send me a PM. The truck is located in Wakefield, QC.
 
A Deuce and a Half! I was an MSE Op (935) for a while, and drove many miles in the late 70's in several variants of that truck - troop carrier, dumptruck, radio van (like that seems to be), etc.

Underpowered, prone to brake problems, but overall pretty reliable, and "ok" in the dirt with the correct tires (but terrible in the snow with the same).
 
The Classic Deuce and a Half. Is that a gin palace under the cam net?

Drove these vehicles from time to time. Bumpy, cold, draughty, uncomfortable bench seating, unforgiving steel dash board and 5 speed hydromatic tranny are among its many charms. Indestructible drive train and goes anywhere.

Lucky buyer can find a whole set of manuals here:

http://www.militarytrucks.ca/m135.htm
 
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Glad it brings back some good memories to some of you guys! :D

I believe it was a "cantine truck" - I think that's what the guy told me yesterday. The net was put over it just for fun.
 
My dad owned one in the mid 70's when we were living in Terrace Bay. He installed a new engine in it and got it running great. I'd love to own one myself but I honestly think it would not fit in my driveway in the 'burbs. Nice truck!!
 
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louthepou said:
Glad it brings back some good memories to some of you guys! :D

I believe it was a "cantine truck" - I think that's what the guy told me yesterday. The net was put over it just for fun.
Click to expand...

And some not so good. No seat belts. I met that steel dashboard once or twice as well as the co-driver grab bar. Steel helmets for off roading.

You could drop the windshields (frequently done) and remove the roof (not often done). Wipers were pneumatically (and grossly under) powered and made a particularly annoying sound in operation.

Any "box" i.e. field shop, CP, etc on the back was always a "Gin Palace" as anyone with an "inside" job in the field generally enjoyed their drinking in comfort inside one. Infanteers would be hard pressed to find one with canvas that did not leak for what partying they could have.

Memories. Wouldn't change a thing.
 
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Ahem, I have the dataplate off the dashboard of one that I laid down on an icey mountain road on a winter exercise many moons ago.:redface: It was subsequently PCC'd (condemned/disposed of).

Ah yes, I well remember the old deuce, jerky tranny and all. One of the dumbest things about them was that they were not all built/issued with a heater/defroster. This meant ordering them as parts kits or salvaging them from other vehicles as they were written off. Hello, this is Canada after all.:eek:

The same thing applied to the M113 APCs when we first got them in 1965. The reason for this, we were told, was that some General thought the troops would get too comfortable in back and be reluctant to de-bus and fight.:eek: The sight of a few of these after they had been reamed out by a tank gun, mine strike or ATGM quickly convinced me that you wouldn't want to stay in one any longer than necessary.
 
An buddy has a pair of them or, something similar ("Most popular vehicle" of WWII?)....6 wheel drive but, his will spin out on wet grass. Actually caught him cutting grooves in his tire with a pocket knife. Not the same sort of rubber as in my car's tires...rock hard!

He tried to sell one to me...I sure didn't realize they could fetch 4000$
 
A few years back i brought home a 79 GMC single axle firetruck, It had a 454 which is why I bought and my buddy was lookin for a tranny for his dumptruck. When the wife saw it her exact words were "What in the f**k are you doing with that?" I yelled back scrappin it and she slammed the door and went back in the house. She would definitly freak if I came with this. It is tempting though.
 
Nifty old truck!:D Why is it that wives can't/don't/won't see the beauty in one of these old beasts? Just think - you could make your own phony old war movie, with cheesy footage of the driver and his swamper driving long hours across Europe with a load of tank ammo. Oh man! The wives could star as the slinky chick at the local bar in a bombed out village.....:cool:
 
Gas consumption

I have two of these beasts, they both run well but are a little lacking with of brakes. Air over hydraulic with a booster that tends to seize up. They are far from original having been used for logging and bush buggies at hunt camps before I rescued them.

I have one painted up camo and have it sitting as a lawn ornament, it is used as a landmark for locals giving directions.

Often my buddies come up from the city and want to go trail riding in the truck. So I give them two 5gal jerry cans and send them off to go buy gas.

We dump one can in the gas tank and off we go. Hard to get these things stuck, but not impossible. After about 20mins into the bush, we run out of gas. We then dump in the second 5gals and head on back home.

Great fun, but I would not try to head out to the west coast with one without towing a fuel bowzer.
 
I am going to try to convince my wife that it would make an excellent alernative motor home... Or zombieacolypse escape vehicle. She might actually go for the latter.

Failing that, I am going to just sit on the sofa and sulk.
 
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