My truck - Steel Soldiers::Military Vehicles Supersite

poppop · 04-09-2006, 15:14

Finally I think I have the picture thing figured out but the pictures are small. I'll have to work on that. This is my 1970 Kaiser Jeep M813 that I got on a GSA sale. The truck was in great shape with practically new tires and a full tank of diesel. One tail light bulb had to be replaced to make everything work. I was surprized I got it for $4250.00 but I think I know why and this is the rest of the story.

We arrived to pick it up with batterys, fuel, tools and a trailer just in case. As we were installing the batterys a GSA employee came out and told us she would not start, several people had tried and failed. Upon inspection I found out the screw that clamps the emergency furl shut off cable was loose. It would shut down the engine but when pushed in it jus slide through the eye. I moved it by hand and she fired right up and ran great. A couple of tires were low and the GSA guy told us to pull up to the warehouse where they had an air hose. As we pulled up to the wall the truck shut down on its on. While bleeding the system by putting air pressure in the tank to blow fuel through the lines we dicovered a dirt dauber had plugged the tank vent tube. My buddy was on the fender tighting fuel lines as I kept air pressure in the tank. The GSA man said he would try to start it for us. It started and shut down again. I guess the GSA man thought the hand throttle control was a choke as he pulled it all the way out and tried again. It fired up and assumed full engine speed immediatley. This scared the GSA man who had the trans in low and his foot on the clutch. He dumped the clutch which caused the beast to rear straight up over the eight inch cinder block we had chocking the front wheel, pitched my buddy high into the air and onto the pavement, ane proceeded through the warehouse wall. He got it stopped just before the windshield hit the wall. We thought we were in big trouble but everyone there thought it was funny. As we were inspecting the truck after backing in out of the wall a prisoner on cleanup detail approached headed into the building. He stopped some distance away said "You got that SOB chained. it got the devil in it". There was no damage to the truck but considerable damage to the wall. Needless to say we got the truck loaded as quickly as possible and got the he!! out of there before someone with importance showed up. We have been back to this site several times since and you can clearly see where the five ton truck made a new door to the building.

Recovry4x4 · 04-09-2006, 15:36

Cool truck Lloyd! Them things are massive compaired to the deuce. For the most part, the GSA site guys I've dealt with were very cordial and eager to assist. Good luck with it.
Kenny

poppop · 04-09-2006, 15:51

Thanks Kenneth. I am scraping and cleaning now getting it ready to paint. I am going to paint it Carc 383 green and have not decided if I will camo it again. Depends on how I like it when its all green.

Recovry4x4 · 04-09-2006, 16:19

Yeah Lloyd, I was in the same or similar boat. Your's looks pretty nice in the pics. I had this M35A2 that I got from Wayne Harris (in Odum) and it was tan. Painted it 383 green with the intent to camo it. It looked good, so good I never did get around to adding the other colors. Lets see what happens with this M447C semi trailer that I got from Wayne ( in Odum). Here's a before and after.

poppop · 04-09-2006, 17:08

Kenneth, looks great green. Who is this guy in Odum? I am only 40 miles from Odum. Someone posted a transportation needs to move a trailer from Odum. Is he a dealer??

cranetruck · 04-09-2006, 17:24

That looks great Lloyd and I think you got a good deal to considering that this one in the image below had/has a sticker price of $18,000..(Mt Airy, NC).
It is singled out and is parked next to an M109.

poppop · 04-09-2006, 17:39

Hey Bjorn
I believe if those other lookers could have gotten it started it would have brought a lot more. I got lucky because I had not even inspected it before the sale. I did'nt even know it had a winch till I went to pick it up.

Recovry4x4 · 04-09-2006, 18:13

Lloyd, Wayne Harris just likes buying surplus. He's got quite a bit of everything on his property. He is always happy to have a visitor or two. Need to catch him on the weekends as he has dialysis through the week. His mailing address is Odum but I think his actual address is in Baxley. You can contact him at papercu@hotmail.com or wharris19@hotmail.com. If you stop by and see Wayne, please tell him I said hello. I'm pretty sure that Bruce's laundry trailer is at Wayne's place.

poppop · 04-09-2006, 19:09

Kenneth
Thanks for the information.

Djfreema · 04-10-2006, 02:29

Thats a funny story, I remember reading a similiar story a while back about a GSA or Gov liq. employee helping out when picking up a truck and there was an accident. Luckily nobody was hurt.