Thinking about an M715 truck... - Steel Soldiers::Military Vehicles Supersite

56FordGuy · 09-01-2008, 22:06

Hey all. When my wife pointed out an M715 on the local Craigslist, my first thought was "Wow, that thing is ugly". But after looking at it for a while, it's grown on me to the point that I think I might want to bring it home.

Trouble is, it's not a 'real' M715. According to the add, it's an M715 sitting on a 1976 Jeep J-10 frame and running gear, with a Dana 60 front and a 70 rear, both with 5:87 gears. it has a 360 V8, a T-15 three speed, and a Dana 20 transfer case. New wheel cylinders, Corvette dual reservoir master cylinder, and a complete 12 volt conversion with 12 volt gauges in the original dash. It has troop seats, and a soft top, but does not appear to have a back section of the top. The owner claims it to be mostly rust free, except for the rocker panels and rear cab corners.

I was really looking for an M35, but this truck is only about 10 miles from home and seems like it might be a lot of fun. Are there any particular things to check on it? What are the differences in the M715 and the J-10 drivetrains and frames? Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks!

randyscycle · 09-01-2008, 22:12

The M715 and J series trucks really only share a bit of sheetmetal here and there. THe frame, running gear and most of the body are completely different.

If it has M715 bodywork on a J series frame, that would be a bit of a step backward in strength, but a step up for driveability. Lots of trade-offs. The original M715 had a 230 Tornado 6 cylinder, Dana 60 and 70 front axles front and rear respectively, and the NP200 transfer case and T98 trans. The M715 cab has a flat windshield and canvas top too. One of the biggest distinguishing factors.

For a serious run-down of the M715 and derivatives, check out www.m715zone.com There is a ton of info and good folks over there that can answer anything you can think of.

56FordGuy · 09-01-2008, 22:50

It does have the flat windshield and canvas top. It's definitely an M715 body. The question is, how much of a step backwards is it in strength? If the original M715 was a "5/4 ton", what is the J10? How much of a step up is it in driveability? What kind of road speed can I expect out of the rig?

m16ty · 09-01-2008, 23:36

I wonder if the guy knows what he has. Someone would go to alot of trouble to swap a m715 body to a j-10 frame. Sounds like it may still have the original axles with the ratio you posted.

Is the m715 white? There was a guy trying to sell a white one up in your neck of the woods about a year ago on craigslist. I called about it but the guy acted kind of strange and said he decided not to sell it but he still had it listed

. Seems like it showed up again for sale a few weeks later.

Wecome aboard! It's good to see another Middle Tennessean around.

Elwenil · 09-02-2008, 00:27

Agreed, it may have a J10 engine, trans and transfer case but it sounds like it has the original M715 axles. If the D70's differential is offset tot he passenger side and the D60 is closed knuckle it's a definite. I'd guess that they are original M715 axles just by the ratio as I don't think you can get 5.87s anywhere else anymore. I know we don't sell them and we have a very wide selection of ring and pinions. It may just be that it's an M715 with the engine, trans and transfer swapped out, which isn't entirely a bad thing. Sounds like they have been poking around on The M715 Zone though since it has the Corvette master cylinder.