How much did they cost new?

It is easy enough to find out an M-816 cost the government around $150k when new. So how much did my M-37 cost Uncle Sam back in '53? Any documentation out there?

Good question...I'd love to know that as well. Especially some that are outfitted differently so whats/ what was the difference in price between them as well :-/

I think David Doyle could help out here.....

Just wanted to bump this to the
top again.

"Cost" is difficult to determine on military vehicles. Typically a contract will be for so many vehicles - with various equipment (winch, tires, etc) PLUS so many "sets" of spares. These "sets" of spares is a predetermined assortment of parts. However, also these contracts often specify the installation of certain "government furnished equippment." While the labor for this installation is included, the materials themselves aren't. Sometimes this government furnished equipment includes such major components as the engines! So, as you can imagine, finding dead net cost on a vehicle is darn near impossible.

Somewhere around here I have copies of the contracts for gassers - been looking for them since the move - will open the right box someday.

In the meantime, I have this info on the M41 (5 ton gasser with singles - the way they were intended to be).

On June 7, 1950 for 910 vehicles, including preproduction models, the International Harvester was awarded a contract for $10,367,567.00.

Of course, at this time gasoline was 20 cents per gallon, a stamp was 3 cents, the average annual income was 1750 dollars - and the average new home sold for $14,500. To save you the math - the unit M41 cost was $11392.93 - darn near the same as a house. The 150K for an 800 series mentioned above - probably also near the price of a house at that time.

Hope this is entertaining!

David

And we wonder why a hammer costed the gubment $375.00.

When I was a kid, I could take my lawnmower and a gallon can and get them both filled up for a quarter. Full size snickers were five cents and when I got my licence to drive the gas stations gave me a truck discount because I had two tanks on my 3/4 ton pick up. The same jerks we are fighting now jacked it all up as well as the liberal give aways of the leftists in America

On that note, I heard an interesting story telling of the woes of going off the silver standard of our coins in 1964 and the devaluation of our currency. In 1964, one legal United States silver dollar bought four gallons of gasoline. In 2007, the silver value of one legal United States silver dollar still buys 4 gallons of gasoline, even though it takes three fake, one dollar, Federal Reserve Notes, to buy one gallon of gasoline. Cursed is the day that the people of the United States call the bluff of the real value of our "paper" money.

m37 cost

My 62 m37b1 (non winch) is showing it cost 4236.00.

RE: m37 cost

Here are some prices on more current vehicles. I believe these are the last price the item was procured at (in 2003).

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ground/truck-families.htm

RE: m37 cost

my buddie picked up a 72 m35 in a junk yard for 2k and there was a recon sticker on the driver side window for $46,000 in 82. you're tax dollars at work.

Found this info

Found this pic I took off the G741 some time ago. The cost stencil was supposed to make the operator more cautious when any damages might come out of his paycheck as a statement of charges.

RE: Found this info

That is interesting because one of the reasons stated for the M715 was to replace the "more expensive" M37. I saw something somewhere showing the M715's ran the government around $7500 each back in 1967.

Re: RE: How much did they cost new?

ARMYMAN30YearsPlus said:

When I was a kid, I could take my lawnmower and a gallon can and get them both filled up for a quarter. Full size snickers were five cents and when I got my licence to drive the gas stations gave me a truck discount because I had two tanks on my 3/4 ton pick up. The same jerks we are fighting now jacked it all up as well as the liberal give aways of the leftists in America

Click to expand...

Hey David! Don't sugar-coat this...tell us exactly the way you feel!

Apparently, in the 1950's, a new gasser deuce was $7,766.

My 1973 M814 cost the Goberment 81,815 dollars.

My trucks cost all of what I've probably paid in taxes my whole life.

G741 has a thread on this with quite a bit of detail. He are my notes from those threads.


[FONT=&quot]The cost to the U.S Government of a factory new M-37 was [/FONT]$4079 without winch and $4487 with winch. These are late 1940's (design period), early 1950's (initial production period prices).


This is also the "AMDF" price. AMDF is the abbreviation for Army Master Data File. The AMDF price is what the Army "charges" the unit for an item, so the AMDF cost is what the army paid plus whatever the surcharge was at that time the price was calculated...


$4,487.00 in 1952 is equivalent to $39,007.95 in 2012 dollars.
$4,079.00 in 1952 is equivalent to $35,460.98 in 2012 dollars.

Storm 51[FONT=&quot][/FONT]

$4,487.00 in 1952 is equivalent to $39,007.95 in 2012 dollars.
$4,079.00 in 1952 is equivalent to $35,460.98 in 2012 dollars.

Click to expand...

So a hammer that costs the gooberment 300 bucks today only cost 50 bucks back then.

I'm a contract engineer in the large commercial aircraft field. My last contract (which ended last July) was with a large airline. Toilet seats, just like the ones you buy at Lowe's, Home Depot, or Wal-Mart cost $1400 each for either the seat or lid. If you bought a complete toilet seat (lid and seat) it was only $2600. Those little fold down trays on the back of the seats are waaaaaay more expensive, btw.

Those $1200 "hammers" you see in the military budgets are usually an "accounting price" used to make the books balance because a lot "contingency operations" aren't listed in the accounts.

Storm 51