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new M37 owner

6x6pinz

Member
118
6
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Location
Mesa, Az
I broke down and bought an M37 as a project for my 15yr old son and I to work on. A few rust issues but nothing too serious. The two biggest issues I have are the brake lines (been crimped off or removed) and there is no top for the front or rear. I see the link for the top in an earlier post. Where is a good source for parts for these trucks?
One of the pieces I would like to replace is the rear cross piece of the bed. Is this piece available or is it something I need to look into getting made?
Thanks, Mike
 

CGarbee

Well-known member
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Raleigh, NC
Congratulations!
There is a dealer list on my website of folks that I have used and recomended (including contact info) for both hard parts and for canvas.
I think Sheldon at Jeeppanels Plus is reproducing that cross piece, if not, I suspect that I can find one in the back on a parts truck that I can pull for you...
 

6x6pinz

Member
118
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16
Location
Mesa, Az
Thanks for the reply.
Here is a picture of the new project.


Of course any suggestions would be appreciated. Is there a good parts book/list for these trucks?
 

CGarbee

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Of course there is a good parts book for these trucks... One of the official TM's for it is nothing but a huge, illustrated, parts book...
In addition, I have a cross reference list on my website that lists NAPA, Carquest, etc. for a lot of items...

For manuals, your best bet is to get the 3/4 ton CD ROM from Military Media. They charge in the neighborhood of $20 for the CD and it has all the manuals on it in PDF form so you can print out pages when you are working on the truck in addition to looking at them on screen when you are researching things... Paper manuals from Portrayal Press or most any of the usual suspects (parts dealers) run in the mid twenties on up for each volume...

Military Media is located at:
This link is dead

Portrayal Press is located at:
This link is dead.

The cross reference list (PDF version, text version to be uploaded this weekend) on my website is located at:
http://www.garbee.net/~cabell/PartsCross.PDF

It really is a good looking truck.

Update, May 2022:
I mention in a post later on in this thread (and a Moderator has removed the now dead links in my original post here) that I have the manuals on-line in my Dropbox... Shoot me a PM with an email address and I can provide access to them...
 
Last edited:

6x6pinz

Member
118
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Location
Mesa, Az
Thanks again for the links. I will be getting at least one service manual. The parts manuals are without a question one of the most important pieces needed for the trucks. I own three different versions for my Pinzgauer. I don't know how you could work on one or even order parts without them.
 

6x6pinz

Member
118
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Location
Mesa, Az
The previous owner painted it to stop the rust issues. There is the normal rust in all the usual places. All the insturment cluster was painted over as the electrical system does not currently work. The truck just needs lots of TLC, brake lines, a tailgate, pioneer rack,canvas tops, a complete wood kit,glass in all the windows, misc. hardware, removal of some items that were welded on and of course the rust abatement. All in all it should be a great first project truck for my son.
My son has already asked me a question I did not know the answer to. What is the B1 designation? I have just always referred to them as M37's
My previous power wagon was a 1970 crew cab forest service truck. After owning/operating it for 18 years I sold it to a friend of mine and he still is using it on his ranch in Prescott.
 

CGarbee

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Location
Raleigh, NC
The M37 had two production runs... 1951-1956 and 1958-1968 (if my memory serves...). Bassically they are the same truck with a couple of minor differences that, considering depot rebuilds/MWO applications/modifications by various owners, make them a confused jumble similar to most other M series trucks on the market...

In short, the M37 had a transmission that was only identified by the New Process casting number 88950, the M37B1 had a NP420. Only differences in the transmissions are that the bearing retainer nut on the input shaft is left thread on one, right thread on the other; fill plug changes side from early to late, angle of gear that drives the PTO changed about a degree, longer shift lever on the later model, different internal shift fork arangment (three decending fingers on the NP420).
The M37 had the spare mounted in the bed with the troop seat on the passenger side shortened and a "jump seat" installed that could be raised on combined with the troop seat to make the troop seat full length when the tire was not mounted, M37B1 had the tire mounted over the driver door using the same hardware as the ambulance (and some of the specialty bodied trucks).
There is some indication that the steel compostion (alloy) was different, some folks claim that the later models don't rust as much (I disagree, but will not discuss steel alloy composition and properties here and now...).

Running production changes caused the vehicles to migrate from metal wiring harness connectors to rubber shells, instrument panel lighting changed, service brake lights got added tot the right side and turn signals got added, minor changes got made to the brake wheel cylinders, firewall mounted gas filter got deleted, etc.. None of these are model specific (and some such as the very early wheel cylinders and two plug three lever light switch are extremely short lived examples and very likely got changed on everything before long so unless you have a truck that got discharged very early, you likely won't see them...)

You really only need to worry about the M37 or M37B1 bit when you are checking the title against the dataplate, and when you are talking to somebody who knows (like when ordering parts...). Most everyone I know just calls them a M37 unless they call them "the little truck", "3/4 ton", or on bad days...."your jeep" or "nice Humvee" ...

Enjoy
 

maddawg308

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Still looks better than most rigs. You should see a friend's project M37 over on this end. Looks like a deuce fell on it, and then rusted half away. Project indeed.
 

6x6pinz

Member
118
6
16
Location
Mesa, Az
I looked at a few of the trucks and decided on this one as I thought it would be a good start for my son. I don't want to do all the work and wanted to find one clean enough he could do it in a reasonable amount of time. He is so excited to drive it that I may have to take it out once and let him drive it before disassembly begins. He has already had some of his friends ,and their dads, over to look at it. The boys thought it was cool but the dads saw it as a bunch of work. No accounting for taste. My sons 15 birthday party consisted of us taking the Pinzgauer out to a local OHV area for the afternoon. The boys talked about the trip for weeks afterwards at school. The wife even likes that he is excited about working on it.

CGarbee
I took the boy to your site and showed him how he needs to document the project (nice job). I want him to keep a journal for future reference and memories.
 

6x6pinz

Member
118
6
16
Location
Mesa, Az
Well after spending the afternoon at AZ MVD I finally got my title and tags. Now the work can begin, just have to wait for some of the parts I have ordered to come in.
 

carguy455

New member
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Location
Eddington, ME
wow

Nice "project"...wish my dad had been that cool when I was 15 ! [ somehow the 4 door 69 Buick LeSabre I got just didn't have the same "vibe" ]

My 12 year old could give a s**t about ANYTHING mechanical, if he did I would buy him just about anything, be very happy you have a non couch potato !

It's official, I'm jealous !!!!! :drool:

GF
 

doodlebug

New member
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Location
Georgia
Re: RE: new M37 owner

CGarbee said:
I've had people tell me that they have parted out better trucks then my first one (and favorite-the Cummins powered one)...
Take a gander at what I started with at:
http://www.garbee.net/~cabell/photosa.htm

How it looks now:
http://www.garbee.net/~cabell/convoy2005/ecc115.jpg
I can't get over the transformation that took place with Garbee's truck. I mean it looked like a total rust out from the pics (no offense :wink: ) The finished product, however, is something to behold. I only wish more people when they document their build up would address in more detail how they handled the big rust issues. Make sure you take lots of notes and tons of pictures Mike. The floorboard of my '62 B1 has rusted out in sevral places and I'm not really sure how to go about handling this.
 

6x6pinz

Member
118
6
16
Location
Mesa, Az
RE: Re: RE: new M37 owner

I have shown my son Garbee's site so he could use it for ideas on how to document this project. Unfortunately I did not do this with my Pinz and have had many people ask about how things were done and for pics of same. I have a couple of rust issues on the floor boards and transmission bump. I will have to fab up a new piece for the tranny bump but the diamond plate replacement piece is available, just has to be welded into place. The rust issues we have addressed at this time have just been minor ones on the fenders. I chose to braze them rather than risk the warping that could occur from welding them back up. We have a couple that are going to require removal of material and welding in new material. The doors seem to be one of the biggest culprits along with the rear corner on the drivers side. I found a tailgate that, to be kind, is rough. By the time my son gets done fixing it he should be pretty good at body work.
 

vtdeucedriver

Well-known member
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Location
Vermont
RE: Re: RE: new M37 owner

Sounds like a great project. If the "trans bump" is the one on the cab floor, you can get those NOS without too much trouble. Cab corners are typical for the M37. I fixed mine with some 14 gauge and braised it in............looks great. I got a step son that is now 10. I told him at 14 that we would find a nice jeep. I got most things under the sun, I do want a M151 but that will be mine so I figure a M38A1 or M715 would be good for the kid!
 

Russell254

New member
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1
3
Location
Little Mountain, SC
Of course there is a good parts book for these trucks... One of the official TM's for it is nothing but a huge, illustrated, parts book...
In addition, I have a cross reference list on my website that lists NAPA, Carquest, etc. for a lot of items...

For manuals, your best bet is to get the 3/4 ton CD ROM from Military Media. They charge in the neighborhood of $20 for the CD and it has all the manuals on it in PDF form so you can print out pages when you are working on the truck in addition to looking at them on screen when you are researching things... Paper manuals from Portrayal Press or most any of the usual suspects (parts dealers) run in the mid twenties on up for each volume...

Military Media is located at:
http://military-media.com/military/

Portrayal Press is located at:
http://www.portrayal.com/manuals.html

The cross reference list (PDF version, text version to be uploaded this weekend) on my website is located at:
http://www.garbee.net/~cabell/PartsCross.PDF

It really is a good looking truck.
Military-media opens up a German page. Mistyped? Sure would like to get a copy of that CD.
 

G744

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
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Hidden Valley, Az
Another take of a "slightly modified" M37:


DG
 
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