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1952 M135 W/Winch

USMC 00-08

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Location
Skiatook, OK
M135 Recovery Started

Here are some photos of getting the new M135s out of the woods they have been hiding in for 15 years. OkieM1008morrison has been helping me a lot (Thanks Man!!) and it is his M35A2 that is pulling the M135 out. Hopefully by tomorrow or Saturday we will have the other one out too. We have had to cut down a lot of trees and clear a lot of brush to get to them.




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butch atkins

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Fountain Inn SC
Air Force Blue ? Would like to know if it is original USAF truck,maybe post some pics of the data plates,long ago when restored mine the 1st time around I seriously considered a blue truck.posted on here looking for pics of an original USAF truck but never got any replies. So I went from Fire engine Red to USMC forest green like my pops in Korea , he said they "aquired" them from the US Army and had to repaint them PDQ (pretty d@&n quick) to keep them. Good luck on your recovery and glad to see the trucks being saved
 

tlmob1

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Luxemburg, WI
I've got my M135 laid up in my free stall barn up on jacks. The steel brake lines are real fun trying to figure out how to make the correct bends. Haven't touched it all that much this summer. I need to get back on it I guess.
 

USMC 00-08

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Location
Skiatook, OK
Air Force Blue ? Would like to know if it is original USAF truck,maybe post some pics of the data plates.
Here are some more pictures Butch. I don't see anything that says Air Force. The rebuild tag says Pueblo OD. It looks like there is a crossed cannon stamp on the data plate that is similar to what I have seen on older US Military rifle stocks. I'm not sure what it is called.

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The engine was covered up with a 15 year old rat nest. Once I dug that out, I could see that it appears to be fairly complete and the engine and transmission oil didn't appear to have any water in it. I may do some work on this one and see if it will run.

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USMC 00-08

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Location
Skiatook, OK
Tomorrow if weather permits, I may get the second truck pulled out of the woods.

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Can anyone tell me what these markings mean. I wasn't in the Army so am not sure how to decipher them.

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NDT

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Camp Wood/LC, TX
Wow cool recoveries. I think the blue is possibly Civil Defense paint. The 5A= 5th US Army, which is the US Army Reserve Command. 816 O not sure about.
 

USMC 00-08

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Location
Skiatook, OK
Okiem1008morrison and I got the last truck out of the woods this evening. I need to clean a huge rat nest out from under the hood still to see what is there. This was a big job getting both trucks out. Lots of good parts though.

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NDT

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Did the GMCs pull right out or did you have to jerk on them? I moved a derelict GMC a while back and it had sunk in like yours and was very difficult to pull out. Do they roll?
 

USMC 00-08

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Location
Skiatook, OK
We had to jerk on them a little bit but not too bad. The blue truck rolled great. The rear wheels on the green one would roll a little then lock for a little bit and then release and roll again. The front wheels were free. The ground was moist so the back wheels slid ok. We moved them 500 feet or so to an open field before we load them onto a trailer and move them to where Okiem1008morrison and I are going to keep our parts trucks.

Both trucks were sunk into the ground at least 8 or 9 inches. They came out easier than I expected. That M35 worked really well.
 

OkieM1008morrison

New member
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Skiatook, oklahoma
I had a great time getting these trucks out!! it was a lot of work but im glad you will have all the good parts to get anytime you want. the 2nd truck was a bear to get out, I love seeing these trucks work! they are pure workhorses. you got a steal finding these trucks in our own backyard!!!! it was funny to look back and see you standing straight up and driving that truck as I was pulling it out. a real convertible
 

m1010plowboy

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Edmonton, Canada
The engine was covered up with a 15 year old rat nest.

View attachment 524759/QUOTE]

That is something else! This photo needs to be archived, along with that data plate. We now have a starting point to build a G749 Existing Truck Database.

Just watched an episode of American Restoration where they found squirrel nuts that jammed a piston off a dirt-bike, poor squirrel. Did that dirty Rat leave anything behind in the carb...that dirty rat?

Just awesome dedication digging through that mess to find an engine. I'd take pig poop over that mess any day.
 

USMC 00-08

Well-known member
1,162
126
63
Location
Skiatook, OK
The engine was covered up with a 15 year old rat nest.

View attachment 524759/QUOTE]

That is something else! This photo needs to be archived, along with that data plate. We now have a starting point to build a G749 Existing Truck Database.

Just watched an episode of American Restoration where they found squirrel nuts that jammed a piston off a dirt-bike, poor squirrel. Did that dirty Rat leave anything behind in the carb...that dirty rat?

Just awesome dedication digging through that mess to find an engine. I'd take pig poop over that mess any day.
It was pretty bad and not really the most fun I have ever had, but it needed to be done. There is junk in the carburetor. One of these days I may try to start the blue truck. It was dark by the time we got the other truck out last night but I think the rat nest in it may be as bad if not worse than what was in the other. That picture was taken after I had already cleaned some out. You can see the line on the firewall where the nest was. I had to take a picture or no one would believe how big it was if I told them.

I am setting aside some cab parts for the canvas top for you just incase you ever decide you want to do some trading toward a hard top and feel like making a drive.

A truck database would be neat.

it was funny to look back and see you standing straight up and driving that truck as I was pulling it out. a real convertible
The seat springs were all rusted, broken and pointing everywhere. I was trying to avoid injury and embarrassment by standing.
 

USMC 00-08

Well-known member
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126
63
Location
Skiatook, OK
Electrical Test Adapter Set

I picked this up today. Hopefully it will come in handy. These are easier to find than I thought they would be.

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m1010plowboy

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Could it double as a defibrillator? Nearly had a stroke when I read easy to find, cool. Just need easy to find transmissions, manifolds, air pak kits, fuel pumps and spark plug wires now.
 

USMC 00-08

Well-known member
1,162
126
63
Location
Skiatook, OK
Could it double as a defibrillator? Nearly had a stroke when I read easy to find, cool.
We could probably use the spark plug adapter (lower piece in the middle) hooked up to a running truck and touch the other end to someone's tongue to wake them up a bit.

I hope I don't get in trouble for saying this.........but check ebay. There have been several sets for sale on there lately. That is how I found this one.

As for the airpac kits. I am working on getting my hands on an M800 Series airpac. I believe the piston out of those will thread onto and replace the G749 Series piston. Once I get that part, I am going to try to machine several pistons for whomever wants one and that should enable us to use the M800 airpac rebuild kit. Someone please correct me if I am wrong about this working if you know for sure.
 
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hendersond

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Location
Galesville, WI
Could it double as a defibrillator? Nearly had a stroke when I read easy to find, cool. Just need easy to find transmissions, manifolds, air pak kits, fuel pumps and spark plug wires now.
:whistle: Someday I'm gonna fill the classified section with M211 parts. Exhaust manifolds, airpacks, fuel pumps and plug wires I can send FedEx. Transmission will be tough to fit in a priority box...
 
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USMC 00-08

Well-known member
1,162
126
63
Location
Skiatook, OK
Today I got around to cleaning up my other parts truck. Here are some pics. Also found a few things to bring home.

Bed before and after
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Engine before and after. (I really hate rats!)
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Look at this gem. I have never seen one before and was excited to find this early feature.
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Got this window for my cracked driver side window and also found this early style fuel cap assembly.
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USMC 00-08

Well-known member
1,162
126
63
Location
Skiatook, OK
G749 Exhaust Pipe Flange Rings

It has been too cold to do much on the trucks today so I went parts hunting and found replacement exhaust pipe flange rings.

The original ring off the truck is on the left, new on the right.
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Fel-Pro 60986 if anyone else needs some. Found mine at Bumper to Bumper.
 
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