To buy or not to buy? M211

If its anything like a traditional carb, dad is pretty good at rebuilding the the old quadrajets, I maybe able to trick him into rebuilding this for me as well. maybe the part store has a kit? Ill ask when I go get the carb spring. That would be great if a simple carb rebuild would fix my shifting and loading up problems.

How's the title issue coming? I know there are several ways to get one on the older cars, but I am curious how things are coming along with yours since it was discussed in depth early on in your thread... also, how are things coming with the truck and your trans. issue? The carb rebuild?


Input... need more INPUT! - Johnny 5 (Short Circuit)

Well, I am back at school, so things have slowed... actually stopped all together with it right now. The trans issue is still unresolved, I have tried tinkering with it, but no such luck. The carb rebuild went fine. I got a cone air filter to put on it for the time being until I can find tubing to re attach the proper tubing.
Title is a PAIN... I have all but given up until further notice. The DMV has been less than helpful, just telling me I should have a title since "all govt vehicles are sold with one" and I figure it is pointless until I get the thing road worth anyway.
My father planted a bug in my head... which has kind of gotten me thinking about what I may do further down the road if the funds are ever available: Thinking about finding a totaled duramax w/ a good motor and trans, then bobbing it, putting air ride in, fabbing up a really light bed, and making it a one of a kind driver/ 10,000lb street stock diesel truck. Its fun to dream. lol.

oh, It has sprung a pretty bad oil leak too, did it a couple weeks before I went to school, so i have no gotten into patching that up yet either.

jaw818 said:

Thinking about finding a totaled duramax w/ a good motor and trans, then bobbing it, putting air ride in, fabbing up a really light bed, and making it a one of a kind driver/ 10,000lb street stock diesel truck. Its fun to dream. lol.

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Find a good half-ton (cheaper than 2500/3500 series) with a clear title, do the body swap, and title it as a 1999+ Silverado/Sierra. If confronted, you upgraded the suspension on the newer Chevy/GMC, not the other way around . My 2000 Silverado (aka "Tiny") started life as a half ton 4x4. I blew out a rear end a year and a half ago. I found SRW 3500HD suspension for less than the cost to rebuild the stock 1/2 T 10 bolt open rear end... springs, axles and all. I now have full floating Corp 14 rear end sitting on 3500HD springs. I mentioned this to the insurance agent, and he said the cost of insurance is based on the VIN of the titled/registered vehicle, so I am paying for full coverage on a 1/2 T truck with one-ton abilities (I boxed and reinforced the frame, too while she was down for the upgrades).

My dad has a similar story with his mid-90's c1500. The VIN says it can with a 4.3L V-6, but he has a 7.4L (454) under the hood. His insurance costs are based on having the V-6 because that's what the vehicle title/registration reflects. I am in Ohio, my dad is in Illinois. I know that in Illinois, so long as you have a title for EITHER the body OR chassis, the entire combined vehicle can be either or. In Ohio, the VIN needs to match the vehicle it "looks" like, but they prefer you to have a title for both the body and the chassis, as I have seen some titled with two separate VIN's and descriptions, one mentioning it is for the body, the other mentioning it is for the chassis, but usually as long as the body matches the VIN, they don't get to p!ssy about it (at least that I have heard of yet).

I have put 1937 Terrapane's (Hudson Motor Company) on S-10 chassis, they are titled/registered as Terraplanes. I have put El Caminos, and Chevy Monzas, and Corvettes on 4x4 K-5 and Suburban chassis... the title/registration followed the body. I have put 60's pickups and Suburbans on modern chassis and had the title/registration follow the chassis with an endorsement that indicates the vehicle is a "kit car." I have put Lambos and Ferrari kit cars on Fiero chassis and kept the VIN from the Fiero, again with the kit car endorsement.

Check with your DMV about kit cars and body swaps. Don't even mention the prior Military Vehicle, 6x6, deuce, or anything of the sort. Tell them you are building a hot rod and are looking for procedural information (Call the DMV in your State Capitol, not your local one). You may get further if you generalize. Just my . Hope it helps.

I know what you mean, I have an "86 k10 silverado" with a Dana 60/ corp 14, and a 78 c10 with a corp 14 and a 454.

I think you misunderstand my intention though, I love the body of the m211. Everyone has a Chevy truck, no one has an m211. I may still try to finagle the title to a Chevy pickup, but I intend to keep the m211 cab, even if it means it ends up on the dmax frame... A nice long low m211, 4x4, big chome stacks pouring out black smoke, it would be one of the coolest trucks around, definantely the only one around.

FYI: The wheelbase on my 2000 extended cab, long bed (8' bed) Silverado puts the centerline Silverado's rear wheel opening dead center above the centerline between the tandems on my '52 XM211 with the front axle on the deuce sitting 2" forward of the stock front centerline on the Silverado (perfect for running larger tires). I measured yesterday when the trucks were side by side. So an extended cab, long bed Chevy/GMC might be your closest bet on the swap... but you will have to run flairs and single out your duals... or build some realy wide/custom rear fenders and run flares up front. (Go to Welcome - Arrowcraft :: Helping You Handle the Road for over 30 years! for fenders to bolt up to a stock fleetside if that's how you decide to go).

jaw818 said:

I know what you mean, I have an "86 k10 silverado" with a Dana 60/ corp 14, and a 78 c10 with a corp 14 and a 454.

I think you misunderstand my intention though, I love the body of the m211. Everyone has a Chevy truck, no one has an m211. I may still try to finagle the title to a Chevy pickup, but I intend to keep the m211 cab, even if it means it ends up on the dmax frame... A nice long low m211, 4x4, big chome stacks pouring out black smoke, it would be one of the coolest trucks around, definantely the only one around.

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Perhaps I did misunderstand you. Do you have any friends in a more "friendly" state? Title the truck in a different state, then transfer the title to your home state? After that, it's a cake walk.

If I have a salvage titled truck, I think it should be easy enough to register it as that and if anyone ever complains, just make the point that its a different cab on the titled Chevy running gear. But that's good to know that the ext. cab long box is that close of a wheel base. It may make sense to just put the cab on the truck frame, then maybe do an axel swap? Maybe not? The IFS might be nice, and I wouldn't have to worry about drive shafts and brake hardware. And I would have more rim options. No matter what I got plenty of time to think about it

Its a hard top, winch truck, with straight tin, i would buy it in a minute, its a piece of history. I love mine. Rob Ross Bend, Oregon PWRWGNMAN

Ok getting 1952 m211 today but no title, turns over but no spark. How hard is it to get a titlw for this beast

Welcome to Steel Soldiers and Early Deuce ownership. I'll bump this for you and one of the southern brothern will come along and likely discuss titling through Private Messaging....PM's.

Keeping the facts straight on titling an antique in Oregon is the goal.

Your truck sounds like my last girlfriend, she'd turn over but there was no spark anymore. I'm sure the boys will help walk you through the sweet sounds of a purring 302.