How does the GL process work?

[Albin]

There are several M35A2's for sale at the GL site in the state of Alabama.

What's the process for bidding on one or more, assuming I'm crazy enough to actually do it?

Secondary question: Any M35 owners from the Madison/Huntsville area of Alabama?

Thanks,

Al

 

[Trango]

Bidding is just like any other auction site, only the auction will only close 15 minutes after the last bid is entered. Meaning, if people keep bidding, the auction still goes until it sees 15 minutes of no activity.

After that, you need to file EUC paperwork to make sure you're not ineligible to own a truck that presumably still has some military value.... and then wait an interminable amount of time (month and a half) until they get their stuff together and send you the invoice... then you have 2 weeks to pickup from the site.

Cheers
Bob

 

[Recovry4x4]

And.......figure in the 10% buyers premium. So your $2000 deuce will cost $2200 + sales tax for GL then sales tax for your state. Don't ask, GL can do what ever they want in redards to double taxing. I always sum up how the GL process works in one word, POORLY!

 

[rdixiemiller]

I have bought an engine, and some LAV towbars. They charged 10% buyers premium, then Ga. sales tax. My EUC on the engine took 2 weeks to clear. I have looked at some trucks on the Albany Ga. lot, and at Anniston. They were mostly complete, but looked to have been sitting topless in the rain for a year or so. I would only buy a truck if i had inspected it CLOSELY! Then, if you win, go to the site and get the manager to verify condition. At least that way you might have some recourse if people strip your truck before the EUC clears (yeah, right!)
I have heard a lot of stories about parts pilfering by other buyers who got their EUC's first.

 

[jasonjc]

I got 3 truck out of Oklahoma. and no tax I think it depends on the state.

 

[Polverone]

Another thing to consider when purchasing from GL (where I got my M35A2) is the credit card # you have to give them before you can bid. Make sure that your credit limit is sufficient for the amount you are going to spend on the truck. You can email them with instructions that you will send them a Money order or Cashiers check (what I did) ahead of the close of the auction.Just in case you go over what your limit is or hate to put charges on the plastic.
A visit to the site prior to bidding to look at the truck is a definate plus. The pictures can really fool you. I saw one truck that only had 5 hours on it. When I got there it looked like a beaver dam was built inside the cab and half the guages were gone and the seats rotted. Spider webs everywhere.
Good luck.

 

[BKubu]

I can second what Kenny said about the double taxation thing. It might depend upon the state, but I'm not sure. I've purchased trucks in several states (HI, NJ, VA, SC) and they always charge tax. I am, then, taxed when I try to title the truck, which is no sure bet in MD...they do not accept the useless paperwork that GL gives you. In my opinion, GL should be titling the trucks since they are the ones on the SF97s. Then, we would get clear titles. They say you can get titles, but I have not seen it work very smoothly. As I understand, many other states take the paperwork that GL gives...but not MD.

 

[Recovry4x4]

A word on the titles here in FL. I bought an M146 semi trailer at Camp Blanding near Jax. GL sent me a title packet via Fedex. It explained that they have a FL dealers license and as such are required to provide a FL title for vehicles purchased in FL and staying in FL. I filled out the paperwork and sent it in. Low & behold in 6 weeks or so I had a title in hand, in MY name. All this work for a trailer I bought for $80. The Fedex charges alone were probably $30.

 

[Albin]

I have bought an engine, and some LAV towbars. They charged 10% buyers premium, then Ga. sales tax. My EUC on the engine took 2 weeks to clear. I have looked at some trucks on the Albany Ga. lot, and at Anniston. They were mostly complete, but looked to have been sitting topless in the rain for a year or so. I would only buy a truck if i had inspected it CLOSELY! Then, if you win, go to the site and get the manager to verify condition. At least that way you might have some recourse if people strip your truck before the EUC clears (yeah, right!)
I have heard a lot of stories about parts pilfering by other buyers who got their EUC's first.

This post touches on a couple of points, one I'd thought about a lot, one I hadn't.

First, most are located in Montgomery, which is about 4-5 hours away - too far to inspect a truck on any kind of reliable basis. Ths would change, of course, if the auction were held out of Redstone Aresenal, which is only 10 miles away (and I used to work at Marshall Space Flight Center, which is co-located with RSA); therefore RSA wouldn't be a problem, other than RSA is not really an Army base, but that's another story.

The other thing I hadn't thought about was pilfering. I'd read elsewhere that EUC's take anywhere from a couple of weeks to a couple of months. One guy bid on an axle and won for $55. The EUC took over a month, he was denied and GL still charged him 25%!




Reminder on the secondary question:

Any Madison/Huntsville, AL M35A2 owners here??

Thanks,

Al

 

[mangus580]

I will say that I won my deuce without looking at it... but I was DAMN lucky...

Also here in NY the DMV seems to accept that you paid GL the tax, and therefore doesnt charge you again. So much... that when I registered the deuce Ag, she was giving me paperwork to reclaim my tax from GL!!! But, the same held true on all the trailers. I even just now registered a trailer that we bought 1.5 years ago on GL, with no issues at all.

 

[Albin]

I will say that I won my deuce without looking at it... but I was DAMN lucky...

....

How'd you get lucky? What happened?

Thanks,

Al

 

[mangus580]

I bid on my truck only from the pics, got there, put a set of batteries in it, a whiff of either, and it fired right up...

Loaded it on the trailer and brought it home, filled the master cylinder, and started to drive it... Only other thing it needed was the wiper knob.


but... if I knew then, what I know now, I would have never bid on it without seeing it....

 

[Polverone]

I did like you did Mike. I bid on pictures alone. I already had an AMG M35 N/A model and that thing was a pile. I got it from a private party locally.
I bid on the truck at GL (with no inspection) for the tires, canopy, windshields, hardtop, turbo, tailgate, and maybe the motor if good - basically all the parts.
After getting the truck from GL home, I gave away the N/A and kept the GL one - it was in really good shape. So I had a good experience with GL.

 

[Trango]

I got lucky, too. I bought my truck also just off pictures and the usually suspect GL description of it having "been driven in," and it drove like a peach.

I sort of bought my deuce after this girl I was living with gave me the "we have to get engaged or not go out anymore" ultimatum, and after I finally figured out she was cocopuffs and pulled the ripcord, she went a little schitzo on me for a couple of months and kept trying to "convince" me that I made the wrong decision (ended up being great reinforcement, honestly, and I finally realized that my friends DID know best when they panned her). I figured after that, I'd get me some retail therapy and do what I knew best - work on a truck project... so I bought the deuce (I also bought another truck that I ended parting out). I guess God ALSO did some figuring and realized I had taken enough crap for the calendar year of 2004, and gifted me with a perfectly running truck.

Bob

 

[mangus580]

at least yours had the description of 'been driven in' [^]


the pics of mine had a smudge on the camera lens... but everyone had the smudge right at the top of the exhaust!! I was convinced that it ran based off of that... and started to have concern when I noticed it in other pics too, nowhere near any exhaust... :banghead: :banghead: :banghead:



It was fate though, I bid on everyone of about 10 trucks, trying to get a winning bid, and in the end, got the truck I actually wanted... only one with winch, and the top on it...



The project of bringing it home went well, we left for Ft Drum about 6am, got up there around 9 or so. Found out my batteries that I brought with me werent good enough :banghead: , drove about 35 minutes to buy 2 new ones at Tractor Supply Co, as the jerk from GL wouldnt let the DRMO guy give me a jump. within 15 seconds of cranking with new batteries we had liftoff!!! Doh!! no brakes :banghead: :banghead: :banghead:



All was well though, it seems the front passenger side wheel cylinder seeps fluid, as since I got it, we have had to top off the MC every so often, and that wheel is always slightly wet looking... one of these days I will get around to pulling it apart to fix it.

 

[Albin]

Ok, here are the three M35A2's available in the state of Alabama. Note that the preview dates are June 24 and 27 (this Friday and Monday, respectively). If link doesn't work, just do a search on "M35A2" in Alabama.


http://web.govliquidation.com/auction/search/nocache Confirmed: link doesn't work; please use search (is this "typical" of GL "help"?).



Note that the middle one is the only one with the winch and has the lowest hours and miles. Where do you guys read if these are drivable or not? The only "hint" I see is the all-caps "BUYER LOADS" notice.



I appreciate your guys help.



Thanks,



Al

 

[Deuce-bigalo]

:eyes: Well, I haven't seen anyone say it so I guess I'll step up to the plate - just make sure you throw tomato's and not rocks! :devil:


You ask 'How does the GL process work?' and I have this to say (not from actual first hand information, just from word of mouth):



It's a Terrible process where you have no real control over how long it takes for your investment. If you serious about buying, have the time and patience to be a frugle shopper, then recommendations are a private party or check out www.gsaauctions.gov. This is a cheaper alternative to GL (may pay $1800 for one here vs. $3000+ on GL) and look through what they have. If you goto a section titled Trucks, Truck Tractors, and Ground Effects Vehicles' you will see listings by states. You will have to dig a little bit as the listings will say either TRUCK, CARGO or 2.5 JEEP or 19## KAISER 2.5 TON and that's it. It is worth the work to dig a bit, if your anything like I am you want to be assured that the money your spending is going to the best investment you can find and not the first thing you see!

ALSO, on GSA (General Services Administration) there is a drop down list that says BROWSE to the left of it. Select this drop down too and go to 'Preview Auctions' and you can see what is coming up and where they are. There have been some good rides there and from what I can see a lot cheaper than GL without the EUC or the 10% buyers premium.



Just my [] Albin as I myself am a avid collector in search of a collection! Well, at least a MV enthusist looking for his first MV - one which I am honestly looking at purchasing from a private party!



John

 

[Deuce-bigalo]

Also, I just saw this. Here is a M35 that Saturn Surplus is selling for $4500.....


http://saturnsurplus.com/M35/m35truck.htmhttp://saturnsurplus.com/M35/m35truck.htm





John

 

[mangus580]

Al, those trucks look pretty decent. Just a note, they put 'buyer loads' on everything... I would suspect that the 2 trucks with the cargo canvas on them were running recently if nothing else. Otherwise I would figure the canvas would have been taken already. All 3 trucks look better than mine did/does.

I do find it interesting that they all have heaters... in alabama? hehe

 

[Djfreema]

I've bought 3 trucks from GL without inspection. 2 of them were $1200 and I picked them up, gave them a thorough once over and drove them home 150 miles each with no problems. The 3rd truck I accidentally bid on and was a P.O.S. with a bad whistler motor,cost $600 to tow home. I paid $500 for it,stripped a bunch of parts from it and sold it for $900. Still came out ahead. My current truck still had all the paperwork from a big overhaul and I think has a fresh motor. I would count myself extremely lucky. Havent had any problems w/G.L. . Ive dealt with Vandenberg, March and Barstow and the staff at all 3 have been friendly and helpful. After my initial E.U.C. was approved the other trucks took 2 weeks or less to process. If your gonna look at pictures I would pay attention to pics with the clutch,brake and gas pedals to see that they are up and not laying flat on the floor. Pics of the motor, look closely to see if the belts are on and oil/radiator caps are in place. Disconnected injector lines are a big hint the motor isnt running as well as big holes in the block. If its a complete truck and the price is right, you can fix whatever is broke and still come out ahead. Just my 2 cents.