M139

[cluless]

Recently found an ad for a M139 in these parts. Wonder form the masses what the collectability and what a fair price would be to make the purchase worth while.
It's a 62 with a gas engine. Not knowing much about them, I understand they are overwidth. Will that be much of a concern?
It's comign out of a long storage seems to run good needs brake work and in general a good going over.
Any ideas on this would be really helpful.

 

[gunboy1656]

Without seeing pics, can't give a lot to use. As for being over width, remove the outer wheels and should be good. Skinnier bed will help as well.

Or just get permits every time you want to drive it.

 

[maddawg308]

It's a huge truck. There's one on armyjeeps.net for $4,700 in decent shape with the gas engine. That's not much more than scrap price. But like I said, BIG truck. You better have a use, because it will be a pain to use for pleasure riding around if you need overwidth permits just to drive it around.

 

[indy4x4fab]

Buy it and you be the main attraction in any parade.

 

[m139h2otruck]

The truck in my avatar is a converted M139. It, along with it's parts truck came from the Clinton Mass. area, and since the Mass NG had a bunch of these, most likly they are all related. Truck should have 1400x20 rubber on 10" wide wheels, but the wheels have such a deep offset, making them useless for any other truck but the M139s or M328s. Bridge deck body is very heavy, and makes the truck over width even if the wheels are singled out. We cut up both bodies and gave them to a friend who runs a scrap yard for rent on storage of the parts truck.

In order to use the truck w/o overwidth permits, we reversed the rear hubs like on a deuce, only they are much heavier. Used singles on the rear. Truck is also the longest wheelbase of any 5 ton, so turning radius is large.

Gas engine is fine for empty use on road and loaded use off road, but they are slow and use mass quanities of fuel @ 50 mph. Has a non-OD transmission, so highway speeds are run at max engine speed most of the time. The up side is that the ratio spacing is much better than the OD trans.