mod pristene m35a2 w/w or trade/buy m275 comments?? trades??

[yorkgulch2]

I have a 1966 Reo m35 with 8,000 on a depot rebuild in 1991 - new 465 d, axles rebuilt, od trans rebuilt, air shift transfer rebuilt. No rust camo w/camo 1piece cover.
Problem is I want to modify it or preferably a m275 with the shorter wheelbase. There is one on ebay now but the guy wants nearly what I have in a much better condition truck. What ever I mod will get a rear winch (front winch is for friends, rear winch is for me), 395/85 super singles (in garage now), smaller removable bed, maybe a bigger motor.
I know the m35 is not rare hate to modify a truck in that great shape.
Comments? Trades?

 

[clinto]

RE: mod pristene m35a2 w/w or trade/buy m275 comments?? trad

I wouldn't do yours-it sounds too nice.

There are alot better candidates out there to modify.

Just my

 

[shadow]

The one on Ebay might not be a M275. I am suspicious because it has a bed on it and the pics are so small you can't really see anything.

If I were you, I would modify your M35. It sounds in great shape so you wouldn't have to worry about fixing up another truck that might have hidden problems with it. My M275A1 needs work but I figure since I don't drive it on the road, I can take all the time/years I need to fix it up. I always wanted a M35 type of 6X6 but I came across this M275A1 locally so I bought it to see what it was like (and had to get storage trailers to put my junk in) Maybe some day I will have all the junk sold off and the trailers can be sold and then I can get a normal deuce.

 

[houdel]

RE: mod pristene m35a2 w/w or trade/buy m275 comments?? trad

Gotta go with Clinto on this one. Why hack up a pretty cherry truck when there are plenty of cheap project trucks out there?

 

[Stretch44875]

RE: mod pristene m35a2 w/w or trade/buy m275 comments?? trad

I know the guy that restored the M35 on Ebay. It is a M275 with the hitch removed and a shorter trailer bed installed. Guy did a nice job, the truck is pretty clean. Don't know the current owner, truck is about 5 miles from me.

Dennis

 

[HeadWizard]

It really depends on if you want to spend a bunch of time (and $$$) cutting one up, or do you want to pay the $ and have something to play with now.

EVERY TIME I start down the project road, (boats, tractors, mowers, Gators, Jeeps, Rovers, Benzes, Mustangs, & stuff I choose not to remember), it has cost me MUCH MORE than just buying a completed version of what my end product was to be. I think after 32 years since the first project, (a V8 Chevy Vega when I was 15), I've finally realized projects cost too much and many times don't get finished.

I think after writing that last paragraph I might need therapy, but it's true.

Buy it finished if there's any possible way you can.

One mans opinion.

Don

 

[yorkgulch2]

mod or not??

Thanks for the input
Clinto and Lee say don't cut it.
Corporal?? says mod it.
Don pointed out that it costs more to modify than buy ready to go.
-I was thinking along Dons lines as I now have $4,000 m37 with about $5,000 into it and a $500 wc62 with $1500 into it. (Parts and pick up road trips don't count. Thats vacation)
Dennis thought the m275 looked pretty good.
I just can't justify having 2 m35 types in the yard when there is a m757 begging me to buy it.
A couple of questions
1- For those that have driven both does the 12 inch shorter wheel base help much on 6 wheelin or parking.
2- Is there enough room for 395/85's on the middle axle by the fuel tank on a m275? The tire is 46.6 inches approximately.
3- Does the shorter wheel base of a m275 affect the m35s fine ride qualities?
4- Does the m275 have fewer leafs on the springs?
Craig

 

[rdixiemiller]

RE: mod or not??

As far as I can tell in the TM, the M275 has the same springs as the M35. The shorter wheelbase will decrease your turning radius a little, pulling the interaxle driveshaft or installing a locking hub on the front tandem will do more. I would ask recovery4x4 to measure his M275, he can give you a better idea on the 395/85 singles.

 

[hndrsonj]

The M275 is way harder to find than a M35 I personally could not imagine hacking one up to modify it. I only know of the location of 6 of them. However its the owners truck to do what they want. This does bring up a different point though, my dad had a nice M38A1 when I got out of high school. If it would have been mine then; it would have had a V8 and big mudders, now it would be bone stock and OD (maybe strata blue-they are nice too).

 

[Recovry4x4]

I needs to get the yardstick out and doublecheck but I'm pretty sure one could put 395s on the 275 without clearance issues.

 

[yorkgulch2]

I was not planning on cutting anything on the m275. It is very close to what I want. It has already been modified but does not look cut up. In either case I would remove the beds. A bed has been added to the m275 on ebay.
The idea of a lockout on the center axle is great I will probably do that either way. It looks like the only real gain with the m275 will be clearance and no bed and maybe a little on the turning radius.

 

[Recovry4x4]

M275A2s are nice drivers. They fit in parking spaces and turn a little sharper. Less weight makes them feel a little quicker too. When I had the tractor and cargo truck both, I drove the tractor almost exclusively.

 

[bigbee]

York-

Your original post suggested you would have one or the other- your M35 modified or the M275 modified. Keep with that strategy and you'll have room for the M757. I would suggest that there is someone out there that would buy yours so you can have enough to get the 275.

BTW, for the short time I had my M275A2, I LOVED it. Had to keep pulling over to wait for Lane when i was bobtailed and he was lugging up the hills with his M109 Van and trailer.

 

[yorkgulch2]

The auction ended at $5000 for the ebay m275. I decided it was going to cost to much to get it out to Colorado. After hearing the positive comments though I am going to keep looking for one closer to Colorado. Everything I have found is nearly that far away. There was one on a GSA auction in Wyoming with fuel trailer but I was out of the country then. Does anyone know what happened to that?