New Owner M923A1 w/pics

[jedawson1]

Greetings from this new Member/Owner. I purchased my very first M923A1 from Sparta, WI on May 10th 2012. It took much looking across the country, but I finally found a good lot in Sparta. I bid on several back on May 10th finally winning one and received my EUC on May 22. I phoned a friend in FL to fly up with me to drive it home. You can never have enough help when Mr. Murphy showes up. We flew into Chicago rented a car and drove up to Sparta, grabbed a few beers and a good nights rest. Wednesday Morning we met Jeff and signed all the paperwork. We hit the road and drove south through the Quad Cities to return the rental car in Moline, IL. From there we drove down the Springfield, IL for the night. Driving a 5ton all day will help you sleep. Up with the sun we drove to the St. Louis Airport so my co pilot could make a birthday party (his wife would stop calling to see if he was going to make it). I then finished the Solo drive down to Murfreesboro TN. I got 10mpg the first part of the trip running 55, faster down hill. The 2nd day I got about 7.5 mpg running 65 @ 2100rpm. Had a good time and now I have a fun truck to take my 2 sons camping in. We can throw our canoe's and gear in the back and take off. A few things I learned along the way:

1. The truck bucks like a bull when you go over an overpass.
2. Western Wisconsin is beautiful, wish the winters were not so cold.
3. I love aged 10yr old Cheddar Cheese!
4. From the cab of a 5 ton, you can see the shoe's on a truck driver.
5. People like to wave at you when you drive a 5ton
6. The horn on the 5ton is whimpy at best.
7. Long haul truckers don't like FedEX tandem drivers.
8. 5 ton's will get sideways in a tight turn on a wet road.
9. My wife makes a great sales person when she hates a certain peice of OD metal in the yard.
10. 5 Ton windshields require waterproof boots, thank god I wore my Danner's.

Attached are some pictures along the way.

 

[ARYankee]

The 923 is a great MV. I love mine! It looks like you got a good one there. If you are getting too much bounce, you may want to let some air out. Folks run them anywhere from 55 psi to 70 psi. by the way I loved #4, 5, & 10 on your list and are true

 

[M35A2-AZ]

Great looking truck, sound like you had a great trip and recovery!!
And safe!!

 

[markmontana]

Congrats on the good trip back. How many miles was the recovery- one way- driving the M923A1 back to your place?

 

[jedawson1]

the trip was about 800 miles one way Sparta, WI to Murfreesboro, TN. Had to side track in to St. Louis to drop my friend off at the airport, this added about 50 miles to the trip. I figured they drove busses into the airport so my 5 ton should fit. We removed he bed cover so as not to make people nervous and I drove right through the drop off area, a few strange looks but no problems.

 

[markmontana]

Very cool. I think these things are so wild that people aren't really ready to cause problems as you drive by...

I'm thinking we should have some kind of recognition for those crazy enough to make recoveries of 300-500 miles or more. Maybe a 'Steel Butt' club or something. Anyway, you're in!

 

[Danl]

Danl M915A1

Nice Truck good luck, You look pretty young, I hope that your wife understand The MV Bug LOL. Around here My mv is always Parked in the way, Nomather were I park it , Its in the way ,I parked out back once . It raind hard that night in the morning My poor truck sunk in the leach feild. what a****y mess, fix the feild, now the old girl can park in the drive way, But its in the way, but ok to park there.

 

[wreckerman893]

It took much looking across the country, but I finally found a good lot in Sparta

Really????? I know a GL site in Huntville, AL that has so many of them that they sell them.

Nice looking truck but there were some a lot closer.....I got my M927 there a few weeks ago.

If you got a good truck and had a grand adventure bringing her home then ya did good.

 

[Ord22]

Nice looking truck! Are you going to camo the truck?

 

[mhassett]

Way cool.
The Arch made me home sick.

 

[jedawson1]

Really????? I know a GL site in Huntville, AL that has so many of them that they sell them.

I had been looking for 2 months and wasn't impressed with the GA or Camp Shelby stuff, I only found one in South Alabama, it was a nice looking 923A2 in tan color, but it went over $6500 so I passed on it. When did the Huntsville stuff bid? The truck I got had all brand new fluids, new starter, water pump, radiator, and new insulation under the hood. It could use a paint job but thats about it.

I'm sure there are better deals out there but for the money, I feel good about what I got. I do need to find some goodyear 14R20 for the back 4, mine are about 30%. Front tires were new.

Might I add? having driven dump trucks and hauling dozers and other oversize loads for a few years: After 800 miles behind the wheel, I think the cummins NHC 250 is a great motor for this truck, I don't know why there are so many threads about folks trying to add a turbo or make them go faster. 65mph on super singles is plenty fast and once warmed up, acceleration is pretty good with the allison 5 speed.

 

[Hoefler]

She looks like a nice win. Got my M923 out of Sparta as well. Mine had same colors on it. I painted mine in Rapco camo and painted the grill all black. She looks great in camo.
Pete

 

[jedawson1]

I painted mine in Rapco camo and painted the grill all black. She looks great in camo.
Pete[/QUOTE]

Nice looking paint job, how much/hours of prep work went into it? I am thinking about a paint job this fall, but there are a lot of peices and a lot of crevices to paint around and in. figured a quick sand blast would be easiest. Good news is the under carriage looks good and their are only 2 small rust spots that I can find, and they don't need repair, just sealed up to prevent future rot.

 

[Hoefler]

It did not take more than a couple of Saturdays. I DA's with 100 grit. Spot sandblasted surface rust. Used POR15 on the spots that had surface rust. Prime the bare spots and start painting. I used a box of rattle cans-12 cans in all-4 cans each of flat black, 383 green and brown. Its easy and looks great. Easy to touch up too.
Pete

 

[jedawson1]

I searched the trucks unit markings and found out my truck is from the:

416TEC Theater Engineer Command
367BN out of St. Cloud Minnesota

I have e-mailed their facebook page to see if I can get more info on this unit. I want to put a short book together showing examples of their work, job function and how it serves the bigger picture, and to explain what this truck's specific job was in the Army. I think this would be fun to share at car shows and any other event where folks see the truck. Also I want to keep the truck painted to the units specifications as well. If only these trucks could talk...

I remember when the "History Channel" had shows about history!

 

[Trainman]

Nice ride. Congrats on your new acquisition!