Another green thing to work on, 53 M37

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rickf
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Another green thing to work on, 53 M37

Post by rickf »

Well, I got myself a 53 M37 and it came with just about all of the stuff needed to restore it. I think the biggest ordeal was getting it from Florida to NJ! I could not find a truck to bring it up for the life of me. I did find a broker that was happy to stiff me on 75 bucks and then not provide a truck! The card company is dealing with him. Just as I was getting ready to drive down to Florida and bring it back myself a fellow Steel Soldiers member saw my predicament and offered to bring it up for me and it showed up on Memorial day. That cost me more than half again what I paid for the truck!1100.00. Yes, I got the vehicle cheap. I had it running within a day after almost 20 years of not running and the gas in the tank smells like it! I will have to drop the tank and get that all cleaned out and sealed. Here is the truck and most of what came with it. Not shown are the rear fenders and the top parts, no canvas. I think my plan for now is to do a motor pool restoration right now so I can drive it this summer and then over the winter pull the bed off and maybe the cab off also and really go over it then. For now it will be a complete brake system, exhaust and gaskets plywood in the bed. Then just gather all the parts I need over the next few months.

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And this is most of the goodies that came with it.

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1953 M37
1964 M151A1
1967 M416
1984 M1008
4/1952 M100
12/1952 M100 gone
ashyers
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Re: Another green thing to work on, 53 M37

Post by ashyers »

Looks like fun! You have yourself a "kit" :). Hopefully it won't take too long to get it roadworthy again and enjoy it. I certainly love driving the truck this time of year with the top off. If we're just cruising around town we drop the windshield. The dog loves it! In a few weeks we're off for some camping and a bit of playing in the dirt. Big Fun!
rickf
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Re: Another green thing to work on, 53 M37

Post by rickf »

Right away I see a problem, I have all this nice new wiring and the grommets on the lights that I have to remove to replace the wiring are hard as a rock and brittle. Where do you find new grommets? And also my old wiring was so bad there were spots where the connectors had been cut out so I do not have the plastic connectors for inside the shells. Where can I get them?
1953 M37
1964 M151A1
1967 M416
1984 M1008
4/1952 M100
12/1952 M100 gone
just me
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Re: Another green thing to work on, 53 M37

Post by just me »

John at Midwest Military has the rubber parts. I get my wiring stuff from Erik's Military Surplus.
"It may be ugly, but at least it is slow!"
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Re: Another green thing to work on, 53 M37

Post by NAM VET »

Lots of potential there, lots of spares, but I don't think the red plastic gas can on the fender meets current Traffic Safety rules.

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rickf
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Re: Another green thing to work on, 53 M37

Post by rickf »

It's a 53, who cares! :roll: Yea, well that is my gas supply until I get new lines and get the garbage out of the tank. Let's see, no horn, no brakes and a five gallon gas can front and center. Yup, I am ready to take her out for a test spin. :twisted: :twisted:
1953 M37
1964 M151A1
1967 M416
1984 M1008
4/1952 M100
12/1952 M100 gone
rickf
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Re: Another green thing to work on, 53 M37

Post by rickf »

just me wrote:John at Midwest Military has the rubber parts. I get my wiring stuff from Erik's Military Surplus.
Thanks, I will check them out tomorrow.
1953 M37
1964 M151A1
1967 M416
1984 M1008
4/1952 M100
12/1952 M100 gone
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m-37Bruce
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Re: Another green thing to work on, 53 M37

Post by m-37Bruce »

One of your spare windshields looks like a spare I let go of for much needed $$? I'm reassembling my bed and swapping out carbs, a zenith m-29 to an etw1. I have been in a stall, looks like your in the groove. Choice of tailgates, nice!
Bruce,

1953 M-37 w/ow

Retired Again

Keep Em Rollin'

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rickf
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Re: Another green thing to work on, 53 M37

Post by rickf »

m-37Bruce wrote:One of your spare windshields looks like a spare I let go of for much needed $$? I'm reassembling my bed and swapping out carbs, a zenith m-29 to an etw1. I have been in a stall, looks like your in the groove. Choice of tailgates, nice!
Well, This vehicle came out of Fla. It was donated to a museum there in February of this year. I have not talked to the previous owner but I do plan to to see if I can get some history on the truck. I will try to find out where he purchased it from. When did you sell that windshield frame? The lighter color one in the picture is probably the "extra" one since the other one matches the truck and probably came off of it. I will be using the lighter one since it only has surface rust on it where the other one is rusted pretty bad across the top. I just made the replacement panel for the left cowl area behind the hinge bracket today. Making that compound curve by hand is quite a challenge. My bodywork skill are a bit rusty.
1953 M37
1964 M151A1
1967 M416
1984 M1008
4/1952 M100
12/1952 M100 gone
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m-37Bruce
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Re: Another green thing to work on, 53 M37

Post by m-37Bruce »

The lighter one I bought from a guy in Wisconsin, named Jerry, he had about a half dozen trucks, both M's and PW's, he has since passed away and John at Midwest Mil bought his entire fleet! Originally I bought the frame to replace mine, then I figured out how to repair it.
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Jerrys Fleet of Dodge M37s  Power Wagons.jpg
Jerrys Fleet of Dodge M37s Power Wagons.jpg (77.85 KiB) Viewed 4455 times
Bruce,

1953 M-37 w/ow

Retired Again

Keep Em Rollin'

VMVA
rickf
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Re: Another green thing to work on, 53 M37

Post by rickf »

If you are talking about the one on the far left and that frame had just surface rust on it then it sounds like the same one. Man, that would be weird! And a lot of traveling for the frame!
1953 M37
1964 M151A1
1967 M416
1984 M1008
4/1952 M100
12/1952 M100 gone
rickf
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Re: Another green thing to work on, 53 M37

Post by rickf »

How are most of you repairing the rot that always occurs at the windshield frame hinge area on the cowl? I am kind of anal when it comes to bodywork and it has to be metal and at least close to correct work. I am curious to know what the majority of you do so I know if I am going overboard.
1953 M37
1964 M151A1
1967 M416
1984 M1008
4/1952 M100
12/1952 M100 gone
rickf
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Posts: 437
Joined: Sun May 21, 2017 5:50 am
Location: Pemberton Township, NJ.

Re: Another green thing to work on, 53 M37

Post by rickf »

Preliminary cowl repair. Here are the repair panels I have fabricated so far. I was going to cut out the cowl and butt weld these into it but I decided to lay them over and spot weld instead so that I increase the strength of the hinge area. The support behind the cowl panel that holds the inner part of the hinge bolt is pretty much gone and replacing that would entail replacing most of the cowl. I am NOT getting that far into it I am also going to fabricate another panel that till go inside of the lower panel and be spotted on there to add strength to the lower part of the hinge and then the two flanges that protrude inside at the joint will be attached with stainless screws inside the vehicle. The weld areas will all be painted with weld through primer. There will be some bondo involved to blend in the new panels but I will have to live with that. I was always taught NO BONDO!

These panels are just laying there for now, they are not attached.

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1953 M37
1964 M151A1
1967 M416
1984 M1008
4/1952 M100
12/1952 M100 gone
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m-37Bruce
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Re: Another green thing to work on, 53 M37

Post by m-37Bruce »

That looks serviceable, the crap that you are leaving behind might come back to bite you, that is whatz called creeping death. (you might out last it) My cowl was in great shape, the channel that the vac lines rides in was toast, a guy at work made me a brand new one.
Vac Channel Weld Complete.jpg
Vac Channel Weld Complete.jpg (54.19 KiB) Viewed 4431 times
Bruce,

1953 M-37 w/ow

Retired Again

Keep Em Rollin'

VMVA
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m-37Bruce
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Re: Another green thing to work on, 53 M37

Post by m-37Bruce »

Here's another shot of the same channel clamped up before welding.
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Vacum Channel for Wiper Motor.jpg
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Bruce,

1953 M-37 w/ow

Retired Again

Keep Em Rollin'

VMVA
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