M37 or M715??

[b78]

Hi I m Baios from Greece!!!I m also in the G838 forum and G503 because I have a M151A2!!!!I want to help me recording which of them above (M37 or M715) must buy and why????I find a guy that has both of them in good condition and sells them ...so I m a little confused!!They have the same engine?????which one is tough or fuel economy????Thanks

[Nickathome]

I'm no expert but I'm sure most here will tell you if you have the choice, go with the M37. Neither will win any fuel economy prizes, I can maybe see the 715 getting the nod slightly but the M37 from all I've read and heard is the better of the two vehicles.

The M715 had a V8 engine I think, and not a very good one. The M37 has a 230 flathead straight six, so if they both have the same engine, then one of them is incorrect.......

[WarrenD]

I think a lot depends on what you want. Are you trying to collect from a certain time period or place? Researching a time and/or place will tell you more about which vehicle may have been in use and for what purpose. If you are going by fuel economy, I'd guess neither one is going to do very well by today's standards.
Personally, I like the look of the M-37 better, it has a distinctive military look whereas the M715 looks like civilian Jeeps I remember seeing growing up.

[xm708]

Both the m37 and the M715 had inline 6 cylinders. I believe they are both 230 cubic inch. The jeep was a "Tornado" engine with overhead cam and the m37 has a 230 flat head engine. I have never owned an m715 but have heard the storys of the engines never being that great. I am partial to the m37 as I have had a couple of them and love them.

[anthony manzella]

Be carefull the M37 flat head had a 230ci till 1960 after that it was a flat head 260ci .

[Cal_Gary]

Welcome aboard Baios! If you posted your question on both forums, each would likely lean hard toward each respective side-M37's over here, M715's over there. It's a tough call-I obviously prefer the M37 because I own one, but was also assigned an M715 in my Army days. As stated, the M37 is the "tougher" truck, but there are those who also swear by the M715, known as the first "civilian style" military truck.

M715 parts may be harder to come by (especially in Greece, I would think!)
Anyway, glad to have you with us!
Gary

[b78]

thanks guys for the information!!!I think i will go with M37 finally because of the ton of spare parts that I can find here in Greece!!!!althought the m715 looks more civilian it is also dificult (after a search) finding the parts!!!

[m-37Bruce]

And a good decision.........Oh & Ya'sou!

[k8icu]

Everyone has said the same thing and they are correct. M37 owners are lovers of M37s and M715 owners are lovers of M715s. I have owned both trucks and I'm rebuilding a M37 now and the M37 is good old truck. The M715 is a "modern" truck. By that I mean it has many things it that most trucks have and have had for the past 40 years. Because of this the M715 is eaiser to modify as compaired to the M37. For example changing the axles with a modern Dana is much easier with the M715. The M715 is also more roomier in the cab than the M37. M37 is smaller in the cab. The M715 is a civilian truck converted to military. The M37 was made for the military and the civilian came later. Parts are not as pletiful for the M715 and finding a M715 that hasn't been modified and in original condition is getting more difficult. IMHO a restored to original M715 is going to be worth more than the M37 in the next 15-20 years.

I think the M37 looks more like an army truck and is cool!

[Lifer]

Be carefull the M37 flat head had a 230ci till 1960 after that it was a flat head 260ci .

Ummmm...I think one of us is mistaken. I believe that all American-made M37s had the 230 cubic inch flathead six and all Canadian-built models had the 251 cubic inch engine. There was no 260 cubic inch flathead engine from either factory.

[cuz]

I wondered when someone would catch that.

The 715 is a very nice truck and I think you're right on on it's value over the next ten years. The 230 OHC engine was fine and held up well. The civilian 230 OHC had many issues the military engine didn't. The surplus military engines were very popular with the civilian jeep restoration folks looking for a better replacement for their OHC sixes.

[Paul in Kempner, TX]

I'm not clear who assigned me the rank for this forum. I held significantly higher ranks when I was a unit motor sergeant and a unit maintenance officer. I hope this rank is not a measure of my credibility. I am satisfied that my memories of the M37 and the M715 are reasonably accurate since I am checking my copies of the two TM's cited above.

I was assigned a M37B1 when I was sent to Korea in late 1963. I drove M715's and supervised their maintenance during my second tour in Korea 1969 - 1971.

(My comments about my experiences with the Dodge M880 series are on my web site.)

I now own a M37, a M37B1, and a M56 cab and chassis with the contact truck drive set up.

I bring this up because I have just seen posts in this thread that contain inaccurate information. Without challenging anyone's memory of their own experiences with these vehicles, or anyone's opinion based on never driving one, I submit the following characteristics that highlight the most significant differences in these two trucks.

1. Parts are readily available for the M37 series. M37 production spanned ten years. M37's also share many parts with the Power Wagon and the WWII Dodge 3/4 ton WC series. This is good when you need parts. It is also when good when you have parts to sell. M715 was produced for about two years. There are many components which are common to both trucks, at least as far as internal parts, but the external components often differ.

2. The M37 driver's compartment has seats for three. M715 has two seats separated by a battery compartment which has hard corners.

3. M37 has side windows that roll down into the doors. M715 has a fixed and a roll down portion in each side window. The fixed portion must be removed and stored separately when the top is removed and the windshield is lowered. The M37 windshield opens for ventilation and the M715 windshield is fixed in the folding windshield frame.

4. The flat head engine in the M37 is more reliable across the board. The overhead camshaft engine in the M715 does not perform well in off road driving and requires more maintenance.

There are many more differences. The ones I cited above reflect my general impression that the M37 evolved as a durable all purpose vehicle suited to the widest range of conditions. The M715 appears to have been developed to meet a set of government specifications while ignoring the corporate knowledge of Jeep.

[cuz]

I'm not clear who assigned me the rank for this forum.

Hello Paul,

The forum software does it automatically based on the number of posts. Just like the service a person who talks a lot and says very little can become a 5 star general in no time at all.

I used the 715 in SEA in the late 60's and found it a reasonably reliable truck. We carried recoiless rifles mounted in the beds for base perimeter security work. The Air Force didn't have a lot of M37's during that period.

I struggled for several years with which to buy and I bought my M37 for most of the reasons already listed above.

There are a lot of jeep folks who stand strongly behind that 230 OHC engine.
But as mentioned above one cannot expect to find a lot of love for a M715 on a M37 board.

[MSeriesRebuild]

Everyone has said the same thing and they are correct. M37 owners are lovers of M37s and M715 owners are lovers of M715s. I have owned both trucks and I'm rebuilding a M37 now and the M37 is good old truck. The M715 is a "modern" truck. By that I mean it has many things it that most trucks have and have had for the past 40 years. Because of this the M715 is eaiser to modify as compaired to the M37. For example changing the axles with a modern Dana is much easier with the M715. The M715 is also more roomier in the cab than the M37. M37 is smaller in the cab. The M715 is a civilian truck converted to military. The M37 was made for the military and the civilian came later. Parts are not as pletiful for the M715 and finding a M715 that hasn't been modified and in original condition is getting more difficult. IMHO a restored to original M715 is going to be worth more than the M37 in the next 15-20 years.

Can't tell what will happen in 20 years, anyone that has had vast experience will chose the M37 every time. Most who are 715 nuts are going on appearance, they like the looks of the truck. Most end up disappointed when they realize what a dog they really are in their original state. We build a few along, they make a decent truck when repowered, etc., never will be the truck a M37 is in my opinion, especially off road. A roomier cab, how do you figure that with that dang battery box taking up huge space, I don't see it.

I think the M37 looks more like an army truck and is cool!

[MSeriesRebuild]

Be carefull the M37 flat head had a 230ci till 1960 after that it was a flat head 260ci .

I beg to differ, never saw an original US M37 or M37B1 that had any engine other than a 230, all Canadian models had the 251. That was it in M37's.