Hooniverse Truck Thursday – The Trucks of Alfaheaven.com

Jim Brennan

/comment

Comments


Welcome to another edition of Hooniverse Truck Thursday. This past Sunday, I ran a posting about two very unique cars that were offered for sale on the website Alfaheaven.com. Then Blake ran a posting about the Alfa 164 customized wagon, which was also from this site. However, they also offer quite a few Hoontastic Trucks for sale, so sit back and enjoy the trucks from Alfaheaven.com!


Lets start with this 1986 Chevrolet M1009 Utility Vehicle, also known as the Military Version of the Chevy Blazer. This is perfect for your Para-Military Hunting Expedition, and according to the listing:

94,684 miles, 6.2 DIESEL, 4×4, 400 Turbo Auto Transmission, posi-traction rear axle, Glow Plug Saver. Fresh 383 woodland camo CARC. Ex Wisconsin National Guard. Very nice seats. Solid floors. Rocker panels replaced due to rust. Jumper slave. 6TL batteries. Just serviced & detailed. The unit is in very good condition throughout. Runs & drives great! Wisconsin Title.


Look at this rig. It is that awesome, with the right paint job, great interior, and clean undercarriage. This is the Sarah Palin of trucks, so man up, and buy it. The asking price is only $6,500, and if you don’t buy it, then drop and give me 200 push-ups. See the listing here.

If a camouflaged Chevy doesn’t do it for you, how about a bright red 1977 Dodge M880? The ad states that this is a low tech vehicle from a simpler time. This is when trucks were trucks, not some alternative passenger car. According to the listing:

3/4 Ton, 318 V8, 727 auto transmission, 4×4. 37,286 miles. New Process gear drive transfer case. Dana 44HD/60 differentials. Very nice fire truck conversion. Excellent Iowa body. Small rust repairs to left and right rear wheel wells. Solid cab, box, rockers and floor.

Shiny red enamel paint in very good condition. New muffler and tailpipe. Cooper Discoverer tires. Power Steering, Power Disc Brakes. Just serviced and detailed. Fly in and drive home. This truck cruises comfortably at 70 mph. Wisconsin title.


A rugged, go anywhere, Dodge 3/4 ton 4X4, with no A/C, and only 37,000 miles. This truck positively drips testosterone, and you can get your own Chuck Norris approved Dodge for only $6,000! See the listing here.

These two trucks are definitely manly, but you’re saying that they are just a bit too small. I have the perfect answer, and it comes in the form of this 1954 GMC XM 215. It is a huge tractor, with a winch that is capable of halting the earth’s rotation. It is the perfect vehicle to go logging on your private acreage in Alaska, or to maintain your game preserve in West Texas. According to the listing:

Rebuilt engine, rebuilt transmission, new starter, water pump and carburetor. Full tread 1100×20 tires. Reb-shifter, hard top, Interstate batteries, Westcoast mirrors. Working winch. This truck has been in our fleet since 1980. We have used it to pull trailers, skid logs, truck pulls and much more. This truck is extremely handy and dependable with less than 500 miles on it since being rebuilt. It has no rot holes or crash damage and usually is garaged. Selling due to age, the owner not the truck. Wisconsin title.


The asking price for this very capable truck is $7,000! See the listing here.

A Truck that can be used to tow a trailer is fine, but you’re saying that you want the ability to haul around God’s green earth for whatever purpose you had in mind, and then dump it anywhere. Would you believe you can, with this 1968 Kaiser M51A2 6X6 Dump Truck? Here is one of the most badass trucks I have ever covered, and this thing is everything modern trucks are not. According to the listing:


41,671 actual miles stated on the Government 97 form. Ex U.S. Fire Service truck. Extremely well maintained, always garaged. Rebuilt LDT 465 multi-fuel engine, whistler turbo, 5 + 2 speed, air shift transfer case, power steering, air over hydraulic brakes. 54″ Goodyear AT-2A steel radial tires. 14500 lbs capacity each. Tires mounted on Hemmet super single rims. Very clean chassis, 44,000 pound tandem. Single lever live hydaulics. Heil roller ram, dump bed with gate extensions. Hard top, air ride seats, diamond plate fenders, new batteries, shiny red paint. 8 cubic yard maximum capacity. Injection pump adjusted for bio-diesel. Just serviced. DOT legal. Wisconsin title. They don’t come much nicer than this!


No, they don’t come much nicer than this. Imagine owning a 6X6 heavy duty truck that was once owned by Uncle Sam. Hell the parts alone are worth the asking price, which is $14,000! See the listing here.

And now, here is a real monster. This is also a 1968 Kaiser M543A2 6 X 6 that has been converted for use as a crash site recovery unit & has all of the items necessary for this purpose. According to the listing:

4,900 miles, 405 hours. LDT 465C Multi-fuel engine, 5+2 speed transmission, air shift axle, 44,000 pound tandem, air over hydraulic brakes, 40,000 pound front winch, 12,000 pound (20,000 on legs) 360 degree, telescopic Austin-Western hydraulic crane, max extension is 18′, max height is 21’10”, front & rear outriggers, main and alternative fuel tanks, hard cab and work lights.

Additional Equipment include Oversized turbo, recurved fuel injection pump, Donaldson filter with dashboard sensor, 80,000 pound rear winch, rear outriggers, load legs, Michelin 1600R20 XL tires on Hemmet rims, push bar with wheel chocks & wheel chock rack, warning light bar, cabin and clearance lights, tow light bar with 75′ cable, heated mirrors, cab heater, defog blower, interior work lights, air ride seats, brake lock, back up alarm, 12 volt inverter, 200 amp alternator, individual wiper control, hinged step plates, ladder & rack, CB radio, clock, safety rail, fire red urethane paint, painted chassis, space saver spare, new 6L batteries, new windshield glass, wiper blades and filters.

DOT & LCC compliant. Long interstate trips are not recommended as the truck has a top empty speed of 60mph, typical towing speed of 35 to 45 mph. Operates on a variety of fuels including bio-diesels. This truck was always garaged and is in extremely nice condition. We do use this truck from time to time and it works very well. Cannot be duplicated at twice the sale price. It is a monster, fun to drive and play with. Great attention getter!


This is he most expensive vehicle on the site, with an asking price of $30,000! Is this (or any featured) truck worth the asking price? I’m sure you will have plenty to say, so express yourself. See the listing here.
e

About

Jim Brennan

Jim Brennan

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

The maximum upload file size: 64 MB. You can upload: image, audio, video. Links to YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and other services inserted in the comment text will be automatically embedded. Drop files here

  1. vwminispeedster Avatar
    vwminispeedster

    I have no use or room fer either Kaiser but I want them anyway.

    Reply
  2. FЯeeMan Avatar
    FЯeeMan

    BIG. RED. TRUCKS!!!!!!
    Beyond that, I'm not much of an old truck connoisseur, so what's the deal with the very round looking tread profile on the GMC? They look like giant motocross tires.
    I'd love to buy 'em and park 'em all over the yard (which is the only place I'd have to put 'em) and dare the neighbors to say anything. I'd remind the lady to the east of us that she lives in a mobile home that was converted to a permanent structure, but that the M543A2 could make it mobile again, and the GMC would haul it far, far away.

    Reply
    1. FЯeeMan Avatar
      FЯeeMan

      Oh, and why does the M543A2 have a "space saver spare"? Really? On a truck that big they need a space saver?

      Reply
      1. CptSevere Avatar
        CptSevere

        Those huge super singles aren't what the truck came with originally. The spare is probably the original size, which is still enormous. Two guys can barely move one.

        Reply
  3. scroggzilla Avatar
    scroggzilla

    In West Virginia, any of these vehicles could give you some serious pimp hand……even with women who aren't your cousin!

    Reply
  4. muthalovin Avatar
    muthalovin

    I need both Kaiser's. Badly. For work-stuff.
    In reality, that Dodge seems pretty damn solid. The low miles kind of frighten me, but it seems like a decent enough deal for an offroader.

    Reply
    1. Froggmann_ Avatar
      Froggmann_

      Given the fact that it was a brush truck the miles don't surprise me at all. A majority of these trucks sit at a volunteer fire department and only get taken out for emergencies and generally receive a PM just before every spring.

      Reply
  5. CptSevere Avatar
    CptSevere

    Nice trucks. Very nice trucks. When I was in the Utah Guard, the trucks I drove and worked on were not in as good shape as these.
    Whenever we were convoying the trucks in our outfit to be deployed somewhere, everybody would fight over who got to drive the Blazers. They were great vehicles, and actually had heaters, which was nice in the winter. However, it seems like we were always putting fuel filters in glow plugs in them. Other than that, great trucks. The M880's had manual steering, and full time 4WD. Nothing car-like about them at all. The only problem with them was they only had a 318, and were way gutless offroad and loaded down with a radio van in the bed. You'd have to tow them up steep hills with a Deuce and a Half. They got replaced by the Chevy M1010 CUCV, which was good.
    I've driven five ton dump trucks like this up and down mountains, loaded. It's a blast. They'll go anywhere. My favorite one of these is the wrecker, and this one's a dandy. As a community service project in 1983 during Annual Training in Wendover, NV, we demolished an old house for the city with a wrecker like this. We paid the cable out from the rear winch, wrapped it around the house, and hooked it to the truck. Giant garrote. We paid the cable in and cut the place in half, then just cleaned up the mess with loaders and our five ton dump truck. Big fun. I doubt you could get away with that kind of thing today.

    Reply
    1. facelvega Avatar
      facelvega

      Yeah I used to drive an M880 that had been repurposed as a camp truck, and you're right on the money in your description. A truck with no dose of car in it, with manual steering that could threaten to break your thumbs on a bumpy road and the old 318 wheezing like hell to move the thing along, more making odd contributions to its momentum than actually pushing the truck. This red one's got power steering and disc brakes, so even if it's slow it'll be easier to manage than a stock M880. I'd drive it in a second.

      Reply
    2. MSGT Avatar
      MSGT

      I bought one of the forestry camo'd (383 paint scheme) Dodge M880's from Alfa Heaven five years ago. It's been as much fun as having a muscle car that can haul too. Tom sells these trucks with power steering in place of the original generator. Go look up 400 horsepower 318's and have a blast setting it up . Its very cheap and rewarding to do. I did it and now all my friends with diesels can't believe how hard this old girl pulls. These trucks come with 4.10 gears, a New Process transfer case with fulltime all wheel drive (gear driven and ultra low 4 wheel lock), a Mopar 727 Torque Flite transmission, a Dana 44 Heavy Duty front axle, and a Dana 60 rear axle with the muscle car era Sure-Grip clutch driven positraction. Amazingly it still gets 12 mpg on the highway hauling two yards of topsoil or a load of wood. Future plans for my M880 are a four speed manual trannie and 36 inch Ground Hawg tires (just got a donor 4 speed!).
      I retired from the CT Air National Guard a few years ago and I agree that the Blazers were the first choice to ride in in the convoy. Second choice were the 5-tons with a Cummins turbo and air ride.

      Reply
  6. Froggmann_ Avatar
    Froggmann_

    I want that Kaiser crane truck with a side of CUCV.

    Reply
  7. facelvega Avatar
    facelvega

    It's pretty good when a camo M1009 is the least interesting truck in a selection of five.

    Reply
  8. citroen67 Avatar
    citroen67

    I approve of(and would gladly own) everything that I have seen here today!!! That is all.

    Reply
  9. Feds_II Avatar
    Feds_II

    That GMC is awesome, but what's that tiny blue line between the front fenders. Surely an engine that small can't power a truck that big!

    Reply
  10. ZomBee Racer Avatar
    ZomBee Racer

    Let's see, clockwise from the top right corner…
    Want, really want, want, want, SERIOUSLY want.
    Regarding the GMC XM 215, $7k is dangerously do'able. "It is the perfect vehicle to go logging on your private acreage in Alaska, or to maintain your game preserve in West Texas"
    I was thinking grocery getter. Finding parking would be half the fun.

    Reply
  11. Charles_Barrett Avatar
    Charles_Barrett

    My parents had a '73 MBZ 220D, so I am familiar with diesels and glow-plugs, but can anyone tell me what a 'glow plug saver' is and how it works? It sounds like an aftermarket accessory, based on the context, but I'm still curious to know what it is.

    Reply
    1. Mr_Biggles Avatar
      Mr_Biggles

      At first I thought maybe it was referring to a coupon book, but I suspect it is more likely a feature that keeps the glow plugs from heating up if the engine is already warm or something along those lines. I would have thought that most diesels would have included that feature, but maybe some didn't, so it could have been an add-on. I covet diesels, but my practical experience with them is nil.

      Reply
  12. Jim-Bob Avatar
    Jim-Bob

    I see the Blazer like I see a Palin Presidency. Not perfect but better than what I have now. That being said, I have always had a thing for those Blazers and would probably take it over any of the other choices simply because I would have more use for it. Of course, I would prefer to just buy a beat up one off of the GSA auction site but that's neither here nor there… At any rate, i think it would fit in nicely with my odd collection of Geo Metros and AMC Spirit parts.

    Reply
    1. Smells_Homeless Avatar
      Smells_Homeless

      Tweeeeet! Unnecessary presence of politicking in the 'Verse!

      Reply
      1. facelvega Avatar
        facelvega

        So what do you think he meant by preferring "to buy a beat up one" at auction? Maybe something about investment banking bonuses? Ponzi schemes? Gun control/rights? The mind boggles.
        I want to play! Vintage Kaiser trucks are like the border with Mexico. Discuss.

        Reply
      2. Jim-Bob Avatar
        Jim-Bob

        I was merely playing off of the description used in the original post in the first two sentences of my posting. The rest of it had nothing to do with it! As for the GSA auctions…. after reading this post I had to go and see if they had any old Blazers on there in my price range. They didn't, but I did find a cool Kaiser M715 Army truck for under $1,000 with a day to go. Unfortunately (fortunately?) I don't have the money or space for another vehicle right now so I guess I'll have to be happy with the 5 I own right now.

        Reply
        1. Smells_Homeless Avatar
          Smells_Homeless

          Heh. No harm done. Just doing a bit of self-policing. Don't want the Hooniverse turning into Autoblog!

          Reply
  13. Black Steelies Avatar
    Black Steelies

    Always loved the K5 so the M1009 has always been on my list. It seems like one of the more livable day to day military cars that you can buy. My favorite thing is the material used on the seats looks more inviting compared to drab factory vinyl or cloth. $6500 is a good price considering it's basically immaculate but other examples can be found plenty cheaper everywhere and without high miles. The day I quit my job and trek up to Alaska, this is the truck I'll be looking for.

    Reply
    1. Black Steelies Avatar
      Black Steelies

      EDIT: Given the former comparison of the M1009 to a Palin presidency I would ask that you please change "Alaska" to some other desolate North American wilderness of your choosing.
      For your comment enjoyment, Black Steelies.

      Reply
    2. facelvega Avatar
      facelvega

      Sure you can find cheaper ones, but a quick look at current offerings on autotrader seems to indicate that this is actually a reasonably good price for such a clean example. It would take a ton of money to get a four grand K5 beater up to this level.
      And even then, you wouldn't get the 6.2 diesel which wikipedia claims in military spec got 165hp and 330 lb.ft., i.e. slightly less horsepower but significantly more torque than the 350 and 30 more lb.ft. than even the 400, and all that power at 2100rpm. Combine that with almost double the fuel economy of the gas engines, and I think a clean M1009 becomes a fairly compelling option. And don't forget the hose-out military interior. But also don't try to cruise the highway at 75mph.

      Reply
      1. Black Steelies Avatar
        Black Steelies

        Agreed, but for what I would use this thing for I wouldn't want a $6.5k example. Decent, solid CUCVs can be found for ~$3k less and they all have the diesel, under 100k miles easy. I mostly search craigslist through search tempest, though. Sites like Autotrader and Ebay often don't bring up the best deals, though they are more reputable.
        Now if we're talking factory civilian-spec K5's I would probably spend this much because I would want something nicer than the rotted out redneck swamper special that $3k tends to fetch for those things.

        Reply
  14. jjd241 Avatar
    jjd241

    I've been lusting over all the goodies you guys talk about for a while now. That Dodge P/U actually had me thinking about how to pull it off. Then I remembered that I was married.

    Reply