I have longed for a m37 for years, possible before conseption... New on the forum, I already have more questions than i can shake a stick at, and i dont even own it yet. I cant wait to get home and hook up to the gooseneck (it might be a good time to get those trailer brakes working) because im leaving knoxville in the morning, heading to pick her up in PA. Do any of you remember the feeling of going to pick up your first M37? I wish i had it at home already, so the feeling of someone standing on my chest would go away. Wish me a safe and speedy trip...
M.D. From Tennessee
I remember it like it was yesterday The early 80's, I lived in Vancouver, Wa. and found an "army truck" in the hills outside of Portland, Or. in the truck trader. A friend dropped me off and I drove my 1st home.I still remember all of the thumbs ups and waving and smiling from the other cars on that 1st drive. Been bitten by the bug ever since. Have fun. Kurt
HAVE A SAFE TRIP FRIEND, AND I HOPE SHE IS ALL YOU EXPECT AND MORE. I FELL INLOVE WITH THE M37 WHEN I WAS 5 YEARS OLD. I WOULD SEE THEM IN PARADES, AND POINTING AT THEM AND WAS SAYING TO MY GRANDFATHER "I WANT ONE OF THOSE WITH THE SPARE ON THE DOOR". I GOT MINE 10 YEARS AGO AT THE AGE OF 26. HOW DID I FEEL? CAN NOT BE EXPLAINED. "LIKE A MILLIONARE" IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS THAT IT STILL MAKES ME FEEL THE EXACT SAME GREAT THINGS EVERY SINGLE TIME. FOR THE LAST 4 YEARS IT HAD BEEN MY ONLY CAR, AND DRIVING IT IS ALWAYS A PLEASURE, "ON ROAD" OR "NO ROAD." IT HAS BEEN A FEW MONTHS NOW THAT I LEFT IT BACK AT HOME TO COME TO THE STATES, AND I MISS IT SO MUCH... WELCOME ON BOARD FRIEND
LIFE IS SHORT AND ENDS UNEXPECTEDLY. MAKE EVERY MOMENT WORTH REMEMBERING.
I bought mine (serial number 80260628 in the registry) back in the late summer off 1997 when I was still single and could afford such things. Now I'm married with three kids and my M37 has become a cherished member of the family. My kids affectionately call it the "big green truck" and are always asking "when are we gonna go for a ride Daddy".
My 7 yr. old son wasn't all that interested in it until I showed up on the last day of school to pick him up and his friends all told him how cool "his" truck is, now he's been reborn with an eye for everything Olive Drab.
We were at a car show earlier this summer and there was another M37 there and my 6 yr. old daughter started pointing out all the differences between the two trucks, much to the other M37's owners dismay. "Daddy, how come our truck has this and his truck doesn't" or "Daddy, I think our truck looks better than his". I'm trying to have a pleasant conversation with the other trucks owner and she's chiming in every two seconds about how "this" or "that" is different, I was a little upset that she would do that in front of the other owner. I was going to say something to her when my wife stopped me, she explained my daughters actions by telling me that she is just really proud of our truck and little girls don't like competition and that she was looking at the other M37 as competition.
My 3 yr. old is fascinated with all the switches and levers in the cab and if left unattended will have all of them set to her liking in no time (I have an ignition lockout/anti-theft switch installed so there isn't anyway she can hurt anything, including herself). She just loves to "beep" the horn when I'm under the hood checking the oil before a ride, scares me every time . She also likes to play with the radio in back, it's fun to watch her talking into the handset and resetting all the dials and switches. When you ask who she's talking to she says "Grandma & Grandpa" (she loves her Grandma & Grandpa).
Last summer the water pump went out and I didn't have the money to fix it right away. After we explained to my older daughter that the "big green truck" was sick and wouldn't be able to come out for a while, she walked up and patted it on the head light and said "Don't worry, it will be okay. Daddy will make you feel better real soon, then you can come out and play again.". That brought a little tear to my eye and motivated me to come up with the funds to pay for a new water pump a little sooner than expected.
They are growing up so fast but they will all have good memories of their crazy Dad and his "big green truck".
Enjoy your new truck!! I hope you'll have as much fun with yours as I have had with mine over the years.
I began to wonder if my purchase was ever going to happen. John Varner graciously had the story published in Supply Line a couple of years ago. To make a long story short, some friends advised of an old Army truck for sale, in rough shape, but didn't know what it was. After 6 trips out to the site, only to be told the owner wasn't there, for this, that, and many other reasons, I finally exchanged the cash with him for the registration on my 1954 M37 in July 2004 and have been plugging away ever since. I must say that much of my enjoyment came from hunting down the missing parts, especially at decent prices, meeting some great friends, and I still long to get it on the road (if my throw-out bearing carrier ever gets here, I'll be able to do so!)
Great stories guys-I only wish mine had been driveable when I picked it up-the smiles and waves I've garnered since then have been priceless!!
Gary
Cal_Gary
1954 M37 W/W
MVPA Correspondent #28500
G741.org Forum member since 2004
Honestly, my first feelings after I bought my first m37 were "Oh $hit, what the hell did I get myself into?" I found and bought that truck before I was really ready to take the plunge. I had a 6 month old son, and a wife who wasn't the least bit happy with my decision to park "that old piece of junk" in the back yard. Unfortunately, that truck didn't last long and I sold it.....Jump ahead about 5 years and I found another one at the Aberdeen show. I bought it and again found myself saying to myself "Oh $hit, what the hell did I just get myself into?" Well, this time I was in a better position to take the plunge. New house with garage, kids were older so I had more time to myself to work on it. I had more knowledge and had built more common sense into the situation, such as how to look at the little things and not get overwhelmed by seeing all that was wrong or needed fixing and getting frustrated. That was May of 2003. That truck is still in my garage. It sees the light of day when the mood strikes and I can't be happier.
I was thrilled to finally have one. and thrilled again to have another!
I first saw an M37 when I was a 13 yr. old kid after a blizzard unloaded three feet of dry drifting snow on us and almost nothing with wheels was moving except a couple of National Guard Dodges wearing chains on all four wheels that had been loaned to the local town police. Before that time I thought a Jeep was the vehicle for me but seeing those trucks churning their way through the drifts that were sometimes four feet deep convinced me that was the 4X4 I had to have!
Fast forward to 1972 (WOW, he is old) and at the time I was commuting to Baltimore in an ex-Air Force M38A1 with an arctic top and Southwind gas burning heater and decided to sell it to get something that got better MPG's and had put a for sale ad. in the Balto. paper and got a call from Dr. Willard Graves of Johns Hopkins Univ. who had a M37 that he was willing to trade. The truck had been donated to the univ. for a river and stream thermal pollution study of power plant cooling water outfalls and after the study was completed Dr. Graves bought the truck from the univ for $1. No wonder he was willing to trade, but I was hooked and it was soon mine. I had my own M37 and I was like a kid at Christmas. The truck only had a little over 5K miles and was unmollested and still all GI, OD paint and all. I continued to drive to Baltimore and the trucks MPG was even poorer than the M38A1's but that didn't matter as gas was only around 35-45 cents/gal. and I had my dream truck. I kept it for six years and even drove it on a four hundred mile rescue trip carying food, water, elec. generator, pump and cleaning supplies and I would be able to ford the flooded Susquehanna River after a hurricane washed out the bridges that led into the small Pennsylvania town where both of my Grandmothers were stranded without food and water in the second stories of their homes. I loved that truck but having a growing family required that I get something more domestic and family oriented so it was sold and a huge Ford station wagon took it's place, well sort of
Years later I was given another chance at having one of my dream trucks again and although a wreck in every sense of the word except for the crash part, I jumped at the chance and then proceded to spend 20+ years and thousands of dollars in order to get back what I had gotten rid of all those years before. I still have it, it still runs and now it has another one in the garage to keep it company. Life is good!
As found: The Wreck.
Carter
Life Member:
Delta, Peach Bottom Fish & Game Assn.
In October 1963 I was assigned to the 7th Military Intelligence Detachment, Camp Casey, Korea. I was a Counterintelligence Special Agent. As such, my rank was classified and I served in civilian clothes. The nature of my duties afforded me considerable latitude with regard to adherence to certain regulations. For example, my “trip ticket” advised all who might have occasion to check it that I was authorized to operate a military vehicle after curfew, operate off MSR’s, transport contraband, and carry indigenous personnel. Very specifically, this document stated that the driver would not be questioned about the nature of the mission on which the vehicle was being driven. Can you say, “Blank Check”?
The primary vehicle assigned to me was a M151, truck, utility, ¼ ton, 4x4. This was a MUTT (Military Utility Truck, Tactical). Folks who do not know better still refer to them as “Jeeps”. And the geniuses in Hollywood still use them in movies about WW II and the Korean War. John Wayne rode a M151 in the WWII movie, “In Harms Way” and actually called it a “Jeep”. I know the difference - he didn’t - but he still got the big bucks. The earliest MUTT’s were manufactured by Ford. (Isn’t it interesting that they were procured soon after McNamara moved from Ford to Secretary of Defense?) At that stage of my life, my personal vehicle was a Ford Galaxie 500 and I was pleased to have another Ford to drive.
In addition to a GMC M211, the Detachment had a M37B1 w/w. These were seldom driven. This was my first acquaintance with an M37 and I immediately liked it. I frequently drove it, particularly when there was some challenging terrain to conquer. Rat Patrol was a well known TV series. Because there were no restrictions imposed on us, we often did “cross country” training. There was a wide river bed near by with plenty of sand. Usually the river was a narrow flow and we had a huge “sand box” to enjoy. The M37 did very well in the “sand box” and often had to retrieve an M151. There were also some mountain passes in the area that provided some white knuckle mileage.
Several times, the river was flooded and parts of the “Ville” were inundated. Some of the guys had “Class B” dependents down there and I was the one who drove the M37 down the flooded back streets to “rescue” them and their belongings.
I did more than play with the M37. Our Detachment had a small club. Because I was the only one who drove the M37, I was afforded the opportunity to make the supply runs for the club. There was a district on the north side of Seoul where “slicky boys” attempted to loot supply trucks. Many units hauled supplies in ¼ ton trucks with trailers. “Slicky boys” would stand out in the street to slow or stop the small vehicles while their associates cut the tie downs of the cargo covers and made off with loot. It was amazing how the winch and bumper on a M37 discouraged these enterprising individuals from getting in the street to slow or stop traffic. Because the M37 hauled a good load, no trailer was needed and there were no maneuverability issues. Also, the wonderful sound of a Dodge “L” head motor under acceleration was a definite help. I don’t know how I’d have done with Elliot Ness, but I never lost a drop of liquid supplies for the club.
Because I had a choice of M37 or M151 every day, I was able to explore the capabilities of these vehicles. Because I was exempt from Military Police scrutiny, I learned to drive them much faster than the typical Army driver.
The military was also subject to restrictions for operating our vehicles on the roads. These were primarily based on weather conditions. “Green” - good weather and no restrictions. “Amber” - poor weather and only mission essential traffic. “Red” - bad weather and only emergency vehicles. “Black” - very bad weather, flooded roads, heavy snow, etc., no vehicles.
As previously stated, our trip tickets gave us a blank check and we were not restricted by road conditions. This meant I could put tire chains on all four wheels and go play in the snow. Winter in Korea is the best example of winter anywhere. I was able to drive the M37 in conditions that stopped most other vehicles. Tires and road clearance were not adequate for ¼ ton’s - M151 or M38A1 (CJ5 equivalent). The M35 series “deuce and a half” had several different types of front wheel drive and were difficult to control in heavy snow. The M37 was fantastic.
In subsequent Army assignments, I drove M151A1’s and M151A2’s, M715's, and M880's. They were alright, but I never was in the situation again where I had the joy of that first M37. Oh yes, I was also the Unit Property Book Officer and “owned 40 M151’s and had the additional duty of Unit Maintenance Officer dealing with M151’s and M880's. Sadly, the M37 was gone.
Gone from the Army, that is… I have owned three running M37’s, one M43, one M37B1 parts truck and one M56 cab and chassis parts truck. I never look at any of them without being reminded of chains on all four one winter in “The Land of the Morning Calm”.
Last edited by Paul in Kempner, TX on Wed Aug 12, 2009 7:48 am, edited 1 time in total.
Thanks Paul, wonderful story about your actual military use of the M37, they are great trucks.
As a side note, the restored truck I have was the very one I used to drive at summer camp at AP Hill Va. when I was in the NG. It was turned in at APG and sold to the local county govt. who stripped it and then when I ask about it it was given to me for free to restore. I had several to choose from and remembered the USA #s from my driving it on trips into Richmond Va. and choose it.
Carter
Life Member:
Delta, Peach Bottom Fish & Game Assn.
First off welcome aboard Montanaorbust, hope the trip goes well
My current rig was actually the third truck I looked at. The first was only a few miles away. The gentlemen had spent thousands on an engine rebuild which ran well but the truck was so rough it had gaping holes in the cab and bed floor as well as the cab cowl. I passed.
The second truck I looked at was much better. It even had a set of combat rims extra. I put a deposit down on it. The same week our son got deployed to Iraq. The wife was an emotional wreck. I decided an Army truck was not the thing to get into right then. I called the gentlemen and explained the situation and apologized for backing out of the deal. He said he understood fully and would refund my deposit immediatley, he never did. Oh well. A few months later things settled down and I was able to look again. I found a rig on eBay being sold by an air museum in Cape may NJ. As I was associated with an air museum here in Ohio, I knew this one was going to pan out
Well I remember having alot off mixed emotions. When I made the trip to NJ to pick her up it was just after the hurricane in 05'. The east coast was pummeld by storms. As we arrived at Cape May and pulled in I remember being most excited as I saw L245-1042 sitting in the lot. It was an eBay purchase so I had no idea what to expect. I got out of the truck and ran up to it. All in all it was what I had expected, maybe a little rougher, but solid aside from the headlight fender rot. The bed was full of water and I recall opening the tool box door and getting soaked by a gallon or two of water. I thought for a moment "I drove 500 miles to get this thing?" but only for a moment. It was raining and the whole thing looked liked it was dreged up from the ocean I got in and it fired right up. I discovered the rear axle was snapped so after a minute or two of figuring out how to engage the front end we got her on the trailer.
We stayed at a hotel and I kept waking up all night to look at her out in the lot sitting on the trailer. It had a commanding stance and looked cool. I was too excited to sleep. We got it home safe and sound. I took the wife for a spin around the back yard then parked it in the garage and began the teardown. The rest as they say is history. Those of you here who have read my post from the begining in 05 know the emotional rollercoaster it has been, wanting to throw in the towel several times. It was all worth it however. Having won two awards so far at car meets and she isn't even finished! The feeling of driving her after 4 plus years is exhilarating to say the least When I look at my photo album here I cannot believe I accomplished this task, which would have been harder had it not been for all of the answers and support here
David
HingsingM37
1958 M37B1
1968 M101A1 Trailer
MVPA# 33078
"Do Not Take Counsel of Your Fears"
General George S. Patton Jr.
"Those who pound their guns into plows, will plow for those who do not".
I'm hoping to get one within the next year, but the first one that I ever drove was in Viet Nam when I was with the Navy Seabees and being a CM mechanic I use to work on these but at the time they were being replaced with the M715 built by AMC Jeep. Living here in North Carolina hopeful I can find one. But with sites like this one, it brings back a lot of fond memories
gery wrote:I'm hoping to get one within the next year, but the first one that I ever drove was in Viet Nam when I was with the Navy Seabees and being a CM mechanic I use to work on these but at the time they were being replaced with the M715 built by AMC Jeep. Living here in North Carolina hopeful I can find one. But with sites like this one, it brings back a lot of fond memories
I just happen to have one available. I'm located in Lavonia, GA (up in the upper right corner), about 7 miles from the SC line. E-mail or PM me for details if you're interested.
Home 
I have longed for a m37 for years, possible before conseption... New on the forum, I already have more questions than i can shake a stick at, and i dont even own it yet. I cant wait to get home and hook up to the gooseneck (it might be a good time to get those trailer brakes working) because im leaving knoxville in the morning, heading to pick her up in PA. Do any of you remember the feeling of going to pick up your first M37? I wish i had it at home already, so the feeling of someone standing on my chest would go away. Wish me a safe and speedy trip... 
. She also likes to play with the radio in back, it's fun to watch her talking into the handset and resetting all the dials and switches. When you ask who she's talking to she says "Grandma & Grandpa" (she loves her Grandma & Grandpa).
but they will all have good memories of their crazy Dad and his "big green truck".
I decided an Army truck was not the thing to get into right then. I called the gentlemen and explained the situation and apologized for backing out of the deal. He said he understood fully and would refund my deposit immediatley, he never did. Oh well. A few months later things settled down and I was able to look again. I found a rig on eBay being sold by an air museum in Cape may NJ. As I was associated with an air museum here in Ohio, I knew this one was going to pan out 
I got in and it fired right up. I discovered the rear axle was snapped so after a minute or two of figuring out how to engage the front end we got her on the trailer. 
