From: Nathan Wilkens (nathan.wilkens@cox.net)
Date: Tue Nov 04 2003 - 09:12:44 PST
There are several things to consider when purchasing a M1009 CUCV. Probably
the most important consideration is what you plan to do with it.
Some folks prefer to keep a vehicle restored in pristine military condition.
For these folks, 24 volts is a must. Also, everything needs to be replaced
with proper military parts, and paint schemes must be maintained as
original.
Others require a vehicle to be practical (which is where I suspect you are).
In this case, some conversions, non-original tires, and civilian parts
replacements may not be an important consideration.
That being said, let me briefly describe some of the intricacies of owning
an M1009. First, probably the biggest problem you will have with the M1009
is that it looks like a civilian blazer (it isn't). Yes, many of the parts
are available in the civilian market - however, they are not the same parts
as the civilian blazer. For example, the engine mounts on the 86 M1009 are
identical to the civilian 1 ton diesel trucks from 78-84. The civilian
diesel shock absorbers fit, but give you the ride of a moon buggy. The
TH400 transmission looks like a normal transmission, but after having 4
rebuilds in a year and a half, I've realized that they are NOT the same (the
CUCV must have an upgraded clutch and shift kit). I finally had to pay $500
just in parts (plus $300 labor) for a self-installed AAMCO rebuild with the
Winnebago shift kit. If you plan to tow, plan to pay a few bucks for a
larger transmission cooler radiator, or plan to pay big bucks for a rebuild.
The electrical system can be very hard to diagnose, especially if it has
been modified. I have had no problems with my M1009 (I did replace the glow
plug controller and the glow plug relay, but they were preventative fixes).
However, I have heard many people on this list with hard to diagnose
electrical problems. Uncle Sam made it 24V for a reason - I was a mechanic
in the Guard in North Dakota, and was always surprised when a perfectly
maintained CUCV would start at -20 degrees. I have started my M1009 after
sitting overnight in 11 degree weather with half the glow plugs dead and a
cracked injector line (but believe me, it was very very difficult and since
I was miles from nowhere, I had no choice but to keep trying until it
started!). Also keep in mind that the axles and suspension are completely
different on the M1008 pickup. The lesson on parts is that most places have
the parts and will likely send you out the door with the wrong part! Keep
your sanity and always, always bring in the old part to verify that it
matches!
As for fuel economy, it really depends on how you drive your vehicle. I'm a
gentle driver (gentle on the gas peddle, not so gentle with my finger), and
spend most of my time driving on city streets (45 to 55mph) and rarely go on
the freeway (70mph). I get a consistent 20mpg - but, if I try to drive at
75 on the freeway, fuel economy quickly drops off to about 16mpg. As a
hint, if you see a cloud of black smoke behind you, you are shoving too much
fuel into the engine to properly combust, so slow down.
What to look for? I would recommend an unhacked electrical system (to keep
your sanity); look for rust - it can be a huge mess to try and fix later;
ask about a history of towing - if so, consider the costs of properly
rebuilding a transmission (around $700 if you remove and install it, but
it's very heavy - or about $1800 if you have someone else do it all). It is
normal for the transmission to jerk from 2nd to 3rd (though people who drive
hard have actually destroyed the rear end differentials because of this).
As far as suspension goes, I would plan on immediately replacing the U
joints as soon as you purchase a CUCV - they are dirt cheap and the task is
really easy when you are at a shop - and extremely annoying if they break on
you while going down the highway! It's not that they are weak, it's just
that GM designed them to last only about 50,000 miles before they should be
replaced (though most people forget about them).
As for price, you can easily pay $6500 for an M1009 from a reputable dealer,
or pay $3500 for a hacked vehicle - looking back on my own experience (and I
really haven't had that many problems with my M1009) I would recommend
paying more for a higher quality vehicle.
Incidentally, I purchased my M1009 largely unhacked, but in serious
neglect - I have a mile long list of all the things I've had to replace, but
the vehicle was used to pull hickory stumps (burnt tranny) and hadn't seen
any decent maintenance in years, with at least 200,000 miles on it. I have
tried to keep it completely restored, but I'm a geologist and use this truck
as my field vehicle. I have put thousands of miles on it between Durango
CO, Moab, UT, southern California, and Tempe, AZ - including lots of offroad
challenges. Heck, I recently came back from a Utah field site where the
'trail' had a 100ft long 50 degree slick rock ramp while carrying about
2000lbs of gear and rock samples (the poor truck was bottomed out on the
suspension stops) - that was quite exciting, especially since all I could
see was the sky... my field assistant had to walk/climb next to the truck to
tell me where to steer. However, with all that weight and the transmission
shifted into 4 low, she just climbed nice and easy-like right up the hill,
without even a single wheel slip or black mark.
Good luck,
Nathan Wilkens
86 M1009
----- Original Message -----
From: "Combat" <hellcat@provide.net>
To: "Military Vehicles Mailing List" <mil-veh@mil-veh.org>
Sent: Monday, November 03, 2003 2:00 PM
Subject: [MV] M1009 questions
> Well folks it looks like our shop truck may be biting the bullet after
> 210000 (she's paid her dues times two) and I am considering replacing the
> vehicle with an M1009.
>
> First the vehicle MUST get decent mileage and I am getting differing
> feedback from 12mpg to 27. Whats the truth?
>
> Second I assume the drivetrain is standard GM stuff that is easily
sourced.
>
> Third I see many for sale that have been converted to 12V that doesnt make
> sense to me? Why not just use a converter or tap off one batt for 12V
> accesories?
>
> Finally what are the things to look for when examining one?
>
> (any have a nice one?)
>
>
> ===Mil-Veh is a member-supported mailing list===
> To unsubscribe, send e-mail to: <mil-veh-off@mil-veh.org>
> To switch to the DIGEST mode, send e-mail to <mil-veh-digest@mil-veh.org>
> To reach a human, contact <ack@mil-veh.org>
>
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.4 : Sat May 07 2005 - 20:26:25 PDT