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Old 04-25-2017, 03:11 PM   #181
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If I'm reading you right, the xyline would be particularly useful for etching the round areas of the bus that wouldn't flat sand very well.

It was a lot of work painting vehicles without all this prep work. I guess it's never to late to learn to do it right, and I can't say I don't have enough time anymore. Just a little to much rain for now.

For driving a large vehicle, I've learned to like the way people give way to a yellow school bus while in traffic.

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Old 04-25-2017, 03:22 PM   #182
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If I'm reading you right, the xyline would be particularly useful for etching the round areas of the bus that wouldn't flat sand very well.

It was a lot of work painting vehicles without all this prep work. I guess it's never to late to learn to do it right, and I can't say I don't have enough time anymore. Just a little to much rain for now.

For driving a large vehicle, I've learned to like the way people give way to a yellow school bus while in traffic.
Yes, xylene will etch. I still "broke the surface" with a very light sanding, more like a couple of swipes with a sanding pad or a quick pass with a random orbital sander. I didn't drain the battery on my corless sander doing the whole bus.
They make stuff called "paint deglosser" and "liquid sandpaper".. but I have never used them. They would require you to clean the surface and then wipe a second time.

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Old 04-25-2017, 03:33 PM   #183
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I haven't painted vehicles very often through my life. In the past brooming off the cobwebs and spraying with a garden hose was about all the prep I did. That was on my dumptruck, and the paint lasted very well until someone cut up the truck for scrap while I was immobilized after having a couple spinal surgeries.

You know how it goes. crackheads get bold when steel prices get high.
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Old 04-25-2017, 03:34 PM   #184
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I haven't painted vehicles very often through my life. In the past brooming off the cobwebs and spraying with a garden hose was about all the prep I did. That was on my dumptruck, and the paint lasted very well until someone cut up the truck for scrap while I was immobilized after having a couple spinal surgeries.

You know how it goes. crackheads get bold when steel prices get high.
Must have been a while ago, steel scrap prices have been DOWN for a long while, at least here.
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Old 04-25-2017, 03:48 PM   #185
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Yeah, it's been a while since I lost my dump truck. Probably 12 or 15 years ago.
It was a 5 window '49 GMC with a chrome grill. I made up for it with three army trucks, but none of them are dump beds.
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Old 04-25-2017, 04:54 PM   #186
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What military trucks do you have?
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Old 04-25-2017, 05:21 PM   #187
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A few years back when they were selling off all the older army trucks I bought three deuce and a halves. Two have less than 10k and the third is under 20k. I was actually after the multifuel engines. These are six by six trucks that are difficult for 18 year old kids to break. The trucks were selling for about $2k each at auction with brand new tires. I couldn't resist.

Fourty years ago I was working on these and other vehicles. You wouldn't believe the mpg of these trucks on the highway. Try 17 mpg with a moderate load. Very solid trucks. Guys would purposely blow the headgasket or they'd leave their foot on the clutch to burn it out so they didn't have to go to the field with their units.

They go from this...


to this...


or something like this.


I'm told they operate much better with one less axle.
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Old 04-25-2017, 05:24 PM   #188
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That's pretty cool

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Old 04-25-2017, 05:35 PM   #189
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Yeah, especially at 16 or 17 mpg. Not a lot of creature comforts. It's rare for a defrost to work. The seats are solid mounted. They're loud because there is no muffler. They leak when it's raining. Other than that they're nice trucks.

Also, these things are designed for 18 and 20 year old kids. Us older gentlemen usually have a problem with the steering wheel rubbing our bellies.

If you're not familiar with the multifuel engines, they can burn anything from alcohol to grease for fuel. You can run on gasoline if there's no diesel available because there is a fuel density compensator built into the fuel pump. The governor can be circumvented to make them do about 85.

I was a track and wheeled vehicle diesel specialist, but for a while was assigned to go to missile sites in south Korea to remove truckloads of small arms. Fun special duty.
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Old 04-25-2017, 05:52 PM   #190
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A bobbed M35 is the coolest pickup this world's ever known.

I've wanted one of those for a long time.

I have an M915A1 and an MB. Also have a CMT body for a hmmwv. Now I just need to buy an M1038 to put under it, and swap the driveline out. In all my spare time, haha.
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Old 04-25-2017, 06:03 PM   #191
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There is a lot sale of 318,000 lbs of hmmvs currently going to auction. It could work out if you've got lots of parking.

What are you doing with a heavy hauler like that? I can't talk, I'd have a M977 cargo hemmit up here if I got the chance at the right price. Talk about trouble with licensing and insurance. Buses aren't that bad.

When you finally have enough time to work on your projects, it's likely you're no longer physically able to. I'm at the point of selling off my projects so they don't sit here and rot, then I can go drive this bus around the country. Priorities change.
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Old 04-25-2017, 06:19 PM   #192
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The military item I would most like to acquire is the M561 Gamma Goat.







These were six wheel drive, as in the trailer also pushed via a drive shaft and hydraulics. They were slow and cumbersome with the trailer, but drop the trailer and they were the ultimate jeep. They'll go faster than you would be comfortable with driving them. Most guys said they were doing about 80 and backed off with throttle remaining. Apparently not governed.
It's amazing what a huge shop full of bored military mechanics will come up with. Most were just parts changers. Some were a bit more.
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Old 04-25-2017, 06:20 PM   #193
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The military item I would most like to acquire is the M561 Gamma Goat.







These were six wheel drive, as in the trailer also pushed via a drive shaft and hydraulics. They were slow and cumbersome with the trailer, but drop the trailer and they were the ultimate jeep. They'll go faster than you would be comfortable with driving them. Most guys said they were doing about 80 and backed off with throttle remaining. Apparently not governed.
It's amazing what a huge shop full of bored military mechanics will come up with. Most were just parts changers. Some were a bit more.
They rare?

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Old 04-25-2017, 06:23 PM   #194
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Yeah, a HEMTT is another one I'd love to have. I'd want one of the 5-axle PLS hooklift version.

I have the 915 for the engine and transmission. My father has an old Mack DM800 he's planning to eventually restore. (It's serial number 2, number one is in a truck museum someplace.) When he got it, the original Cummins and Cat semi-auto transmission had been pulled out and a Detroit V12 with an Allison off-road tranny had been stuffed in it.
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Old 04-25-2017, 06:29 PM   #195
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They rare?

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Very.

There was one that sold at an auction I was at last year. Only went for 4,500 if I remember right. I didn't have the cash at the time, or I would've bid on it. Talking to the guy that bought it though, I don't think I would've been able to outbid him regardless of how much I had.

I got to drive it around while I was there though. Very cool experience.

Also, there was an old Marine Corps mechanic there and he said they were capable of driving up and over a 6' tall wall. Pretty crazy.
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Old 04-25-2017, 06:31 PM   #196
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Oh, almost forgot to add that they're also amphibious. Consequently, they're a total bitch to get on and out of, because they're basically a big steel tub that you have to climb into. Extremely difficult when the top is on it.
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Old 04-25-2017, 06:35 PM   #197
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The gamma goat was discontinued during my time in the military. There were to many problems with the driveline going to the trailer causing transmission problems.

When there's 50 or more mechanics working in one huge shop, and there's about 7 of these huge shops in a row, you're going to get some interesting results. As long as you were working on something intently you weren't reassigned to a new job. We went into the shops while it was dark, and we left the shops when it was dark. The only daylight we saw was during lunch. All for $300 a month per man.
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Old 04-25-2017, 06:36 PM   #198
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The gamma goat was discontinued during my time in the military. There were to many problems with the driveline going to the trailer causing transmission problems.

When there's 50 or more mechanics working in one huge shop, and there's about 7 of these huge shops in a row, you're going to get some interesting results. As long as you were working on something intently you weren't reassigned to a new job. We went into the shops while it was dark, and we left the shops when it was dark. The only daylight we saw was during lunch. All for $300 a month per man.
I wonder if they are the same way today... I have a feeling no.

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Old 04-25-2017, 06:46 PM   #199
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I don't know. 350 or more mechanics would be hard to keep an eye on. I know I'll never be in a blizzard trying to hook up injector lines again. Memorable moments.

Occasionally I see a gamma goat for sale, but I was never ready at the right time.
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