Thanks for leaving us all hanging.  I can't imagine you are having fun away from arfcom.  How is that possible?



 

LOL! Just got home about an hour and a half ago after dropping the truck and trailer off at U-Haul. The drive back was S-L-O-W.

Was pleasantly surprised to find out my lights actually do (mostly) work!

Will post more details tomorrow but here's a couple teaser pics.

Ready for her trip home!



(There were some more ratchet straps added after the pic was taken)


Tight squeeze!




That looks like a 2003 F-150 standard cab/6ft bed/4x4, doesn't it? That's, at least, what U-Haul was told it was.

That is a tight fit, but that truck looks very nice when its not squeezed in with a bunch of others!  Don't forget to get some 24 bolt wheels!







 

That's a really nice truck, they had a MRAP FS several months back

Picking the truck up ended up being a lot more expensive than I was anticipating. Being able to use my friend's truck to tow the trailer fell through since it was tied up with his business until the weekend and the yard is closed on weekends. So since I already had the trailer lined up and had my younger brother off work to assist in the pickup, I ended up having to rent a box van from U-Haul.

They are damn highway robbers! $0.79 per mile plus the rental fee!

Between the $640 for truck and trailer rental plus about $150 in gas, picking it up in person ended up costing me just as much as if I had had it shipped. Would have only have been about $230 if I hadn't had to rent the damn truck.

The folks at City Salvage were easy to work with. I called Tuesday to let them know I was going to be down to pick it up. They told me no problem and to just make sure I was there before 2pm local time.

Got down there at 1pm, showed them the PDF of my release. They had me email it to them so they could print it and I could sign it and that was that!

They had a guy bring a front end loader with forks around, moved some trucks out of the way of mine, and then lifted mine out and set it near the trailer. He was pretty gentle moving it but it would have been better if he hadn't stuck the back of the fork assembly right up against the rocker. No damage though.

I drove it up onto the trailer and finessed it in.

Here she is home!



The front passenger and rear driver tires were flat. Got some air in them so we'll see if they hold.

Was able to let the truck idle for a while and get up to operating temp. Was doing a walkaround and noticed a puddle under the front passenger side...



Thought, "I really hope that's just rusty/muddy water leaking out of the floorboard since I just moved it because that looks a lot like Dexcool."

Caught some in a glass and touched it...



Uh oh, it's warm and slick.

Opened the passenger door...

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpukEa47m6o[/youtube]




Already started a claim with Gov Planet since the truck was sold with no leaks noted. I noticed there is some wording in the dispute about self transporting. Hopefully they'll make it right though.

Doesn't look like a new heater core is too expensive and it doesn't look like it's too tough to replace (unlike some other vehicles I've worked on!).

Still sucks it needs that.

Found one of my hood straps is dry rotted too. Went ahead and ordered two new ones. Found them for $9 each on eBay.

I'm also contemplating biting the bullet and buying a new soft top outright for $850 shipped instead of patching the dry rotted parts on mine and painting it. Going to have to do some research to see how feasible it is to patch and decide.


Damn! That will look awesome!

You're right, it would make sense to pull the old lights, paint, and then install new lighting. Problem is, I don't think I'm going to get around to painting it for several months, likely after I get it on the road (if that all works out as well as I'm hoping). There's a chance I'll need to have it inspected by the highway patrol and if so, I'll need the lights all fully functional.



Very nice looking tires/wheels!

Makes me feel confident about doing business with Rallequip.

That's why I am giving up on the soft tops is because thy dry rot and seem to do so regularly. Mine looked good, but after a month in the garage it went to crap. More money up front to go to a hardtop GMV setup, but I think it will be cheaper in the long run as the prices on tops continues to go up.

One option for tops is to buy the white tops from Equipment Parts Sales and paint them the color you need.

Another option for tops is to call Brenton Industries. They were selling tops a few months ago to us regular HMMWV owners for under $500, then stopped claiming a big foreign contract. Said they would update their site when they are ready to take orders again possibly in September of this year. I was about to order a tan one when they stopped.

Oh and the claim process is pretty good at Gov Planet. I was able to get a good amount back due to an oil leak and partial description issue.

Except for that whole "leaks like a sieve" part  Having both a soft top and a hard top, the hardtop is reserved for nice days as I don't find it fun having pooled water spill down your back, etc.

I tend to agree about the up-front cost versus what you get. I get slantback sets from time to time that I sell. While I've seen some chuckleheads put their kits (without doors) for $10k+, I can't see them actually selling for that much. I sell the kits I get for $6-7k depending on the condition and they move fairly quickly - I think that's fair. Figure having the slantback setup easily adds $10k to the overall value and you're already ahead with the investment. Get the items that need to be repaired, repaired - paint the truck up and you'll have a real head turner. I definitely get a lot more attention and waves in the slantback then the softtop - so it definitely has the additional coolness factor.

ETA: Ryan - sweet ride, congrats!

Wow, can't believe yours rotted out stored in the garage.

Found the white top on there. Thanks a ton! Definitely a lot easier on the wallet. I'll have to buy you a beer or two if you're up here with all the money that saved.

I wonder if using the Behr paint on it will seal it and help keep it from rotting.

Yep in the garage. I think when it fully dried it became brittle and feel apart. Always glad to help others find parts.

Lawman, how often to you get slantback kits?

I get them from time to time. If you're looking, let me know and I'll check around for ya.

Do you take guns in trade for slant back kits?  What do the roofs weigh?

I don't have the weights - I figure 6-700 pounds total though. The sponsons don't weigh a whole lot - I can move them into place myself easily enough. The rear hatch installation is a 2 man job since it's pretty heavy. The roof is heavy and awkward. 2 people can move it around, but you'll need at least 4 to install - and the positioning is awkward as hell. I'm fortunate in that my neighbor has a tractor with forklift blades so it took about a minute for me to get mine into place.

Started pulling the old incan lights off this afternoon. I haven't owned a personal vehicle in over 10 years (I've had company provided trucks) and almost forgot how much fun wrenching on 20+ year old rusted fasteners is! Thank God for PB Blaster and Dremel cutoff wheels!

A word of advice for anyone getting some of the Grote brand LED front turn signals that are all over the place.

The mounting screw holes on the LED assembly are <span style="font-weight: bold;">not a direct match up with the mounting screw holes on the plastic housing.

Reading into it, it looks like they do match up with the metal housings.

But, if you've got the plastic housings, no need to go out and buy new ones. The top screw and bottom two screws will match up. You don't need to worry about water getting in the slight gap left by the offset of the side screws because the whole LED assembly is sealed. I did, however, add a large drain hole to the bottom of the plastic housing so it doesn't trap water.

Another thing you'll have to do is drill the 3 mounting holes completely through the backside of the housing since the existing screws are too long or, get new shorter screws.

I have read that the Grote leds have a few issues such a fitting problems and shorting out. I have Grote led side markers which are a nice upgrade from the original one so time will tell if they become an issue. Truck lite is suppose to be better but you don't see them for sale as often and when you do they are usually more expensive.

Also if you ever see the bae led tail light with the camera for a great price buy them. most people don't know what they are. Some have a thermal camera. I passed on a pair last year as there were no cables for the camera and no knowledge of how to hook them up. Looking at the diagram it doesn't appear to be too hard to rig up. But since these are unobtainable I will be going with regular backup cameras mounted on the antenna brackets.

I've ended up with a mix of lights. The turns, tails, and BO driving light are Grote. The markers and headlights are Trucklite. Availability and price were definitely the deciding factor.

I've seen those BAE tail lights you're talking about! They're part of the Check 6 system. They look pretty slick! I've seen them for sale but none at inexpensive prices. Definitely keeping my eyes open!

I have an extremely tough time believing the top went to crap sitting in the garage.

Ive owned 2 Humvees, and neither one suffers any degradation sitting in a cool, dry garage.  

Hey OP --

I have two front doors with good stitching and so-so glass, and a complete wagon extension with bows and straps and cover and rear window/curtain.  Its all used and not fresh, but it seals and holds out water.  

I also would be interested in swapping my current soft top with you, and me getting a new one.

Again, mine isn't perfect, but no holes and no tears or leaks.

Since I bought mine, its been painted, and Im working my way through the worn parts.  

Let me know if interested.

Yep in the garage. Remember it was stored outdoors in the full Texas sun, rain, and high humidity we have here before I got it. I think when it fully dried it became brittle and feel apart. The rear curtain is still in excellent shape and looks almost new. Same thing happens to my Jeep soft tops every 5-6 years. Its just an added cost you have to factor in when owning a soft top is that you are eventually going to have to replace it and replacements are getting more and more expensive and harder to find.

Check your PMs.

Got my truck repainted.  Im not super thrilled with the color of the green, but it looks good in person.  Its just a little too green.

I re stenciled it, and have a few more to do.

Repainted and put together the pioneer kit.

Redid the light housings, and now have all electrical up and running.

These pics dont show the gear I have now, which is the SINCGARS rack, and both whip antennas.

Its a fun project!


Here it is at my work, while I was waiting on the new cargo top. (No new doors at this point)

Is the green that bright in person? Also what type/brand paint?

I dont know if I call it bright.  Its just so 'true' green.  I wish it was just a slight shade darker.


What sucks is when its wet its perfect

What brand paint did you use?  I agree that it's too bright.

Trying a new direction this time.

I just ordered a case of green from Rapco.  

Shouldnt take as long to paint it this time lol

Just finished installing the front turn signals and rear tail lights in the original light buckets. Going to wait to install them until I can clean up the grounds with a Dremel wire wheel.

The Grote tail lights line up fine with the mounting holes on the plastic buckets. No modifications necessary except to drill the mounting holes through if you decide to use the original screws.

If anyone wants the old incandescent innards or the lens covers, they're yours free just pay shipping.

I won't say they're in particularly good shape but they are in fair condition and usable. Don't count on all of the bulbs working, I know some are burnt out. Some of the outer edges on the tail light covers are cracked and missing, however, the actual lenses themselves are intact if a little cloudy. Front turn signals are also otherwise intact but the lenses are whole though cloudy.

I also have the old incandescent blackout driving light if someone needs that. It was painted and is starting to flake. The lens on it is in pretty rough shape but appears intact and still lights up.

I'll keep them for a couple weeks and if no one wants them I'll toss them.

Also got that unknown aluminum tray on my rear passenger fender removed. It had a manufacturer number and part number stenciled on the bottom which traced back to an NSN.



I'm going to go with the earlier guess that its some sort of radio tray.

According to a GovLiquidation auction from a couple years ago, if I'm reading that right, Uncle Sam paid about $544 for each one!

My EUC was approved today!  I will keep this thread updated with information related to having the HMMWV shipped to my home via Veritread.  At the moment I am awaiting quotes.

 

Congrats buddy!

Seems like they are definitely getting faster on the EUC turnaround time, especially considering GovPlanet had my EUC paperwork for a month longer than yours before it got sent off to the TSC.

Sent you an IM with the company I used. When picking a company look to see when they can pick it up. Some take up to two weeks and you could run into storage fees or even worse they back out at the last minute and you are stuck paying more.

Small world.  I'm from Southern Indiana and I just won one at that same lot in Hopkinsville.   It's in the picture that you took.  It is near the Tan ones in the back.  Mine is the one missing the right wheels and is sitting on blocks.  Please hold on to your old 10K  axles, I may need em  :)    It's been 2 weeks since the sale and my EUC has not been sent yet.        How was your Titling Process after all of your research?

So Ryan, did you find any other issues when going through your Humvee?

Welcome to ARFCOM and the owners club!

Funny enough, I actually do remember seeing your truck and thinking, "Guess someone bought themselves a nice project!"

No progress on the titling front yet. I'm still waiting for my paperwork. I opted to get the Florida title as a "just in case" figuring it was better to err on the side of caution. Since you're in Indiana, you may want to PM user "my69camaro1". He posted back on page 2 that he lives in Indiana as well and had no issues. He could probably fill you in on the details but from what he posted it didn't sound like there was much to it.

I'll send you a PM about the 10k half shafts.


So far, nothing major except the heater core.

And, I'm happy to report that GovPlanet did do right by me. Worked with their  Government Services Disputes Manager, Phil Hasty, who was a big help. As part of the process they want you to get an estimate to base their refund on.

Stopped by my local repair shop my family has used forever. He didn't have anything AM General in his computer system to give an estimate so, Mr. Hasty worked with Kascar to get an idea on price for a new heater core as well as estimated repair time.

Final resolution, which I thought was more than fair, is they are refunding me $400 and waiving the standard $750 deductible that applies to all claims.

Since the weather is just starting to warm up, I think I'm going to hold off on replacing the heater core for now and just bypass it and, use the money toward the paint.


Aside from the heater core just a couple small things I've found...

I noticed that on my dual voltage alternator, only the 24v side is hooked up. Going to have to hook up the 12v side.

I also found two things when I was putting on my new soft top that came today. The old one was in a <span style="font-weight: bold;">lot worse shape than I originally thought. Very brittle. Also found the roof bow rails were missing some screws and a couple of the wellnuts the screws mount to were spinning loose. Fortunately I just bought a rivnut tool and some aluminum rivnuts so I'll be replacing all the old rubber wellnuts with those.

Lastly, I found my rear curtain isn't in as great a shape as I thought it was. Have found some tears and broken buckles. The material is in much more supple condition than the top was and I think I spotted a much more recent date on it. This may be worth patching, especially if I can find some replacement buckles for the ones that are broken.

A word of advice, these soft tops are a bear to put on in cold weather when brand new. I couldn't even get it fully on with my brother helping. I just wanted it mostly on since it's supposed to rain tomorrow. Interestingly, these tops seem to be much more rigid than Jeep and convertible soft tops I've encountered.

I'm not a real big fan of the way the top attaches to the windshield. The slot that runs the length of the windshield is hard metal and the ends aren't rolled. It seems this would put unnecessary wear and tear on the lip of the top you insert in it. I was thinking about using some Vaseline on it but since I'm going to be painting the top, didn't want to deal with having to clean that off. I ended up just using some soapy water to assist in installation.

Any one have any suggestions to make this slot less damaging to the top and possibly make top installation easier?


Still so much to do. I just wish the damn weather would warm up so I could get it hosed out and cleaned up. No excuse for it to be this cold!

Save us Al Gore! You're our only hope!


Here she is with the pimpin' new white top mostly on.




One last parting helpful hint. These windshield wipers are not standard wipers most vehicles use but, you can find them at NAPA. Part number: WIP 601150. Came up at $5.60 each online and had them shipped to the local store.

A small update on my delivery.  I pulled my truck off of Veritread's website and have instead used a transportation broker based on a recommendation from a member here on arfcom.  I will post the name of the broker and the experience once I have my Humvee delivered.  The primary purpose for not using Veritread was that it appeared that it would be 6+ days before my vehicle would be picked up from the lot, whereas the broker I was referred to promised it to me no later than Monday.





We'll see how it goes.

 

So far the referral I got for a transportation company has been a good experience. I have had great communication and it is possible I'll have my truck in the morning.

Here are a few pics they sent me...

Looking good!

Glad my lead is paying off. Hopefully you get it tomorrow so you can have all weekend to play with it.

Thank you very much for the lead on a transportation broker!  For anyone that is intending to buy and have a humvee shipped, I highly recommend using Lipsey Logistics.  I called the National Account Manager there and talked to him about having my Humvee shipped to me using his company instead of Veritread.  There is probably nothing wrong with using veritread, but my contact at Lipsey (IM me or jake-cutter for his info) was willing to promise it to me no later than Monday (compared to Veritread bids indicating it would be up to 6 days before pickup).  He also told me that going trough him would be cheaper than if he were to bid for my business through Veritread because Veritread would charge a commission buit into the bid price.





So here is how the shipping works:





1) Veritread is like a transportation broker


2) You will get bids from other transportation brokers on Veritread


3) The broker on Veritread will then broker to an actual shipper/transport company


4) The shipper/transportation company will actually pick it up and deliver it





By going directly to a broker, you save the commission of one middleman.





I contacted Lipsey on Wednesday morning and paid the cost of the shipping.  My truck was picked up on Thursday and delivered at 7:45 p.m. today.  That is pretty damn fast for a 1,000 mile trip.  





The driver that was delivering the Humvee sent me pics of it on his trailer and was good at keeping in contact with me.  Since he is in the shipping business there was a little drama about the delivery time (because he was trying to coordinate other loads and deliveries), but it wasn't a big deal to me at all because I wasn't expecting it until Monday anyways.





All in all, I am happy with my experience in having it shipped.
Now for Humvee report:





The good:  The Humvee started and ran with no issues.   My inspection report with govplanet reflected that it would not start without a jump, so this was welcome news!  





I also drained some fuel out of the fuel filter and there was not any water or other visible contaminates.  My buddy and I took it for a short drive around the neighborhood and it ran well, but I was surprised how under powered it is compared to a regular vehicle.  
The bad:





The low beam on the left right headlight is burned out.


Someone stole my driver's seat cushion.


I am going to have to drill holes to mount the strikers for the X Doors.





It got here just before dark tonight, so I haven't had time to really look it over good. Tomorrow the plan is to check the battery and add water if needed, wash the truck really good, inspect the underside, and change the engine oil.





 

Was wondering when we'd get an update from you. Figured you were just out playing with the truck all day.

Good detail about Veritread and the whole shipping experience! Thank you for adding that to the thread!

A couple FYIs...

The Hawker 6TAGMs are sealed, absorbent glass mat. No water to add. Might be a good idea, if you've got a 12v charger, to disconnect them and charge them up one at a time.

I don't know if it matters or not but I grabbed a small bottle of gray Diesel Kleen and added the whole thing to the tank. Also, the truck came with a half tank of diesel and I topped it off with fresh as I was bringing it home. No telling how old the diesel in your tank is and I don't think it couldn't hurt to add the Diesel Kleen to help clean things out. Poor fuel quality could be contributing to the underpowered feeling.

Forget about the burned out low beam and go get yourself some Trucklite LED headlights so you can actually see at night.

I need to take mine out for a short spin around the block, at night of course , so I can get some of her juices flowing. Just as soon as I get the lights installed, new glow plugs installed, and the oil/diff/geared hub oil changed. Of course, I'd have all that done already if I had Texas weather. ] Instead, its snowing outside right this moment.

here's a deal for you guys
http://www.ebay.com/itm/A-C-KIT-RED-DOT-HMMWV-HUMVEE-HUMMER-M998-M1025-M114-HARD-SOFT-TOP-MILITARY-NEW-/322035721275?hash=item4afad3243b:g:HykAAOSwYlJW4gWY&vxp=mtr

You won't have to drill the holes for the x door strikers. The holes are already there. Most likely they have a plug in them that was painted over multiple times.

And I said let there be light!




The adhesive lined heat shrink I ordered showed up in the mail today so I got the new headlights wired up.

The Trucklite LED headlights have a standard civilian headlight connector on them so I ended up cutting the Packard connectors off the old halogen headlights and rewiring them to the new ones, hence the heat shrink. Even made sure I put the correct number tabbed Packard connector on the correct headlight wire.

17 - High beam
18 - Low beam
91 - Ground

(The number scheme is standard to all military vehicles. Here's the list.)

Here's the high beams:




I'd love to do more of the lights but it's too damn cold. I need to drag out the extension cord and Dremel to wire wheel the ground connectors for the other lights before I install them.

Can't wait to see these at night!

I have been out working on the truck all day!  What a blast it has been!  While looking over the truck in the sunlight, I noticed some sort of unit insignia in the front right quarter panel.  It looks like a wolf or some other dog howling at the moon and the word "DOGS" appears under it.  Any idea what unit this would be from?





Here is an awful pic of the painted over insignia:








After I finished my coffee this morning I took it to the car wash down the street and hosed it off with the high pressure washer.  I found out when I got home that it was still really dirty, but here is a pic with my soft doors mounted up and dripping wet:








When I got home I was discussed with how filthy the interior still was sto I stripped it down and cleaned it up a bit more.














After getting it reasonably cleaned up I changed the oil and messed with the door strikers.  My doors weren't lining up, so I used some spacers on the hinges to get them to work with the pre-drilled holes for the strikers.  I don't understand why there is not a way to have both the soft and hard door strikers on at the same time. That is a terrible design flaw in my opinion.  Oh well.  Here it is after the new strikers were attached.




 

Looking strong!

Really like those X Doors.  Just sexy

Would you guys like to maybe organize an Ohio HMMWV meet?  Would be super cool Id say...

Since your truck was originally with the 278th ACR in the Tennessee National Guard, I looked and their Regimental Fires Squadron has Battery B which is known as the "Bulldogs". Maybe that? The logo doesn't much look like a bulldog though.

If I recall, one of your other markings was "HHT" so perhaps it got swapped around. I know once I started uncovering my unit markings, I found at least one and likely 2 others under the 1-181 FABN markings. Problem is I've had trouble making out what they say since they're all on top of each other.

I'd mention I started uncovering the markings with brake cleaner but it was evaporating too fast. Switched to carb cleaner and was able to scrub with a brush to get the paint off. I ended up running out before I got all of it off and haven't had a chance to finish.

(By the way, the responses to your GD thread were about what I expected to see. )



Looking really good! Amazing how much a little scrubbing can make a big difference.

And those X-Doors look great with the soft top! That does suck about not being able to have both strikers on at the same time.



I'd be down for it but EagleArms might have a bit of a drive.

Maybe some of the Ohio posters who posted earlier in the thread will buy trucks and get on this bandwagon!

Thats what a Uhaul trailer is for.  100 bucks and the world (or at least our corner of it) is accessible

Congrats Ryan, you are on the right track about the title for Ohio.

This guy made a video on getting his titled and tagged in Ohio

He took it to a dealer to have the vin verified.  then he got the off road title from the title office.

then he signed the affidavit about getting it road worthy and they issued him the road title & tags.

It seems that going to the highway patrol was a mistake.  they were very rude to him.

It's a 2 part video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RSA5qBs0jI&nohtml5=False

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzerJq4XrQg&nohtml5=False

GREAT find H_I_C! And great addition to the thread!

I'm going to take a completed affidavit with me right to my local BMV once I get my FL title and see if they'll let me skip the Ohio off road title part (and all of the associated fees!) and go straight to the regular title.

You hear that Ohio posters? Time to get on board!

Maybe I should start an Ohio HMMWV "title processing" business.

Tell you guys what, yall make a tripe down here, help me work on my HMMWV, help me drink a keg of Lone Star Light, and then go back to Ohio.  Oh, and bring me lots of spare parts for free!  How does that sound? While you are here we can all drive out to the adventure park and break stuff!





 

How about we make it an equal distance for all of you and you go to the Steelsoldiers GA Rally? It's only about 30 minutes from my house, so that works for me!

Got the new paint re-work.  Couldn't take the wrong green.

I think it looks much better: