1964 Kaiser ambulance.

NMNA - currently @ $300. Located in Danbury, CT.

I'd risk my marriage over that. Shame it's on GovDeals, bet it'll get pretty high priced in the next 13 days.
Edit: Wife said "If either of us were good at finishing projects i'd be really into that," thank god one of us is realistic

Kaiser M725 1 1/4 ton Ambulance.  Closed Knuckle D60 front and D70 rear with 5.87 gearing.   I ran 38" Boggers on my M715 without a lift.    Swapped in a 440 to replace the original OHC Straight Six.




But it isn't a '64.   These weren't put into production until '67.

I know a place that has a yard full of old military vehicles including several M715s.  I need to go back and talk to them about price.  Actually sounds like a bad thing for me.

Stampie (FS) said:

I know a place that has a yard full of old military vehicles including several M715s.  I need to go back and talk to them about price.  Actually sounds like a bad thing for me.

Rust is the main enemy here, the actual vehicles will be hammer level simple.

If rust turns out not to be a concern, I'm 100% interested in one of them, myself. 

In reply to Brett_Murphy (Ex-Patrón) :

This yard is a GRMer dream.  I happened to drive by it one Thanksgiving and freaked out the GF at the time by stopping and looking through the fence.  Then I saw the entrance was open so I stopped at the office and a dude there said yep they were all for sale.  GF wanted to do some stupid antique road trip shopping thingy I promised her so I said I'd come back.  Been afraid to because I'd want to buy half of what they had.

Stampie (FS) said:

In reply to Brett_Murphy (Ex-Patrón) :

GF wanted to do some stupid antique road trip shopping thingy I promised her so I said I'd come back. 

Wouldn't a yard full of M715's be the very definition of antique road trip shopping?  She should have been in to it!

In reply to Flynlow (FS) :

Did I mention exGF?

Stampie (FS) said:

In reply to Flynlow (FS) :

Did I mention exGF?

SO YOU'VE GOT PLENTY OF TIME TO STOP BY THE YARD NOW!

We need a recce report, here.

Brett_Murphy (Ex-Patrón) said:

Stampie (FS) said:

In reply to Flynlow (FS) :

Did I mention exGF?

SO YOU'VE GOT PLENTY OF TIME TO STOP BY THE YARD NOW!

We need a recce report, here.

 

You can lead a Stampie to a junkyard, but you can't make him buy anything.

Good thing he usually takes care of that on his own.

In reply to Brett_Murphy (Ex-Patrón) :

The engines are horrible.  An OHC low revving engine with one cam lobe per cylinder.   It was introduced in 1962 and lasted a grand total of tree years in standard production for Civilian use.   After Kaiser stopped using the Tornado in the Civvy Jeeps, they foisted them upon the US Government.   With predictable results from Motor Pool maintenance.  

Parts like seals, bearings, and (drum) brake parts for the Closed Knuckle D60 and D70 rear are getting difficult to find. Mine had a swapped in Detroit Locker in the back.  The Detroit for a D70 drops into the existing case and replaces the spider gears.  Wheels are a 16" split rim, and the "Bix Six" lug pattern has been all but abandoned.  Most swap late model 8 lug differentials under them with modern brakes, but the originals seem to live okay if you don't overstress them.  The transmission is a Warner T-98, introduced in 1948, and the granddaddy to the T-18. It's a pretty strong trans, and most parts are still available.  The transfer case is a divorced NP200, which simplifies engine swaps, but sometimes will catch fire if you push it too fast for too long with a modern engine and trans.  Manual steering, but a Saginaw PS box is a pretty easy swap.

Body parts are actually fairly easy, as it is based on the FSJ, so doors, rocker panels, hoods and even core supports all can come from either parted out J series, Wagoneers or Full Size Cherokees.  (the doors on my M715 were from a Grand Wagoneer) The aftermarket repair panels from these can be used, as well.   Most of the M-series specific stuff is too thick to rot out easily, aside from the windshield frame and tailgate on the M715.

Brett_Murphy (Ex-Patrón) said:

Stampie (FS) said:

In reply to Flynlow (FS) :

Did I mention exGF?

SO YOU'VE GOT PLENTY OF TIME TO STOP BY THE YARD NOW!

We need a recce report, here.

 

Second this.  I am actively looking for an M715 after missing out on one in southern PA by a couple days.  No real concerns about drivetrain/originality, just don't want a rust bucket.  Ask if he'd do a GRM bulk discount :)

Ok I'll see when I have a chance to go back there.  It's about an hour and a half away so it'll be after Challenge.

In reply to Cooter :

I have no first hand knowledge of the Tornado engine so they may be not great.  I think the big reason they were only in Jeeps for a few years was the sale of Jeep (and related vehicles) to AMC who had their own family of engines to drop in.  So where did this engine keep showing up?  Argentina, into 1981;

The Renault Torino - Wikipedia

And they raced it, and it seems have done okay there in the past.  As for this engine pushing an M715 or similar 4x4 truck, I doubt that was a great experience.

In reply to pres589 (djronnebaum) :

AMC bought Jeep in 1970.   The Tornado was discontinued from US civilian use in 1965. (3 years after its much-heralded introduction, and 5 years before Kaiser sold Jeep to AMC)


The math is painfully obvious.

The SA markets were captive, and much of what was sold there had no correlation to the rest of the world.

Yeah I know that's why I informed you first. 

Wondering if there's stock bits available (bellhousing really and maybe a different input shaft if needed) to go to a Buick V8 in one of these.  A warmed up Buick 350 seems like a great engine option for an M715.

There is no need to mess with input shafts and bellhousings.  This is a divorced t-case truck with a 2wd transmission.   
Swap whatever engine/trans combo you'd like into it.  

Cooter said:

There is no need to mess with input shafts and bellhousings.  This is a divorced t-case truck with a 2wd transmission.   
Swap whatever engine/trans combo you'd like into it.  

With that info, rust is the number one reason not to buy one of these. It sounds like a regular old Jeep 4.0 is a huge improvement over the lump in there.

The hoarder repair shop down the block from me has one of these in super faded Civil Air Patrol markings. He drives it occasionally. It's an impressive looking truck going down the road!

Cooter said:

In reply to Brett_Murphy (Ex-Patrón) :

The engines are horrible. 

But they can be replaced easily.

My '67 Gladiator had a Buick 350 and it was one of the best truck engines I've ever had. 

Downside is the front pumpkin is in the right place to whack the starter motor of a BOP engine when the suspension is being flexed out. Best to just LS swap it and be done. 

Stampie (FS) said:

Ok I'll see when I have a chance to go back there.  It's about an hour and a half away so it'll be after Challenge.

Just a reminder the challenge is over :).