Prices - M715 vs M37

[rboltz]

I'm puzzled by the great divide on sale prices for the M715 vs the M37. I have been watching M37's for some time and they are always going near $10,000 and sometimes as high as $18,000. Now these are nice trucks, needing little restoration, but an equal condition M715 would go begging at $5,000! There were many more of the M37's produced and at any time there may be 5 stock trucks listed on e-bay whereas nice M715's listings are a lot less often. In fact, you rarely see a restored, stock M715 listed. Logic says the less of something, the higher the price.

What brings these high M37 prices? Better known? More parts available? Bad reputation on the M715 engine? Any guesses?

[randyscycle]

I think its that an M715 is rare, but not the rare that everyone knows about. More of the obscure rare that makes them sort of the odd man out.

[fng]

Hmmmm, good one Randy.
In my humble opinion, it might be because the m37 just looks more military than the 715. I'm thinking of the front-on shot/grill area, maybe...I don't know.

[george walker]

I beleive its also age, WWII vehicles bring even more. The m37 is the next step from WWII, and the 715 is almost a modern truck, relativly. An m38 or A1 brings way more than a m151 on avg., agian age I think is the bigger factor. Appearance too perhaps since jeep used that front sheet metal from 1961 right to the end in 1986 almost unchanged, so its more familiar to most people as a recent vehicle.

[fishtail]

Around here (wis.) you can get a unrestored M37 for 800 to 1500 bucks. There was even two winch trucks at a show here last summer, neither sold and both were at ~1300 and 1500 each. Its the M715 that gets the premium.

Maybe were just nutz here.

Scott

[Duane]

The M715 has never come into light as a military collector vehicle, they get very little print in collector mags, compared to all its jeep predessors, there is no one that specializes in m715 parts, all our vendors basically have leftover NOS or used stuff, no one that I know of has gotten into the repro parts for these trucks, other than data plates, and parts that are shared with other vehicles.

And alot of people on this board that even own these trucks dont view them as a restoration worthy vehicle, more board members have taken stock trucks and swapped out engines, rears, complete drivelines etc than those that have restored them.you dont see many people do this to ww2 jeeps,
m37's or even m151's and anything in between.

I wish there was a better following, and people would make all these hard to get parts that we talk about looking for. but as long as we enjoy our trucks it doesnt matter.

[randyscycle]

At somewhere around or just above 30,000 made, and probably less than half of that surviving (just a guess) that makes them even more obscure in the scope of things.

I don't know the production numbers for an M37, but the early MB/GPW's were in the 300,000 range, give or take, and from the pictures I've seen of my Dad's during Vietnam, there were M37's in nearly every one. Given that, I'd say there is much more financial return for parts suppliers to reproduce items for those than the relatively small amount of 715's still around.

Plus, to tool up and produce a run of hard to find parts is a big business venture and a gamble on top of that if you are looking for a return to even cover your initial outlay.

[jeepcj]

With the same logic, old worth more than new. Seams M35s are worth a lot more than a M135 or M211. I found what the owner said was a good running 1953 M211 for $2000, the pictures looked nice, rebuilt engine and new tires. Same condition M35 would be $4000 or more?

[SAC715]

I believe we are in that time to buy zone. Kind of like the early 80's were for the 60's muscle cars. I bought alot of great cars really cheap back then that are now worth quite a bit (Most I still have...that's my retirement plan). This is a good time for us since most of the parts are still out there NOS someplace if you look hard.

[Barrman]

The M35 to M135 comparison is a great example.

The M35 had a long production run, was purpose built for the military, held up well in service use and has parts stashed all over the country. I can get just about any part I want for my 1953 Gasser M35 with just a click of the mouse. Many parts on it are desirable for other uses such as rock crawling.

The M135 was also purpose built, but with a GMC302 production car/truck engine, a not really proven to work automatic transmission, a front axle that turned backward and the hi/low was inside the water cooled transmission. Not many spare parts were built for it, people break the transmission by trying to do normal other vehicle stuff like back up in low. Not user friendly means less demand. I will add that I love the seating position for the driver in a M135/M211. Very comfortable compared to a M35.

Now look at the M37. Purpose built from scratch, long production run and warehouses full of parts. Yes, the engine was the same as what Chrysler used on just about every vehicle for 30 years, but it worked and worked well with lots of parts still available. Plus, the huge amounts of civilian Powerwagon parts also produced.

Then we have the M715. Purpose built, but with a huge number of civilian production components. The M715 started out as a J truck and was modified to military specs. The first vehicle to have successfully done that since WWII and was meant to be a low cost replacement for the M37. The M37 civilian version was the other way around. (Civilian toned down from military.) The engine while a neat idea on paper proved to be troublesome in use. (water pumps are a good example of this since they failed and continue to fail at a fast pace.) Kaiser had even stopped making the engine available in the civilian versions. That means just the minimum required by the contract spare parts were made. Then you have the short production run. A small order (30K or so) was made and production started in 1967. We all know what happened with the elections of 1968 and what was going on in the US and around the world. No way was Congress going to spend any more money than it had to on more military stuff. Especially with the "return with honor" withdrawl going on from SEA. No contract renewal meant no more parts or improvements.

Then you have the media. We all grew up with shows such as Rat Patrol, Hogans Heroes, Baa Baa Black Sheep and then more movies than I can type that showed either M37's or something that looked just like them. Not so with the M715. 99% or more of the people get a mental image of a jeep, M37 or M35 when the phrase Military vehicle is uttered. The M715 just doesn't register with most people.