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Thread: Long story..Many questions for M715 owners in Idaho

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Apr 2016
    Location
    south central OK
    Posts
    22

    Default Long story..Many questions for M715 owners in Idaho

    I am currently rebuilding a 1968 M715 into a little more highway oriented truck that will also be a good foul weather driver. Truck will have dana 60 rear and 44 front with 3.73 gears and limited slip diffs at both ends and a 205 transfer case. Using a 300 Ford six with the Offenhauser dual port intake and 390 cfm Holley carb. Using a close ratio T19 4 speed. Will have P/S,P/B, and A/C and the cab will be very well insulated and also have a custom made removable hard top. Will be using the stock Ford air cleaner from a V8 with the heat riser tube to prevent carb icing and the water plate modification on the intake manifold in order to heat up the center part of the manifold also to prevent icing in your cold winters.
    I am putting a lot of time and money into this build and am hoping to get a lot of use out of it here in Oklahoma now that I am in my retirement years. I would like to leave it to my stepson who will be retiring to your fine state in about 5 years after 25 years of service in the Navy. My question is, will he have any problems getting it to pass any emission inspection that you may have there? The carb and manifold were marked in the boxes that they came in as "Not for highway use". That's not a problem here in Oklahoma but I'm sure in the state he lives in now (Cal.) it would be. Do you currently have any emission laws that would apply to this truck? As far as title goes there should be no problem. My friend bought it at the GSA auction and got the form 97 from them. From that we had a title made and it is now tagged in this state. And all 3 ser.#'s match. (2 on the frame and the one on the dash data plate) so I don't see any problem there.
    Also wondering how common it is there to use propane as a motor fuel. I have a system that will work on it and have used it on other trucks and kinda like it. But I also have the advantage of being able to fill it here at home.
    Looking forward to any input you guys may have.
    Last edited by Wombat.4; October 9th, 2017 at 09:24 PM.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Location
    Giddings, Texas
    Posts
    7,729

    Default

    You touch on a lot of iffy subject matters there.

    Propane sold for home heating/cooking/water heater/dryer use is not taxed for road use. Using your home tank to fill up your truck is the same as using red ag diesel in trucks that have license plates. You can do it, but if you are caught it won't be pretty.

    I do not know the emission laws set up by California totally. However, it is my understanding that all vehicles made 1973 or before can have any engine combination the owner wishes to install without worry of smog test or emission test. That is why any crazy drive train combination you see in magazines or web sites are that age. Everything newer has to have the year of vehicle manufacture or newer engine with all the pollution controls installed and working.

    Before you go dropping all that money on the M715 fix up. Spend a few hours in the cab. They are small compared to any modern single cab truck. Put all the stuff you normally have on a long drive in the cab with you and see if you can stay for 3 hours without getting out like you were on a drive. Don't use the passenger seat to put stuff on because you could have someone with you.

    Luckypabst and txfirefighter are two Zoners who have done the Ford 300 swap. Look for stuff by them if you want that engine install pictures and ideas.

    Having had the stock 230, a big block 396 and currently a diesel 6.2 in my M715. I can relate that any engine is great up to around 45-50 mph. Then the square truck with the flat windshield needs torque, lots and lots of torque for every single mph you go above 50 mph. Above 60 mph the wind buffering is tremendous and just takes all the engine can give if going into a head wind. Have a semi truck pass you at speed on a single lane each way road in a head wind at a combined speed of 120 or more can turn into a religious experience in the rain.

    Not trying to talk you out of anything. Just offering some experiences learned driving more than 30,000 miles in my M715 over the past 16 years.
    Remember if you didn't build it you can't call it yours.

    6.2 powered M715, 5 M1009's, M416, 2 M101's, 2 M105's, 3 M35's, M1007 6.5 turbo Suburban project called Cowdog.

    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCz...HGkBCfhXZ5iuaw

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Apr 2016
    Location
    south central OK
    Posts
    22

    Default

    Yes, to use propane as a motor fuel and fill at home I have to buy a flat fee decal from the state in order to be legal. It's not a game changer for me at this point, just wondering how common it was to use it as a motor fuel there. And yes a small cab can be an issue. I've run into that with my other truck. It's a 1964 International with a 4bt,5speed overdrive and 3.07 gears. I've made a lot of out of state trips with it and while I did a lot to insulate the cab from temp and noise and it has worked out great but it is small. It is the truck I use for my road trips and the M715 is going to be my work truck. I suspect that my stepson will use the M715 for camping and traveling in the mountains there.

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