New to the M715 World

[Justice11]

So this ‘68 should be mine this weekend hopefully. Always been a dream truck of mine. 9k original miles with no rust or body damage. Sounds a little “clattery” but I think the that’s pretty par for the 230’s. Is there anything specific I should be looking for before buying it? And if maintained properly, how many miles could be expected from these old motors? Thanks in advance.

[Don Cavey]

Welcome to the "Club"! Nice looking truck and don't be a stranger, ask away.

[gonz]

Dang, my original post disappeared. We had an old post on what to look for (I can't remember who wrote it) that was really good but I couldn't find it with a search.
I would check for rust down the transmission hump and the floor boards around to the door pillars. Check for rust on the bottom pannels beneath the door going back to the cab frame (backside). The pictures look like the cab was well taken car of, though.
Is the engine/transmission really original?
If original take a look at the engine block top rear and see if the rear oil line has been replace or if it's still rubber. Sometimes there is an access hole someone cut into the firewall into the cab to help make this an easier job. If it's metal someone replaced it which is good news for you.
I would check and see if 24 or 12v, if the brakes have been replaced and is the master brake cylinder original or updated, single barrel/original carburetor, how the doors close and glass looks, do the vacuum wipers work, how sloppy the steering is (steering column parts can be hard to find, see M715 Steering Coupler?), are the seat original, does it have the battery box in the cab....
Depending on the above conditions you'll need to decide what you want to keep original (military truck or firetruck) or modify it, which is really a lot of research and a gut check on what you want this truck to be. This is all coming from a guy who has never had an original engine in my truck so parts of the above is all memory on stuff that I didn't need to know, lol. This site is by far the best source of written and institutional knowledge for the M715. The people are friendly but will expect some searching by you as well.
That is a good looking truck, BTW. I hope you're able to get it!- gonz

[bmac6026]

Welcome and very nice M715 as is. Looks like clean and straight sheet metal ,and what Gonz said is what I look for and good very good info .These long time members are what this site is about.

[Beast]

Welcome, these are great trucks in stock form as long as you understand what they are. They are a 50 year old military truck that was never ment to go 70 mph down the highway and have very little in passenger comfort. They will be loud, they will be cold in the winter and hot in the summer, they will leak when it rains no mater how well they are sealed, and they will be slow and stiff going down the road. But the trade-off's are worth it for a cool unique military truck that will get questions everywhere you go, and there is nothing better that being able to drop the top in the summer and cruise with the wind in your hair!

[Don Cavey]

Originally Posted by Beast

Welcome, these are great trucks in stock form as long as you understand what they are. They are a 50 year old military truck that was never ment to go 70 mph down the highway and have very little in passenger comfort. They will be loud, they will be cold in the winter and hot in the summer, they will leak when it rains no mater how well they are sealed, and they will be slow and stiff going down the road. But the trade-off's are worth it for a cool unique military truck that will get questions everywhere you go, and there is nothing better that being able to drop the top in the summer and cruise with the wind in your hair!

Exactly, and well said. That is the reason that I love these trucks so much. As you may guess, I am a "stock" guy, and have removed several "improvements' from my truck. Sheet metal is still rough but from 10 feet away, looks OK.

[Nailhead]

Get used to hearing "Nice Power Wagon!".

I can describe the noise my 230 makes in a lot of ways, but "clattery" is not among them, with no pushrods or lifters to provide that kind of soundtrack. The transfer case levers, interestingly enough, are a source of clatter, banging together going down the road. It's not really objectionable, though; you can hardly hear it over the gear whine and panel vibrations.

Welcome aboard.

[brute4c]

I think this is what you were looking for Gonz?

http://www.m715zone.com/vb/view.php?pg=checklist

(Its in the Basic Training section linked up top)

[gonz]

That IS it, thanks Jon! I think I went through all the top links except that one, lol!