AM General M35A2 6×6 Overland Camper Rig “Deuce And A Half”

This is an AM General M35A2 6×6 that has been converted into an overland camping rig, with a toilet, a shower, a kitchenette, space for a double bed, and a sitting area with a couch that folds down into another double bed when required.

The explosive popularity of overlanding and the “vanlife” movement have seen campers like this go from relative obscurity to vehicles of considerable value and desirability, and this transition shows no signs of slowing down.

Fast Facts – The AM General M35A2 6×6

• The M35 Series 2½ Ton 6×6 Cargo Truck was developed in the 1940s and released in 1950 as the replacement for the World War II-era GMC CCKW, often referred to as the “Deuce and a Half” due to its 2½ ton capacity.
• The M35A2 in this article is powered by an LDT 465 engine it’s an inline-six 478 cubic inch (7.8 liter) turbocharged multifuel engine that can run on diesel, jet fuel, kerosene, heating oil, or gasoline and it produces 134 bhp with 330 ft lbs of torque.
• Many thousands of M35s were built for military use, initially in the USA but it was quickly adopted by dozens of other nations around the world. On the secondhand market they now provide what is possibly the cheapest entry point into the world of off-road 6×6 trucks.
• The overland camping rig you see here was bought in 1989 as military surplus, then converted into its current form. It provides self-contained accommodation for up to four people for life off the grid.

The M35 Series Of 6×6 Military Trucks

In the mid-1940s the engineers at the REO Motor Car Company were hard at work developing a new 6×6 cargo vehicle to replace one of the most important trucks in the American Army’s fleet – the GMC CCKW.

There’s space in the loft above the driver and passenger seats for an additional double mattress, the sofa also folds down into a twin bed when needed.

Their new vehicle would originally be released in 1949 as the M34 single wheel tandem axles, however it was quickly succeeded by the M35 with its dual tandem axles and subsequently increased cargo capacity.

The GMC CCKW had been nicknamed the “Deuce and a Half” by soldiers during WWII due to its 2½ ton capacity and this same nickname was soon applied to the M35. It’s said that for a short time, due to the M35’s excellent river fording capabilities, that some troops started calling it “The Eager Beaver,” though this never caught on and it was usually referred to using the moniker of its forebear.

A wide variety of M35 variants were made, the most common was the standard cargo truck layout however there were also special tanker trucks made for fire fighting as well as tractor trucks, construction trucks, and gun trucks.

AM General M35A2 Truck Specifications

The M35 was offered in a number of model versions over the years including the M35A1, which was followed by the M35A2 and the M35A3. Of these the M35A2 is one of the most common, they’re typically powered by the LDT 465 engine which was built by Continental, Hercules, or the White Motor Company at various points in the model’s production run.

This is the LDT 465 multi-fuel engine, it’s a straight six that is capable of highly milage, and it’s said to offer excellent reliability.

The LDT 465 is a straight-six with a displacement of 478 cubic inches (7.8 liters), it’s also a multi-fuel engine so it can run on diesel, jet fuel, kerosene, heating oil, or gasoline depending on what was available. It develops 134 bhp and 330 lb ft of torque which is sent to all three axles and 10 wheels via a 5-speed manual transmission and a 2-speed transfer case.

The M35 uses leaf springs front and back, with air-assisted-hydraulic six-wheel drum brakes. It has a 24 volt electrical system, a driveline parking brake, and it weighs between 13,000 pounds (5,900 kgs) and 16,000 pounds (7,300 kgs) depending on configuration.

After reading through those specifications you’re probably not expecting a particularly high speed and you would be right, the typical M35 has a top speed of 56 mph (90 km/h) with a maximum sustained cruising speed of 48 mph (77 km/h) with fuel economy of approximately 10 mpg US (24 L/100 km or 12 mpg Imperial).

That said, these trucks were never design for speed, they were designed for carrying heavy loads off-road in oftentimes difficult conditions.

Interestingly in many US States the M35 can be driven using just a regular driver’s license, with no special training required.

Many thousands of military surplus M35 trucks have no been sold off into civilian hands, the model offers what is almost certainly the cheapest entry point into six-wheel drive ownership, with prices often hovering well below $10,000 up to $15,000+ for exceedingly good examples.

The AM General M35A2 6×6 Camper Shown Here

The truck you see here is one of the nicest 6×6 overlanding rigs we’ve seen come up for sale in recent memory. It was originally bought as a military surplus truck in 1989 and then carefully converted into its current configuration.

The camper box on the back was custom built using a tubular steel frame with a laminated plywood skin and 1″ foil-backed foam insulation. It has oak cabinets and drawers, a fold-down couch, a carpeted loft than can accommodate a double bed, removable tables, a sink with running water, an oven with a four burner stove top, a fridge, a catalytic heater, a classic cassette stereo, and both a toilet and shower.

The truck carries a 10.8 gallon propane tank and a 60 gallon water tank, with a 9 gallon black water holding tank for the toilet.

Up front the truck is fitted with two bucket seats with lap belts, a Kenwood two-meter amateur radio, a GPS unit, and it all rides on ten 20″ wheels wearing Goodyear G177 tires.

If you’d like to read more about this truck or register to bid you can visit the listing here. It’s currently being offered for sale on Bring A Trailer out of Fallbrook, California.

Images courtesy of Bring A Trailer

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A Rare Fiberfab Jamaican Austin-Healey 3000 Road-Legal Race Car

This car started life as a standard 1960 Austin-Healey 3000 before being modified with a sleek Fiberfab Jamaican body in the late 1960s. It was later converted into a race car and it has a number of wins under its belt, as well as a 82mph lap average at Mallory Park.

The story of Fiberfab is one of fast cars, intrigue, and murder. The company founder’s wife was named Jamaica – he shot and killed her when she was 28, he was convicted of voluntary manslaughter and died in prison just a year later.

Fast Facts – The Fiberfab Jamaican Austin-Healey

• Fiberfab was founded in 1964 by Warren “Bud” Goodwin and John Hebler to manufacture performance parts for sports cars, as well as body parts for cars from Chevrolet, Ford, and Jaguar.
• The company soon began building their own fiberglass body kits, including the Apache, Aztec, Aztec II, and Centurion.
• The Fiberfab Jamaican was released in 1968, some say it was partly influenced by the Lamborghini Miura. It was essentially a kit including a new fiberglass body that could be fit to the chassis of a TR3, TR4, MGA, or Austin-Healey 100 or 3000.
• The Fiberfab Jamaican you see here was built into a race car in England and then raced in vintage competition, taking a number of wins. It’s now been converted back to street-legal specification and it’s due to be auctioned by Bonhams on the 17th of September.

The Fiberfab Jamaican

The Fiberfab Jamaican was designed by Chris and Russell Beebe and released in 1968, some have claimed that it was influenced by the Lamborghini Miura which had been released in 1966, though Fiberfab always denied this.

When the Fiberfab Jamaican was released in 1968 it was compared with the Lamborghini Miura which had been unveiled just two years prior, but Fiberfab always denied any design link between the two cars.

The lightweight fiberglass body of the Jamaican could be fitted to the chassis of a variety of British sports cars of the day, including the Triumph TR3, TR4, MGA, and the Austin-Healey 100 or 3000.

The conversions were popular as the donor cars were cheap at the time, and performance was typically helped by the lower weight of the new body. The styling was also a significant factor, everyone knew what a Triumph or MGA looked like but the Jamaican looked like something straight out of the 21st century.

Over the course of production two primary versions of the car would be offered, the original Fiberfab Jamaican and the later Fiberfab Jamaican II. The second model had been added due to customer demand for a version of the car that could accommodate a V8 engine – so Fiberfab developed their own custom chassis.

Tragically it was around this time, in 1967, that company founder Warren “Bud” Goodwin was arrested for the shooting death of his wife, 28 year old Jamaica Karen Goodwin who was also a Fiberfab executive.

Goodwin was convicted of voluntary manslaughter and sentenced to a surprisingly light sentence of just 12 months in prison. He would never see freedom again, dying of a heart attack while incarcerated on the 26th of December 1968.

This Austin-Healey 3000-based Fiberfab Jamaica is powered by a 3.0 liter inline-six producing approximately 130 hp.

Fiberfab the company would survive this series of tragic events, changing ownership a number of times before finally closing its doors in 1994 as part of Classic Motor Carriages. The company was then relaunched in 2003 however no new cars were released and the current status of the company is unknown.

The Fiberfab Jamaican Austin-Healey Shown Here

The car you see here was in dire condition before it was saved by its current owner and shipped from the USA to England. It needed a full nut-and-bolt restoration, which was completed – converting it into a racing car at the same time.

A pair of racing seats with harnesses were added, as well as a bolt-in roll cage, and a number of performance upgrades. The car was accepted to compete in races held by the Historic Racing Drivers Club (HRDC) and others, winning a number of races along the way and setting an impressive lap at Mallory Park with an average speed of 82 mph.

The car has now been converted back for road use, thought it still has the racing seats, harnesses, and roll cage just in case the new driver wants to take it back to the track.

This car is due to cross the auction block with Bonhams on the 17th of September at the Goodwood Revival auction. The price guide is set at £45,000 – £55,000 which works out to approximately $52,000 – $63,600 USD. If you’d like to read more about it or register to bid you can visit the listing here.

Images courtesy of Bonhams

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For Sale: An Ex-Singapore Army Mercedes-Benz G Wagon “Wolf”

The Mercedes-Benz G Wagon has long been a favorite of militaries around the world due to its reliability, toughness, and off-road ability. The 240GD G Wagon you see here was originally deployed with the Singapore Army and it’s now being offered for sale.

The Singapore Army is the land service branch of the Singapore Armed Forces, which also has a navy and an airforce. In some respects Singapore is the Switzerland of South East Asia, it’s a small, neutral country with an advanced military and mandatory military service for all young men.

Fast Facts – The Mercedes-Benz G Wagon

• Mercedes-Benz started working on the vehicle that would become the G Wagon in 1972, collaborating with Steyr-Daimler-Puch who had extensive experience building 4x4s.
• The original concept for the G Wagon is credited to the Shah of Iran who was a major Mercedes shareholder at the time.
• Mercedes developed the G Wagon to compete with the likes of the Land Rover, Range Rover, Land Cruiser, and Jeep – targeting both civilian and military buyers.
• The first generation G Wagon was the W460 version and it would remain in production from 1979 until 1992 when it was replaced with the W461.

The Military Spec Mercedes G Wagon 240GD “Wolf”

The “Wolf” version of the G Wagon was specifically developed for use by the military, the model was adopted by over 45 armed forces around the world including the United States, Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Singapore.

The G Wagon is highly regarded for it’s toughness, however jumping it like this is still probably ill-advised unless you’re a fan of spinal compression and dashboard-shaped forehead dents. Image courtesy of Mercedes-Benz Group Media.

The 240GD version of the Wolf is powered by the 2.4 liter Mercedes OM616 inline-four cylinder diesel engine, power is somewhat limited at just 72 bhp and 101 lb ft of torque though they’re famed for their reliability and longevity – much more important features for military use than outright speed.

Power is sent to all four wheels by way of a 4-speed manual transmission and a 2-speed transfer case, and the W460 rides on coil spring suspension front and back, with telescopic shock absorbers, and live axles.

The key competitor for the Wolf has always been the Land Rover Defender and the two vehicles battled for decades for military contracts. With the recent discontinuation of the original Defender the G Wagon is now a favorite of dozens of militaries worldwide.

The Wolf 240GD G Wagon Shown Here

The Wolf you see here is a 1987 model and as mentioned in the introduction, it was originally deployed with the Singapore Army. During its military service it acquired just 14,500 kilometers (9,010 miles) on the odometer – likely due to limited use and the fact that Singapore itself is just 31 miles long by 17 miles wide.

Thanks to the 2-speed transfer case and locking hubs, the Wolf can climb steep grades – albeit slowly. Image courtesy of Mercedes-Benz Group Media.

More recently this Wolf was sold as army surplus and bought by a UK owner who imported it into England. Since then they have road registered it with the DVLA and it’s now street legal.

When ordered originally this vehicle was given a locking rear differential, protective headlight grilles, front towing couplings, a trailer hitch hook, a two-bar steering wheel, folding rear seats, a tailgate-mounted spare wheel, front and rear seat belts, and rear load bay storage.

As a military vehicle it’s obviously considerably more spartan than your average civilian 4×4, it has no doors, roof, or windshield after all. But on the plus side it’s a highly-capable off-roader that’ll turn heads wherever it goes.

It’s now being sold out of Keighley in England on Collecting Cars. If you’d like to read more about it or register to bid you can visit the listing here.

Images courtesy of Collecting Cars

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