Finding Military Vehicle Gold on Green Acres

B. Mitchell Carlson reporting

Ken Yuly was a well-known military vehicle collector, based out of the family farm near Minot, N.D. until he passed away in January. Being transparent, this author was one of his friends and worked with his widow and several family members to put together the sale of Yuly’s military vehicles and parts over the course of the summer, Steffes Auctions of West Fargo, N.D. was selected to conduct an online only no-reserve auction of the 61 vehicles, 32 trailers, and 101 lots of parts for two weeks of bidding, closing on September 5.

Bidder engagement certainly wasn’t a problem. Thanks to prudent advertising in print and online, the word got out more than sufficiently throughout the historic military vehicle world — and throughout the globe — for this auction.

The top sale was a M274A5 Mechanical Mule fitted with a demil’ed M40C 106mm recoilless rifle. When the bidding finally ceased, it was by far the top seller at $23,250. The next-highest sale (and the first street legal vehicle) was a 1970 AM General M718A1 Ambulance, which hammered at $10,000. On the other end, a 1941 Dodge WC-series cab and chassis sold for just $50 and was the least-expensive vehicle.

While Yuly had restored a number of the vehicles, those restorations were done 15 to 25 years ago, and most of the vehicles hadn’t been driven for 4 to 10 years. The bulk of them were parked in his large pole barn. One of the biggest challenges of this auction was that Yuly only had 19 titles — with five of them from other states in the names of the previous owners. There were no titles for the trailers. While pursuing titles on the obvious parts vehicles would be a case of not being worth the effort, by the time the auction went live, the count rose to 28 titled trucks. The lesson to be learned here is that if you care about your vehicles and those who may have to deal with them when you’re gone, transfer the titles or get them generated when you first get your vehicle(s).

(Click Here for Condition Rating Explanation)

2-dr 1.5-ton cargo truck, Condition #4, Sold for $6,100. Yuly cosmetically restored this more than 15 years ago to its original configuration as a U.S. Army contract Civilian Conservation Corps truck. It was also one of the few drivable trucks in the auction, but has several mechanical needs. However, this is one of the only known surviving examples.

2-dr 3/4-ton crash truck, Condition #5, Sold for $3,150. The R-2 was unique to the U.S. Air Force, with just over 300 of them built. This one came out of South Dakota, and was reportedly stationed at Ellsworth AFB near Rapid City. The ladder rack was removed, with the roof somewhat crudely covered. It was not a running truck when Yuly bought it over 15 years ago. While a very ambitions project, it’s a worthy one, since most tended to be scrapped out due to the aluminum body.

Open 1/4-ton tactical truck, Condition #5, Sold for $7,700. This is the 593rd Ford GPW build, retaining the original serial number tag, but the frame number being illegible due to an old engine swap (no engine, transmission, and transfer case was included in this sale). This was a project in the works, with a host of parts included. Sold without a title, but that didn’t scare off the buyer from Holland.

Open 1/4-ton tactical truck, Condition #5, Sold for $6,700. Another restoration project in progress, and the only WWII G503 jeep with a title. It also has an early-style “slat-grille” body tub without a glove box. Bodywork was hastily attached to show what is included with this lot, along with loose parts enclosed within. Sure, there’s a lot of work to be done, but this shows that WWII jeeps are getting harder to find and bring subsequent higher prices — regardless of condition.

Open 1/4-ton tactical ambulance, Condition #3, Sold for $8,400. Restored approximately two decades ago, and last driven four years ago. Engine cranks over, but won’t start now. Missing the unique to the M718 series passenger’s seat, which affected its final bid (selling for $1,600 less than the other M718 here — which had that seat). Fully equipped otherwise with racks, litters and medical gear.

2-dr 3/4-ton weapons carrier, Condition #3, Sold for $4,950. After Yuly restored this truck about two decades ago, he gave it the nickname “Yellow Jacket.” Fitted with a field installed removable hard top cab kit. Camo netting over the cargo box, which also has a radio antenna kit installation. Less-than-professional seat upholstery work, in an incorrect green vinyl. Winch model, but missing the winch, which probably affected the reasonable selling price — even if it needs awakening work.

2-dr 3/4-ton command truck, Condition #3, Sold for $9,100. Restored approximately two decades ago, but not driven in a decade. The M-42s are a depot or field conversion of a standard M-37, featuring a rear cover with plastic side windows with canvas covers. Also has radio installation equipment, a work desk, and interior lighting. That canvas top was ruined by UV rays, since it was parked under a skylight in the building it was stored in. Despite that expensive piece of canvas to replace and that it, too, needs waking up, this truck sold market-correct due to the work needed. However, the new owner had it running in less than a week, so he felt that he got a decent deal.

Open 1/4-ton tactical ambulance. Condition #3, Sold for $10,000. Like the other M718 ambulance, it was restored approximately two decades ago, wasn’t driven since 2020, has new batteries, turns over and won’t start. It does have the passenger’s seat. That helped make this the second-highest sale here.

Open 3/4-ton tactical truck, Condition #5, Sold for $5,200. Retains its original powertrain, but not running. Another project in progress, but more towards making it a driver than a show vehicle. Yuly acquired this from the North Dakota state surplus pool, so it had the paperwork to generate a title. That makes it a pretty reasonable deal for someone who’d want to finish this project.

2-dr 1/4-ton tactical truck, Condition #4, Sold for $2,000. While it was lacking a title and has some structural rust, it was my “Pick of the Sale”. Why? Not only did it run (although the brakes are out on it), it ran great. Yuly nicknamed this one “Rusty” and it was his go-to do-work-around-the-farm jeep. That was also why he fitted it with a field mod hardtop kit, since it gets cold in North Dakota. If you have enough acreage to have a dedicated off-highway vehicle, after fixing the brakes, this would be hard to beat.

2-dr 1/4-ton MPV, Condition #5, Sold for $1,125. Powered by a WWII-era Willys engine, but not running. While it’s missing several pieces (such as the windshield assembly and only has one replacement seat), the tub is quite solid. At this point, the new owner could go any way they want: full-blown restoration to stock, modify it for off-roading, or just get it running and use it as an errand vehicle on their property. Well-bought, as it could also be parted out and make more than what it sold for — a real possibility since it also doesn’t have a title.

1-ton open-deck carrier, with dummy M40C 106mm recoilless rifle. Condition #3, Sold for $23,250. In more ways than one, this was “The Big Gun” of the auction. One of five M274 Mechanical Mules Yuly had, this one was depot modified to accept an M40C 106mm recoilless rifle. That piece here is a demilitarized parts kit that was assembled as an inert dummy gun that is unable to accept — let alone fire — a round. The Mule underneath it was last driven in 2020. It turns over, but won’t start. I figured that this would go up to $16,000, but after 69 bids, it was at $20,000 really quick and still had a ways to go before bidding ended.

2-dr 3/4-ton cab and chassis, Condition #6, Sold for $1,025. Yuly wasn’t much for old civilian vehicles, but this Dodge shared many components with his military Dodges (including a very early VC-6 Carryall that he used to have), so it’s no surprise that he picked this up as a potential parts truck. Being untitled, that will probably be it’s eventual fate, but hopefully the new owner will be able to keep at least one vintage Dodge truck on the road thanks to this one.

2-dr 3/4-ton. Condition #5, Sold for $525. Over the course of working with the estate, this became my “problem child” of the fleet. It had an old title in someone else’s name (which got resolved just days before the auction started) and was very difficult to get pulled out of where it was parked for decades. Why? Yuly removed the driver’s side rear wheel, so it wouldn’t roll. When we lifted it, it was extremely heavy — because we found an industrial Chrysler engine in the back set up for a combine. At least the driveline was complete and it still retained its original 24-volt waterproof electrical system. Good bye and good riddance.

2-dr 1.5-ton cargo truck. Condition #6, Sold for $3,050. While it’s unusual enough to find one military contract 1935 Chevy truck, how about two? A year after Yuly completed the cosmetic re-do of the CCC truck, this turned up at an auction not 5 miles from his place. Still retaining markings from its use by the California National Guard, it’s a mystery how it moved halfway across the country. With the cab wood severely rotted (hence the cargo straps holding it together) and lacking a title, this is probably best suited as a donor for the restoration of another truck. Yet this saw some very competitive bidding, for a very strong sale.

Open 3/4-ton MPV. Condition #6, Sold for $290. While it looks like a cobbled-up junk pile (which is pretty much is), it’s also a very early production civilian Jeep with a column shift transmission. While they would need refurbishment, all the column shift parts were there, so that plus the engine and axle cores are the only real value of this vehicle.

2-dr 2.5-ton cargo truck, Condition #5, Sold for $2,500. General Motors created what it thought was the perfect “deuce-and-a-half” for the Cold War era. Powered by a GMC 302-cid inline gasoline six with a heavy-duty HydraMatic transmission. The Army did purchase several variations of them, but the REO-designed M35 series was what the Department of Defense really wanted and saw vastly more built. Yuly bought this one approximately 25 years ago and it had been parked outside for the last two decades. Not running, but the power train is complete. Exposure to the elements has runed all the canvas. It was titled and had N.D. collector plates on it, so it’ll be a worthwhile project for the buyer.

2-dr 5-ton semi tractor. Condition #5, Sold for $1,800. Yuly had acquired a pair of M52A2 semis from state surplus, with the idea that they’d be the ultimate hay haulers for the farm. That didn’t pan out, so he parked them out back for the last 15 years. The blown right front tire meant that it was dragged as little as possible. It should be not all that difficult to get running — more likely less difficult to generate a title, so it sold well enough.

2-dr 1.25-ton DRW pickup. Condition #4, Sold for $2,450. While the HUMVEE had a gestation period akin to an elephant, during that wait for its development, the military still needed new trucks, The Commercial Utility Cargo Vehicle of the early 1980s was a program to take an “off-the-shelf” pickup and make it a tactical truck with minimal re-engineering and expense. Chevrolet sold all branches of the Armed Forces a variety of pickups, ambulances, chassis-cabs, and even the M1009 Blazer under the CUCV program, but this M1028A3 was the heaviest-duty of them all. Essentially a K-30 with a 6.2L diesel, TH400 automatic and dual rear wheels, they were rated at1.25 tons. Yuly had this one for roughly two decades. In recent years it was being driven, but had electrical and charging issues, so two years ago it was tucked into a shed. Pulled out for the auction, it was a decent deal on a now very popular “square body.”

2-dr 1.5-ton cargo truck. Condition #5, Sold for $1,375. At one time, Yuly had six of these 1.5-ton WWII Chevys, but sold five privately to a dealer in Holland four years ago. This remaining example was his best one, retaining the pre-July 1942 logo embossed hood sides (when all manufacturers were requited to remove all logos from military vehicle production).

While it has a Cold War era cargo box, the rest of the truck is complete. It also had what I believed was the first civilian title was issued to it after it was mustered out of the military in 1946, but it needed to be surrendered to North Dakota to be properly titled (although the owner got a copy of the scan of the original).  

When: Online, ended Sept. 5
Where: Minot, N.D.
Results: All 61 vehicles declared sold
*10 percent buyer’s premium not included with following results
B. Mitchell Carlson reporting

(Click Here for Condition Rating Explanation)

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