Do you wonder if you can restore a vehicle?

YOU CAN DO IT!

If you are considering whether or not to restore a historic military vehicle, you are not alone. Utilizing resources that include the advertisers in this magazine, thousands of people have successfully completed their projects. So don’t despair — it can be done. Here are a few readers’ completed projects and works-in-progress to provide you with some inspiration!

When just 15 years old, Dawson Ducommun decided he wanted to restore a military vehicle for his 4-H project. He and his dad found an M37 for $3,800. They calculated a budget and figured they would have to spend an additional $5,000 in parts (a budget they were able to successfully keep!). It was all of Dawson’s sweat equity that they hadn’t counted on.In the end, it paid off — his truck got a First Place at the Cherokee County Fair and advanced to the Iowa State Fair.

Herman Pfauter I found his 1942 GPW in a weed-strewn lot under a Freeway overpass in Santa Barbara, California in 2008. It was in a derelict state with many parts missing. He was ready to forget it when he spotted the glove box cover with the original brass data plates still affixed. Further investigation showed the original VIN on the left front frame rail and I decided on the spot to buy and restore it to its former glory. It took some effort and persistence to locate the previous owner and on October 4, 1985. Herman bought it for $750 and trailered it home. It took him about 10 years to finish the project. To commemorate the Naval Reserve Center Santa Barbara, he stenciled that wording below the windshield.

Chad Waybright’s truck was originally assigned to a US Army engineer company in North Carolina in 1954. It had the factory-assigned number, “4C1963.” The Deuce was refurbished in 1971 as an M35A1. It was refurbished again by the US Army as an M35A2 in 1991. The diesel engine was upgraded and the deuce was painted CARC camo.Chad and a friend prepared everything they could remove, including all 11 wheels. A local trucking repairing facility painted everything, this time using 24087 OD Gillespie paint to bring it back to its 1971 appearance.The present markings reflect the unit to which Chad was assigned in the early 1960s: 541st Signal Company (SPT), AWSCOM (Advanced Weapons Support Command), Pirmasens, Germany.

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