Bringing it Home
A question that many historic military vehicle (HMV) owners are often asked about their vehicles (besides, “is it hard to find parts for?”) is where they acquired it. As many enthusiasts know, the general public usually assumes that “Army trucks” are purchased at government auctions where brand-new WWII Jeeps in boxes sell for fifty dollars a dozen. However, those of us in the hobby often have much more interesting tales to tell about how and where we found our vehicles. These often include some amusing or adventurous stories about how we got our treasures home.
While some HMV folks do buy their vehicles from government surplus dealers — many of whom offer their wares in this magazine — and other vehicles are indeed purchased at government auctions, most vintage military vehicles come into our hands from private sources. We become aware of them through ads in this magazine or other vehicle publications, on eBay or other internet sites, and/or through ads in local papers.
Sometimes, we simply spot a vehicle in someone’s driveway or out in a field, and often when we’re not looking for one. These are generically called “barn finds,” and there are often interesting tales about discovering a vehicle, learning its history (or provenance), and how its new owner got it home.
Just about any barn find can be trailered, including basket-cases. Many barn finds are towable, while a few can actually be driven home after fairly simple preparation. However, what is towable or trailerable (and probably should be) is transformed into “driveable.” That’s what this article is about.
AFTER THE DISCOVERY
The adventure usually begins after the vehicle has been purchased. In many cases, the vehicle’s new owner has been told by the farmer/rancher/miner/logger, “She was runnin’ when we parked her twenty years ago.” What often happens is the new owner decides that instead of renting or borrowing a tow bar or trailer, they are going drive the vehicle home.
I have done this many times, often from the desert or bush. Usually, it was because I lacked the funds or equipment to either trail or tow the vehicle. For many people, there’s really no necessity to try to drive a barn find home —but there’s usually no necessity to climb a mountain, either.
While every situation has been a little different for me, there are also similarities, especially in the stories of others who’ve driven barn finds home — or tried to. The same mistakes are often made.
A lot of time may be wasted by not doing things in a logical order when it comes to inspecting a barn find, getting it started and making it mobile. In some cases, a vehicle simply can’t be driven — and shouldn’t be. The sooner you find this
