MODIFY HISTORIC MILITARY VEHICLES
Allis-Chalmers, Oliver, Farmall, John Deere? Somewhere back around the second grade, my classmates developed a passion for the tractors on their home farms. “Which is best?” led to lengthy discussions at lunch and recess with each kid praising the attributes of their family’s favorite, occasionally deteriorating to physical altercations to prove the point. By the time we were in high school, fathers were making small modifications to “improve” their tractors: different tires, upgraded electrical, and even different pistons for more horsepower.
Human nature seems to guide each of us to develop individual, personal preferences . Consider how many brands, models, colors, and options are available down at the local car dealers — and they sell them all.
Personal preferences are also abundant in our passion for historic military vehicles, certainly evidenced by how often we have spirited discussions about the merits of our vehicles at every cruise-in, convention, or gathering of historic military vehicles (HMVs). Part of these discussions seem to revolve around the merits of “modified” vehicles.
No matter which side of the coin your preference lands, a good question to ask about a historic military vehicle you are considering to buy is, “Has this vehicle been modfied?” The answers might surprise you.
SEVERAL PURCHASES
My first historic military vehicle purchase was a Dodge WC-51 that I bought from the son of a central Oregon rancher. The rancher had purchased the vehicle directly from the Hanford Reach Research facility in central Washington. The family had used the truck for many years as they fixed fences and chased cows all over the ranch until it was eventually parked and forgotten.
When I received the WC,
