Rebirth of an m100(I stand corrected an "MBT"), soon to be an expedition trailer
- Thread starter gonejeeping15
- Start date
, soon to be an expedition trailer
ltngaines
Adventurer
Hey looks great, Im starting a build on a 100 as well. Picked it up for 600. looked for a long time and low and behold found one about a mile from my house. I will post some pics soon. I have big plans but will see how the wife likes the cost... Good luck with the build, keep posting pics as you move on.
gonejeeping15
Adventurer
OD. Green hides things don't you think?
gonejeeping15
Adventurer
My friend from Lake Elsinore, Ken Hooton did the magic on this trailer. He's a great fabricator with sheet metal.
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teotwaki
Excelsior!
I sent a PM but I'll repeat here. I think that since you are attaching photos you may have hit a limit in what the forum allows. Instead you should use an image hosting service such as www.imageshack.us
You upload a photo there (set the size for 640 x 480) and then copy and paste the "forum code" into your message here. Like this:
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
You upload a photo there (set the size for 640 x 480) and then copy and paste the "forum code" into your message here. Like this:
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
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TacoDell
Adventurer
that's not an M100...
by any standards that I know of.
Bantam maybe ? or a mix of parts ?
the draw bar has a "V" cut to the reinforcement plate(s).
and that's not the same as the M100's "U" cut shaped reinforcement (draw bar) plates.
and so the frame (or at least the draw bars) would seem incorrect for an M100
the tub is missing the handle at each corner... unless those were removed.... ? :dunno:
Nice looking trailer no matter... congrats... and have fun !
by any standards that I know of.
Bantam maybe ? or a mix of parts ?
the draw bar has a "V" cut to the reinforcement plate(s).
and that's not the same as the M100's "U" cut shaped reinforcement (draw bar) plates.
and so the frame (or at least the draw bars) would seem incorrect for an M100
the tub is missing the handle at each corner... unless those were removed.... ? :dunno:
Nice looking trailer no matter... congrats... and have fun !
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gonejeeping15
Adventurer
M100?
The pink slip is a 1946, that's all I had to go by, plus a lot of rust.
??
The pink slip is a 1946, that's all I had to go by, plus a lot of rust.
??
TacoDell
Adventurer
I Leak Oil
Expedition Leader
That appears to be a war era MBT. The 3 position landing leg and the hole for the black out light switch plus the lack of grab handles on the corners are pretty solid idicators. The "pink slip" probably says 1946 because that's when it was released by the U.S. Government, not it's date of manufacture. Of course it's your trailer and you can do what you want but they are getting much harder to find in decent, somewhat original condition like that. Much like the men who went to war with them they are becoming and endangered species.
Nice trailer though. Please put it to good use!
Nice trailer though. Please put it to good use!
teotwaki
Excelsior!
I recall a thread somewhere on a similar preservation topic. The OP finally got tired of being lectured about preserving the old rust bucket he has rescued and told each person that they could buy it off of him or swap it for something as good but less historic. Suddenly all of the lectures came to a halt. So GoneJeeping15 you just keep on trucking with the good work and enjoy something that was likely headed for a smelter anyway. Let me know if you have more questions about posting pictures. I'll send you a Private Message with my cell number.
gonejeeping15
Adventurer
Good info to know
The floor was rusted so bad you could see through it as were the bottom 2" of the sides, the tailgate was cut in, and also rusted out. The frame was rusted away in places too, so I did as much as my pocket book allowed.
I will post my updates on the project as soon as I learn how to use this forum.
Thanks for the info.
The floor was rusted so bad you could see through it as were the bottom 2" of the sides, the tailgate was cut in, and also rusted out. The frame was rusted away in places too, so I did as much as my pocket book allowed.
I will post my updates on the project as soon as I learn how to use this forum.
Thanks for the info.
I Leak Oil
Expedition Leader
Sorry, I didn't realize I was "lecturing" anyone, just providing some facts. I'm sure GoneJeeping15 can and will let me know if my post isn't needed or is inappropriate.
teotwaki
Excelsior!
Well, maybe "lecture" was a less than perfect choice of words so I'm sorry for that. I'm sure the OP liked the facts as they help to positively ID the rustbucket. It was after that that you offered opinion: "Of course it's your trailer and you can do what you want but they are getting much harder to find in decent, somewhat original condition like that", possibly suggesting that he should not modify it? The OP disagreed with the choice of "decent" and instead offered the facts on the trailer's actual condition: "The floor was rusted so bad you could see through it as were the bottom 2" of the sides, the tailgate was cut in, and also rusted out. The frame was rusted away in places too.."
so back on topic with questions for the OP...
gonejeeping15 are those LED brake & tail lights, 6" oval style in grommets? Aslo I can't see in the pictures if it still has a pintle lunette. Did you change the landing leg to a modern wheeled lift jack? I think I see it in one picture, CIMG1969.JPG.
I Leak Oil
Expedition Leader
It's his trailer, he can do what he wants with it. That's a fact not an opinion.
They are getting harder to find in decent, somewhat original condition. That's a fact not an opinion. That is in decent shape for a 65+ year old military vehicle. I hope I'm in that good of shape at 65! That's my educated metalworking and MBT opinion and last I checked opinion isn't a four letter word.
Look, I'm not suggesting he not modify it because obviously he already did. Not being judgemental, I just hope the next person to come along and read this or other build threads think hard about what they really want to do with their find.
The guy has a nice trailer and I hope he gets his use out of it. That's what it's all about.
Peace out!
Robert Bills
Explorer
Great job on the tailgate. No bubba job there.
Some close-ups and other angles of the front and sides would be nice to see, if you have them.
As for the preservation issue, some WWII Willys MBT and Bantam T3 trailers are worth restoring but some are not. I question the value in restoring a trailer that will require hundreds of man hours and several thousand dollars and still not be a realistic contender in the lowly "motor pool" division at a military collector's show. Unless perhaps, it is a labor of love and that is a personal decision.
My experience with Bantam trailers goes back to 1960. At least two Southern California jeep clubs were fond of them. When I was 10, my family encountered a group of 6-8 jeeps from the Chuckawalla Jeep Club in the Borrego badlands, each with matching WWII surplus trailer modified with a canvas "chuck wagon" style top, some with tailgates cut in. (I've never forgotten that sight, and am sure it was the moment I contracted jeeping fever.) The other club, the Drifters in Pomona, used Bantam civilian trailers with lift-off hard tops that doubled as camp tables. My father bought one of those from the original owner in 1966, which is now mine.
I restored my 1946 Bantam T3-C civilian trailer. When I did, I spent much time designing modifications to make my trailer more useful to me, but which did not require drilling holes and which could be unbolted and easily swapped back to the original parts. However, I did not grind away some simple modifications made through the years by the original owner, and by my family after we bought the trailer in 1966. These are part of my trailer's history and make it unique.
As far as I am concerned, there is no shame in a well done resto-mod of vintage iron.
Some close-ups and other angles of the front and sides would be nice to see, if you have them.
As for the preservation issue, some WWII Willys MBT and Bantam T3 trailers are worth restoring but some are not. I question the value in restoring a trailer that will require hundreds of man hours and several thousand dollars and still not be a realistic contender in the lowly "motor pool" division at a military collector's show. Unless perhaps, it is a labor of love and that is a personal decision.
My experience with Bantam trailers goes back to 1960. At least two Southern California jeep clubs were fond of them. When I was 10, my family encountered a group of 6-8 jeeps from the Chuckawalla Jeep Club in the Borrego badlands, each with matching WWII surplus trailer modified with a canvas "chuck wagon" style top, some with tailgates cut in. (I've never forgotten that sight, and am sure it was the moment I contracted jeeping fever.) The other club, the Drifters in Pomona, used Bantam civilian trailers with lift-off hard tops that doubled as camp tables. My father bought one of those from the original owner in 1966, which is now mine.
I restored my 1946 Bantam T3-C civilian trailer. When I did, I spent much time designing modifications to make my trailer more useful to me, but which did not require drilling holes and which could be unbolted and easily swapped back to the original parts. However, I did not grind away some simple modifications made through the years by the original owner, and by my family after we bought the trailer in 1966. These are part of my trailer's history and make it unique.
As far as I am concerned, there is no shame in a well done resto-mod of vintage iron.