Any thought on taking it to a tailor and getting a quote? I think that's the route I'll be taking. I have no sewing ability whatsoever.

I repaired mine using the quick stitch, it's actually quite easy once you get the flow and I think does a better and stronger job than the factory thread.

Yep, it was pretty easy. I picked it up quick having never used the quick stitch (which is a bit of a misnomer ).

This video is a good start but I suspect the guy is left handed. I worked right to left and had the awl in my right hand.



A couple suggestions not mentioned:

- With the long piece you first draw through, make it as long or longer than your complete run you plan to stitch.
- Keep the long piece under the needle, come up from the bottom through the loop, then draw it back downwards below the needle.
- I used my index and middle finger to keep the tension on the thread in the needle instead of my thumb against the awl body. I used the tack piece to just keep the thread straight and kept the tension behind it with my fingers.
- It gets faster and easier the shorter your long piece gets.


Two and a half hours later I had this:












When I got to the end I put a dab of Super Glue on the knot.

Not bad if I do say so for never having done it before. I do think I could have made that first corner on the handle side of the door a little tighter but that was the first corner I did. As you can tell I tightened up the second one.

This was my front driver's door. It's the newest of the bunch. It has heat sealed seams on the door skin to hold it to the frame. The 3 other doors all have stitched seams on the door skins, of which the two rear ones will need some repairs to. The front passenger door apparently needed no stitch repairs upon closer examination.

Only felt like doing the one door today. I'll get to the rears soon though.

I also went ahead and used the Meguiars PlastX I picked up to clean up the windows on all 4 doors. It does a really good job! Takes out the haze and other impurities, hides the fine scratches pretty well, and reduces the bigger ones. It won't make them look factory new but it cleans them up really well. I had some very dark lines from grime of some sort embedded in the plastic and this got rid of all but a shadow of them. A second cleaning might do even better. Pretty pleased with it!

That or a boat/upholstery shop.

I've got one locally that I've been in touch with about a top idea (more on that as it develops). They do soft window repairs all the time.

But honestly, it is super easy. Just time consuming. Go to Harbor Freight and pick up one of the quick stitches that they sell in the "home goods" aisle for $6 and give it a try. Just follow the instructions in the video above and use the original holes as your guide.

I'll give it a shot. I bought 4 used doors that should be delivered on Monday so I'll have plenty of time to work on it seeing as the EUC was just submitted last week.

Check out my Craigslist find - $50 for a set of slave cables. The guy asked if there was anything else I wanted, so I said I was always looking for the newer military (Scepter) fuel cans. He said he thought he had one and digs out the one pictured - still full of diesel fuel. I bought it for $15 - hell the fuel is worth that much!

He said the fuel was about 7 months old, but I cracked it open yesterday  - it was sealed tight and didn't smell moldy. I'm going to mix it in the next time I fill up.

This is like salt in a wound... I literally just last night paid $230 for a set of 4 well used Scepter cans for my truck.

Thanks EPA...

Glad to see people fixing these up.  Anyone have one in Kentucky?  The initial cost of a decent running hmmwv after auction is about 3/4 of my "toy" truck budget right now, so I'm not very keen to attempt the registering process unless it has been done in my locale.  An offroad only Hmmwv would get pretty old on my 5 acres.

I ordered four GI style jerry cans with spouts for $100 delivered on eBay.



 

If they're the ones I think you got, then I'd say that you got what ya paid for them. They're likely be ok, but they're generally known to be flimsy.

Man I want one of these, are the 61 on GovPlanet the only ones remain or do they add more as they recieve?

I believe there are a lot more available than anybody is saying. GovPlanet has been limiting releases lately though, probably in an effort to increase the bids/selling prices.

Yeah, I've got a couple dozen steel 20L/5 gallon NATO fuel cans and oil cans (just like the fuel cans but have a much larger mouth) I've picked up over the years but they get dented and rust. They spend their time in the shed for fuel storage.

I wanted some Scepters to keep on the truck because they're heavy duty plastic and a lot more resilient. Unfortunately because they don't meet stupid venting and spill shutoff (which doesn't work anyway) requirements they are effectively banned in the US by the EPA and now command a premium, typically costing $50-$60 used and $100+ new for what should be $25-$35 fuel cans. Our Canadian neighbors can still buy them though.

So, if like Lawman, you come across inexpensive plastic Scepter cans, snatch them up!

At least we can still get the water cans for $25.

The JC Taylor lady told me I could not even drive it to the grocery store or work, and an unofficial limit of 2500 miles a year.  $90-125 annual premium.

Sounds like you are just paying for proof of insurance. Maybe I'll try farmers next.

I forgot about this thread and the trucks in general for a couple of months.  Checked back on some of the completed LA auctions and I missed some pretty good trucks Only two real candidates available coming up.  Another one looks like a 100% parts truck.

This one caught my eye... ITEM# 750288.
Man... can someone in the know provide some pointers about what's good and what's bad?

Any idea what ballpark $$ this would bring?

That looks to be in decent shape. They are pretty good about taking pictures of obvious problems, but there wasn't anything major I saw. Surface rust underneath, but that's normal. Starts and runs. The hard top and x doors add value. Other helmet tops on there have gone in the $16-20k range, which wouldn't surprise me on that one.  You might get lucky and have it go $13-15k.  One sold last month for 13k.

That's a good looking truck - then again anything with fresher paint looks good. The fact that it has the hard x-doors on it indicates that bidding could be heavy, since they're desirable. What'll it sell for? No telling - there seems to be no rhyme or reason for the selling prices on these.

I had a conversation with a buddy out west the other day in his search for a truck and explained that you sometimes really narrow your opportunities by looking in a smaller geographic area. Being in Idaho, he might have 2-3 trucks pop up in any given week in the entire Northwest - while he passes up good deals in the southeast. When you have more options, you can shop smarter and even if it costs $2k to ship it from NC or GA, you'll likely get a better deal than you would with the slim pickings up there. My point - don't be afraid to look beyond your home state. If I was in OH, I'd be looking at anything east of the MS river for the best opportunity.

My thoughts are is imagine the truck as being bare aluminum - it don't matter what the paint looks like, because it's easily addressed. Look for a straight body and what appears to be a good runner. Paint can be fixed, doors, tops are out there, etc, but gashed or dented panels require actual work. If things appear to be a good runner, a few odds and ends are likely to need replacement or fixing, but hopefully nothing major. I view removing heads as being "major". If you look at it this way, you'll often get the better deal - remember that a coat of paint makes everything look new, so don't get too hung up on cosmetics.

Possum-Sammich and Lawman hit the important stuff.

Looks like a good truck! Tires seem to be newer. Also has the dual voltage alternator which is a nice addition if you want to add some 12v stuff. And as mentioned, the X-doors are more desireable.

That said, selling price could be sky high based on some of that stuff or you could snag it on the cheap. It really all depends how many people have their eye on it and how in love with it they end up being.

And that's one thing I'd discourage, don't fall too much in love with one truck. You can end up paying more than you might need to but unless you've got an unlimited budget you could end up limiting your options once you get your truck.

I think I mentioned in the OP that the truck I ended up with wasn't the first truck I bid on. I originally had my eye on a slightly older but slightly cleaner and lower mile truck. I almost made the mistake of falling in love with it and bidding more than I should have. I realized it and had to draw a line and let it go. If I had won the truck I first bid on, I woulnd't have had nearly as much money to work with and do things like installing the bumpers I have or the Lizard Skin and Monstaliner. Just stuff that made the truck mine.

It also ended up being a blessing in disguise because the truck I originally wanted although initially cleaner was an A0 and I ended up with an A1 with dual voltage alternator all for a cheaper price by far. In the end I think I came out better than I would have with the first truck.

As Lawman mentioned, keep your location parameters as wide as you can. During my search I looked at trucks in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Pennsylvania. The first truck I mentioned was actually in Pennsylvania and the truck I ended up with came from the KY/TN border area.

Additionally like Lawman mentioned, don't let the cosmetics make your end decision. Missing doors, seats, lights and similar things might be off putting but are easily replaced (well, the doors will command a premium, just how the market is now). Don't be afraid of starting with a 2 man truck either. They're easily made into 4 man trucks with a few parts which are mostly pretty easy to get. Just start with a solid foundation and the other stuff will follow!

Would be awesome to add another Ohio owner to the ranks!

As Ryan mentioned, it should be easy to convert a 2 man into a 4 man truck. Just googling around I've already had most of the parts needed delivered to my house. I'm just waiting for the truck.

Received my response from ND DMV. No dice registering it as a passenger vehicle. Will have to remain an Off Road Use Only.

I own a home in AZ too.. Anyone seen it done there? Loophole to drive in ND! [img]http://www.ar15.com/images/smilies/icon_smile_wink.gif[/img

Looks like AZ no longer allows it..

Seems to me like you need to just show up and get it registered.  Why people call and cause problems is not something I understand.  I know a lot of folks register dirtbikes for road use using the "SD loophole", but I have no idea how that works.



 

Call and cause problems? Seems to me like that would be pretty stupid to buy something and show up to be told you cant register it as a passenger vehicle. But what do I know...

I was going to mention it but hawkin touched on it.

The problem is this is largely new territory for a lot of people and you're looking at spending a decent bit of money on one of these trucks. No one wants a big, unhappy surprise. No one wants to spend several thousand dollars and spend all of that time waiting for the truck and paperwork only to find out that they're stuck with a huge vehicle they can't drive off their property or have to trailer everywhere. It's not like a side-by-side where if you can't take it off your property it might not be a big deal or can stick a couple on a trailer to take somewhere with no problem.

That's why I've tried to start adding state by state registration information to the OP so folks in those states know what to expect. (BTW, if you feel like writing up your registration experience and process in Texas, I'd love to add that to the OP!)


hawkin,
I would dig into what your actual state laws say regarding things like off road vehicles, dune/rail buggies, home built vehicles, and the like and making them road legal instead of taking your BMV at face value. You could be facing the same situation I was where they were giving out flat out incorrect information, whether on accident or on purpose.

Unfortunately it seems with these trucks, in many cases, it will take a bit of sweat equity to get them on the road. This is definitely discouraging to most buyers with only the most dedicated putting in the time and effort to get them on the road.

Something else to consider, and that I had saved in my back pocket, was the use of a title company to get the off road branding removed. Since it was never more than a backup, backup plan I didn't do the legwork on getting in touch with them to see if this was something they could do but, I don't see why not since they wouldn't have to do any of the title research needed for a vehicle that has no title at all. It's apparently not cheap though, something like $800-$900 but then again, if they don't have to do the research to find a lost title, they might cut a break on pricing.

I've often found that if you call a government agency and ask questions, they usually try to take the easy route to get you off the phone as soon as possible.

While I wouldn't advocate for you to buy something and then take it over to register it, I would recommend that you go to your DMV/Tag office in person and speak to someone. Tell them that you have a former military vehicle and that you have the SF97 from the government - which is a Fed Govt title and want to transfer the title to you. Calling and saying "I want to buy a Humvee, so can I register it" (in the most simplistic of terms), especially via phone, is asking to get the easy route response and disappointment for you.

While I'm in GA, read about the process I went through-  go in person and inform/prepare yourself for whatever might get asked. Don't give them the opportunity to disengage (easy button) by saying "I don't know".

So she said that it couldn't be done - via what? An SF-97? If it can't be done with an SF-97, then what about a title? If she says it can ve done via 1, but not the other - ask what difference it makes. My Montana title had no mention of "off-road use only" or anything to that effect. As a result, I tagged/registered my humvee in about as much time as it would to transfer my dead grandma's Chrysler.

Thanks Lawman..

I'll give it a shot.. Currently deployed so it'll have to wait until my return. I do have a friend who's wife works in the DMV but knows nothing about what I was wanting to do. (could work to my advantage). One other option I'll look into is... Purchase one registered as a passenger vehicle from another state. Then register it in ND s since it's now classified as a passenger carrying vehicle.

I understand I'm taking a chance in NY because I haven't heard of anyone trying it yet in this state. I'm just going to play dumb and hope for the best. If it's a definite NO then I'll look into a title company. There's another person that lives near me that is buying one that posted on the Steelsoldiers site but I haven't asked him what he's planning on doing because that topic seems forbidden there.

What about buying a surplus HMMWV from a private party?  There are a few each week on ebay that are titled and registered on-road.  It's probably easier to move one into your state if it's already titled with plates, and you don't have to wait on the EUC to clear.  You can also get a better idea of its condition and if its running.

Thought I'd post this here before hitting up G503 or SS...

Sunday I took a friend out for about a 45 minute drive, made a couple stops, a bit of state route driving at 55 but otherwise back roads at 35-45. Stopped to fuel up near his house on the return and noticed a ringing coming from the rear while it was parked and idling at the pump. Like there was a loose piece of metal vibrating. Thought it might have been a part of the trailer hitch I still haven't 100% finished installing. Figured I'd investigate further later if it showed up again.

Since the weather cooled off this evening, I took it out for a 15-20 minute drive after replacing my old, crusty and broken shifter position indicator. Backed into the driveway to park it for the night. Had to hop out to open up the shelter and noticed the ringing again. Hopped under the truck and did some listening. Found the noise was coming from further forward than the hitch and narrowed it down to the driveshaft area.

I found if I pulled down significantly on the driveshaft (like hanging from it) the ringing stopped.

I didn't find any play in the u-joints but I'll double check with more daylight. Also need to check the t-case fluid level (I do still need to change it as well). And I haven't noticed any driveline vibration or unusual noises at speed, just this ringing when parked and idling. Doesn't seem to do it when cold either.

Searching G503 and SS turned up nothing as did generic Bing and Google searches for driveshaft ringing. Anyone have any thoughts?

I'll see if I can reproduce it tomorrow and get some video.

How are you guys installing reverse lights?

I have not.

I need reverse lights to pass a NYS inspection. I've got a contact that can "pass" my truck but I want to do it legit.

I didnt, since its not required in my state. I was looking at this though: G503 link.

So I am reading page by page but I had a question.

I am located in Florida and was wondering if I would have issues trying to register one.  A quick google search showed that Florida is a state that people have had issues trying to register them as road worthy.  Is this true or is there a way around it?

Thanks

If you go to www.steelsoldiers.com you will probably be able to find some local military vehicle owners in Florida. Don't ask specifically about driving a HMMWV on the road because that seems to be a banned topic but I'm sure some people there would know. Maybe ask via PM  there.

You guys are over complicating a simple situation. All you should do is walk into the dmv and tell them you bought a car out of state and it needs to be registered.  Maybe I'm just spoiled because Texas was so easy. I did the above after getting it insured and inspected. No problem.
 


I didn't ask if I could register an army truck. I didn't ask if I could register something on a government sf97. I didn't ask if I could register something that was sold with a hold harmless whereby I acknowledged it was not road worthy when purchased (that is technically true because it hadn't been inspected until after I had possession).  I didn't ask if I could register something that was sold with an "off road use only" stamp that had been stamped on the SF97.  didn't took the required paperwork in and registered it.


 

I haven't because they aren't required but I will eventually have some rear facing LED lamps that will be manually switched and can work as reverse lights.

That said, you can add ones set to come on when the shifter is in reverse pretty easily from what I've read since the ambulance body trucks were equipped with them.

You'll need this switch:



NSN: 5930-01-212-3373

There is a threaded hole for it on the shifter quadrant. If I had known this was going to come up, I'd have taken a pic of it when I had mine out to replace the shifter position indicator the other day.

I'll have to take it out again because I need to replace my shifter boot. It practically disintegrated when I took the quadrant out. I'm also going to see about adding some nutserts to hold the assembly in. As it is, it uses nuts and bolts and those nuts are a royal pain in the ass to get to without a second person.

As for the wiring, I don't know if the chassis wiring is set up to accept the switch and lights, plug and play. Since I wasn't going that route I never dug to deeply into it.

If the chassis wiring isn't set up, it shouldn't be too tough. You'll just need to find out of the switch you're using is normally open or normally closed. I'm assuming it is normally open but you'll probably want to check.

The factory reverse lights are out there but you'll have to hunt them down, that or use whatever white lamps you like.

These are going to be the ones I use, mounted to the underside of the antenna mounts:




And for anyone that's curious, that's my new permanent license plate mount with my new permanent tag. It came a lot quicker than the BMV said it would!

I decided to reuse the LED lamp I bought for temporary use and made my own bracket instead of getting the one from Those Military Guys. Just took a piece of sheet metal and cut it to fit then painted.

The plate sits on top of the bracket, which sits on top of a couple spacers I had laying around, which are both held on by bolts threaded directly into the bumper (I drilled and tapped a couple 1/4-20 holes).



Wire is some black 18/2 I had and put adhesive lined heatshrink on the length of to help seal it up. I didn't want to drill through both layers of the bumper so I just ran it on top, through the gap between the bumper and body. There's not really much exposed.

Tied the negative to the tail light ground and the positive into lead 21 on the driver's side tail light. I have the 18ga wire going straight into the socket (which is filled with dielectric grease) for now. I may make a Packard connector Y-fitting down the road.

Also got my ECV hood gaskets installed. Definitely helps hide the crack.




And after I finished those up, I took the truck out for a drive since it cooled off after the rain moved through earlier today.

Got some video of the ringing I was talking about. It doesn't happen in drive or reverse, only in neutral. Also happens regardless of transfer case position. I did notice that it comes and goes. When I first backed in, I didn't hear it. Moved the truck backwards and it started up.

Seems to be coming from around the tail of the transfer case and I can muffle it much more easily pulling downwards near the front of the shaft.



Sorry for the shaky video. It's not easy crawling on your back, in gravel, trying to grab the drive shaft with one hand, while holding the phone in the other, and trying to avoid getting burned on hot exhaust.

Definitely no play in the U-joints.

I'm stumped...

It is a banned topic over there. Their board, their rules... Even if making it road legal is 100% above board and legal for most of us due to various state laws.

So don't post about it publicly. The thread will get locked and if you persist, you'll probably get the boot. PMing folks that have obviously plated their trucks in FL would be best if you can find any.

That or dig into what the FL motor vehicle laws are on your own.

Thankfully ARFCOM is a lot more open for this topic. That's why I've tried to make my OP as descriptive as possible about the process in as many states as possible so potential owners can know what they're facing since SS wants to be a black hole on the topic. There is a huge lack of accurate information out there and hopefully we can be a good source of correct info.

I think that's exactly what you are. It was incredibly easy in GA too, but why wouldn't you ask questions to at least get an idea of what you're up against? Especially in places like NY, FL, etc. It's NOT like registering a vehicle with a standard title from out of state - that's done every day. If it was that easy, people wouldn't be having the issues that people are having.

While I wouldn't mention things like hold harmless agreements or off road stamps, you'd be dumb not to mention that it's a surplus vehicle and that you have the "government title" (SF97) in hand. Not all beauracrats are there to tell you no - if you help prepare them, they can better help you. I still say that you would be much better off trying to address these questions in person than over the phone.

I told them when asked, but my point was that I didn't ask if they would allow me to register it before going in with all the paperwork.  it is likely that confusion will result and different responses will be given when going to the dmv and asking hypothetical questions on unfamiliar topics.  I centainly encourage people to do their research first before spending the money on a HMMWV.






Before buying my HMMWV I did extensive research on the titling process in Texas. Here is what I discovered:

In Texas, vehicles like a military surplus HMMWV can be registered under several categories:

1) normal registration;






2) antique (if over a particular age); and






3) former military vehicle

If registered as an antique or for more military vehicle, they don't have to pass inspection, but they are then limited on road use. If the vehicle passes inspection and is insured, it can be registered as a regular vehicle.

If all else fails in Texas and they won't accept an SF97 for some reason, a title can be obtained by going the bonded title route. Of course there are additional details with any of these registration methods, but that's the basics.

As others have said, if your state gives you a problem, why not order a Montana title from go plant when purchasing and then take that to your local dmv?  Unless your state specifically bans HMMWVs for road use, I don't understand the problem.

Your mileage and state laws may vary.





 

Mind if I add that to my OP?

Going to the tag office and speaking to someone in person is likely to get you more help than over the phone so telling them of your situation, even if initially hypothetical isn't going to "cause problems". The worst case is that you get nowhere but maybe you'll find a starting point or better yet - get all of your questions answered.

As Ryan has mentioned, those who get their humvees registered for road use have done a considerable amount of legwork (research) to get to that point. I take no issue with people asking here about registering in their respective state - maybe someone has already been through the process and that person can make the road traveled easier. Since SS is especially anal about the "R" (registration) word, I think that we can be a good source for the info that many seek. It's obvious that GA and TX is especially easy. Could the same be said for AZ, NY or CA? I highly doubt it so I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss folks asking outside of our two states for advise because what worked for us, may not work for them.

Well I think the problem with Florida is that many get a Florida title when they get theirs and then transfer it into their state?

But from what I understand from looking it up the Florida DMV when they see for "Off Road Use Only" they will not allow you to then register it in Florida for on road use, no exceptions.  So even going in with the SF97 that states for Off Road Use Only, they will also only register it that way.  So I don't know if there is a workaround.

One thing I am considering is that I have a friend in GA.  If it is so easy to register it legally in GA for on road use, I could see if going through him I could legally register it there as on road use and then have him "sell" it to me and at that point it would have a title that did not have the disclaimer of off road use only and thus I could get around the Florida DMV being finicky.

Just remember that now that GA has this ad velorum BS, that by the time you register it in GA and then register it in FL, you're probably looking at couple grand of extra expense.

Since they're no longer doing FL Off-Road titles, you can get a MT title now. Maybe I got lucky and things slipped through the cracks - but my title was no different than any other vehicle, which made the process especially  easy.

Go right ahead.



 

If that is the case see if Florida has a bonded title option.  That is a way to obtain a title for a vehicle without a title.  That way the "off road" stamp won't even come up.



 

I believe there is.  Trying to do some research on that now.  But it seems I would just need to complete a couple forms, have a police officer or licensed dealer inspect and sign off on the vehicle, pay a bond fee based on the value of the vehicle.  Then they will issue a 3 year bonded title.  Then as long as no one else claims the vehicle then I would get a normal title after 3 years.  I just realized my wife's best friend husband owns a car dealership in Miami.  I think I will have her ask him about it to make sure its possible and that he would sign off on the paperwork for me.  I would love to bid on a couple that are coming up on Wednesday but want to feel comfortable I can get it on the road legally.

Ok so last couple questions.  How long does it take to get approved to bid?  I completed their online form and says my bid max is $0 lol. Also any of you guys hesitant to bid on one that has what seems like low oil pressure?  Be nervous it is a sign of a more serious issue that needs to be addressed.

Looking at one in particular to bid on Wednesday.  Any idea of what the cost would be to transport from Illinois to FL lol....NM looks like almost $2k ouch lol

1: While I was nowhere near the front of the line in getting my trucks,  clearly the demand has escalated consideraby since early this year. I was approved to bid within a business day and both of my EUC's cleared within 60 days.

2: If it's not really apparent by sight and sound in the pictures and video, you really end up going off of your intuition/gut. Given how the gauges are in these trucks, I wouldn't go off of the gauge reading alone.  Hell, with one of my trucks the pressure only picks up when you're driving. Stop or put it in neutral and it drops way down - the truck is fine. If you feel "hinkie" bazed on what you see, then pass - the will be others.

3: That rate is about what I'd expect it to be for a large body vehicle going that far. I've shipped vehicles via u-ship in the past and have been very happy with the prices and service.