Just a warning, I'm going to be as detailed as I can so this will be a long read!


After I posted I had just purchased a surplus HMMWV in this thread, at the request of Schott8283 I'm starting this thread to lay out what I've gone through in the purchase process for people who may be interested in purchasing one too, with the hope that people who know more than I do chime in and fill in any blanks I'm sure to leave.

Here's my truck I just bought:




















She's a 1994 M998A1 with a 6.2L diesel with 38,669 on the odometer. She runs and is intact from what I can see in the pictures (minus a broken mirror). There were 50 bids on my truck with me winning it at $9,500, up from a $5,000 opening bid.


First where do you find HMMWVs for sale? Just head on over to GovPlanet, the company awarded the contract by the US Government to sell off these trucks, to find the current inventory. From what I have heard, this was a first batch of roughly 4,000 trucks released by the government to see how sales would go. Sales started about a year ago and they are more than half way to 4,000 (2,600ish as of my posting this).

From there you will be able to narrow the inventory down by state and auction end time. Auctions are held weekly on Wednesday. Inventory listed is typically out two weeks.

Definitely read through the FAQ thoroughly. It will answer almost any question you've got. That said I did run into a mistake in it that has yet to be corrected by GovPlanet that I will detail below.


Now you'll have to decide if you want to buy something close enough to pick up yourself or if you want to have it shipped to you.

Shipping will, of course, cost more the further the truck is from you. That said, picking it up yourself can be cheaper if you live close to where it is located or don't mind a little travel. My truck I just purcased is about 4.5 hours from me so I'm going to be making a day of picking it up with my brother and a friend.

If shipping it, you will have the option to get an estimate from Veritread on shipping it from where it is located to you. This can found on every truck's listing on the right hand side.

If you are picking it up yourself, you can either trailer it or flat tow it.

Trailering is preferable from what I've read from people that have done both. Flat towing can be a bit of a task as the HMMWVs can manhandle a truck that is not up to the task. To flat tow it safely you'll need the military tow bar setup designed for the truck. The complete tow bar package will likely cost you $400-$600 if you can't find one to borrow. You'll also have to disconnect the half shafts (shafts that connect from the differentials to the geared hubs that drive the wheels, also known as portal axles) to safely tow it without damaging the transmission or transfer case. Just putting it in neutral will not suffice as either the transmission or transfer case will not properly lubricate itself. I can't recall which off the top of my head without looking it up but, trust me.

If you want to trailer it but don't have a trailer you can rent a U-Haul flat bed transporter trailer. It must be one of the newer models (galvanized as opposed to orange painted). The newer ones are wider and have a higher weight rating than the older ones. Also, if you truthfully tell U-Haul what you are planning on putting on it, they will deny you the rental because they believe it is too big/heavy. You'll have to... *ahem* stretch the truth as to what you're putting on it. From what other people have said, the HMMWV will fit (albiet snugly) and the trailer can handle the weight.

If your truck is running, when picking it up, bring fresh batteries and an air pump so you won't have problems loading it.

Now for the error in the GovPlanet FAQ. You may see in the FAQ that if you have your truck shipped to you, you will not be liable for the sales tax for the state it is in if shipping it out of that state. This is incorrect straight from a GovPlanet rep I spoke with on the phone after I made my purchaes. They are collecting sales tax regardless of whether you have it picked up by a shipper or pick it up yourself. I was originally going to pick it up myself but found through the Veritread estimate on the site that it would have been cheaper to have it shipped if the sales tax wasn't collected. After the purchase I called GovPlanet to find out how to schedule the pickup since it can't be picked up until your EUC clears (I'll go into this later). That's when I found out about the tax situation. So, if you are having the truck shipped, factor the shipment cost and sales tax into your final price. That said, if you are tax exempt for any other reason you can get your sales tax you have to pay refunded. No idea how that works but there is a section in the FAQ about it and process for it.


Here we get to selecting the truck you want.

After you've found the truck you want, I recommend picking another one or two trucks you can fall back on should you be outbid. Then again, if you have enough patience, you can always just wait until the next auction. I didn't end up with my first choice truck! I had originally bid on a 1992 M998 that ended up selling for $12,750, above my $12,250 max bid (it had 10,000 fewer miles, looked cleaner, and had a 6.5L diesel and full cargo cover).

When selecting a truck, read the description and look over the pictures very thoroughly. Unless you happen to live close enough to schedule an inspection, that is all you'll have to go off of for vehicle condition. If you do live close enough, you can contact GovPlanet who will put you in touch with the local rep to let you on site to look the truck over. I did not go inspect my truck prior to purchase though I will try to sometime between now and when I receive it.

You will find the trucks listed in various running conditions such as "running", "needed jump started", "needed ether", "not running", or listed otherwise.

Advice I had seen given was that GovPlanet will typically do what they can within reason, short of replacing parts or making repairs, to get a vehicle running so that it will sell for a higher amount.  If it isn't running it could be missing vital parts or it could have a cracked piston/head/block or some other catastrophic damage. Needing a jumpstart is likely not a big deal, possibly a dead battery or at worse a faulty charging system. If it needs a shot of ether, it could be a fuel delivery issue or possibly bad fuel. These trucks have been sitting for a while so things like that and flat tires are not uncommon. Again, if loading it yourself, bring fresh batteries and an air pump for this very reason! But, if it isn't running at all, there's quite possibly a very good reason for that and you should bid accordingly while possibly going so far as planning on replacing the drivetrain. Since even if you can inspect it, you can't tear it down, any non-running truck is going to be a gamble.

Besides being in various running conditions, you will also find trucks in various states of repair. Some will be nearly 100% complete while I've also seen stripped bodies on frames with partial engines being sold. A good bit of advice I once saw posted is that if it is missing parts, there could be a very good reason the unit it was with decided to start cannibalizing it. Maybe the transmission is slipping or maybe it doesn't stay running. Regardless it was seen as a more expendable vehicle for a reason. I'm sure a lot of readers, military or otherwise dealing with keeping fleets running, have experienced this first hand. Of course, you will pay more for a more complete and well running truck. Then again if you don't mind a challenge you can potentially save a lot of money. Just know that missing or broken parts that need replaced can add up and potentially be hard to find! My truck had a broken passenger mirror. I figured it wouldn't be a big deal finding some new glass for it since I've done that before on other vehicles. After several hours of searching I turned up nothing and was forced to buy an entire mirror assembly. Individual mirrors were around $90-$100 with eBay being the best source. Given that the individual mirrors were priced what they were and the driver side mirror's paint was pretty faded, I decided to purchase a pair which ended up putting the price of both mirrors at about $80 each since it was a package deal. I also have an ignition instruction plate that is unreadable. Finding a replacement was a chore but was located.

From people with experience, trucks with body damage or paint damage will require extra care in repairing them so bid on those accordingly as well. The bodies are aluminum so typical body repair shops may or may not be able to make repairs. The paint is CARC (Chemical Agent Resistant Coating) and is typically nasty stuff when applied or sanded and requires certain precautions some shops might not be able to handle.

Another thing to keep in mind is that despite what the odometer reading is listed as, it may not accurately reflect the mileage on the truck! Speedometers are switched out without much regard to the mileage except it being recorded in the maintenance logs (which you will not have access to). Compare the trucks typical wear spots with the mileage to see if it matches up. Also, sometimes trucks are put through a depot rebuild and this may be reflected in the odometer reading, especially if it is very low. These trucks will have placards/stickers to reflect the depot maintenance but I have seen that GovPlanet tries to avoid advertising these placards/stickers because they cannot verify if the trucks have actually been through the depot repairs. The part with the placard/sticker may have simply been cannibalized off of another truck that had and if they sell it advertised as having been done, only for the buyer to find out it hasn't, they're libel.


Now we come to the actual purchase.

As I mentioned, auctions are held weekly on Wednesdays.

Each truck is listed at a starting price based on condition. Running trucks are now being started at $5000 (down from $7500) and non-running and salvage trucks are being started at less than that.

The acutual auction time for each truck only lasts for 4 minutes and below is why.

The bidding process is a little bit different than most places you may have participated in. On GovPlanet you can bid at any time before or during the auction using what they call PriorityBid. Here is the FAQ section on what the PriorityBid is:

PriorityBid is our system for placing bids during the preview period of an auction. A significant amount of all bidding in our auctions occurs with PriorityBids; more than 70% of items typically have bids on them before auction day. Because they are placed during preview, PriorityBids have a delayed effect on the price of an item: the price does not change until the auction opens. There are several advantages of using PriorityBids:

   You do not have to be at your computer on auction day. When you place a PriorityBid, you specify the maximum you are willing to pay for an item. You will be told immediately if yours is the highest bid placed so far, but you will not know how much of your bid amount remains to protect you from later bidders. Your bid amount is confidential and our auction software will keep you in the lead against competitive bids through the preview and on auction day or until your maximum amount is exceeded. If you get outbid by another PriorityBid, an automatic email will immediately be sent to you.

   You can win the item for less than your maximum amount. In our style of auctions, the price the winner pays is determined by the price the runner-up was willing to pay. The final price is never more than one bid increment greater than the next-highest bid. So, if you have little competition, you can win an item for less than your maximum amount. We recommend you determine your "no regrets" price—the price at which, if someone else were to win, you would not regret the outcome—and then bid one increment below that.

   Bidding early helps ensure that you are the winner. When competing PriorityBids are placed for the same amount, the earliest bid takes precedence (it has Priority at that price), so submitting your bid early gives you an advantage. You can place a PriorityBid online any time day or night, or by fax during our Customer Care hours.

   Freedom to keep an eye out for other bargains. PriorityBids give you the freedom to browse and track other items on auction day without worrying about your "must-have" items. Our system acts as your assistant, constantly monitoring your PriorityBids and keeping you in the lead until the price goes beyond your designated maximum bid amount.

As auction day approaches, you can check the status of your PriorityBids in the Buying List of My Account. Make sure your email address and notification settings are correct in My Account Profile so that you can receive outbid notification emails. Before even being outbid, you can increase the maximum on any of your PriorityBids by placing a new PriorityBid on the same item for your new maximum amount (don't worry, you can not outbid yourself). Like all bids, PriorityBids are binding and can not be retracted nor reduced.


That pretty much lays it out. Bid what you're willing to go to before the auction starts. You won't know what the actual price is but if you get outbid at any point they will notify you via email and you can up your max bid if you want. If you bid a certain amount first, you get priority if someone else bids the same amount after you.

Also, bids are in $250 increments.

When deciding how much to bid, as I mentioned above, you will have to add in sales tax and transportation costs. That's not all though! You'll also have to factor in title costs as well as a 10% buyer fee! The title option with a Florida state off road title, a SF97 (essentially a federal government title), and a bill of sale will run you $150. Just the bill of sale and SF97 is cheaper but, you'll have to know if your state has any problems with dealing with SF97s. The Florida state title option was developed to help buyers deal with states that have problems with SF97s. Just the bill of sale is cheaper still but that may not be enough for some states. Know what is good for your state or err on the side of caution and get the full package!

I bought my truck for $9500. Between the 6% Kentucky state sales tax, the full titling option, and the 10% buyers fee I ended up with about an extra $1750 added to my purchase price. Then I've got to add in trailer rental and fuel costs to go pick it up.


And here we get to the post auction process.

So you've won your auction! Congratulations!

There are now some steps to take to finalize your purchase.

You will start by going through the checkout process. Here you will decide if you're shipping your truck or transporting it your self, selecting your titling options, and then finalizing the invoice total based on the options. After the invoice is finalized you will pay GovPlanet via wire transfer. Payment must be made within 3 business days or you may incur late fees usually $25-$50 per day depending on final sale price. If you go past a certain time, your item may be considered abandoned and you get charged an even bigger fee. There's also other stuff listed here.

But paying for it isn't the only thing you have to do!

On your account page you will be sent links (on the right hand side of the main account screen) to fill out your Hold Harmless Agreement which gets sent to one email address. You can print it out, physically sign it, and then physically mail it in. You can physically sign it, scan it, and then email it in. Or you can digitally sign it and email it in.

Most importantly, since the HMMWV is a defense article, you will have to fill out an EUC - End Use Certificate. This basically lets Uncle Sam know the final disposition of the item you're buying - if you're going to keep it, sell it, exporting it or not and if you are you have clearance to. This may seem to be a daunting part but GovPlanet has conveniently set up a form wizard that will assist you in filling it out correctly with descriptions of each field needing filled out. You will also need to send in a copy of your driver's license (preferably) or other government issued ID. Make sure your scan/photo of your license is crystal clear or your EUC may get kicked back after a very lengthy initial time period delaying you even further! Just like with the Hold Harmless Agreement you can send it in using one of the previously mentioned methods. It will be emailed to a different email address than the Hold Harmless Agreement though.

Directions are included with both forms.

First time EUC filers like I am can expect a 8-12 week wait. If you've previously filed an EUC with GovPlanet (GovLiquidation not included!) within, I believe the last year, your wait will be considerably shorter. This part is a bit like the whole NFA application and waiting game!


Here I'm getting to the pickup process and since I haven't yet picked up my truck, can only relay what information I've gleaned.

After your payment is received and your EUC is cleared you have 8 business days to remove your truck or you'll incur storage fees. Now, not to worry, if there are incidental delays GovPlanet will work with you so long as you are making a good faith effort to pick it up. This is word straight from a GovPlanet manager on Steel Soldiers. They simply put that there to keep people from abusing the time given to pick up the truck.

To pick up the truck you'll have to schedule a pick up time. If you are picking it up, it should be as simple as it sounds. If you're having a shipper pick it up, the pick up time will have to be coordinated between GovPlanet, your shipper, and you. You don't need to be on site for the shipper to pick it up.

Since I'm fuzzy on this part if you have any questions it would be best to call GovPlanet for clarification at 1-844-225-8799, Monday-Friday 6am-5pm Pacific.


Once you've got your truck at your site, it is not recommended you hop in and start cruising around! Your truck may have been sitting for months or a year or more!

A full fluid change is recommended. Since these are diesels, Shell Rotella T is a good motor oil. Replace other fluids as recommended by AM General. Specifications can be found in military TMs which are available at Steel Soldiers and other sites. Add fresh fuel, draining as needed to get a good mix to burn off the old stuff.

Check all of your important fasteners like lugnuts to make sure they are secure. Some very important fasteners unique to the HMMWV design are the bolts that connect the differential to the half shaft and the half shaft to the geared hubs. These can work their way out and should have some blue Loctite applied to prevent that. If they come loose they can damage brakes and other equipment!

Check for any leaks GovPlanet may have missed.

If you run into anything that was not on your inspection report, report it right away to GovPlanet to take advantage of their Iron Clad Guarantee which basically states they will disclose any problems as best they can. If they examine your claim and find it valid, they will refund a portion of your purchase price. If it's something internal and you knowingly bought a non-running truck don't count on any sort of refund. If you bought what appears to be a complete truck and it's missing say a mirror or seat, or it has some other problem that wasn't listed, you will likely see some money coming back to you. When in doubt file a claim. Worst case they deny it.


Now at this point we get into a topic that Steel Soldiers will not permit on their site: Titling, plating, and insuring for road use.

If you do bring it up, the topic will be deleted and you may be banned. For some reason they think that violating the purchase agreement and putting these trucks on the road will cause Uncle Sam and GovPlanet to stop selling them.

When you sign the Hold Harmless Agreement with GovPlanet, part of it states that you acknowledge the HMMWV is not roadworthy. The Florida title and SF97 are also stamped "Off Road Use Only":




That said, in many states, there are methods of titling off road vehicles for on road use. Check local laws! We've tried to compile instructions for various states below.

(Old Ohio registration information contained within)
Click To View Spoiler

For insurance, a number of companies out there will insure military vehicles. You'll have to call around. Although Steel Soldiers doesn't allow discussion about insuring the HMMWVs for road use, they do have a list of companies that have been known to insure military vehicles.


If you want technical information on the HMMWV there are two great resources

Steel Soldiers
G503.com

Despite my thinking that banning certain discussions about on road use of HMMWVs on Steel Soldiers is stupid, both have excellent information on HMMWVs and other military vehicles. Steel Soldiers also has one thing G503 doesn't which is a section dealing with the intricacies of purchasing from GovLiquidation and GovPlanet. A GovPlanet manager with the username of "Jwade" also participates in the HMMWV purchasing threads there answering questions and helping clear roadblocks you may run into. This thread is a good place to find him. (Update: "Jwade" is no longer with GP, Phil Hasty has filled his role.)


While waiting for my truck I've already started picking up accessories for it. If anyone wants me to I can go into what I've been picking up and why but customizing your truck will come down to what you like!


So, this is where everything currently stands with me. If anyone who has gone further in the process or has more detailed knowledge spots missing/incorrect information could contribute, it would be most appreciated!

HMMWV How-To Tech Links:

• Cutting Down 2 Man Troop Seats To Fit A 4 Man Truck


• Making Soft Half Doors

HMMWV Reference Material:

• HMMWV Operator and Technical Manuals

UPDATED 7/19/2017: State Registration Instructions

Ohio:
As of April 21, 2017 The State Of Ohio Department Of Public Safety, Bureau Of Motor Vehicles, Title Division sent the following Title Broadcast to all state title offices:



This is being used as justification by the BMV to (incorrectly) deny accepting the 3803 forms mentioned previously (to the point of claiming the form no longer exists). There have been conflicting reports of whether the BMV is continuing to accept registration for HMMWVs with valid, on road out of state titles. So far there has been no rescinding of on road titles for currently titled trucks.

THE BELOW IN THE SPOILER BOX FOR THE STATE OF OHIO SHOULD NOT BE USED FOR ANYTHING OTHER THAN INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ON THE PREVIOUS PROCESS!


Click To View Spoiler


Georgia: (Thanks to Lawman734)
The Georgia procedures manual states that to register a former military vehicle, it has to have been titled elsewhere (like a FL or MT title) or an SF97 needs to be provided. You'll need a VIN verification regardless (form is available at the tag office).

SF-97 - Even if it's not in your name, a bill of sale is sufficient from the original owner (GovPlanet) to the new owner (you). This works ok, but you're at the mercy of the clerk regarding the "Off-Road Use Only" part. Many are ok, others get a hassle.

Off-Road Florida titles - These don't seem to be an issue, but again - you're at the mercy of clerk on how they want to handle it given the fact its an off-road title and offroad vehicles in GA don't require registration.

Montana titles - These seem to be the easiest to work with and the most hassle free.

Prepare yourself so that it appears you know what you're doing. Bring the Title/SF97 along with your completed (signed by LEO) VIN Verification form and proof of insurance. It's a good idea to bring a photo of the vehicle and the vehicle data plate for good measure, even if not needed. The sales tax you paid will do you no good for the Georgia taxes and fees, but with proof that you paid in Georgia - contact Iron Planet because they say they'll refund your taxes - I'm still waiting on my check after 3 weeks.


Iowa: (Thanks to beef1911)
In Iowa you can get a Bonded title. All you need is a bill of sale or paid invoice. You have to apply to the DOT (2 weeks to respond), sign a form for military vehicles saying it meets FMVSS standards, get a bond for 1.5x the value of the humvee ($113 for $7500 bond for 3 years), wait for the DOT for 2 more weeks, then they say you can go get it registered. Same process for if you bought a car and did not receive a title. All this was done over email. Except for the registration.


Texas: (Thanks to EagleArmsHBAR)
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.


New York: (Thanks to kevin101)
My experience with NY was pretty simple.

1. I called Geico and was able to insure it pretty easily. It's insured as a normal vehicle with full coverage and didn't cost too much.
2. Brought my insurance card, SF97 marked "off road use only", my reassignment letter from GovPlanet, and the paid invoice from GovPlanet.
3. I handed everything over to the motor vehicle clerk who looked everything over. She mentioned the off road use only stamp but didn't seem to give it much thought and it didn't come up again.
4. Due to the truck not having a standard VIN she had to enter the vehicle manually. The only problem she had was having the computer accept the 6 digit ID number. She called a supervisor over who also looked over the paperwork quickly and the supervisor was able to override the system to enter the 6 digits.
5. I had to pay NY sales tax for the purchase price of the truck. I paid a 6% tax for Kentucky but NY doesn't have a tax agreement with that state. I'm hoping to get a refund from GovPLanet for the KY tax I paid.


Michigan:
Sorry, but anyone in Michigan seems to be out of luck with any sort of surplus HMMWV. Your state hates you. Not only are they denying on road registration of newly purchased auction vehicles but, if you buy a HMMWV legally titled out of state they will contact the state of origin in an attempt to get the title revoked and still refuse to title it on road. I'm betting you'll still run into some sort of issues even with the clear titled M1123s too due to ignorance but, who knows.

I suggest you all get some legislative action going to fix this!


South Carolina: (Thanks to An51960)
for the registration process, in SC, I would avoid the Greenville (University Ridge) location (that's where the lady told me I needed a title rather than a "certificate to obtain title"--she clearly had never seen an SF-97 and did not know what to do with it). After the one lady made several trips to ask other agents how to proceed, she said, "My boss will have to call headquarters." HQ was also clueless about how to proceed, however, they did get on a high horse about the off-road notation and state that there was no way to convert an off-road vehicle to an on-road vehicle (though they did admit that you could build a dune buggy in your garage and get it on the road). I ended up leaving there and going to Woodruff.

At the other location, I buried them in paperwork. I showed them my email where I won the auction, my invoice from gov planet, my email certifying my payment, my notice that my EUC was approved, my bill of sale, my insurance paperwork, my SF-97, and the notarized form transferring ownership from gov planet to me. The attitude at this office was much more figuring out how to help versus how to shut me down. The lady was very confused, but asked a fellow employee how to do things and pushed everything right on through. They told me I was going to have to pay sales tax all over again and get a refund from gov planet for the tax. They said the policy went into effect on 1 July. I pointed out that I had purchased before this date and they let me out of that even though the computer insisted that I pay it again. They kept my invoice showing the payment of state sales tax in case they needed to defend themselves again their own bureaucracy. The lady who issued my temporary tag works at this office and she knew enough to tell me that I would need my government certificate (SF-97) to get a title, so she clearly would've known what it was if she had been the one behind the desk that day.

I would also avoid the Blythewood location since this is where the Greenville office called.



UPDATED 8/7/2017: Insurance

Here's a list of insurance companies that will insure the trucks. Some more easily than others. You should probably call since these aren't standard trucks.

- State Farm
- Geico
- Liberty Mutual
- USAA
- Progressive
- Hagerty

There are other insurance companies that are out there that may insure these trucks so, if you are able to use one not listed, please let me know and I'll add it to the list.



Reputable Parts Suppliers:
So you've got your new HMMWV and are probably now looking for parts to fix one thing or another. Beware there are a lot of new companies popping up to make a quick buck off all of the new HMMWVs hitting the market and may be selling substandard parts.

If you're looking for OEM HMMWV parts there are a couple good sources sources:

- Mac Motors - They carry a couple handy pre-assembled filter kits. Just search for PM-A, PM-B, or PM-C depending on what you need. Otherwise search for your needed part number
- Hummer Parts Guy - Can search by name or part number.
- AM General Direct - Parts direct from AMG. Some good prices, some decent prices on some hard to find items, and some items priced like they're selling them to Uncle Sam.
- Kascar is a popular HMMWV parts dealer but, a number of buyers including myself, believe we have received out of spec reproductions and non-OEM substituted parts. In some instances, Kascar might be the only option available but they I can't really be recommended them as a primary my first go to source.
UPDATE 8/23/2017: Updating this section as Ron from Kascar contacted me personally today after seeing this post, looked me up by my name and order history, and assured me they always supply OEM parts and, to contact them if there are ever any issues with parts quality. In fairness to Kascar, I'd say after several purchases from them since this was made, my experience could best be classified as a "mixed bag" though I hope any and all future purchases are all positive
UPDATE 2/17/2020: I've made several orders with Kascar since the last update with all going well and everything exactly what it was supposed to be.
- Adventure Accessories is another great OEM option but they're geared more towards civilian H1 parts since they're the former Lynch Hummer group.
- BlueHummer Outfitters also sells OEM parts for both HMMWVs and H1s but also has some in house upgrade parts like upgraded spindle nuts, reusable half shaft bolt kits, and flexible caliper side brake lines. BlueHummer has closed up shop. Their items are now carried by Mod Mafia.

Not generally recommended:
Wolfer Parts/ComTac/MotoFino Truck Parts/Augusta Engine Parts has a combination of surplus OEM parts as well as in house manufactured driveline parts like half shafts and suspension parts like ball joints. It appears their "in house" parts are Chinese manufacture but they don't disclose this.

There are some surplus parts dealers out there that are great to deal with like Equipment Parts Sales. If you don't see it on their site, email them direct about what you're looking for. They've told me they don't always have their full inventory up on the website. They'll also work on prices on bundle purchases.

There are a number of surplus parts dealers also selling on eBay. Of them, the most reputable are beltfed34/Austin Aviation and amtak2/Arrowhead Lake XS Surplus. hdps_corp and militarysurplusparts deal in surplus parts but may have limited HMMWV parts. As mentioned, there are a number of others selling surplus parts. Just make sure if you're buying from them and they're claiming new surplus, they have correct military stickers on the packaging with the NSN or, at the least they have good feedback on the surplus they're selling.

Lastly, for surplus and especially hard to find parts, get in touch with Steel Soldiers and G503 member 86humv.

When in doubt though, post here and ask!

Great looking pics! I hope you had fun. I have gone in the past with my deuce and some buddies but we didn't go this time due to some personal conflicts.

I can confirm that in the past the SS Haspin meet was much more organized and social - the last few years it has been more cliquey and less fun so we are not as likely to go out of our way to make it.

I know I read about it, but can't find the post- those of you who used Lizard Skin sound deadening, how much of a difference did you hear? Worth the $80-150 and time?

Jake and I both put Lizard Skin in our trucks.

Personally, I'm a big fan of it! The Ceramic Insulation, while definitely not a cure all, does help knock down the temps from the engine and exhaust. The Sound Deadener, while it isn't a miracle in a can either, does an excellent job killing the resonance of the metal panels. I also like them because you can top coat them with bedliner and not have to worry about interior mats that will hold water or trap dirt. I can tell you that my truck has zero interior rattle or panel squeaking driving down the road. The only noise I get now is from the engine and tires.

Something to keep in mind is that you'll probably still want to install some other thermal and sound control solutions in addition to the Lizard Skin. I'm planning on putting some insulation from dB Engineering under the tunnel when I eventually do my drivetrain swap. I may put some under the hood before then. I should mention I saw the biggest sound drop so far installing those trimmed to fit horse stall mats I got from TSC. With the top on the interior is still somewhat loud but you can actually hold a conversation without shouting. With the top off, these will always be noisy and one of the reasons I'm now installing a VIC intercom system in my truck.

The only thing is, you're looking at more than the dollar amount you mentioned in materials costs. It will probably take you almost 4 gallons of each product to completely coat the tub front to rear. You can probably get by with just 3 gallons of the Sound Deadener but the Ceramic Insulation seems to go on thinner and need more product for coverage.

Also, when top coating with bedliner (more specifically Monstaliner), in my opinion, I'd go with double the thickness (i.e. 4 coats instead of just 2). I've found that since the Lizard Skin is a softer surface than if you were just coating bare metal, if you drag anything too sharp across the surface, it has a tendency to scrape through the bedliner and into the Lizard Skin. Otherwise it holds up just fine to regular use. You could probably even get away with the 4 coat thickness in the cargo areas by themselves with just 2 in the passenger areas.

Thank you!!!

No problem! Just an FYI, I went back and added some thoughts to my post about top coating with bedliner.

Jake,
Here's those pics of the equalizer wired up as promised. Sorry i forgot to post them!

The extra wiring in the box is a combination of the laptop dock, cord for my combat crockpot, and Ibis Tek bar. I'd like to clean that all up at some point with dedicated 12v and 24v bus bars.




Where it will be mounted. Plenty of room for the monitor features plug to be added later:




Enlarged cutout with rubber trim:

Also, paying it forward a little bit...

I recently ordered some antenna related parts from beltfed34 on eBay. Among the items ordered were some of those offset GPS/PLGR mounts that install on the antenna mounts like Jake has on his truck. I figured I'd put some lights there like he has instead of the ones I originally mounted up.

So I ordered 2 from beltfed34 and he accidentally sent me 3. I messaged him telling him I could send the extra back to him no problem. He told me not to worry about it and keep it. At this point I really don't need it since I've got the two I need so I figured I'd see if anyone on here could use it.

This is about what it looks like but it's green:



Yours for shipping and I think it will fit in a small flat rate box (need to check that though). Just an FYI, I paid $20 each for the ones I did buy.

As Ryan said the Lizard Skin is an awesome product and so easy to apply. Also covers small imperfections in the paint and kinda self levels. I put the ceramic only on the tunnel and front area and then the sound deadener everywhere on the inside. Then topped it off with Monstaliner which adds another small level so sound and heat reduction. As Ryan said the more coats the better.

When I pull the drive train I also plan to add something on the firewall area and tunnel area, just need to decide what to put in and exactly where.

Interesting thread about Lizard Skin:

http://www.hotrodders.com/forum/alternative-lizard-skin-103610.html

Looks like it's Latex paint with microspheres imbedded. Apparently you can make a close approximation for much less using exterior latex paint and some of these:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00UVGZ7T2?tag=vglnk-c102-20

Mixed at a ratio of roughly 1 gallon of microspheres to 1.5 qt of paint.  I have some on order, will report back once I get this project going.  FWIW, it's not going on a HMMWV, but rather a LJ I just bought.

I'll buy it if someone else hasn't already.

I remember reading about all of the departments that don't use their gov't-loaned HMMWVs, so I thought I'd post ours. It gets used most days and highlights some special events.

Nope, not spoken for yet.

PM me your address and I'll try to get it out tomorrow. I'll let you know what shipping is and you can PP it to me.

ETA: That's a clean looking truck! Like the paint scheme!

The department got it from the gov't, used Kascar as a source for parts for things that were needed (like door locks), and provided the paint to the high school shop class. The class painted it to match the color of our cars. The light shop did graphics and wired it with lights like a patrol car. It got extra graphics (high school mascot, and the kids like it-those who haven't gotten too cool to admit liking something).

They got a seat out of the junk yard for the driver (from some van or pickup-I thought it looked tacky). That seat is out now and a matching, black pleather set of front seats is in (I think they look crappy, too, but the guy assigned to it has a soft butt apparently).

It's a '91 with a 6.2, I think. I didn't open the dog house. The doors don't latch all that well. The driver's window is clouded and prone to dropping down. I'm not sure if the winch has been used lately.

The ignition switch is as it was in service, but it has a keyed, Kascar switch that cuts power to the original start switch. I got online yesterday and checked the website. Seems that keyed switch is just over $100. It is mounted lower and to the right of the start switch.

I missed this earlier...

I had actually seen that exact link when I was researching Lizard Skin. Decided since I wasn't too familiar with spraying products, I didn't want to chance messing anything up with something that was a bit of an unknown.

Definitely keep us updated on how that works out. I'm very curious to see!

It'll take a few week, but I'll update when done.

'04 Unlimited 4.0, 35" BFG, Currie Customs F9 up front, GM 14 Bolt out back, Detroit Lockers, blah blah blah.

Not a HMMWV, but I need to get my wife there, this was a good first step.

Nice!

Are those 8 bolt HMMWV wheels in back? Because they sure look like it...

They sure are! Good eye!

Just an FYI, since you're running BFG radials with those, you may want to upgrade to the 12 bolts. Those old 8 bolts were originally designed for the Goodyear Wrangler RT bias plys which were low pressure tires and aren't really designed for the higher pressures of more modern radials. Also, make sure you've got some sort of beadlock in there if you're going to run R16 tires on HMMWV rims. The 16.5 rims only really seat fully with the bead on 16.5 tires but if you're running a beadlock insert or the runflats which work as a beadlock, I think you should be okay with R16 tires.

Just trying to lookout for your safety!

Wow... Look what I stumbled across on Craigslist.

https://wichita.craigslist.org/cto/6169798613.html

Someone sure put a lot of work into that H1!

Good thing his is so much safer and street legal without question!

Why did you ditch the coil rear end?  Move the wheel base back?

That's how H1'ers roll,

Now, that is like I remember in the service. Crap piled on everywhere. Looks awesome. Wish I had about a hundred grand to get it and finish it out.

M1045A2 Update

Talked to GovPlanet today -- sounds like the DoD/USMC have finally agreed/approved that no further demil will need to be done retroactively on the M1045's that were purchased in the initial auctions, and they were finally able to submit the EUC paperwork to TSC.  Lets hope that goes quick and I can go get the thing from Yermo, CA before they change their mind.  Will be interesting to see what they do/require for the ones coming up for sale (bought mine back in the March auction).

That's good news! I was actually just talking about your truck situation with someone and wondering how that was working out.

Go figure though... Government logic at work. You can buy turret setups surplus when you can find them, the turrets in the initial sales batch are cool, but all future ones are a no-no

Well, I just made the pilgrimage to Southern Metals. Don't think it could have been timed more poorly if I tried. They hadn't had any HMMWVs in in 2 weeks and were literally picked clean of nearly everything except some of the big stuff like engines and hoods. The pickings were even slim on tires and batteries. I had to work to find 6 good tires and I got the last of the good Hawkers only because I had a really nice battery tester with me to check them. I would not want to buy them without a good tester as their criteria is if it starts a truck, it's good. I ran into several batteries they didn't know the condition of that had internal problems.

Besides my two batteries, I ended up getting an ECV hood setup since they were on sale and I was determined not to leave nearly empty handed after making the trip. Even got the ECV nose with some LED headlights for basically just the price SM charges for LED lights and scrap value because one of the harness connections had been cut by a rookie they had hired. I'm not afraid of repairing it and I may not even use that specific harness until I have to put an A2 harness in the truck for my eventual turbo upgrade. I'm thinking I might adapt my existing hood harness to work, if it's possible. Also got a couple other odds and ends like a correct, regular jack. Most all of what I got was for everyone else though.

No winches and no soft doors there. Those are all ending up on eBay with HMMWV parts neckbeards. And yeah, I'll point fingers. Namely carolinaoneauto for one. This $800 set of seats cost $170+7% tax. This $1,200 winch cost $300+7% tax. I'm sure there are others... I'm not against capitalism and get supply and demand but where there is no competition in the supply market and you're a local hording parts to flip, it's a shitty thing to do for people who are looking to fix their trucks and not supplement their SSDI with unreported income.

Here's the whole price list for anyone wondering:



The shifter wasn't for me, by the way. It was for a friend who also had me get a TCM box and is considering doing 4L80E upgrade. Found out about the shifters after I got everything else so he had me go back and get one. As you can see, not everything SM sells is at a huge discount. That's basically going rate all around for one of those.

I did luck out and find an Ibis Tek tow bar in their resale warehouse for just $50! I'd consider that my great deal of the trip. Still need to get the rest of the parts to hook it up.

Jake got his engine shipped and should be on the way to him (eventually). That was an adventure on it's own! Just an FYI, Southern Metals is of minimal help with anything but loading stuff onto your vehicle. Bruce did a great job helping me get the drivetrain, hoods, and tires in my vehicle but, when it comes to packaging it's what you see is what you get and sometimes that isn't so great. Jake's engine came loose on the pallet on the short jaunt over to Fastenal. Thankfully Fastenal is pretty lax about the palleting and it's pretty much to prevent any liability from anything hanging off bumping into something and breaking. They were good with the drive train just being ratchet strapped to the second pallet, not actually having to board and nail two together. Interestingly, Bruce told me the engine Jake is getting is one that was originally supposed to be sold to fellow ARFCOMmer, the owner of Battlefield Vegas! It was apparently the wrong engine though so now it's Jake's. Only about 5,500 miles on it too!

Supposedly they're going to be getting more trucks in to process in the next two weeks but, I think Jake and I heard that two weeks ago...

Looks like a pretty good shopping list Ryan -- and some good comparison info to the "resellers" on other sites.  Well done on the ECV hood!  I trust the 200A generator is the 12/24v one?  That's a deal in and of itself.

Seems alot of stuff is going up.  I ordered another batch of CARC paint from Sherwin-Williams today (called Jason at the Cincinnati shop, he referred me to Matt at the Chem Coatings store 513-771-8212) in prep for repainting the newly acquired desert tan truck.  CARC has gone up since the earlier postings in this thread -- $175/can, no discounts allowed.  I think you or someone else had posted the data sheets with a price quote of $60 back then...  Had to order a case (4 cans) plus a couple gallons of the catalyst to get it shipped from the warehouse in IL.  Still cheaper than what I see some folks selling it for on e-Bay though

That wasn't my actual list though I wish it was. I would have liked to have brought a turbo 6.5 back with me.

I neglected to explain it... That's the price sheet Bruce uses. He marks quantity of each of those items you're getting (and adds specialty items at the bottom like the shifter) and you take that to their resale warehouse office to pay it. I wanted to post that up so you all could see the markup some people are putting on items on eBay and I guarantee the vast majority of the stuff you're seeing is coming from SM, especially on the east coast.

Yes to the 200A being the dual volt. They also have 80 MPH complete gauge clusters for $100, by the way, in addition to the shifters. I got the last one of those for my other local friend.

Yep, that was me that posted the SW sheets. Sucks they're going up but, at least you can get it from them. Maybe just sell the extra cans on eBay!

I will tell anyone that is planning on dealing with Southern Metals to be very patient as it was a complete pain. Several calls and lots of planning went into this. It would be a nightmare and worthless trip for anyone not semi close as they may or most likely not have what you are looking for. Ryan and I both called Bruce the owner two weeks ago and everything was instock, checked prices and I confirmed that they would place the engine on a double pallet, but he will not hold any thing. I called again last Monday and confirmed everything again and it was a totally different call as the owner was short and wanted me to call back later in the week but did confirm that the parts we wanted were instock and that they were stripping 8 or 9 trucks. Well Ryan and I had a conference call with him last Wednesday and a majority of what we were looking for was gone, but he confirmed some of the parts (engine, bumpers, tires, batteries, s3 boxes). Plans were made and off Ryan went to get everything that we could and make plans for getting the rest in the future. Then yesterday was the big day and it mostly went bad in my opinion. Good thing is there are plenty of engines for Ryan to choose from, bad thing is Bruce forgot all about the double pallet and was no help there, plus their banding sucks. As Ryan said, everything else was gone. You will see a lot of it on ebay as most of the bumpers, smart boxes, winches, lights, and seats on the east coast came from Southern Metals. I wish they had a better business model and plan, they could really grow and provide more jobs to their community and support the hobby by supplying more parts. When you look at the money our group was going to spend, it just amazes me that Southern Metals acts the way they do, but I guess the neckbearders are regulars and he prefers to deal with them.

But, the bright side is the engine is on its way. Fastenal originally said 7 days, but called last night saying due to the storm in the Gulf near me there would be a delay. I am still hoping by late next week. Still need to get the winch so I canb do everything at one time and as Ryan said we were told two weeks but I am not holding my breath.

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So glad I found this thread.  I just won this bad mother fucker today:




It comes with a transferrable road-use title out of Utah, no EUC or HHA required.  I'm probably going to have to do a few things to it to get it registered here in VA as far as safety inspection goes, but I don't think it'll be huge.

That's a Plan B Hummer. Is it in Utah? There was a member on Steel Soldiers that got one and seemed happy with it as it was turn key.

I'm learning as I go and kind of dove into this head first.  What's a "Plan B Hummer"?  Yes, in Utah.

Bought by a company called Plan B, refurbished, then sold at a huge profit by them on Gov Planet.

http://www.planbsupply.com/hummers-h1-humvees-hmmwv-for-sale

Plan B Supply (click here) is a vendor in Utah that buys HMMWV and then works on them and turns around and sells them via their site and via Gov Planet. They have various levels in their pricing and add their own in house made doors and tops.

how in the hell do those windows work? looks like RV style

Ok, gotcha.  Well, this was, obviously more expensive than many of the EUC/HHA vehicles, but worth it for someone without a ton of time and space to do work.  I appreciate the info.

That is the only negative I have seen from Plan B are the doors. Some love them, a lot hate them. They are windows from a boat/rv setup and the hinges are from the soft doors. If they had better windows, hard door hinges, and ditched the fake x they would sell a lot better in my opinion.

For a turn key vehicle with little to no maintenance required they are good. As I posted above the doors seem to be the only gripe and it is an atheistic issue not a functional one as I have been told they don't leak like regular X doors.

How soon do you get it since there isn't as much paperwork?

Good info on the doors.  Are you aware of a better option that I can buy and have painted if I want?  

I'll pay for it tomorrow, VeriTread carrier will pick it up on or about the 25th and it'll be here within 5 days of pickup.  Not too shabby.  

I looked at the Plan B site...for what's on this one it seems like I got a pretty solid deal.  I paid under $30k for it, and just a hair over $30 with the 10% fee from GP.

I would run the doors it comes with, its just an atheistic issue for some people and they are fully functional so I would not replace. If you want a more military look the get the real X doors or half doors might look nice, but I would spend my money on other things such as LED light bars (lots of LEDs all around) and radio(s) and a M6 pedestal gun mount for the bed (I always like shooting positions mounted on vehicles).

Right on.  Thanks Jake!

I'll just leave this here.

Niiiiiiice. I'd need the gun and the girl to go with the mount though.  Where does one buy those?  LOL

That's the thing. You think our group was spending a lot but, from what Bruce told me, we really didn't.

He's had people coming in and buying a half dozen engines, 20 hoods, 20+ 4 speed shifter assemblies, 40+ gauge clusters, etc.

In that regard, our purchase is pretty small potatoes. I get the impression he'd much rather be dealing with the people buying volume than folks like us. His job is to move inventory, not help HMMWV owners or the hobby.


Nice looking truck! Like Jake said, folks with the Plan B trucks do seem to be happy with their purchases and they do seem to be a good solution for folks who need  a turnkey solution for one reason or another.

And like Jake said I'd not worry about the doors, unless they're really something you want to change, and put the focus on LED lighting. Upgrading just the headlights to LED goes a long way! Maybe get yourself a rear bumper too...

Also, I hope you don't run into any titling issues in VA. I would mention that another ARFCOMmer, @MaverickH1, has run into issues with even his non-off road only branded M1123 so I hope everything goes smoothly!

Yeah, I called and spoke with the DMV and the state police inspectors office.  This is coming with a transferable on-road title out of UT, so while the nice lady at the DMV wasn't really sure what I was talking about when I told her what I bought, she didn't seem to think that an M998 with a road-use title out of another state would be a huge issue.  I guess we'll see!  I may HAVE to add a rear bumper to clear inspection, I'm not sure yet.  I'm pretty sure I'll have to add lighting to the rear-license plate.  I'm working on getting a state inspector I've been using for years to come out and give it an "off the record" inspection before I take it to him for formal inspection.  The DMV tells me that as long as the vehicle a) is titled for on-road use, and b) can pass the safety inspection, I should have no problems.  But I know how it goes with government agencies, so this part of it does have me a bit nervous.

Speaking of rear-bumper....where is a good place to get something like that? I assume they're basically a "bolt on" component?

I just responded to your PM through e-mail.

The only thing I had to add for VA inspection beyond what a typical complete HMMWV has was a license plate light and reverse lights.  In our case, the reverse lights can be activated by a switch.  I chose to kill two birds with one stone and make them high powered enough to be rear illumination as well.  While that's technically against code due to them not being DOT-R approved or whatever crap is required, nobody has said anything about it.

I guess I'll add some pictures of my M1123, although it already looks a little different right now since I've added X doors, a spotlight, and maybe something else that I've forgotten about... :





With my niece on Memorial Day, one of my 2 rear lights added for VA inspection can be seen in this picture, and also the license plate and light obviously:



I'm in the process of starting up a business and I might manufacture some HMMWV products.  My goal is not to make cheap things that LOOK cool and sell them at a premium like some companies out there... but to make high quality things that add to the utility of the truck.  And sell them at a premium.  

That's not a Humvee brush guard, your going civi...lol

Just swapped in an A2 style fuel sender. Total job time 15 minutes thanks to the access door.

This thing fixes everything wrong with the original ping-pong ball float style sender. Easier to get to connections and, most importantly, no more bouncing fuel gauge! I tested it out in my driveway doing a few quick, hard stops and the gauge doesn't move at all now. Totally worth the $60!

ETA: Oops, forgot the pic...




Bumper... Unless you feel like a gambling trip to Southern Metals, I'd say message 86humv on SS or G503. Or you could get one from one of the eBay flippers selling a SM bumper. Personally of those two I'd rather give Greg/86humv the business. He's always priced fairly. I got that A2 fuel sender from him actually...

I got lucky and got my bumper (just the actual bumper, no brackets) from eBay before the bumper feeding frenzy started and paid only $125 for it.

And I bet you paid more for the mounts and tie downs than the bumper. But defiantly check with 86humv/Greg for the bumper. I got a complete one from him shipped via Fastenal. Made it easier than tracking down all the brackets. I did have to get all of the bolts which can get spendy if you don't shop online or have a tractor supply or Fastenal near by.

Yep, I'm interested in utility instead of purity.  I found the military brushguards to be either too light duty or not sufficient for protection.  This is AM General's heavy duty wraparound brushguard.  I needed wraparound protection because the trails I'm on are like this:



The brushguard has already saved my hood twice.  And my property has trees waiting for you to make a mistake and eat the fiberglass hood.  This is my biggest clearing:



Granted, I don't completely like this one because it takes away significantly from the approach angle.  That's something I plan to fix when I make my own, and then sell this one off.

I love it!