Here is the situation:

A local farm has 8 M-35's sitting around. All are running, gasoline powered, NO beds, and he wants $1,000 per truck. I think I can get him to $800, maybe $700 per truck.

What I would like to know is: how much am I looking at if I were to buy one and then have to restore the bed of the truck? I have seen beds online for $700, but how do they mount to the frame? Screws? Welds? Tape?

The cab is original and in great shape - the only missing parts is the bed and everything that attaches to it (wires, rear lights, etc).

Can anyone give me a ballpark figure for a restoration of this type? I figure $2K for a bed and running Duce, but I still need to figure in all the small parts that I'll need to install on the bed.

Av.

Have you been to a local DRMO?
You can generaly buy parts/whole vehicles from them on the cheap.

are these the really old enough to be carbeurated gas engines?  most of the other deuces were multi fuel diesels, which could run on gas.
I'm 90% sure that the beds bolt on, and picking up lights and such is not too terribly difficult as the military has standardized taillights, side markers and such.  for wiring, you might be able to find a complete harness for the vehicle, or just use some good old American ingenuity to fabricate your own.  
for nuts and bolts, you can probably get everything you need at an Ace hardware store.

ETA: plus 1 on what gunslinger said

DRMO usually has parts too

For parts or questions contact or visit Sam Weiners in Akron, Ohio. He and his brother Earl have acres of surplus military vehicles and parts. Scores of duece and a halfs in various condition. Stacks of beds and differentials. They've been in the business forever. You might be able to find them on the net. Google is your friend.

BTW, IIRC, the WWII era trucks with the flat head Chrysler straight six were the only ones designed for gasoline only.

I've put a lot of miles on a deuce and a half.  I'd be very surprised if they were gas engines.  On the plus side, they will go damn near straight up a wall.  If you maintain them, they will last a long time.  They don't ride like a Cadillac, but they do have a very good manual transmission. If you are willing to do all the work yourself, they probably won't be too costly.  The big ticket items will be the tires and any work on the engine such as the injectors.  They'd be great with enclosed bed.  I'd take it prairie dog hunting.  It would be ideal.  Fuel milage sucks though.

If you do rebuild one, post the pictures.

The deuces we use are multifuel, they will take anything from mogas to JP8.  The construction seems to be quite simple and the bed is mostly just a flat piece of metal that has hinged sides and tail gate.  If you cant find a junked one at DRMO to scrounge the bed off of, you shouldnt have too much trouble building a bed, but I am not vehicle maint, I am just a lowly commo troop.

Oh, btw, the manual transmission can be finicky in stop and go Atlanta rush hour traffic especially since there is no power steering.

multi fuel will burn almost anything thats liquid and flamable. I spent my fair share behind the wheel of a deuce. oh and learn to love armstrong steering