From: Recovry4x4@aol.com
Date: Mon Aug 02 2004 - 06:32:47 PDT
Well, the M887 contact maintenance truck is finally in the yard, albeit still
on the trailer. Saturday I loaded my trailer with bartering stock and loaded
the truck with wife and baby and headed 8 hours up the road to GA. I got this
truck as part of a deal with a Wayne Harris. I'm not a Dodge guy but the M880
has always had a spot somewhere in my heart, maybe because they're cheap.
Anyway, made the trip up and got there yeaterday around 11am. Wayne was helping
another guy who just picked up a few items so I went poking around his yard. Now
Wayne lives along a tree line and has a wealth of stuff you can see in van
bodys, shelters, sheds, lean tos, trailers and so on, Besides that, the stuff
goes equally as far back in the woods. You could literally walk around there for
days and not see everything. I only had a short time so I took in the sights
and went back to the truck. Now the M887 supposedly has a valve train problem
but does run (somewhat). I took a look at it and was suprised to see 11,000
miles on the clock. A quick look at the pedals confirmed that it's probably
original. Had a little rust on one of the fender bottoms but looks surprisingly
nice. Now I knew that the bed was off the truck and that I would have to slide
in back on but I didn't remember that the big M816 wrecker Wayne has was not
running. With 2 bumper jacks, (I now have a new respect for the almost extinct
bumper jack), a supply of concrete blocks and some 12' 4x4s Wayne and I proceed
to jack up the body off of another crippled M880 and pull the truck out from
underneath it with his M151A2. I backed the running (barely) M880 under the
bed and lower it right down on the frame. We had to take a break about 3/4 of
the way through. It was pushing the mid 90s and humidity over 90%. I now know
I'm not as young as I used to be. Got the body on, lined it up, dropped 2 bolts
in it and threw a ratchet strap around it to keep it on. Pullled it up on the
trailer and off I was on my 8 hour journey home. When I was panting and faint
while installing the body I was thinking that I don't like the truck too much.
But 8 hours of looking at it in the mirror makes you think of different
thing. Being an off roader at heart certain things pop into your head. I kept
seeing the 37" HMMWV tires in my visions. I shouldn't be lifting this truck but
darn, it sure sounds cool. Today, I'll unload it, bolt the body down, put the
back bumper back on, hook up the lights and start troubleshooting the engine. I
think I have a diamond in the not so rough here! Now if only I could find a
righteous deal on the welder/generator that goes in the back!
Kenny
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