1970 M35 Deuce And A Half 6X6 Will Redefine Your Idea Of Rugged

The owner bought this military rig for $3,500 and has added some helpful modifications to make it more friendly.

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Chris Bruce

By: Chris Bruce

Oct 1, 2018 at 9:40am ET

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It's hard to call a 1970 M35 military truck a regular car. This gargantuan military truck has a dry weight of 13,530 pounds (6,137 kilograms) and packs six wheels for traction in even the most treacherous terrain. Still, clambers into this pickup to show just how different it is to drive than any other vehicle on the road.

The M35 carries the long-held military nickname "deuce and a half" for trucks capable of carrying at least 5,000 pounds or 2.5 tons as a reference to the model's moniker. Under the hood, there's a 7.8-liter inline six, and given its use in a variety of terrains by the armed forces, the powerplant can run on a variety of fuels, including diesel, kerosene, and even combat gasoline if there's nothing else around. The compromise of this capability is a lack of output because the big engine makes just 126 horsepower (94 kilowatts) and 330 pound-feet (447 Newton-meters) of torque. The redline is technically at 4,000 rpm, but the owner says things start sounds really bad beyond 3,000 revs.

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A five-speed manual routes the power to the road, but it has a very odd layout, including a dog-leg first gear and reversed positions for fourth and fifth gear. The owner explains this is because with three people in the cab, then the cruising gear would be away from the center occupant for a little more comfort. There's also a two-speed transfer case.

Generally, only the four rear wheels have power. A switch on the dashboard activates the front differential for full 6-wheeled motivation. However, the locked differentials mean that this is only safe to do off-road without wrecking the mechanicals.

The owner of this M35 bought it as a joke when his wife asked for a bigger truck to haul mulch. The truck was only $3,500 but wasn't running. Since acquiring the rig, the owner got it going and added upgrades like LED headlights, power steering, and safer, dual-circuit brakes.

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Regular Car Reviews leans a little too heavily on his schtick of playing an offensive, annoying character in this clip. If that's not your style, the videos below offer a more technical view of the truck. The first one is a 20-minute look at starting and driving the M35. The second video is a discussion with the owner about his mods to the rig.