M151A1 "jeep" "quarter ton"
This is a 1967 M151A1 "jeep", or "quarter ton" I formerly owned. The M151, M151A1, M151A2 and variations, were made from 1959 to 1982. The last true jeeps, following in the tradition of the Willys and Ford jeeps from WWII. Definitely not the vehicle made now that stole the name "jeep" from the GIs. It was fun to have, but not very practical for a non gear head without lots of storage space.
There are other pages or information on military equipment such as the SCR-625, AN/PRS-1, the AN/PRS-3, and the AN/PSS-11 mine detectors, EE-3, EE-8 telephones, TG-5 telegraph, Model 1914 service buzzer, BD-71 switchboard and residential phones.
The M151 owner’s forum is: www.g838.org There are copies of M151 manuals you can download, too.
M151 buyer’s guide - Details to watch for if buying a M151 or M151A1: Data plate with serial number, a legal title, correct two-piece windshield with vacuum wipers for M151 and M151A1 (a common discrepancy), no rust on floor or running board area, no excess holes in body or dash, straight grill, no radiator gouges, correct data plates, spare tire and mount, on driver’s side only - round rear view exterior mirror, original M151 – no turn signal, M151A1 or A2 have turn signals, military tires and rims, correct lights including blackout drive and blackout markers, working gauges, switches and military seats.
Good pictures and careful attention to details are needed if you are not inspecting the vehicle in person. Can they send videos of the vehicle starting and running? Do they specifically say the vehicle runs, and the gauges and lights work? What about leaks? A quote from another veteran - "If it doesn't leak, it must be empty". If you buy any used vehicle, you should ask whether it leaks. One member of the g838 forum, tells how he had bought a M151A2 on ebay, and after picking it up, found numerous rust through holes covered with duct tape and painted over! Other members had their own ebay horror stories to add. Several of them have said that even in cases of outright fraud, ebay is of little help.
In the pictures below, on the left is an 'A2 listed on ebay, with significant body rebuild (or a clone), and on the right is an 'A2 as it should be. You might not notice, but the listed vehicle has sharper corners compared to the original. Also, the listed vehicle has more drain holes. Only a M151 owner might notice this, and only an honest seller would disclose it. It was also missing the door channels to the front of the door opening. Even as a M151 owner, I saw that something didn't look right, but it took me a minute to figure out what was wrong. Watch out for the M151 clone called an "Encore". The corners of the front fenders are the most noticeable feature. Another jeep I saw on ebay had a picture of what appeared to be the passenger side, was just the drivers side picture reversed! The only reason I noticed it was because the axe was mounted under the door, not the shovel. Not being knowledgeable about M151 jeeps when I bought mine, I was lucky to get one in great shape, and hadn't been modified, cut or rebuilt.
My military license to drive a M151A1 and other wheeled and tracked vehicles, with C troop 1st squadron 4th Cavalry, of the First Infantry Division. I was an infantryman in the troop, but was periodically called to be Courtesy Patrol driver in the jeep, or run errands. Note - the word "Mutt" is not in the military nomenclature, nor is it in mine. The military did use the phrase "military utility tactical truck" designation in some publications, though.
My M151A1, as a M151A1 should be.
This type of tire used by the military is called "non directional cross country" or NDCC. Marginally suitable for hard surface roads, it was a signature tire of military vehicles from WWII to the 80s.The tires, canvas seats, rear spare tire and gas can, olive drab paint job and stenciling, are part of what makes a jeep a jeep. This jeep is very close to "stock". It has blackout drive and blackout marker lights, as did all military field vehicles. Like most military vehicles of the period, it has a 24 volt electrical system. There were no seat belts or roll bar on the M151A1, and no ignition key. As in most field vehicles, the only key was for a chain and lock that locked the steering wheel to the floor, to keep someone from driving it away. It has features that were typical for vehicles of the mid sixties or earlier: vacuum operated wipers, a split windshield, carburetor, floor mounted starter switch, floor mounted dimmer switch, oil bath air cleaner, manual choke, a throttle, four wheel drum brakes, no windshield washer, and a four speed manual transmission. The transmission was a single range with a lever for 2WD/4WD operation. The M151A1 version was the first military jeep to have turn signals.The M151 series is easily distinguished from earlier jeeps by the horizontal grill slats, and a much wider door opening. The "TP20, TP25" text by the tires refers to the recommended tire pressure.
Notice the vacuum operated wipers, with hoses connected correctly, that could also be operated by hand! The floor mounted starter switch is visible directly above the clutch pedal, headlight dimmer switch to the left side.
Tracks of the endangered M151A1 jeep. The military Non Directional Cross Country tire tracks.
A black and white picture looks more vintage. I had to use 4 wheel drive, just to back up this incline in wet snow. Front engine, rear wheel drive with military tires would not do it.
I have been a military collector for fifteen years, but a Laurel and Hardy fan for over fifty years. I found this on ebay and added it to my military collection. A nice model with underbody and engine detail. The windshield folds down, and the hood opens.
Allposters.com poster of President/General Eisenhower with Walter Cronkite in a M151 over Normandy Beach. Don't make a right turn, Ike.
I served with the First Infantry Division in Germany from January 1973 until August of 1976, and my brother and three brother-in-laws served in Vietnam.
"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us..." Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities (1859)
And what the politicians never seem to understand: "Never try to teach a pig to sing - it wastes your time and annoys the pig".