Quote:
Originally Posted by BCBlitz
MLUpers
I am currious as to the whole deal on the MUTT's, like when did they all get disposed of ?, how many were on the roster vs disposed of ?, when they sold them did you get them cut and did you get the same 2 pieces back or was it mix and match ?
also how many really were scrapped vs how many were rebuilt ?, are they a worth anything today cut and repaired ? Im having trouble believeing that the DOT authorities like this idea 
I know lotsa questions but have read a bit about them but figured Id ask here.
It sounds like a very few snuck past the torch  but most were cut, anyone with any pics of there own or can fill in the blancs would be great, more currious than anything..... seems we talk alot about Jeeps and Willy's but the MUTT seems to be not so popular prolly due to the disposal process.
Thanks much |
Hello,
I am by no means an expert on these compared to some others on here, but having owned two at one point, and currently rolling restoring the better of the two, so I have some incite.
All the records I have seen indicate that there were 935 M151A2s purchased back in 1974. Most of the "plain" 151s were disposed in 87/88, with some of the special equipment models like the TOW versions as late as 89/90. The very early and very late disposals seem to be the least likely to have been "demilled". Rob Love can better speak to the actual nuances of the process for "Demilling" as I think he scrapped 30 of them.
The disposal process with these was exactly why I wanted one. No offence to anyone else's choice of MV, but I wanted something I wasn't likely going to run into regularly, and conversly, due to the fact that 98% were scrapped in both the US and Canada, there is a huge stockpile of spare parts available for them. Nearly every part on it can still be purchased NOS. There is of course the whole bit about them not being a "Real Jeep", even though early A1s were built by Willys. I'm not going to dwell on that as the whole thing is really rediculous seeing as how little an M38A1 has in common with a GPW/MB, yet its still considered a "Real Jeep". Ironically, 99% of people I run into at Gas Stations and Tim Hortons think its either a WWII Jeep or an Iltis, and as mentioned in other funny posts, many also seem to think they know more about it than I do. When I tell them its a 74, more often than not, they roll their eyes in disbelief. Although, I did have one situation where a person actually correctly identified it and mentioned that he thought that "MUTTs" were illegal to register and drive on the road.
There are some Canadian 151s out there that are "Un-Cut", but these are extremely rare, and with rust being the biggest killer of 151s aside from the disposal process, i'd go out on a limb to say the numbers of Un-Cut original Canadian 151s are in the lower end of the double digits. To add to the scarcity, at least half of the "Un-Cut" 151s in Canada that I have seen are actually surplused US imports. Although the whole disposal process was dictated by the US, obviously through sheer numbers alone, more "Un-Cut" 151s survive in the US. The differences in MWOs and Mods over their lifespan make it very easy to differentiate between US and Cdn 151s.
Both of mine were "Demilled". One being an early "Saw Cut", ie, a single clean cut across the centre under the Seats. The other was a later "Saw Cut" that required a 1' strip cut out of the centre. From what I understand, this "strip" had to be returned to DND. In both cases, they match, so it wasn't a mix and match scenario. I've even heard that some ended up being crushed flat after being cut, but I can't verify that.
As far as value. Its all in the "eye of the beholder" like everything else I guess. Mine both cost around $2500ish each (in rough shape), although from a Rust standpoint, one was virtually Rust free by M151A2 standards. I have easily spent another couple of K on parts and shop consumables getting the nicer one roadworthy. Surely an "Un-Cut" version is going to fetch a significant amount more, but these are hardly a monetary investment regardless
In my own case, getting a Canadian 151 that I could get the history/provenance on was priority number one. The fact that it is Cut is annoying, but i'd rather a Cut Canadian 151 than an "Un-Cut" US 151, but thats just my take.
As far as the whole issue of being Cut, versus the Motor Vehicle folks; i've seen far worse scrap repaired and put on the road. At least mine is virtually incapable of speeds over 60mph (suicide). For what its worth, it went through inspection just fine. It has been repaired correctly, and really isn't that noticable unless you're looking for a Cut line. Mine is registered as an AMC Jeep and not an M151A2.
I have a much longer post in this sub-forum detailing much of my efforts getting my M151A2 put back on the road.
Scotty B