I OWNED a 1954 Dodge M152 Cdn for 15 years. 251 Flathead 6, and it RAN! The body had been severely beaten up, and had several places where it had rusted through (mostly along the gutter above the side windows), and had been painted with house paint. BUT IT RAN! My plan was to restore the outside, and - since the box had been gutted before I bought it, I was going to put in a couple cots, a Porta-Potty, carry a Coleman stove, and tarps, (or Cam Nets), and have the worlds greatest off-road camping buggy! Unfortunately my skills and finances weren't up to the task (especially since it needed a FULL rewiring), so I donated it.... back to the Canadian Army! 🤣 Hopefully they can restore it! I have SO MANY STORIES about that truck! I LOVED IT!!!!
I have the exact same battle with the rust at the rain gutter! I hear all of us M43 and M152 folks do 😣 Hella has sure proven to be immensely capable in all manner of terrain, even the deserts and beaches of Baja. I loved the 251, but by the time it clapped out on me I knew I had to have significantly more power for serious overland travel to be safe and practical. I love that you donated yours back to the CAF. I hope they keep you apprised of it's status. Thanks for the info about the truck's CAF number too!
I learned to drive the M series trucks in the late 60's while stationed in Shilo, Manitoba, an Artillery base at the time. I was always impressed how versatile the truck was, and it's many iterations. Driver training was demanding, double cluching, learning to shift (up and down) without a clutch, and rough terrain manuvering. I drove one with the door mounted tire, you had to be carefull opening the door to prevent it from dragging you off your seat. During the 1967 PanAm games in Winnipeg I operated a radio truck. They were damn hot in the summer and the heaters were marginal comfort at best in the winter.
@@TCW-hw6iw I can sure relate to your driving experiences with the M Series! Though steering has been much improved by locking hubs and radial tires. Still a handful though in tight maneuvering. The original transmission definitely required mastery of double clutching! I have a Chevy 350 and an SM465 now which is much easier to drive. Though the flathead 251 was way prettier in the engine bay! Thank you for your service and for all you shared about your experience with these trucks! 🫡
@@TCW-hw6iw oh, and that's hilarious about the spare tire rack wanting to drag you out of the rig! I've heard that thing was a pain on a lot of levels!
Absolutely loved this video!! Hella is SO cool and unique. I love what you’ve done to the truck to make her your home while still keeping a lot of the original name plates and different original details. ❤
There's a 1969 Kaiser Jeep for sale near my house, and I think it would be cool if I could purchase it and get a picture of it with Hella. God knows what kind of repairs it might need.
The Spray-painted number is the truck Service Number. The first two digits are the Year it was built - 1954 in your case (as it was in mine) - the rest are assigned by the Army. The original green & white "Canada" Licence plate would have shown the number 45633. The only real BODY difference between the two was that the M-43 Ambulance had DOUBLE rear doors, while the M-152 had just a centralized single door. You did correct yourself when you mentioned the WC Series in WW2 - THEY were the FIRST purpose-built Dodge Military Vehicles - except for tanks..... LOL The M-series trucks were "Civilianized" and sold as the POWER WAGON series, too. EXACTLY the same truck, with different sheet metal, and 6/12 volt electrics.
@@jackdawlove I'd love to see what you did with the drivetrain and suspension - especially the brakes! I do consider it sacrilege that you put a Chevy engine in it when Mighty Mother Mopar has engines that are at least made by the same company! The original brakes might have been OK back in the 1950's, but they sure don't cut it nowadays - I hope you found a way to improve them. They REALLY need it. And Power steering? Armstrong power steering on a 7,000 lb truck is NOT FUN! That said - it was a HOOT when my Bestie and I drove it from Edmonton to Calgary - about 200 miles in 5 hours. 2 Hours from Edmonton to Red Deer (half-way) and 2 hours from Red Deer to Calgary - with an hour in Red Deer to stop shaking! 🤣
@@normmcrae1140 in the near future I will do a video about all the mods. I am a long time MOPAR guy, but what was most important regarding the repower was the availability of parts anywhere in North, Central and South America. GM parts, especially old school SBC, are the most readily available south of the border. If I hadn't had those travel plans I for sure would have dropped in a nice MOPAR V8. My brakes are totally stock, though I rebuilt everything when I was bringing her back to life. When the brakes are properly adjusted they do pretty well, so long as you drive accordingly. Yiu certainly can't drive aggressively with the stock brakes! Driving her has definitely mellowed out my driving style! Steering is stock too. PS kits are way too expensive for my taste as are the power brake conversions. I really like keeping that stuff simple and stock and driving accordingly.
@@Frank-o7u7f bought for 6K. Transported from Ontario Canada to central Washington state for 3K. Total invested in mechanical restoration, mods, interior build and V8 repower another 24K roughly. So, total at her current state 33K. And that's with me doing virtually all the work myself.
@@Frank-o7u7f that's very kind, thank you! But, the reality is rigs like this are only really valuable when restored to stock form. Even then, a cherry full on restored M152 would at best fetch 20K. And that would be a very niche buyer to find!
I OWNED a 1954 Dodge M152 Cdn for 15 years. 251 Flathead 6, and it RAN! The body had been severely beaten up, and had several places where it had rusted through (mostly along the gutter above the side windows), and had been painted with house paint. BUT IT RAN! My plan was to restore the outside, and - since the box had been gutted before I bought it, I was going to put in a couple cots, a Porta-Potty, carry a Coleman stove, and tarps, (or Cam Nets), and have the worlds greatest off-road camping buggy!
Unfortunately my skills and finances weren't up to the task (especially since it needed a FULL rewiring), so I donated it.... back to the Canadian Army! 🤣 Hopefully they can restore it!
I have SO MANY STORIES about that truck! I LOVED IT!!!!
I have the exact same battle with the rust at the rain gutter! I hear all of us M43 and M152 folks do 😣 Hella has sure proven to be immensely capable in all manner of terrain, even the deserts and beaches of Baja. I loved the 251, but by the time it clapped out on me I knew I had to have significantly more power for serious overland travel to be safe and practical. I love that you donated yours back to the CAF. I hope they keep you apprised of it's status. Thanks for the info about the truck's CAF number too!
I learned to drive the M series trucks in the late 60's while stationed in Shilo, Manitoba, an Artillery base at the time. I was always impressed how versatile the truck was, and it's many iterations. Driver training was demanding, double cluching, learning to shift (up and down) without a clutch, and rough terrain manuvering. I drove one with the door mounted tire, you had to be carefull opening the door to prevent it from dragging you off your seat. During the 1967 PanAm games in Winnipeg I operated a radio truck. They were damn hot in the summer and the heaters were marginal comfort at best in the winter.
@@TCW-hw6iw I can sure relate to your driving experiences with the M Series! Though steering has been much improved by locking hubs and radial tires. Still a handful though in tight maneuvering. The original transmission definitely required mastery of double clutching! I have a Chevy 350 and an SM465 now which is much easier to drive. Though the flathead 251 was way prettier in the engine bay! Thank you for your service and for all you shared about your experience with these trucks! 🫡
@@TCW-hw6iw oh, and that's hilarious about the spare tire rack wanting to drag you out of the rig! I've heard that thing was a pain on a lot of levels!
Absolutely loved this video!! Hella is SO cool and unique. I love what you’ve done to the truck to make her your home while still keeping a lot of the original name plates and different original details. ❤
Thanks Aja 😊 Glad you like her! She'll be yours and T's one day 😁
Love the history tour with Hella! What a great truck!!
Gracias amigo 😊
cool! now i want one!
Those data plates are gold! This was a fascinating tour. The vintage photos are wonderful! Are those radium dials that glow??
Yes they are. They're beaitiful gauges. I am always shocked when I see guys swap them out for modern units 🤯 Glad you enjoyed the video!
Haha love them so much I now own two… you inspired me.
Whoa Dude, righteous! Amazing you found two!
Id love if those were still around for wildfire crew buggies
That would be rad! 🤘
There's a 1969 Kaiser Jeep for sale near my house, and I think it would be cool if I could purchase it and get a picture of it with Hella. God knows what kind of repairs it might need.
Those Kaiser trucks are badass 🤘
The Spray-painted number is the truck Service Number. The first two digits are the Year it was built - 1954 in your case (as it was in mine) - the rest are assigned by the Army. The original green & white "Canada" Licence plate would have shown the number 45633.
The only real BODY difference between the two was that the M-43 Ambulance had DOUBLE rear doors, while the M-152 had just a centralized single door.
You did correct yourself when you mentioned the WC Series in WW2 - THEY were the FIRST purpose-built Dodge Military Vehicles - except for tanks..... LOL
The M-series trucks were "Civilianized" and sold as the POWER WAGON series, too. EXACTLY the same truck, with different sheet metal, and 6/12 volt electrics.
Thanks for all the info Norm 👍 Great to be meeting fellow M152 family through this video!
@@jackdawlove I'd love to see what you did with the drivetrain and suspension - especially the brakes!
I do consider it sacrilege that you put a Chevy engine in it when Mighty Mother Mopar has engines that are at least made by the same company!
The original brakes might have been OK back in the 1950's, but they sure don't cut it nowadays - I hope you found a way to improve them. They REALLY need it.
And Power steering? Armstrong power steering on a 7,000 lb truck is NOT FUN!
That said - it was a HOOT when my Bestie and I drove it from Edmonton to Calgary - about 200 miles in 5 hours. 2 Hours from Edmonton to Red Deer (half-way) and 2 hours from Red Deer to Calgary - with an hour in Red Deer to stop shaking! 🤣
@@normmcrae1140 in the near future I will do a video about all the mods. I am a long time MOPAR guy, but what was most important regarding the repower was the availability of parts anywhere in North, Central and South America. GM parts, especially old school SBC, are the most readily available south of the border. If I hadn't had those travel plans I for sure would have dropped in a nice MOPAR V8.
My brakes are totally stock, though I rebuilt everything when I was bringing her back to life. When the brakes are properly adjusted they do pretty well, so long as you drive accordingly. Yiu certainly can't drive aggressively with the stock brakes! Driving her has definitely mellowed out my driving style! Steering is stock too. PS kits are way too expensive for my taste as are the power brake conversions. I really like keeping that stuff simple and stock and driving accordingly.
how much did it cost to build?
@@Frank-o7u7f bought for 6K. Transported from Ontario Canada to central Washington state for 3K. Total invested in mechanical restoration, mods, interior build and V8 repower another 24K roughly. So, total at her current state 33K. And that's with me doing virtually all the work myself.
@@jackdawlove I think its awesome you did a great job with it its gotta be worth 50-60k
@@Frank-o7u7f that's very kind, thank you! But, the reality is rigs like this are only really valuable when restored to stock form. Even then, a cherry full on restored M152 would at best fetch 20K. And that would be a very niche buyer to find!