UPDATE: Was on eBay. **SOLD**
“Selling 5 of my babies; pandered, pampered vehicles. This is a Jeep Kaiser M677 Forward Control truck; the M677 was sold to the U.S. military in the 1960’s; and this is one rare car. Dashboard has a special plate stating this truck was for the U.S. Marine Corps; and that it is “U.S. Property.” Forward Control Jeeps were pug-nosed, unique vehicles sold as pickups; this version was special for the military and equipped to be a high-torque troop carrier. Check out “Forward Control Jeep” on google, or “M677″ if you want to learn more.
Two seats in the front, and a bench in rear; the canopy covered pickup bed had two wood slats on either side for another three personnel to sit on each side. Owned for over a year; mileage is 5,149 miles and it is original, given the condition of the vehicle, original Cerlist 3-cylinder 2-stroke diesel engine, and the fact that this truck never saw military action. Absolutely nothing cut, spliced, or modified on this truck. Close your eyes and you might just smell napalm in the morning, somewhere along the Mekong Delta ! After military sale, this truck was sold to the civil park service or something, painted over the military green with a white coat, and gold on the inside. Where the paint has flaked, you can see the original military colors on this truck.
This vehicle is probably best for the discerning buyer looking for a highly unusual and rare collectible. There is a small and very supportive club; after I bought it, club members contacted me almost right away, and were super-supportive. The truck ran when I bought it; and earlier in 2009, I had some work done on it (have all receipts), such as: rebuild injectors, rebuild fuel pump assembly, replace belts, hoses, change all fluids, replace engine mounts with new, repair driver’s side window regulator linkage, check brakes and bleed system, remove and clean radiator and fill with new fluid, and restore some non-working gauges which you can see in photos. Fuel filters, thermostat and related items were replaced also. Starting this car requires holding down the glow plug switch for at least a minute, then crank. The manual transmission and clutch work fine; the transmission has a hi- and lo-mode; plus there is a 4-wheel drive stick; all gauges work. The engine is in the cab, and unbelievably, there is a huge air filter in the cab also (with new air filter). This truck is definitely a head-turner; have done up to 45 mph on the highway with it. Tires are so-so, but hold air just fine.
Best thing about this truck is the purity and completeness. Purity means all plates are still on it; including a couple on the door sill on passenger side. Nothing is rusted through, or changed from original (other than the civil service white paint over the military colors). Completeness means that all unique, impossible-to-find parts are on it; like the military lights, canopy, and Cerlist engine parts. Very few, probably less than five, of these M677 trucks are still running in the U.S. with the original drivetrain, and this is one of them, or so I am told by the club afficianados, who are an absolute wealth of knowledge about M677 trucks.
Undercarriage has light rust only, nothing perforated nor even close to it. Doors open and shut fine; there are four doors. Drive and enjoy as is; or complete the body and interior restoration to make this a very unique show-piece that will easily hold its value. They don’t make these anymore, and never will again. Drive to the local show, or hardware store, and enjoy the old-timers fuss about this vehicle; that alone is worth the price Batteries are new; and I installed a 24 volt battery tender to keep them charged; the trickle charger is included, as is a small collection of parts, original shop manual, a new shop manual, a PDF service manual for the Cerlist engine, and related literature. The car has a clean Missouri title, and was previously titled in Delaware (copy included).”
