[Marauder_Pilot]

Originally Posted by Bob Carriere

Interesting discussion.

Too each his own after all it will be your truck..... if you want a old looking vehicle that will handle, perform and generally drive like our modern pick em up truck I would suggest you get a wrecked modern pick up.....strip the body work and transplant a CMP body box on the modern power train...

I'm not above that, either-while I'd never dream of 'rodding' a CMP, I'd love to have one that I can drive on modern roads. It's something I may have to put some rese

Originally Posted by Lynn Eades

Welcome to the forum.
Have you a name?
I might be a bit old fashioned, but I dont usually bother to talk to people who dont have a name with their post.( there are others here)
I guess after you've found one (a CMP, not a name), done it up, repowered it with a 350?, and given yourself a fright. Then we will see how you deal with it.
Along time back I met a bloke over here, that put a 350+auto in a CMP. He said it was great! Back then, when I was younger, going was more important than stopping, so I never asked about brakes.

I'm not looking to make a CMP that'll drag race and smoke tires, just be able to cruise safely at 55-60 MPH.

Also, added my name up there-I didn't really notice that this is one of those forums more oriented towards using real names when I registered.

Originally Posted by sapper740

M_P, why don't you look at acquiring one of the many bobbed M35's that abound on ebay? One of those sounds like it's right up your alley. They'll run 60mph all day on the highway and have the brakes to safely bring them to a halt, plus they can tow anything you want. Most purists aren't interested in seeing a rat-rodded CMP and other than installing a more modern 235, 261, or 250 cu. in. six for better dependability, they're best left stock for a better resale value and greater historical value. My 2 cents worth.

Cheers, Derek.

I've looked into bobbed Deuces before, and they're certainly an option-I just like the CMP better.

And, again, not trying to rod it, just to make it a bit more practical.

Originally Posted by cletrac

For what you want, take a Chev CMP 13 cab (more interior room and easier to get in and out of) and put in a 261 Pontiac engine. (150 hp) Adapt a T5 overdrive 5 speed or the like onto the Chev bellhousing and you could drive it at 65 mph or so. Put some soft modern non military 16" tires on it and remove a few spring leaves from each corner (the shorter ones make the most difference) and the ride will be greatly improved. Rebuild the stock brakes and you won't have any trouble stopping. If driving in the mountains use the gears for engine braking like truckers do so you're not totally relying on the brakes. Restore the body and nobody will know the difference. It'll be kind of noisy and the cab will be kind of cramped and it'll ride a bit harsh and you won't win many races but you'll be able to go on those back mountain roads without much trouble.

Now this is pretty much exactly what I want to do. Maybe find an engine that can be adapted for fuel injection, although there's still something to be said for carbs...

Tires would be replaced, at least for long-distance travel, by some modern all-terrains (I'm a big fan of BFG TA K/Os, myself)-I'd keep a set of military tires for show and fun, though.

I'm not all that picky on the ride. I've owned nothing but Jeep Wranglers and CJs all my life, and driven almost nothing but them and service vehicles.