Oct '06 - I finally got back into an older GM truck...and in a big way. I purchased my '96 Geo Tracker as a DD in the Spring of '06 and found I wasn't using my '96 Ranger 4x4 all that much. The truck was a great wheeler, daily driver, and little truck...but every time I tried to tow or haul a decent weight with it the fact that it was a little truck shined through. It simply wasn't enough truck for what I wanted. So I started looking at new stripper model 3/4 ton 4x4 GM's and Fords...and was absolutely scared to death by the monthly payment even for the vinyl floors and manual windows models...and went looking at used but newer trucks. Not surprisingly...as I live in Northern Michigan...everything I found was either higher mileage, overly optioned (I like my trucks plain, simple, and reliable), or had been a plow truck for several years. Combine those not so desirable choices with your typical higher used vehicle interest rates and again the monthly payment was scary...and I was getting pretty disillusioned.

At this point I thought to myself, "You know self, you're only going to drive it once a week or so and probably not at all in the winter...why not get an older truck?"

So I started looking around for an older GM truck like I had wanted to have again since I sold my first vehicle, a '86 Chevy K5 Blazer, in 1997. However it was a used up Michigan rust bucket...this time I was going for beef and good condition. I found lots of restored trucks going for big money but they were usually half ass restorations where the body was okay with good paint or it had new exterior panels but the floorboards and fender wells showed their true age and rust. Either that or the body was perfect but they hadn't done anything to the power- or drive-train so it still had 110,000+ miles on it and you had all those little questions in the back of your head like, "how long before the engine gives me trouble?" or "did the trans just shift funny?"

So along came a guy on ColoradoK5.com who gave me the name of a place that sold former military CUCV trucks. CUCV's were 1986 Chevy K5 Blazers and K30 1 ton trucks the US Military purchased to use for general and mundane tasks that didn't require a HMMWV or a big 6x6 truck. They're low options, manual everything, diesel power, and in the case of the K30 based pickup trucks...beefy everything. I loved them...and was surprised to find the price of a 50,000 mile CUCV was not a whole lot more than someone's restored 130,000 mile similar vintage truck...that probably didn't have the low options and beef that a CUCV had and I wanted.

As soon as I could sell the Ranger and get to the bank I flew to Wisconsin and got my M1008 CUCV. 50k and change on the clock and runs great. Beefy everything. Drove me 400 miles across central Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, across the Mackinaw Bridge, and then across Northern Michigan to it's new home. Nothing quite like the roar of a 20 year old diesel and 36" aggressive bias plies combined with no radio or sound proofing for 10 hours.
Big Ugly meets the Mighty Mac:


Had to stop taking pictures after that as the winds nearly pushed me into the oncoming traffic lanes.

Oh yeah, and here's a sight to make any old truck lover or military vehicle lover smile:

They're out there...go get yourself one. Now to get a place with a pole barn big enough to fit a deuce and a half 6x6.

More pics of Big Ugly:

Yes, those are 36x12.5-16.5 Goodyear Wrangler RT/II HMMWV tires on stock GM 16.5" wheels and yes, the truck was stock height. The place I got it from trimmed each side of the front fenders a bit and they did rub the front end of the drag link when you turned. I had to get a longer bolt to use as a steering stop on the driver's side axle C to prevent the rubbing and now have to go back and replace the front drag link.

I wasn't too happy with these tires as they thumped when cold like all bias plies but refused to be balanced. I came to find out that they were famous for being out of round. That means they have high and low spots in the tread and carcass so they can never be balanced correctly. Pounds of weight and a lot more of the Innovative Balancing Dynabeads than were supposedly necessary and it would still shake and bounce when the tires were warm at certain speeds.
To see what I've done to fix the issue go to page 2.
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The no options, vinyl seat, and cracked dashmat interior:

It had no radio or speakers, no cigarette lighter/12V plug, or even a dome lamp. It did however come with a rack for a M-16 rifle on either side of the bench seat. I ended up removing those as they drug on the seat belts and stopped them from tightening every time. My plans were to add a CD playing stereo, some speakers (nothing big, just the basics), an antenna (probably a hidden mount one as there's no spot for a conventional fender mount antenna), and maybe work on the dash...maybe... Some of it's been done and pictures might be on page 2 if I've bothered.
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Here's the general specs:
6.2L J-code naturally aspirated (no turbo) Detroit Diesel V8
TH400 automatic transmission
NP208 transfer case
Dana 60 front axle
AAM Co 10.5" 14 bolt Full Floater rear axle
4.56 gears in both with a Detroit Diesel in the rear
All kinds of neat stuff including two 100 amp alternators, two batteries, a 24 volt starting system, and corrosion resistant CARC paint.
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Lastly, here's hope for all of you guys that have big ugly trucks. My wife was almost appalled at the camo paint and general ugliness of the truck. However the weekend I got it home I had her drive it around the yard while we were doing something else and despite what she thought before you could tell she liked climbing into it and hearing the rumble of the diesel. It's much larger than anything she's ever driven.

She's scowling at me but I could see the smile she was hiding.

"Okay, it's not so bad."
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Ever heard someone say something sort of like "7 pounds of potatoes in a 5 pound sack"?
I think I found the automotive equivalent of it:


It's literally the largest vehicle you can fit in my garage with it's 7' door. With the door down there's less than 6" of clearance on each end. When I'm putting it in the garage there's less than 6" of clearance above the roof and on each side past the mirrors.
Our next place is definitely going to have a bigger garage and my pole barn is going to have huge doors.

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As far as the name goes, a buddy of mine had one of these years ago and called it Big Ugly. Unfortunately he sold the truck in a fit of silliness and the next owner destroyed it physically and in matters of taste. So when I got this thing there was only one name to give it...Big Ugly.
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Page 2 has modifications (I finally did some).
Page 3 is pictures of past rides and some random stuff.