Vehicle Description
1997 AM General Hummer H1 Wagon
Desert Storm brought us into the battlefield with the nearly live
action TV coverage. During the coverage, the general public and in
particular car aficionados took notice of these go everywhere
vehicles our troops were using known as the Humvee. Their
fascination led to a trend where AM General corporation which
supplied the M998 Humvee to the military got the brainchild idea to
make these trucks available to the public, and this became the
Hummer civilian line produced in their Mishawaka, Indiana
facility.
For consignment, one of 1,209 Hummer's produced for the general
public in 1997. They were assembled on the same line as the
military vehicles and shared some components like brakes, axle, and
body panels, but were moved to a separate building for paint. This
is a go anywhere 4 door with a lots of interior room, a width of
86.5 inches, and the capability of going into three feet of water
unscathed. This example has just 7,417 title verified actual miles
and may have seen more car shows than winter snows.It comes with a
clean Carfax and even has the original window sticker showing us
all the luxury added into this rig including leather seating,
cruise control and a central tire inflation system just to name a
few options.
Exterior
The Hummer's stamped aluminum body is painted with High Gloss
Black, the first and most obvious indication that this is not the
military version. But that doesn't hinder its sheer presence which,
in a word, is monstrous, boxy, and tough. I know, it's 3 words but
who's counting? A high grille provides for aggressive approach
angles, like when you're forced to climb over a Tesla with a dead
battery blocking the road. The black grille and lift hooks are all
business and the exposed door hinges are epic. Good sized windows
allow light to enter the inner cavern and the back has side windows
flanking the windowed barn doors. The rear bumper is also painted
black and carries heavy duty tow hooks. In case someone doesn't
know what they're looking at, HUMMER is spelled out with a large
graphic decal on the lower part of the body. Both fuel fillers,
(yes, there two tanks), are on the passenger side. Because of the
width, requisite clearance lights appear over the windshield and
under the rear doors. The black paint is essentially flawless.
Eight lug 15-inch steel wheels carry enormous 37x12.50-16.5LT
tires. All in great shape!
Interior
In contrast to the shiny but utilitarian exterior, nice, molded
doors covered in gray leather are a bit more civilized. The storage
pouch on each door is pleated leather in a nod to basic military
practicality. The bucket seats in front are gray leather and your
shotgun rider is practically in the next county, separated by the
expansive console, more on the center console in a second. The rear
seats are also two, widely split buckets but in the raised tunnel
between them sits a small bench. It's like bleacher seating where
the two center passengers, the smaller, the better, will be one
level above the two outside seats. The padded steering wheel gives
way to a simple albeit busy dashboard. The round speedometer is
dead center while toggle switches, indicator lights and other
gauges are to the sides feeling very much like an airplane. The
huge plastic center console is canted towards the seats and for the
driver, affords access to the AM/FM/Cassette radio and climate
controls. The tabletop console has cup holders, a CD changer, and
storage bin. All passengers, front and rear essentially get
stretches of flat gray plastic in front of them. The "wayback" is
basically flat and carpeted with shelves and lots of room for
"stuff" or to camp.
Drivetrain
A 6.5 liter Turbo Diesel V8 rated at 195 horsepower and a whopping
430 pound foot of torque resides under the forward flipping hood.
Power is routed through a 4L80E 4-speed automatic transmission and
a New Venture Gear 242 Transfer Case. 4.92 gears in Zexel Tosen II
differentials produce the ratio for both front and rear axles.
Inboard power disc brakes and ABS bring this 7,000-pound hauler to
a halt.
Undercarriage
Nothing noteworthy or of issue here with all being very clean and
rust free. After viewing the underside of so many "regular" cars,
it looks like the land of the giants under here; everything is
magnified from the steel frame to the springs to the stabilizer
bars. According to LynchHummer.com, for 1997, "complete redesign of
the exhaust system from the crossover pipe to the tailpipe.". The
new design incorporates a one piece heatshield with added
stiffeners to reduce exhaust resonance. Meanwhile, independent,
coil spring suspension is found at both axles.
Drive-Ability
We've driven things like vintage cab over trucks and even a GMC
6500, but nothing feels as wide nor as tough as a Hummer. We get
the diesel humming and off we go for a short lap in a mighty
vehicle. The ride is quieter than one would expect, and the height
is definitely up there. But on regular black top, the truck rolls
along confidently and certainly has enough power and torque to
increase forward momentum on demand. Using the lift hooks like gun
sights in order to steer the Hummer, we're mindful of its width and
mastering it would take a little practice. Overall, feeling modern,
secure, and, well, kind of badass.
Not many vehicles have as much character and recognizability as the
AM General Hummer H1. Oh sure, you'll get some nasty looks, but
"they hate us, cause they ain't us!". Everyone secretly or overtly
wants one of these things because they are pure cool, pure
character, and represent the ultimate in good old American self
sufficiency. Now, get out of my way, I've got to hit Costco for
some supplies.
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collectible vehicles for sale via consignment in a climate
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Pennsylvania, just 1-hour west of Philadelphia off Exit 298 of the
I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. For more information visit
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person.
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