For Sale: 1955 Kaiser Military Vehicle in Morgantown, Pennsylvania

1955 Kaiser Jeep M170 Ambulance

Through early morning fog I see
Visions of the things to be
The pains that are withheld for me
I realize and I can see
That suicide is painless
It brings on many changes
And I can take or leave it
If I please..

Choppers!

For consignment,from the battlefield in Korea to our Hallowed Halls, this piece of military history is here in all its star spangled glory and in the form of a 1955 Kaiser Jeep M170 Ambulance. A fine vehicle for transporting our heroes who were wounded from the triage area to the MASH unit where they would receive the utmost in personal care. This example sports a khaki color for the exterior which was painted for a parade and remained, so it is not original, although glimpses of blue are showing under the hood. It has a longer wheelbase than the standard Willys Jeep to accommodate the stretchers. A canvas top and simple interior it was purely a utilitarian vehicle that had one job and it served this country well. Squad...Ten Hut!

Exterior
This Kaiser Jeep is looking still much like the modern day versions, or should I say the opposite? A vertical steel bar grille is flanked by round headlights. On the bottom, framing the front suspension, is a black steel bar bumper. Here the fenders then take over on either side and hover over red painted steel 16-inch wheels with deep tread 6.50-16 tires from the 29th week of 1994. The hood is rounded over and is making its way rearward to the black framed front glass. An open no door design and a long rear bed area is in back. On top is an olive drab, or is it black, canvas roof which covers the entire passenger compartment and is in good condition. It has no painted red square panels with white crosses within them, not even on the top. There are grommeted side panels to cover the open sides. For the back, the steel bed benches are there toplace the stretchers on along with a central located ribbed bed, complete with a rear tailgate. On the passenger's side front doorway is a spare tire and frame to hold it in place. The exterior paint shows some cracking, slight rust, and areas of paint rub off with a few dents and dings. MASH means MOBILE! Pack everything up we're moving closer to the front...

Interior
Strictly utilitarian here soldier, where it is also bathed in the khaki paint and all steel. A simple straight flat dash front houses a few round gauges in the center, a storage box in front of the driver, and the old black bakelite large steering wheel. Inside we can see that the front windshield can be lowered if need be. Floors are khaki painted steel and in the center are the shift levers reaching for the driver. Bucket seats in tubular frames are residing for the driver and passenger, and which are now covered in olive drab canvas which is ripped and faded. The passengers seat is more of a jump seat to allow access to the back and if needed can accommodate another longer stretcher. No Klinger! There will be no section 8 today, we have incoming!

Drivetrain
Under the hood in a patina engine bay is a 134ci I-4 cylinder M38 engine. It is original to this Jeep, and it's topped with a 1-barrel carburetor. On the back is a Borg Warner T90 3-speed manual transmission. The front axle is a Dana 25, rear is a Dana 44, and a Dana 18 transfer case is in for the 4WD changeover. The final drive weighs in at 5.38 giving this Jeep the high rev sound one typically hears when it's coming down the road. Enemy fire from 2 O'clock, take cover...

Undercarriage
Underneath some patina and surface rust overall is noted. no structural damage though and the truck gets its solid ride from leaf sprung suspension all around. 4 wheel drum brakes give it the woah! Say your prayers boys.

Drive-Ability
After a crank it idled a bit rough I assume due to old fuel. I slipped it into gear and off to the test track where it handled nicely, had that high rev sound unique to these military issued Jeeps and the 5.38 gear ratio. A good driver save for the old gas, and all functions were in working order. You're in the Army now, you're not behind a plow...

This is an interesting find to say the least, and not often seen, especially in this condition. Definitely a head turner and as I drove it through town, looking for wounded it was definitely fun, and I found no wounded to report SIR!

Classic Auto Mall is a 336,000-square foot classic and special interest automobile showroom, featuring over 850 vehicles for sale with showroom space for up to 1,000 vehicles. Also, a 400 vehicle barn find collection is on display. This vehicle is located in our showroom in Morgantown, Pennsylvania, conveniently located just 1-hour west of Philadelphia on the I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. The website is www.classicautomall.com and our phone number is (888) 227-0914. Please contact us anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in person.