Lawrence Street Sighting: AM General HMMWV

Even though I have a strong disdain for war itself, the vehicles used in war are--to put it bluntly--awesome. I have always had a thing for dueces, halftracks, and military-grade pickup trucks. While I generally do not like very many vehicles that wear the Hummer badge, the precursors are absolutely insane. In all my years carspotting, I think this has to be one of my favorite spottings ever for two reasons--I have never seen a military Hummer up close and had the opportunity to do a thorough walk-around, and I certainly was not expecting to find this thing in the middle of downtown Lawrence.

Long before the H2 was ever dreamed up, Hummer meant something entirely different; for those in the know, the Hummer was called the HMMWV, and honestly I had to get some help here. It stands for High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle; and that it is. Being able to climb extreme grades, survive bomb blasts, and ford high waters, this vehicles were the end-all be-all for American soldiers in the mid 1980s, all the way up until now. Like the other big trucks destined for military use (Mercedes Gelandewagen,  and Toyota Landcruiser), the Hummer eventually (and sadly) evolved into a shell of its former self, and was marketed toward douchebags with more money than knowledge. 

I rarely see H1 Alphas around, and when I do, they're always being driven aggressively by steroid-using idiots who look like a terrible version of Arnold Schwarzenegger; I've never gotten to shoot a proper Hummer before, and this is my first one. So I am pretty proud that my first one is a real one.

Obviously, this is an ex-combat truck; the paint is far from mint, and its caked in dirt, but really who cares? The cammo on this thing is dope. I love the fact that it isn't immaculate, and its all accurate, too. None of that fake cammo bullshit.

Also, this thing has an original (and very spartan interior consisting of two seats, a steering wheel, and not much else; hell, it doesn't even have actual windows--just cutouts. As this is the second military vehicle I have seen (the Kaiser from a couple years ago was the first) I honestly spent my time just staring at this thing in pure awe. I have never seen something so badass, so close to me.

I likely think this belongs in my list of top ten finds so far; it really is that cool. Do readers want to see more of this kind of stuff?

Minneapolis Street Sighting: Kaiser Jeep M715

Well, now this is a first. Out of all my hours and miles scouring the area I call home, I don't think I've ever stumbled upon something this badass basking in the residential sun. To be fair and honest, I thought this was some sort of weird Jeep and Dodge Power Wagon mashup-- and to be blunt, it sort of is. Well, the Jeep equivalent I should say. What you're feasting your eyes on is a Jeep M-Series. From what I read in my (wikipedia) research, this truck is based on the Jeep Gladiator (I see that, now.) and came in several variations. Available were the M726 for phone maintenance, the M725, which did duty as an ambulance, the M724, which was a cab/chassis truck, and then this-- the M715. In its duty as a combat vehicle, this example likely carried people and goods onto and off the battlefield before being owned by a fire station. Either this example was a legit fire truck, or an enthusiast made a damn good replica. Either way, it's freakin' badass.
Unlike most vehicles of this vintage I see parked on the streets of urban Minneapolis, this war vet is extremely pristine, which leads me to wonder if this is owned by a "bro" or not. The paint is flawless, the wheels and tires are damn near perfect, and even the inside is in almost-new condition. I won't say that's quite a bad thing, though. Like most obscure-ish forty-five year vehicles, I imagine getting parts for an M-Series (let alone a Gladiator) is rather difficult; our winter-hell of a state likely makes the task even moreso. On that note alone, I applaud the owner for keeping his rig in outstanding condition, though I bet he has no trouble tackling our extreme winters. I would love to see how this thing compares to a newer full-size 4X4 truck when it comes to snow.