Story by Nick Brooks - Edited by Mark J. Smith, WarJeeps.com
My love for Jeeps started with my first vehicle at sixteen a 1946 CJ2A. Since then I've had five CJ7's, a 67 Kaiser Jeep Truck and two M35a2 Kaiser Jeeps.
I bobbed the M35a2 manufactured cargo trucks which placed them both in the category of an XM381A2. The XM381A2 was a concept truck in 1955 that never saw production.
Bobbing takes away from the towing pulling and carrying of the true 6x6 but I and many in this hobby do it for better drivability and simply as a hobby.
I purchased this 1971 M35a2 a couple hours from my home. I bought it, drove it home, used it on the property for a year or so hauling debris, pine logs or pulling stuck vehicles before deciding what I wanted to do with it. I began stripping it down February of 2016 and the project began.
Disassembling the cab and sending it out for sandblasting and powder coating. I then repaired some minor sheet metal on the cab, fabricated the bed using two front fenders in the build, cleaned and primed and painted the frame.
The first bobber I built I used the longest of the two rear drive lines getting an 8ft bed so I chose to go with the shorter one this time getting a 6ft bed.

I then stained wood plank bed boards. Although I still need to install the stainless board strips. New wiring harness on front and rear, full bench seat, custom steering wheel and tinted windows.
People ask me what I do with it? I drive it! its a truck and I treat it like one. It was fun to build and fun to drive and for what I have into it after all is said and done, only $11,000.
$7000 for the truck and $4000 in upgrades.
It was a lot of work but worth it when everyone wants to talk about it on a Home Depot run!