A few months back it was revealed that for the first time ever military-spec Humvees were to be sold to the general public rather than being sent to the scrapper. This was great news, but there was a catch: The Humvees in question would not be road legal — they would arrive with no title and the owner would have to explain their intentions for the vehicle in writing prior to receiving their army-clad beast.
That is, until now: The catch ensuring the Humvees remained mostly a trophy item for those with cash to burn is now being revoked. Today, your army-spec Humvee can even be used for bi-weekly trips to Costco — kind of.
The plan was that IronPlanet.com, who won the contract to sell the Humvees with 75 percent of all sales returning to the government, would auction them off in batches, ranging from 1986 to 2004 models with mileage as low as 1,000 to as high as 40,000 miles of service, all having been used as either a troop and/or cargo transporter.
IronPlanet had hoped demand would still be solid despite the vehicles lacking roadworthiness; notwithstanding a few Ted Nugents, it was unclear how many they’d actually sell.
The initial results are in, and demand, according to Fox News, has far exceeded expectations. In total, 1,100 Humvees (topping out at $41,000) have been sold to the public and there are thousands more on the way, seen here at GovPlanet.com. This time, however, they won’t be restricted only to private off-road usage; these army-spec Humvees will be capable of being approved for street legal use as well.
Each Humvee, including ones that have already been sold and delivered, will receive a GSA form SF97-1, which effectively allows the buyer to request a title for the vehicle. After collecting that title, getting the machine on the streets will still not be easy, especially if you live in a state like California with strict emission regulations. While in service, original military Humvees were exempt from smog laws, and because these trucks don’t technically have model years, according to Fox News, the various states may struggle to ascribe the correct smog designation or offer the modifications needed to pass the emissions testing.
This leaves one with a difficult, and potentially costly, decision to make: Swap out the original motor for a brand new GM Duramax V-8, but in doing so lose some of the originality that probably made the military-used Humvee so appealing in the first place, or wait for a solution to arise that will bring the original engine in-line with a particular state's emissions laws; given the number of these ex-military vehicles now being sold, it’s likely a solution will soon surface.
And that’s good news for the American public, as for most — unless you reside on a private ranch — there’s little use for a military-spec Humvee outside of the world’s most superfluous golf cart. Attaining roadworthy status will not only keep the trucks active, but also increase their value.
Many are currently listed for auction as low as $5,000, and best of all, you don’t need to be Uncle Ted to now own one.
Source: Yahoo autos
