Whether you're a weekend enthusiast or a professional, restoring antique military vehicles can feel like resurrecting a mobile piece of American History. The most difficult aspect of the process, however, is often not the mechanical workmanship; it can be simply finding the parts you need to get the job done.

Here's a quick guide to help you find the right military vehicle parts you'll need to get your piece of military history rolling down the road.

Auctions

Finding the right parts at an affordable price isn't always easy. Fortunately, there are many auctions specializing in military surplus equipment:

Online: with the advent of the Internet, there's always an auction going on somewhere in cyberspace. Doing a quick Internet search for these auctions is fairly easy. Culling your digital inquiry to include the make, model, and manufacturer of the military vehicle you're looking to restore will yield more helpful results. 

How long is the auction window? If the part or item is open for auction for 24 hours, you may want to wait to make your bid until the closing moments of the auction. If you intend, however, to overbid, you can sometimes discourage other bidders from participating in the auction. You can also attempt to directly contact the item's seller. When you communicate directly, you can ask for more information about the items or parts.

Live: traditional auctions also happen throughout the country. These live auctions give you the chance to physically see the items you'll bid on. Before participating in a live auction, it's important to consider how much you're willing to spend on each item. You can then test the competitive nature of your fellow auction participants. For instance, you can make many early bids to gauge the interest of other participants, or you can wait until the bid gets your price point and submit your bid then.

3D Printed

One of the latest innovations in military vehicle restoration has been 3D printer parts. Essentially, a 3D printer can reproduce the most obscure parts imaginable. When working with a 3D printing contractor, however, you must make sure that you produce an accurate schematic of the part. You can often find these schematics in military repair manuals, which can also be found readily online. Because 3D printing companies will typically ask for your money upfront, it's critical that you also provide them with any other information they might need to correctly manufacture the part in question. 

For more information, contact your local military truck parts dealer.

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