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For $15,000, Meet King Kaiser
For $15,000, Meet King Kaiser-October 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:10:05

Today's military-grade ambulance is based on Jeep's Gladiator pickup. You'll need to decide if its price and condition will make a new owner glad-he-bought-her.

You're in the army now, you're not behind a plow…

You know not too many people go from down on the farm to marching at 4 AM any more. Military service is still a popular option for both the aimless and the career-minded, it's just more likely today that inductees will come from urban environments than be hayseeds. Regardless, it's a good place to go to learn discipline, get an education, enjoy three squares a day, and wear short hair.

Often though, those who have spent significant time in the military have a hard time adjusting to life on the outside upon their discharge, it being so different a life out here. That's not the case with today's Kasier however, it's totally ready for civilian duty, while of course while still retaining all of its military-grade badassitry.

This started out as a military ambulance, at least that is the purpose for which the M725 was intended. That includes double doors in the back and 4 stretcher racks in the box. Those are still here, the top racks also serving as the backrests to the lowers when set up to seat six sideways. The driver and another passenger sit in the cab bringing total capacity to 8.

For some reason this one has been fitted with an old school TV and what looks like a VCR at the front, and that's not the only modification this truck has seen. Originally the M725 would have been motivated by a Kaiser Tornado 230 inline six. The mill was updated for military duty, and shared few parts with its civilian brethren. It's interesting in its own light, but the builder of this monster obviously needed something with a little more of a ground offensive.

Under hood now is a 507-cid Cadillac V8, and that's claimed to have been built by Dowker Engines of Charlotte Michigan to produce a shock and awesome 507-bhp and 617 lb-ft of torque. Those massive numbers are sent to battle through a modded THM400 and put to the ground by DANA 60/70 axles and 44" boggers.

What does all that mean? Well probably that this truck will go just about anywhere. It also means that its fuel economy is probably so bad that it likely gets mash notes from OPEC leaders. They would also like it on Facebook and follow it on the Twitter if they had the chance, but being such a bad-ass this M725 probably only does anti-social media.

The ad says that the truck is a multiple 1st place finisher at shows, and has also appears in magazines (remember them?) and on TV. Aside from the fat tonys under the institutional flares, and the tucked in side pipes, it looks pretty GI bill. That includes being dressed in its army greens and having various shovels, jerry cans, and lights scattered around the body. There's also a 12,000 lb capacity winch on the nose in case you need to drag a home dead whale home from the beach, or yank out a small child's lose tooth in the world's most impressive manner.

Speaking of impressive, that's a good word to describe this romper-stomper Kaiser. It's so freakin' huge that it would probably send Hummer H1s scurrying home with their whip antennas between their wheels, and it obviously would impress your neighbors, even if those included Ah-nold Schwarzenegger. But is all this Kaiser steel worth fifteen large?

It's now time to ruminate on that and come up with a decision. Now, obviously this may not be the truck for you - after all, you're not Chuck Norris are you? But you still can weigh in on whether or not this Army brat is worth $15,000. What do you say, does its awesomeness add up to that price? Or, does this modded army ambulance's price make it a Big Chicken Dinner?

You decide!

Grand Rapids , or go if the ad disappears.

H/T to The_Phalanx for the hookup!

Help me out with NPOCP. Click to send a me a fixed-price tip, and remember to include your Kinja handle.

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