Photos by Kenda Lenseigne
It’s been said that you should never grocery shop while you’re hungry. That’s because you go into the store with the intention of just picking up a few things and end up walking out with a full cart. Project vehicles tend to follow the same path and take on lives of their own. We buy them with the goal of just fixing what’s needed to get them streetable.
Then, we suddenly find ourselves with an infinite checklist of items we “need.” It’s a domino effect that plagues pretty much anyone who loves cars that borders on having a film crew from the TV series Intervention show up to document that addiction.
Our friend Mitch went down the proverbial rabbit hole and ended up creating a rig that’d make WhistlinDiesel sh*t the bed. Many of us have fleeting thoughts on kitting out an old military vehicle, but most lack the resources to make it happen. With two Humvees already in his possession (no, not the GM version), Mitch already knew what he was up against when he saw this ’90 BMY M923A2 sitting on a used car lot for an unbelievably reasonable price of around $12,000. How could he say no to that?
1990 BMY M923A2
- Engine: Cummins 8.3L diesel
- Transmission: Five-speed Allison automatic
A little background first. These trucks have existed in various iterations for many years. This variant is powered by an 8.3L diesel Cummins, an Allison automatic transmission, and can run in both four- and six-wheel drive. We’re told the snorkel will help it traverse 10 feet of standing water. Since these trucks were not built for comfort, originally it came with a bench seat and a single seat for the driver.
Mitch’s initial hope was to extend the cab to fit two front buckets and a back row so he could take the wife and kids for a spin. Upon discovering a custom shop in Washington willing to do the fabrication, the question was then posed to Mitch, “Want to armor the cab?” Then, the next question was, “Want to add a turret?” Mitch, being the pragmatist he is, naturally agreed to those modifications and many others. Not to quote The Fixx, but one thing leads to another.
The entire cab was refabbed from scratch with Level 5 armored glass and ¼-inch AR500 steel, including the turret you see up top that holds a Browning M2 courtesy of Ohio Ordnance Works. A custom armored fuel tank holding roughly 200 gallons was also added, along with an armored grille, battery box, bedliner, and housing for the radiator. The frame was extended slightly and bed pushed back to extend the cab, which now sports five heated Twisted Stitch suspension seats with their own charging ports and storage pouches.
A 20-ton winch is encased in the ½-inch-thick steel-ramming bumper. A custom hydraulic system was built to lift the armored hood. Rifle, pistol, and mag mounts also reside in the doors and dash. A Rugged Radios system, similar to what you’d see in a fire truck, serves as comms with headsets for front and rear passengers as well as a CB radio. A 360-degree thermal imaging camera setup with a monitor on the dash is accompanied by a joystick-controlled searchlight.
But wait, there’s more. A custom ladder was added to the tailgate. Switch panels were added to control various accessories powered off the 24/12-volt system with circuit breakers, such as the Rigid lightbars, wheelwell lights, custom A/C system, train horn, PA system, navigation, fuel siphoning/pumping capabilities, and run-flat tires with central tire inflation system.
An alarm and door-locking mechanism separate from the handles to prevent outside intrusion was also thrown into the mix, along with red and white dome lights, remote starter, and custom paint job to finish it off. Mitch tells us it’s even EMP resistant. You can almost hear the sounds of “Carefree Highway” emanating from the stereo.
It certainly makes you start thinking, maybe I could do something like this. To take on a project of this magnitude, however, requires some serious coin, so don’t think that buying a military vehicle doesn’t come without a special set of requirements. After all, serious maintenance often requires a master diesel mechanic, along with the willingness to find reliable outlets that sell parts not found at AutoZone.
We dared Mitch to throw his energy into a project MRAP or half-track, but only time will tell if he finds one that turns him on enough. We can’t think of many problems we wouldn’t be able to solve with an armored 5-ton. If we ever stumble across the Ark of the Covenant and need reliable transportation, we know exactly who to call.
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