This is a custom 1967 Kaiser-Jeep M715 built by the team at Blacksmith Garage out of Eden, Utah. It’s now powered by a 6.4 liter 392 Hemi V8 producing 485 bhp, mated to a 5-speed automatic transmission.
The truck benefits from a full rebuild, it now has Fox remote-reservoir coilovers front and rear, air conditioning, four-wheel disc brakes, Dana Ultimate 60 front and rear axles, power steering, a Rockford Fosgate Bluetooth-capable stereo head unit, and plenty more.
Fast Facts: A Hemi V8-Powered Kaiser-Jeep M715
- The Kaiser-Jeep M715 was introduced in 1967 as a military adaptation of the civilian Jeep Gladiator pickup. Developed under the Commercial Utility Cargo Vehicle program, it was designed to cut costs compared to purpose-built trucks. Approximately 30,500 were built before production ended in 1969, at around $4,400 each.
- It was powered by a 230 cubic inch Tornado inline-six producing 132 bhp and 210 lb ft of torque, paired with a 4-speed manual transmission and dual-range transfer case. With Dana 60 and Dana 70 axles and 5.87:1 gearing, the truck was ideal for low-speed hauling, but had a limited top speed of 55 mph.
- Four major variants were produced: the M715 cargo truck, M724 maintenance truck, M725 ambulance, and M726 telephone maintenance unit. It carried a 1¼ ton payload rating, towed up to 3,000 lbs, and saw widespread service in Vietnam, Korea, and Europe. Surplus examples later became popular with collectors and off-roaders.
- The custom 1967 M715 shown here was built by Blacksmith Garage as a modernized version with a 6.4 liter 392 Hemi V8 making 485 bhp and 475 lb ft of torque, mated to a 5-speed automatic and Atlas transfer case. It has Dana 60 axles with lockers, Fox coilovers, four-link suspension, 20″ wheels with 40″ tires, disc brakes, air conditioning, leather seating, and updated electronics.
History Speedrun: The Kaiser-Jeep M715
When the US military went shopping around for a replacement for the long-lived Dodge M37 in the mid-1960s, cost was front of mind. Instead of commissioning another purpose-built design, the Pentagon turned to the commercial market. The result was the Kaiser-Jeep M715, a militarized version of the production Jeep Gladiator pickup, built from 1967 until 1969.
The adoption of the Kaiser-Jeep M715 marked the first time the US military had opted for a primary truck based so heavily on civilian architecture, and it was a choice that would influence many future decisions regarding military vehicle procurement. Image courtesy of the US Army.
The adoption of the Kaiser-Jeep M715 was one of the first times the US military had opted for a primary service truck based so heavily on civilian architecture, and it was a choice that would influence many future decisions regarding military vehicle procurement.
The Dodge M37 had been the workhorse utility truck for the Army since the Korean War, but by the mid-1960s it was expensive to produce and it was largely outdated. The Department of Defense pursued an alternative – the Commercial Utility Cargo Vehicle (CUCV) program, designed to adapt mass-produced civilian trucks for large-scale military use. Kaiser-Jeep won the contract against a number of other heavy-hitters, and in 1965 development began on what would become the M715.
The design used Jeep’s full-size Gladiator J-series pickup as its platform, but it was modified with heavier axles, a stronger frame, a 24 volt electrical system, and a military-specific body. By January 1967, Kaiser-Jeep began delivering trucks to the armed forces. Roughly 30,500 were produced before the line shut down in May 1969. Each truck cost around $4,400 – this was a significant saving over the predicted costs of a bespoke design.
The M715 was dubbed a “five-quarter ton” truck, a nod to its 1¼ ton payload rating. It entered service during the Vietnam War and was deployed worldwide, from Korea to Europe. Four main versions were built – the M715 cargo truck, the M724 maintenance unit, the M725 ambulance, and the M726 telephone maintenance truck.
At the heart of the M715 sat a 230 cubic-inch Tornado inline-six, a single overhead cam engine carried over from Kaiser’s civilian lineup. It produced 132 bhp and 210 lb ft of torque, driving the wheels through a 4-speed manual transmission and a dual-range transfer case. Power was sent front and back to Dana 60 front and Dana 70 rear axles, with 5.87:1 gearing that gave the truck solid low-speed pulling ability but limited its top speed to only about 55 mph – though this was more than enough for military use.
The M715 measured in at 202 inches long, with a 126 inch wheelbase and a curb weight of 5,800 lbs (depending on variant). Its bed could carry 2,500 lbs of cargo, and it was rated to tow up to 3,000 lbs. Like most military vehicles of the era, it had blackout lights, and equipment for deep-water fording.
The 1967 Kaiser-Jeep M715 you see here has been completely rebuilt to modernize it, and improve its performance and reliability substantially.
The M715’s relatively short production run was largely due to its design compromises – by the early 1970s, many were relegated to support roles, replaced in front-line use by heavier-duty vehicles. Still, it broke ground as the first large-scale US military adoption of a civilian-based design – a path that would later be followed by the Chevrolet CUCV in the 1980s.
Abroad, the design had a longer tail. South Korea built licensed versions of the truck, designated the KM450, that continued in service for decades. Meanwhile, surplus M715s found their way into civilian hands across the United States, where they became popular among off-road enthusiasts, customizers, and collectors who loved their no-nonsense design and military history.
The 6.4 L Hemi–Powered Kaiser-Jeep M715 Shown Here
The 1967 Kaiser-Jeep M715 you see here has been completely rebuilt to modernize it, and improve its performance and reliability substantially. It’s now powered by a 6.4 liter 392 Hemi V8 producing 485 bhp and 475 lb ft of torque – that’s quite a bit more than the 132 bhp and 210 lb ft produced by the original six banger.
Power is sent back through a Mopar 545RFE 5-speed automatic transmission and an Atlas dual-range transfer case, to front and rear Dana 60 axles fitted with electronically-locking diffs and 5.38:1 gearing. The original heavy-duty chassis was completely disassembled, sandblasted, galvanized, and coated in black epoxy paint, and it was given additional reinforcement.
The new suspension consists of a three-link front and four-link rear suspension system with Fox remote-reservoir coilovers front and back, and Currie Antirock sway bars. It also now has power steering and power disc brakes on all four corners with a Wilwood master cylinder, and it rides on black-finished 20″ XD Panzer alloy wheels shod with 40×13.50″ Maxxis RAZR MT tires.
This Kaiser-Jeep M715 is now powered by a 6.4 liter 392 Hemi V8 producing 485 bhp and 475 lb ft of torque – that’s quite a bit more than the 132 bhp and 210 lb ft produced by the original six banger.
Inside the cab you’ll find split bench seating upholstered in brown leather with red stitching by Upholstery Unlimited. It has black carpeting, power windows and door locks, a Vintage Air climate control system, seat belts, a center console, a Clifford alarm system, and a floor-mounted emergency brake.
It’s now being offered for sale out of Eden, Utah by Blacksmith Garage, and you can visit the listing here if you’d like to read more about it or register to bid.
Images courtesy of Bring a Trailer
Articles that Ben Branch has written have been covered on CNN, Popular Mechanics, Smithsonian Magazine, Road & Track Magazine, the official Pinterest blog, the official eBay Motors blog, BuzzFeed, Autoweek Magazine, Wired Magazine, Autoblog, Gear Patrol, Jalopnik, The Verge, and many more.
Silodrome was founded by Ben back in 2010, in the years since the site has grown to become a world leader in the alternative and vintage motoring sector, with well over a million monthly readers from around the world and many hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.
