Wheeling a vintage truck is part art form and part luck. Whether it's the old farm rig passed down from generation to generation or that retro-wheeler you always wanted as a child, there is an added element of risk and excitement each and every time the classic iron hits the dirt. For if you crumple a fender or destroy a doorframe, your parts search is a little more involved than if you'd broken a taillight on your new Wrangler. While cruising the dusty notches at this year's Tierra Del Sol Desert Safari in sunny Southern California, we ran into Pelle Klein and his ultra-clean '68 Kaiser M-715. Though Pelle is no stranger to building four-bys he credits the truck's previous owner, Brian Salazar, for transforming the classic pickup into the monster it is today. It's not everyday we run across a rig four decades old that's not only used to off-road but still looks good doing it. And while you won't find the Kaiser ripping its way through the Hammers, Pelle does assure us that it sees plenty of tough terrain and is equipped with the heavy-duty parts to handle all types of terra-firma. The M-715 has by far one of the coolest-looking and most functional beds ever produced. Under the massive factory fender flares resides a set of 42-inch TSLs wrapped around 16.5-inch HMMWV beadlocks to keep with the military theme.The M-715 has by far one of the coolest-looking and most functional beds ever produced. Un So for all of you sitting on those metal marvels of yesterday, get to wrenching and bring back style and size in an old-school way. Tech Specs1968 Kaiser M-715DrivetrainEngine: 350 ciTransmission: T-98 Transfer case: NP200Front Axle: Dana 60, Detroit Locker, 4.88 gearsRear Axle: Dana 70, Detroit Locker, 4.88 gearsSuspensionSprings & Such: Custom hangers with stock springsTires & Wheels: 42x15 TSLs on 16.5-inch HMMWV beadlocksOther Stuff: Edelbrock carb and intake Powering the massive Kaiser is a 350ci Chevy crate engine that uses Edelbrock's Performer series intake manifold and carburetor to get things firing. Equipped with an Optima battery to keep it charged up, this no-frills engine bay is simple and clean, just the way we like it.Powering the massive Kaiser is a 350ci Chevy crate engine that uses Edelbrock's Performer Brian Salazar of Costa Mesa, California, crafted the custom interior cage and got the open top looking about as fresh as the day it rolled off the assembly line. With a T-98 manual transmission and an original NP200 transfer case, controlling the vintage wheeler off-road is as easy as shifting into gear.Brian Salazar of Costa Mesa, California, crafted the custom interior cage and got the open The Kaiser was originally equipped with a spring-under axle front suspension, which was swapped to a spring-over setup for a taller stance. The original closed-knuckle front axle was swapped out for a late-model open-knuckle Dana 60. With each end of the 1-ton rig fitted with 4.88 gears and Detroit Lockers, Pelle's pickup had no trouble conquering the big notches of the Ocotillo Wells off-road area in SoCal.The Kaiser was originally equipped with a spring-under axle front suspension, which was sw By Ali Mansour Enjoyed this Post? Subscribe to our RSS Feed, or use your favorite social media to recommend us to friends and colleagues!
