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Road And Bog: 1957 FWD Teracruzer

1957 MM1 Teracruzer

Calling this massive eight wheeled machine an oddball would probably be a bit of an understatement. Of course it’s hard to come up with any other label to give it, it just looks so, well odd. This massive piece of equipment was built during the Cold War era to transport missiles for the US Air Force, but once the Cold War came to a close it was put into service hauling cranberries out of the bog. It still runs and drives, but needs some work and a new home. Find this 1957 FWD Teracruzer here on craigslist in Long Beach, Washington for $22,250. Special thanks to Roman K for sending this in!

FWD Teracruzer

This probably isn’t the vehicle for everyone, especially when you start calculating what it will cost to restore and maintain such a large vehicle. The tires alone would cost a small fortune to replace, thankfully the seller has 5 spare tires that are included! When it was built, it was powered by an 8 cylinder air plane engine, but at some point it had a GM diesel installed. While that might hurt the value and originality, it should actually make it a more affordable machine to actually use. I don’t know about you, but at current prices I would much rather buy diesel than jet fuel.

1957 Teracruzer

Outside of using it for hauling large quantities of cranberries, I’m struggling to see many uses for this rig. It would certainly look intimidating and impressive in the drive way, but I doubt it would be very comfortable to take to town. Now don’t get me wrong, you could actually drive this on road. It was designed to be capable of both on and off road use; with the switch of a button the tires can be deflated or inflated anywhere between 3 and 18 psi depending on the road surface. I can only imagine the looks you would get driving this around town, but I would be scared of clipping a parked car or accidentally driving right over something or someone. One thing is for sure, you’d easily intimidate any jacked up pickup trucks you might cross paths with and leave their owner envious of your off road capabilities!

1957 FWD Teracruzer

Getting it ready for any use (on or off the street) is going to take a little attention, as the air and hydraulic systems both need work. The seller doesn’t state what all they need, but I would assume it will primarily just need new fittings and hoses. I would love to see this truck in action and I can’t help but think this would make the most incredible camping and hunting rig. You could go anywhere (you might have to plow down a few trees through) and have plenty of cargo space to haul just about anything you could need to survive. So would you put all 8 wheels to good use off-roading or do you think this machine should be put in a Cold War museum?

Comments

  1. Avatar jim s

    i wonder how it would do in snow country or as a workhourse on a pipeine or utility right of way. tires might work on a golf course. i would like to use it once to go to the bigbox lumber store as i think it gets to park where it wants. GPM instead of MPG? great find.

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  2. Avatar Dave Wright

    I bought one of these 25-30 years ago at Pt Hueneme. It had returned from ant artic service. Once a year a support ship was dispatched from the port to the Ant Artic, I think it was the Norton Sound, with support equipment and it would return with surplus or worn equipment. These are still built by a company in Texas and used as polar bear excursion vehicles in Canada. They are huge, We still see them in the oil field on the north slope. The tires would cost more than the asking price.

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  3. Avatar cliffyc

    Looks like the daddy of a Forward Control Land Rover!, very similar lines…(1962-1974).

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  4. Avatar Bill Parmenter

    Love to roll into Bob’s in this on Cruise-night !!

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  5. Avatar Adam

    I don’t need it but I want it

    Like 1
  6. Avatar St.Ramone de V8

    I’ve found my commuter car! No more road rage or frustration. King of the rush hour! Allison automatic, add a cup holder, and I’m in.

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  7. Avatar Cameron Bater UK

    I… Have… Always… Wanted… One, I saw one at a steam rally when I was five but never since. Its just perfect, if I had kids I’d buy that just to intimidate “Soccer Mums” in their Chelsea Tractors 0o0 I could stick a but of straw in my mouth and sau Mornin to passers by.

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  8. Avatar Cameron Bater UK

    Hmm having done a very quick google search it would appear that they made as many variants of this as landrover did of their SVD Land Rovers

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  9. Avatar Cameron Bater UK

    I’ve dug up some information on this vehicle.
    Firstly (against what you might think) the vehicle was designed to fit the tyres that the Goodyear Tyre and Rubber Co had developed. This was done by a research and development contract organised by the army and The Four Wheel Drive Auto Co. were the sucsessfull aplicants, aparently the contract was signed on 11th December 1954.
    Early models appear to have used a subframe of 4 wheels per unit and friction roller on the top to actually animate the vehicle, from the side they don’t look unlike a Catapiler Track set up.
    The advantage of this passive axle set up is that neither the load or the force can go through the axle, and considering the vehilce weighs 16,000 Lbs and can pull the same again this was probably wise as the axle would have had to pull 32,000 lbs. Essentially the purpose is just to mount the tyres.

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  10. Avatar Cameron Bater UK
  11. Avatar Mark E

    Looking at that wheel & axle setup I immediately thought of the Landmaster from Damnation Alley…

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  12. Avatar tiny ruemmler

    would make one hell of a bugout truck

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  13. Avatar W.T. de Graaf

    In the early seventies I was a driver on this truck at the road works in Holland.

    Like 0

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