My thoughts on the HMMWV are pretty well cemented: they are killer off-roaders that are equipped with all of the luxury amenities of a gulag and have all the stump-pulling power of an old work mule that has vultures circling overhead. Even when set up in ideal conditions, the HMMWV was not my favorite military vehicle to deal with. The legroom is nonexistent, the acceleration is molasses-in-January slow, and if it wasn’t for the fact that I could go pretty much damn near anywhere I wanted to with one (or that I could pedestal-mount a machine gun in the bed of one), I’d outright loathe it. But I’ll at least own up to a couple of things: on the outside, they look the business and I love their simplicity. One ignition switch, five gauges, one transmission shift lever, one transfer case shift lever, THE END.

Now, that’s my feelings on the military trucks. My feelings on this particular pre-civillian Hummer are something else altogether. Back when Hummer was about to become a household name and a real vehicle you could buy and drive on the street, AM General made a proposition to Rod Hall to take the truck most Americans knew about as a war machine to the desert as a race truck. Hall, who up to that point had been known for his work with Dodge trucks, went nuts with the build. We’ll let the ad speak from here:

1991 H1 Hummer/HMMWV Race Truck This truck was presented to Rod Hall when he accepted an invitation from AM General to start ‘Team Hummer’ in 1991. The Race Team start coincided with the release of the Civilian H1 Hummer. A new frame and suspension system was added at a cost of approximately $25,000. A new 6.5 mechanically turbocharged intercooled engine was also installed. Custom Zumi intake manifold and piping. The original Turbo 400 transmission and 242 transfer case remain. Transmission is a full manual valve body with a Cheetah shifter. Brakes have been converted to 12″ with no parking brake. The problematic rear calipers were replaced with front units. Solid aluminum skid plates protect front and rear differentials and brakes. A H1 Alpha main tank was installed for added fuel capacity. There is also a 20 gallon fuel cell mounted in the bed that is pumped into the main tank by a Holley 110 GPH electric fuel pump. Truck has 2 spares mounted on matching beadlock wheels in a custom rack in the bed. A new set of 4 BF Goodrich Baja T/A’s were just installed.

Truck also equipped with a rear towing hitch and plug. Installed on the front bumper are Blue Ox tow bar mounts so that the truck can be flat towed. There are 6 Light Force lights installed. Interior roll cage has been modified with additional cross bars. Front seats are Corbeau with Crow 4 point belts, Rears are Smittybilt XRC’s with Simpson lap belts. Covers have been installed on rear seats due to sun damage on the sides of seats. Kenwood 100 watt VHF radios with 2 heads, one driver and one passenger. Radio is mounted under rear driver’s side seat. They have been programmed to various race team frequencies. There is also a 40 channel Cobra CB within the reach of both driver and passenger. Mounted on a HMMWV radio rack is a Itronix docking station with a Itronix GoBook 3 with integrated GPS and wireless internet. Delorme Topo software has been installed. A Havis map light is mounted for the computer. Dual batteries are mounted under the passenger front seat (Stock Location).

The magic in this truck comes from the suspension upgrades. 6 custom built BRW shocks control the bumps. 2 massive fronts with remote reservoirs and 4 rears. Truck also has Bullet proof billet ball joints. The best available for the Hummer/HMMWV. These are the same as used on the suspension upgrade kits for the military HMMWV’s. It is AMAZING in the desert at speed! Still has it’s original paint. If you are looking for a true piece of Hummer history this is it! U.S.A. Street legal! Drive it anywhere. Remember this truck is NOT anywhere near perfect condition, It’s a offroad racer! Runs great! Suspension is setup for offroad. Notice that it has a lot of negative camber. That’s for offroad handling. Can be set to stock with a alignment. It does however have great road manners. Has HMMWV dash but has always been 12 volt. Starting procedure is turn key, Push glow plug button and hold for 15 seconds then start with key.

Craigslist Link: 1991 AM General M998 HMMWV

(Courtesy: Bring A Trailer)