What to Know Before Buying a Government Surplus Humvee

Back in the early ‘80s, the AM General High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV), known colloquially as the “Humvee,'' became a pop-culture icon and something of an urban legend because they were so unknown and utterly different from any military vehicle before them. And while it is easily argued that they are well past their prime for military service (AM General produced the prototype in 1979), the Humvee is still a formidable off-road machine that is well suited for extreme off-road and trails, survival, or even farm use (it is a one and 1/4-ton truck after all).

So let’s take a deep dive into the world of buying a military surplus Humvee. We’ll cover the various design improvements to see which ones you want, look into how you can get one as a civilian, and most importantly, how to drive it legally.

Humvee History

The U.S. military has a long and storied tradition of holding onto designs for far longer than any private-sector entity ever would. Take their fleets of jets, for instance. The KC-135 tanker and B-52 bomber were designed together, and both entered production in 1955, with production ceasing in 1964. The USAF expects both to remain in the fleet for three or four decades. 

The M4/M16 rifle has been around since about 1960, while the M1 Abrams tanks have been the main fighting tanks since 1979. As far as wheeled vehicles are concerned, the military relied on the same basic designs for decades, well beyond their useful lifespans. 

The Willys MB was a light, low-profile vehicle designed for quick reconnaissance. It was, of course, the precursor to the infamous Jeep brand and was a handy design. But even functional designs run their course. 
The military was trying to replace a few different vehicles with one broad platform, essentially to reduce the strain on supply chains. It had very literally been World War II-era vehicles operating tactically for over three decades. 

It is essential to remember that there are two classes of vehicles in the military’s inventory: standard vehicles, or “GSAs,” which are just fleet vehicles and get replaced on a regular rotation. On the other hand, a Humvee is a tactical vehicle, which means it stays in a different rotation. Tactical vehicles are not replaced until a new vehicle has been approved and acquired through official channels. It is done in bulk, i.e., thousands of them across the military. 

How many is considered a “bulk” purchase? The original purchase contract ended with around 55,000 Humvees delivered to the military through the 1980s. 

The military is not fast about anything. Ever. Especially not approving and implementing designs. This is why we are still using Humvees and a primary tactical vehicle after over forty years. And good on them for still being in the fight! The modifications to the design have chronically overloaded them with armor, guns, turrets, missiles, and anything else you can hang on them.  

Legacy Powertrain

A big part of the modernization process for the aging Humvee fleet has come in the form of powertrain upgrades. AM General built the original Humvees with the 6.2L Detroit diesel engine. Yes, that 6.2L Detroit diesel. You know, one of the most sluggish diesel engines known to mankind. 

On the bright side, they were also slow on top-end speed and underpowered overall. In addition, the Six-Two was a notorious dog, especially since it was a naturally-aspirated diesel. Ugh. 

According to Wikipedia (literally the only source of information on this engine), the Six Two in the Humvee pushed out 185 horsepower and 330 ft/lbs of torque from the factory. Not terrible, but very underwhelming by today’s standards. Ok, it is terrible for a vehicle pushing 6,000 pounds at the curb. 

It is unclear when the military upgraded from the Six Two to the Six Five. The 6.5L Detroit is just a bored-over Six Two that GM slapped a Borg-Warner turbocharger on, and thank goodness for that. 

Also, the original Humvees began life with the infamously sturdy Turbo-Hydramatic 400 transmission, which is a beefy three-speed that was regularly coupled to the stout big block mills of the era. This is a fine choice, especially if you never want to see anything north of 55 mph, especially with the Six Two. 

Powertrain Modernization

Anytime you pass a convoy of Humvees on the highway, be aware that they have the best GM powertrain components that 1991 has to offer. 

All jokes aside, the Humvee is getting old to be a primary tactical vehicle, especially since some of these units spent years in the hot deserts of Iraq and Afghanistan. 

The latest upgrades on the Humvee were to add the Six-Five under the hood and a four-speed automatic strapped in. It’s tough to say which transmission, but probably 700R4/4L-series transmissions. While these were undoubtedly improvements over the original powertrain, it is still a sluggard.

And of course, new military Humvees are still being built in 2022. My advice? Buy the newest one you can. Newer military Humvees have more desirable turbocharged engines and stronger transmissions, and they are capable of higher top speeds.

Civilian Sales of the Humvee

Off-roaders have highly coveted the Humvee for many years, and for a good reason: it is a through-and-through off-road contender.

It was strong enough that AM General produced a civilian version of the HMMWV under the branding of Hummer. The original H1 was a base M998 HMMWV but outfitted with standard amenities like carpet, nice seats, and air conditioning. 

It was also costly, especially when it hit the market (late ‘80s/early ‘90s); the original MSRP in 1992 was $52,950. In today’s dollars, this comes out to about $105,220. Mind you; this is for a base model, which is far under the usual sticker price.

In short, the original H1 was not intended for the off-road community. The fact that Arnold Schwarzenegger championed the civil sale of H1s and bought the first two off the line should tell you all that you need to know.   

H1s were driven almost exclusively by rich snobs who had no intention of putting it through its paces. Meanwhile, avid offroaders continued to push Jeeps and other common (cheap) 4x4s to their limits. 

However, times are changing. The Hummer brand has long been chiefly defunct; the H2 and H3 were produced alongside other mass-production GM light-lines and are nothing more than a boxy SUV. Nobody buys H1s or cares about them; to be honest; their time in the spotlight is long past. 

Demilitarization of the Humvee

The military is slow to do anything, but after three decades, they did move forward with the demilitarization of the HMMWV platform to civilian auction, a method they frequently use to offload unneeded equipment.

The whole process of demilitarization of military equipment is lengthy and boring. Still, its basics go back to the two types of fleets in the military: on-road fleet vehicles and tactical vehicles, like the Humvee.

The military auctions off both types through private vendors, but the process is slightly different. Their fleet vehicles are titled like any other car or truck, so there is no difference between them and a similar car on the street when they go to auction. 

Tactical vehicles like Humvees are different. They don’t possess a standard title, so before you begin the process, you need to ensure that your paperwork from the auction yard is sufficient. 

But before it goes to auction, it has to be thoroughly demilitarized. For a slick M998, this isn’t much of an issue, but with so many tactical add-ons through the years of the service, some items have to be removed. 

For the most part, these are any parts that have to do with the fire control mechanisms of a weapons system. For example, Humvees were (and still are) used to mount all kinds of weapons (missiles, rockets, etc.), which the military cannot sell to the public intact. You cannot buy a weaponized Humvee from a military surplus auction. That is a sentence nobody should have to say.

Where Can You Buy A Humvee?

Humvees began being auctioned off by the government back in 2014, with a batch of about 4,000 surplus Humvees going on sale via IronPlanet, one of the largest auction organizations in the U.S.

The worst part of the whole thing is that up until this move back in 2014, surplus Humvees were cannibalized for parts and then sent to the scrap yard. As a result, there were only a tiny handful of military surplus Humvees floating around before 2014, and those were often in Hollywood for movie roles. But there are still plenty up for grabs and plenty more to come.

As of right now, there are ample examples of Humvees for sale on IronPlanet, like this one.

Courtesy of Iron Planet

The individual sale price for each Humvee varies widely since it is an auction service, ranging from around $19,000 to over $50,000. The cool thing about Humvees is that most have low miles, as indicated above. One thousand two hundred two miles for a truck that’s fourteen years old? That’s a bargain, honestly. 

What Do I Need To Do To Buy A Used Humvee?

This is the good part: there isn’t anything special about buying a Humvee! There is no CDL requirement, so the process is pretty straightforward. 

• As far as the prime vendor (IronPlanet) goes, they have no requirement for a dealer’s license so anyone can sign up for their service. You just have to make sure to have funds available.

• You might need to fill out an End-User Certificate (EUC). This could tack on an additional 20-60 days on the process, and if the government is saying that, it will probably take the full 60 days.

• Plan on either picking up the Humvee in person or arranging third-party shipping.

So What About A Title?

Like we said, surplus tactical vehicles will not be sold with a title, per se. Instead, the military will sell them with Form SF97. The SF97 is what you will take to the DMV to obtain a clean title, and although you can buy a simple bill of sale from IronPlanet rather than the SF97, we highly recommend the extra $25 it costs to get the official form.

First, however, you will want to check with whatever DMV you plan to use to make sure they are accepting SF97s. The word is that some states including Florida will not accept SF97s, so double-check first. If your local DMV won’t accept an SF97, there are other options we will cover in a moment.

How Do I Get My Humvee Titled, Tagged, and Registered?

Holding an official title is one thing, but getting your vehicle registered and tagged is another. 

Tactical military vehicles do not have to abide by local vehicle inspection and smog inspection requirements, but road vehicles do. So, if you want to register your prized Humvee in California, it could get dicey depending on what year you buy. However, if it is old enough to be grandfathered (diesel vehicles built before 1997 are exempt), you might be alright. 

However, if it is a newer model, it will have to pass emissions, which will be a chore. Rest assured, there are other ways to get on the road.

Title and Register Your Humvee Out-of-State!

The looming and obvious solution is to skip the inspection program altogether. I am sure there is a tactical term for this, but it escapes me. 

You can have the best of both worlds through the Dirt Legal Military Street Legal Registration Service. Our team will get your Humvee (or any other tactical truck or vehicle) a new title and registration by working with known and trusted DMVs in states that do not require inspections and emissions testing for these vehicles.

And if you live in a high-tax state like California, our program will substantially reduce your out-of-pocket expenses.

Parting Shots

The ugly Humvee has an irresistible charm, that’s for sure. Until recently, Humvees were next to impossible to come by, but now there is a good supply being turned out by the military. The process might seem daunting, but it’s simple when you get into it, especially with Dirt Legal in your corner. So don’t wait any longer to buy your Humvee; put your bid in the auction block and put a call in with Dirt Legal to get you on the road!