Joined: May 30, 2014 Posts: 3461 Location: Texas Hill Country
Posted: Thu Jun 05, 2014 10:49 am Post subject: 1950 M38 find
Good morning,
After passing an old Jeep twice in a month I left the owner a note in his mailbox asking if it was for sale. I received a call last Saturday night advising that it was. He had not had it long, and had bought it from a guy for some cash so he could move out of town. We talked about condition, etcetera, and having banged around on the Internet a bit the week before looking at Jeeps and conditions, and prices, I offered him 500. He said he'd take 6, as that was what he had in it. Had all of the dash plates and a clear title, and he had driven it across his lot a couple of weeks ago although a tire was flat and the brakes were out. We put a battery in it, and he cranked it over and it fired up with a squirt or two of starting fluid. We used the starter to walk it up onto the two wheel dolly he used to pull it to my place.
So. long ways around the mountain, but here we are. I live in the country and needed a Gator or off road golf cart for moving stuff, and figured if I could at least get this thing running reliably I might be ahead of the game.
Serial Number MC 11481, manufacture date 1950, Procurement MTD equipment number C2740, Depot Maintenance MTD number 8358318. Wheel house tag is gone. Does not have the machine gun center sill plate or frame mounts, or more than two extra holes in the top of the wheel houses. Tailgate is gone. It has a four point roll bar bolted to the wheel house tops on each side. The windshield is gone, replaced with a piece of u-shaped pipe welded to the top of the cowl on each side, and a piece of Plexiglass bolted to that.
I have not tried cranking it up since getting it home. Yet. Bought a new battery, changed the oil and filter (has the Fram type) and after three tries at the local NAPA, found a belt that would work. Original wiring is all gone, or nearly, has a 12 volt starter and generator, and what few things are wired are 12 volt. Awesome (sic) chrome air cleaner stuffed under the right side dash, where the battery box would go. Oil bath unit is gone.
It has a fuel pump with a glass globe on top, and an in line filter. The gas tank has been replaced and appears to be a CJ-2 or 3 with only the sending unit on top. The tank appears clean and dry, and no rust. The spark plugs look to be rusted into the head. I have been putting Liquid Wrench on them and one day when I get the courage might try twisting one off in the head.
There is a LOT of Bondo. And rust, but not nearly as much rust as some of the projects I've seen here, but more than others. I have tried block sanding the hood to try and find some markings, but it appears to have been taken down to bare metal, primed, then Bondoed, then several layers of paint applied. The fording air hose and external power hole on the right side was closed up with a large piece of sheet, and the welds are just awful.Thankfully they are mostly on the back side. The front has about 3/8" thick layer of Bondo to hide the joint, which didn't work.
My priority at this moment is to get it running, fix the brakes, and the steering, and I'll go from there.
Rambling here, but wanted to introduce myself and the project, and look forward to getting lots of help down the road.
I'd like to thank the folks that have posted their projects as well as photos for the rest of us to see. It really helps to know others have gone through much of what lies ahead, and have documented all that is necessary (or isn't necessary) to get one of these things back on the road.
Joined: May 30, 2014 Posts: 3461 Location: Texas Hill Country
Posted: Sun Jun 15, 2014 10:49 am Post subject:
Taking stock and trying to figure out my next move. In the meantime I have a couple of questions.
Bubba filled in the snorkel and slave plug hole(s) in the hood. If I'm able to get all of the slag and extra sheet metal out, does anyone have dimensions or maybe even a stencil as to what the hole(s) should look like? I don't want to cut out any more than necessary.
Also, both front seat brackets on the wheel houses are trashed. I have not seen them anywhere as after market repair pieces. Has anyone had to make theirs or is there a supplier? Also, on only one photo have I ever seen anything between the bracket and the wheel housing. Looked like a block of wood to provide some support. Is it supposed to be there and are there dimensions and mounting information available?
Joined: May 30, 2014 Posts: 3461 Location: Texas Hill Country
Posted: Sun Jun 15, 2014 10:55 am Post subject:
One more question. Has my instrument panel been removed and reinstalled upside down with the gauges inverted so they read right? My speedo is on the bottom with a hole IO am assuming for the bright/dim light on top. Your reference photo for the survey shows the reverse.
My guess is the prior owner had the instrument cluster dis-assembled and re-assembled it without knowing which was top or bottom.
Just switch it around.
The seat brackets I have not seen for repop.
My photo album has plenty of body photos:
Driver's side edge view.
Both sides top view
If you need more let me know what areas. Also be sure to search the board using google and looking for "seats M38 willysmjeeps.com" and "rear wheel house M38 willysmjeeps.com" . _________________ Wes K
45 MB, 51 M38, 54 M37, 66 M101A1, 60 CJ5, 76 DJ5D, 47Bantam T3-C & 5? M100
Yep that's how clear I understood you. Both are shown clearly in the full tub photo and the end view of the driver's side is shown clearly in the view of the driver's side wheelhouse. Those are the two angled brackets that support the back edge of the front seats. There aren't any other brackets supporting the back of the front seats. Those two are the only ones you get.
Joined: May 30, 2014 Posts: 3461 Location: Texas Hill Country
Posted: Mon Jun 16, 2014 10:51 am Post subject:
Hi Wes,
Thanks for the photos.
One is completely gone off the passenger side and the driver side is mashed almost beyond repair. Maybe I can remove it and replicate.
The wheelhouses are also mashed pretty badly, I suspect due to heavier than anticipated Bubba loading and if the brackets are damaged, no way to prevent it.
I have another question. What is the timeline and useage for the Douglas versus Packard connectors. Are they interchangeable on an M38 depending on when they were built and/or repaired?
The Packard rubber type were not used on the M38 at all. The Packards were introduced around 1958 on other make military vehicles. The mid to late 60's m38A1 for the Marine contracts came with them.
You'll need the metal Douglas connectors for a correct any year M38. The M38 harness can be adapted to the Packard system _________________ Wes K
45 MB, 51 M38, 54 M37, 66 M101A1, 60 CJ5, 76 DJ5D, 47Bantam T3-C & 5? M100
Joined: May 30, 2014 Posts: 3461 Location: Texas Hill Country
Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2014 4:01 pm Post subject: Getting it running
Not necessarily in this order, but...
It runs. Seller cranked it up with starting fluid.
No brakes.
Bad steering.
Bad seats.
One flat tire.
Need to get some sort of temp gas supply, maybe even unbolt the CJ tank
and sit it on the fender, but don't really want to put too much gas in it just for a test run.
Need to get the cap off the master cyl and see what is what. Two cans of brake fluid came with it....
Right front rod is bent, and all of the joints appear to be worn out.
Working on the front seat wheelhouse brackets. If I can get the seats mounted solid and the driver frame repaired, then a simple covering will suffice for now.
Civvy aftermarket tires on the thing. Wondering if it even has tubes in it. Can I put the right tubes in modern radial tires?
Speaking of steering and suspension. Does this look right? Seems to be a lot of air there.
That spring has been repaired at least once. Won't hurt anything.
There are tubes made specifically for radial tires. If the tires and wheels are holding air without tubes then you really don't need tubes. _________________ Wes K
45 MB, 51 M38, 54 M37, 66 M101A1, 60 CJ5, 76 DJ5D, 47Bantam T3-C & 5? M100
Joined: May 30, 2014 Posts: 3461 Location: Texas Hill Country
Posted: Fri Jul 11, 2014 12:35 pm Post subject:
Last week Manned up and pulled the plugs. They came right out with no problem. Guess soaking them in Liquid Wrench for a couple of weeks helped.
They looked a little dark and smudgy, but not wet or greasy oil.
A couple of days later, undid the gas line from the dry CJ tank and dipped the end in a plastic gas can. Dribbled a little gas down the carb and turned her over. After a little pulling on the tank she fired over and settled into a pretty smooth idle. Added a few rpms here and there and she revved pretty smooth. Oil leaking out of the top screw on the filter can. After a few more minutes rad fluid began circulating in the radiator, telling me the thermostat had opened. No other leaks anywhere, no smoke from the tailpipe. Checked the oil pressure gauge (which appears to be the only gauge on the panel working). Looks to be about 58 pounds, for what that is worth. Videoed the start up and grabbed a screen shot of the gauge. Sorry for the poor quality. Considered myself lucky and called it a day. Onward!
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