Joined: Mar 22, 2017 Posts: 301 Location: Great Mills, MD
Posted: Fri Aug 18, 2017 11:14 am Post subject: M38/A1 Floor Cover.......any advice?
Hi Guys,
Has anyone bought this set of MD Juan floor cover panels and installed them? I'm wondering how close to being "good panels" they are. NOS ones are getting hard to find and it looks like this set, which appears reasonably priced, is becoming the only game in town. I recently purchased a set of NOS and they fit like crap. So I'm wondering if these repops might be a better starting point. I'm not expecting rave reviews, but figure I'd ask before I start beating my NOS panels into shape.
Joined: Mar 22, 2017 Posts: 301 Location: Great Mills, MD
Posted: Fri Aug 18, 2017 12:48 pm Post subject:
Hi Brian,
Let me clarify a bit. I haven't removed my originals from my tub yet...I plan on working on the tub this winter. But I figure I'll start getting the easy panels now........the one's that shouldn't need to be "cut to fit" so to speak. When I say my NOS panels fit like crap I mean just bolting them together. The upper floor panel in the set doesn't sit flush when placed over the larger main panel........well it's flush on the right side, but the left is displaced a half inch when you line up the bolt holes. And the tranny cover isn't even close to being flush with the large panel when I line up those holes. If I line up the rear holes then the area where it angles up toward the firewall has a huge gap in it. I can slide it down so that section is tight but then the rear holes don't line up. I realize some "fitting" will be needed even with NOS, but I'm thinking these panels should fit a bit better than this. Coming from the M37 world......none of those NOS panels had as much variation as what I'm seeing here. Am I just being naïve here and expecting too much from NOS jeep panels?
Bob,
Are you sure that what is in your jeep are the original transmission covers etc. and not MD Juan stuff that has been retrofitted? As to NOS transmission covers, Brent Mullins has just bought out a large stock of NOS M38 and M38A1 parts from a guy in Donaldsonville, LA. You might check with him. I don't know if his containers have shipped yet but I know he recently said he expects them in soon.
As to other body panels. Classic Enterprises probably makes the best fitting body panels if you are going to have to replace lower cowls, bed floors etc. Midwest Military makes some limited stuff that fits very well also.
Joined: May 30, 2014 Posts: 3461 Location: Texas Hill Country
Posted: Fri Aug 18, 2017 3:06 pm Post subject:
Ralph and I are both making some assumptions which can lead to
problems.
I'm going to try and clarify.
You have the floorplates and trans cover still in the jeep.
You bought "NOS" floor plates and tranny cover and have trial
fitted them to each other and laid them into place on top of the
still installed plates and cover.
The ones you bought don't line up with each other or the tub.
If this is correct I would suggest you remove one panel
at a time and try fitting the NOS parts into place. I would do this
with all three before you decide you need to order more.
Joined: Mar 22, 2017 Posts: 301 Location: Great Mills, MD
Posted: Sat Aug 19, 2017 11:09 am Post subject:
Hi Guys,
Thanks for your replies. Ralph.......I'll check on that. Brian.......here's some more clarification;
My original panels are still in my jeep. The crappy fitment I'm talking about regarding the NOS panels relates to just how they fit together sitting on my rec room floor. I haven't tried to lay them over the originals in the jeep.....but that's a great idea. Are my panels original? I've got pics of the during the .....ahem...."restoration" done on my jeep previously and it appears the panels are original in those pics. And they fit good in my jeep........so I'm assuming they're original. Are they salvageable? Sure. The worst of the bunch is the larger panel that covers the tranny and bellhousing. It's not rotted, just dented up on some of the curved surfaces. The upper firewall panel and the rectangular trans cover are pretty good.
So why did I buy the set of NOS panels? I didn't intend to. I was looking for just the large floor panel and from their website it looked like AJP had one available. But when I called he checked and was out. I started calling around and found they were very hard to find. So I sort of stopped looking and figured I'd get a decent used one at one of the meets. But then the whole set of NOS floor cover panels popped up on ebay and all 3 were going for just a bit more than what AJP was asking for just the large panel (when he had them). My philosophy on NOS sheetmetal is the value only goes up. Although I don't need these panels right now today.........when I do need them in a year or so they'll be going for 3 times what they're going for now. So when I find NOS sheetmetal (for my M37 or now my A1) that I might possibly use...........I buy it. I can always sell it later. And that's what happened here...they popped up for a decent price and I closed my eyes and jumped.
When the panels got here I wasn't even going to take them out of the box..........just put the box on my pile.........and forget I bought it when I needed it next year. But I was moving stuff around trying to clean up and I figured........let's just put them together and see how good this stuff is. And that's when I found out they fit together like crap. I've got a busy day today..........but when I get in later I'll try to take some pics of what I mean by "crappy fit" and then you can let me know if I'm making a mountain out of a mole hill here.
I have had the upper panel align poorly with the lower panel on the bench but when I fastened them to the jeep's floor they fit together like a glove. I suspect it is the result of many compound curves, angles and joints that need to be loaded to their jig position for them to suddenly align quite well.
I would suggest if you need the comfort of knowing they will fit in the future then simply remove your old ones and install the new ones. The fit answer is in the proper hole! _________________ Wes K
45 MB, 51 M38, 54 M37, 66 M101A1, 60 CJ5, 76 DJ5D, 47Bantam T3-C & 5? M100
Joined: Mar 22, 2017 Posts: 301 Location: Great Mills, MD
Posted: Sun Aug 20, 2017 10:33 am Post subject:
Hi Guys,
Good point Wes........I'll try and futz with it later and see what I find out.
Brian.......no problem........I didn't read any responses as being offend-able.....I appreciate all the help I can get.
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