Joined: Nov 16, 2021 Posts: 73 Location: NE Washington
Posted: Tue Dec 31, 2024 6:01 pm Post subject: Serial Database question
I've looked around the web for a M38A1 serial database.
I found one but it says the database is offline.
A few years back, I saved one page that showed serial and hood numbers in an attempt to get a possible range of hood numbers based on known vehicles with close serial numbers. At the top of that page, it has "buttons" for other years. Again, I only saved one page so I don't even have a site address to ID it with.
Other sites that show up on a search will not open up.
-Just wondering what the earliest M38A1 serial is?
-How about the earliest surviving vehicle?
-What about the last for the U.S. military (I know Canadian production went later, and I believe the Dutch too).
I saw a Sept. 1952 with a 183xx serial, just wanting to know when the began production to get a feel of monthly or annual output.
It seems they cranked out a lot during Korea, then cut back as the '50s progressed.
Mine is from March, 1955, so just trying g to see where it fits in the series timeline. _________________ 1955 M38A1 MD 82551
Former owner/restorer of 1977 CJ-5, stock with factory V-8.
Used as a daily driver for seven years.
Joined: Nov 16, 2021 Posts: 73 Location: NE Washington
Posted: Tue Dec 31, 2024 6:41 pm Post subject:
No, that's not the one I have a screenshot of, but it is useful.
You answered my question, serials began with 10000. I have found a lot of car serials seem to start at 100, 1000 or 10000. _________________ 1955 M38A1 MD 82551
Former owner/restorer of 1977 CJ-5, stock with factory V-8.
Used as a daily driver for seven years.
Joined: Oct 02, 2014 Posts: 2022 Location: South Carolina, Dorchester County
Posted: Tue Dec 31, 2024 7:25 pm Post subject:
Glad to help.
Not a typo --- M38A1 serial numbers began with MD10001 not MD10000. _________________ Ron D.
1951 M38 Unknown Serial Number
1951 M100 Dunbar Kapple 01169903 dod 5-51
“The only good sports car that America ever made was the Jeep."
--- Enzo Ferrari
I believe the data base you are referring to is the one from the Old M38A1 web site down in Texas. The owner back then in the 1990's was Scott Strance and we got to know each other quite well when I opened my original M38/M38A1 Yahoo web site for the Willys/Kaiser built m jeeps. In the early 2000's Scott decided to retire and seeing how my Yahoo web site evolved into this partnership with Ryan Miller and the birth of www.willysmjeeps.com Scott decided I should take over his M38A1 data base. I haven't went full public with it because I have to change it's layout so as not to include publicly all the individual folk's personal info such as emails and addresses. In the interim I have often provided snap shots of many of the pages so folks could research numbers in a single month or two or three. It starts with a 1951 page with 3 A1's listed but it is quite clear these are much newer A1's but they had civvy titles calling them 1951. Total file is 24 pages with 690 M38A1 records.
As Ron mentioned above, official A1 production started in June 1952 with the first off the line being MD10001. Note as we roll into the mid 1950's the serialization process starts a bit of change. Especially with export units.
I have maintained a serial number database for almost 30 years. it's a difficult task as you can only stand so much looking at lines and lines of information at a time. I had two big events that really filled out my data base. I did have access to hundreds of M38A1s at a surplus yard and over a course of 20 plus years, was able to record a good many of them. They have all been scraped now. Also, from the same person that owned the surplus yard, I was able to get a good many of his surplus sell booklets with his handwritten notes along with all the results of who bought the items and what they paid for it. It took little over a year to record all that information. For the question you asked, here is what I have.
First M38A1-- From the Chrysler Archives as published in the MVPA Army Motors issue 47 page 31, MD 10001 was the first serial number.
The first serial number data I recorded was from a data plate only for M38A1 10045 with a DOD of 5-52.
The first recorded USA registration number is USA 20946796 that belong to M38A1 10090. This came from an Atlanta GA Bid Pamphlet--dated Feb-27-1958
The lowest recorded registration number is USA 20946785 from M38A1 10865 DOD 5-52 which I recorded from the hundreds of M38Al on the surplus yard. This A1 has been scrapped. This also shows just how random the registration numbers were assigned
The last 5-52 M38A1 I have listed is 11669, from the same surplus yard and was a USMC M38A1.
. _________________ Harold W.
MVPA #6833
1945 GPW
1950 CJV-35/U
1951 M38 1952 M38
1962 USMC Contract M38A1
1953 Strick M100 1967 Johnson M416
1968 CJ5 4-Speed 1969 CJ5 V6
The last M38A1s do not show up in any publish data. The Marine Corps liked the M38A1s and didn't want to change over the M151s. They continued to take deliveries of M38A1s from 1960 until December 1964 when they were forced to start using the M151s. These USMC M38A1s were unique as they had the Packard rubber wiring harness connectors, early M151 air filters and the later from what I can tell, 1963 and on, delivered M38A1s had 4:27 geared diffs with Posi-traction.
The last USMC M38A1 I have recorded is M38A1 95922 with a DOD of 12 / 64 with registration USMC 316780 with engine MD 137167 It had the AN/MRC-83 Radio Set and had a Red Diamond TAC marking with a yellow background with the number 3 within it. I also have noted it was from Barstow California.
Of interest, the CDN production of M38A1s appear to pick up where the USMC M38A1s serial number left off.
First CDN M38A1 I have listed is 96851 DOD 11-67 with registration number 67-07804. _________________ Harold W.
MVPA #6833
1945 GPW
1950 CJV-35/U
1951 M38 1952 M38
1962 USMC Contract M38A1
1953 Strick M100 1967 Johnson M416
1968 CJ5 4-Speed 1969 CJ5 V6
Joined: Nov 16, 2021 Posts: 73 Location: NE Washington
Posted: Fri Jan 03, 2025 12:12 am Post subject:
Admin, Wes, Ryan
Yes, that's the database.
Thanks!
As I said, I just have one page.
It shows there is a survivor with a serial about 580 before mine and another 87 after.
I'd certainly like to pursue the entire (redacted) document sometime, to see the known survivors and get a feel for percentages and monthly production rates.
Judging by the serials it seems they were really cranking them out, (72000 in the first three years IF they used all the serials) especially considering the concurrent civilian Jeep (CJ3 then 5) output. But then, their facility was adequate for the MB production in the recent war.
I'm a history buff specializing in aircraft and autos, so its natural I'd like Jeep history.
BTW: If anyone wants to add the details of my example, built 3-55, feel free. _________________ 1955 M38A1 MD 82551
Former owner/restorer of 1977 CJ-5, stock with factory V-8.
Used as a daily driver for seven years.
Last edited by JBJeep on Fri Jan 03, 2025 12:56 am; edited 1 time in total
Joined: Nov 16, 2021 Posts: 73 Location: NE Washington
Posted: Fri Jan 03, 2025 12:59 am Post subject:
Thanks...I'll give it a good look.
I notice mine isn't on this version.... _________________ 1955 M38A1 MD 82551
Former owner/restorer of 1977 CJ-5, stock with factory V-8.
Used as a daily driver for seven years.
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum
Forum FAQ
Search
Usergroups
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
.
