M38 Vehicle Identification

[Fergie]

I just purchase an M38 in Colorodo and am going to import it to Canada. The body tub is definitely an M38 howevere it is registered as a 47 CJ2a
I need to prove the year the vehicle was produced to be able to import the jeep. The Chassis has a military stamp USM4414CM. I am trying to determine what these numbers mean. Can anyone help me identify this vehicle, and when it was produced?

[wesk]

Hello Fergie,
I can't think of any US military branch that uses the prefix USM. Could be the property of stamp for another type organization such as Univ. of Southern Michigan. Aslo unlike the Canadian Armed Forces the US did not stamp serial or registration numbers on the frame. Also Willys did not stamp any serial numbers on the frames of the M38 and M38A1 series jeeps.

I believe I recall seeing the listing for that jeep. Are there no serial tags on the dash or the front end of the right rear wheelhouse?

Just to be sure that M38 tub is in fact sitting on an M38 chassis can you confirm the following:
1-Front bumper is bolted on. (Not riveted)
2-The front frame rails are boxed in from the bumper to almost the firewall.
3-There are two welded brackets on the right frame rail just behind and below the battery tray for mounting the military voltage regulator.
4-The pedal mounting shaft support is bolted to the right frame just below the driver's feet. (not riveted)


This is behind the pass seat.


These are on the dash pass side.


Engine serial

[Darrell-Prowse]

Thanks for the information. I will take a much closer look when the vehcile arrives from the transport. I should recieve the title docs soon and may be the registration will help me identify the Jeep. Thanks again

[wesk]

Just a reminder that here in the US many Motor Vehicle departments used yo use the engine serial number for the title's VIN. Also it was very common for the date of the vehicle's purchase from the government to be listed on the title as year of manufacture.

[SteveJ]

Hello Wes
can thje engine serial number be used to determine approximate date of delivery of the US built ones.. Assuming that that is the original block. It would at least indicate a year.

[wesk]

Not with any real sense of accuracy. We need a much more complete database before we can accurately interpret engine production vs jeep production. The problem therein is a lack of interest by so many members whom I have sent survey forms to and never recieved a reply.

[TomM]

USM may indicate a repro frame that was sold via a company in Minneapolis in the 70's and 80's.
I had one here with a USM serial number and it was a repro frame that had been sold by a company Apex (?) in California to a gent in CT. It hung on the wall in CT until I got it in a trade and I have since traded it out. It is still available to photo if required. Sorry for the sketchy detail. I traded the frame out 10 years ago.

Differences - it did come with hinges for a grill. It did not have the steering mount on the front x member. So look closely at the steering and see if you can tell if it has been welded in a way other than factory.

Tom

[TheJeeper]

Hi, I have a similar issue, I purchased a M38 registered as a '55 willys. The serial number on the tag behind the passenger seat reads, "MC 26013" and I was wondering if there is a way to use that production number to identify the year of the Jeep? Also, does "MC" mean Marine Corps?

[wesk]

Willys military jeeps had factory serial prefixes that started with the 1941 MA, followed by the MB from 42 theu 45. The MC was the M38 built 50 to 52, MD was the M38A1 built from 1952 to 1968 and MD-A was the M170 Ambulance built from 54 to 64. In eac case M = Military and the second letter ID's the model series/

Your MC 26053 would be a July 1951 unit.

The plate on the dash had the model prefix a bit to the left of the plate and the serial number was at the far right in a lighter colored space.

The Willys patent plate you found behind the passenger seat shows the MC prefix just ahead and close to the 5 digit serial. The VIN was that number which by the way was exactly the same as the number on the dash serial plate. The engine serial numbers do not match VIN's on the Willys jeeps although they used the same model prefix system.

[TheJeeper]

I miss-typed the first time, the serial is as follows, 26,053.

All the dash plates are gone, the engine has been junked by the PO in favor of a Chevy 350ci.

I appreciate the information.