M38A1 Serial Number Questions

[jimmyd]

Hey Guys new to the site. I have an m38a1 that I am planning on doing a frame off restoration, the jeep belonged to my grandfather, who bought it in 1958 I believe, it has been sitting since 1979 in my backyard.

I need some help with the serial numbers, the 1966 registration states its a 1958 with an engine id of H1D41320 I dont know if that is a valid engine number as I no longer have the engine it was replaced by my grandfather, the engine currently in the jeep has a number stamped under the t-stat housing that number is MD 24611, the registration also has 00/00 for date first sold so I dont know if 1958 is even the proper year.

I had the original brass data plates but they where stolen by an ex family friend who also had an m38a1, he also took the passenger seat frame, the patent plate is still there the number on that is MD 47319 it was painted over so nobody knew it was there.

It has the hinged grill, the round hole in the pass side front fender, the hood has the cutout for the fording tube and the mounts for the shovel it is also the original green paint under the hood, the axe mounts are also on the right rear wheel well and i am currently stripping the paint to get the hood numbers. If you guys could help with the serial numbers I would be very thankfull.

Thanks
Jimmy DuBois

[wesk]

Hello and welcome aboard Jimmy.

Many state motor vehicle departments used to title vehicles with their engine serial numbers. Also many DMV's would list the date of the title application as the year of the vehicle.

Your Patent plate has the correct serial for your April 1953 M38A1 MD47319.

The engine serial listed on the title by the DMV was probably a mis-reading of MD41320 which could easily have been the factory original engine since first in stock was not always first out at Willys.

You're only real problem at this juncture is that evil family friend may have already titled a jeep using your serial plates. You should ask the DMV if there are any vehicles currently registered as MD47319 or Willys 47319 before you consider trying to title your jeep by it's correct serial.

Your MD24611 engine is about an October 1952 engine.

[jimmydubois]

Thanks Wes, I will check with the DMV, I dont think the friend used my serial numbers to register his jeep when he bought it it was complete bubba mod 350 and all, his data plate was missing so he decided to take mine.

If you dont mind me asking what sources do you use to find serial number info? Is there a way to find out what branch of the military my jeep came from? If I can get the hood numbers what will they tell me and how do I reaserch them?

Thanks
Jimmy duBois

[wesk]

The military destroyed vehicle service records when they were declared surplus to their needs. So there's not much chance of finding any info there. Although most military service records of jeeps were filed under the hood registration numbers the destruction of those records and the lack of any paperwork offering a correlation between hood registration numbers and chassis serial numbers leaves little hope of getting answers from those numbers.

The Army from 1950 thru about 1958/60 was the primary contracting agency for all wheeled tactical vehicles for all the services. As the jeeps rolled off the line the Army would direct their shipment to the using agency or unit. The Marine Corp installed a different responsible agency plate (lower left dash plate) which showed the Army Ordnance Command as the procurer and the USMC as the maintainer. The Navy and USAF usually added a separate data plate noting their ownership. But vehicles often changed military owner and this makes it even tougher to ascertain which service and when they were operated in.

This leaves the unit markings painted on the jeep as the only real source of military service history. Even with markings you still have no way of ascertaining when they were in that unit. One place to look is unit historians where you may find dated photos showing your hood number.