i should need some help to find little history from two jeeps for my friend, if anybody can help me i would be grateful..
Willys Overland M38(MC) 1/4 ton 4x4 Ser.no. 45957
Date 12/1951
on the hood U.S.A 259367 (white letters)
Ordnance stock no 6795528
Mfr.part no 657116
Current Registration number (reg.nr) EYX-211
History is available from 1975 på reg.nr DO CR 86 (Germany)
Ser.no 4595
Date 1957
and
Willys Overland GPW 1/4 ton 4x4 (can also be MB)
Ser.no 389824
Date 10/1944
Current reg.nr NU-965
History from 1975.
The US Military did not retain any wheeled vehicle history once the vehicle was declared surplus to military needs.
Sometimes we get lucky and find some motor pool records were left in the jeep or we discover a period photo of our jeep with it's hood number and markings from some point in it's history but you have very little recourse to learn the history of your jeeps except of course if you received them with their original military paint and you were able to carefully sand off a layer at a time and could record the markings found.
A quick note on your M38. That hood number is not correct for a 12-51 M38. M38's were 236XXXX, 238XXXX, 208XXXXX and 209XXXXX. The switch from 7 digit numbers to 8 digit numbers was about May 1951 at 208XXXXX. Your 12-51 M38 would have had an Army hood number in the 20918XXX range.
