M38 Barn Find

BullRun · Post by **BullRun** » Fri Dec 10, 2010 1:50 am

In my area there is a road that is a terrific off-road drive along a mountain. It is only about 5 miles long but very challenging to drive as it is still basically the same as it was 150 years ago. Two stream crossings and several ravines make it a slow go. Because the road is so tough to drive piles of dirt were created at either end to prevent entry to longer wheelbase vehicles. Unless you have a 1/4 ton type vehicle you can't even get in to have fun.

BullRun · Post by **BullRun** » Sat Dec 11, 2010 1:04 am

Hi Wes, I found a way to post some pictures here.

As found

Put Back Together, with a KEMCO Hard Top

Anyone recognize this feature found on both rear chassis rails. Coil Spring assist? Not found on front.

Post by **wesk** » Sun Dec 12, 2010 8:30 am

That's a nice looking civilian hardtop. Does the rear panel lift up on it?

Willys and the Army played with several M38 variations that never left the prototype stage. There was an Ambulance and a recoiless rifle experimental program. With the soon to come M38A1 being stronger and more powerful they were shelved for the M38 and pursued more vigorously with the M38A1.
The Canadians did field modify many of their M38's to use the recoiless rifle and entered them into service..

I loaded your large file photos to your album on this site.

BullRun · Post by **BullRun** » Mon Dec 13, 2010 9:13 pm

Hi Wes, thanks for the help with the pictures. Here are a few more pictures that illustrate this particular hard top. Today I found OD with a stenciled letter L over the windshield on the hard top. The top appears to be military, at least in its use. CJ3B Page and me for photo credits.

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Post by **wesk** » Tue Dec 14, 2010 3:02 am

The only military hardtops for the M38 were the Arctic tops. That is to say the hardtops that were contracted for production for the Army's use on the M38 and M38A1 were Arctic Tops and carried a data plate with a military part number and contract number. That top is a civvy top and many military jeeps eventually ended up with locally procured civilian tops later in their lives. The Air Force did this a lot. The top in your photo taken of a CJ3A in Alaska is one of those tops.

There is always the argument that "If the military owned it then it is a military thing!" But just like we try to separate tactical military vehicles from adapted civilian vehicles we also try to keep the terminology relative to weather an item was designed for the military and procured under military contract or was designed for civilian use and pressed into military use via contract or local purchase options.

BullRun · Post by **BullRun** » Tue Dec 14, 2010 9:20 am

Yep, it is a civvy top. It does have several detail variations from the advertisements though that might be of interest. There is no automotive undercoating applied to the inside of the top. Because of this it is very loud inside while driving, as I have found out. It also appears to have gone straight from the dealer (in primer coat) to I suspect the Marines who applied the OD. A dome light is listed as a feature and this top appears to have had one but not with the automatic lighting feature. I think it must of just used a simple lever switch.

Accept for the helper coil springs and hard top the jeep appears to be completely stock. There are no visible modifications for attachments or mounting points. My current working theory is that the jeep might be some kind of airport vehicle.