1951 Front Bumper question

PaulB · Post by **PaulB** » Wed Aug 10, 2011 5:51 am

Hi Guys, where can I find an accurate reproduction bumper for my early '51. The repros I see are missing the two holes for the license plate bracket for the CJ3s. The repros I have seen do not have these holes. Are there any accurate ones out there?

Thanks for the help.

evanso1975 · Post by **evanso1975** » Wed Aug 10, 2011 1:46 pm

Hello PaulB,

The M38's didn't have license plate holes, but Kaiser Willys have CJ3A bumpers which have the holes in (according to the photo on their site):

http://www.kaiserwillys.com/product/377 ... ccessories

Wbr,
Owen.

PaulB · Post by **PaulB** » Wed Aug 10, 2011 2:15 pm

Well I thought the ones with the two holes were original. Below is a photo of the bent and ratty one that came on my M38.

The repros I see do not have these holes, or they have holes in the different places. Should I just get a repro and drill the holes? Or is an accurate one produced...or am I well off base on this?

Thanks for the insight...

evanso1975 · Post by **evanso1975** » Wed Aug 10, 2011 2:49 pm

Hello PaulB,

Aha, now I understand. The license plate holes are the elongated ones you can see on the right side of the photo in the link from my previous post.

I assume you are now referring to the two vertical holes just left of the frame rail bolt in your photo. Those are correct for the M38 (mine have them too), and I haven't a clue what they are for! Do you have a copy of Ryan Miller's reference guide? They are shown in there, but no insight into what they were for. Another M38 mystery, I guess.

Here's the position of the holes on my original (the bumper's shown upside down, btw):

Looks to be the same as on your bumper. Some PO chopped the driver's side of my bumper off right up to the frame rail, so I made a new one. I just drilled the new bumper so it was an exact match for the original. If you get a repro one, I would advise you to drill those two hoes in the bumper.

P.S. The other four holes are to hold the bumper wood filler in place, in case I'm still referring to the wrong holes!

Wbr,
Owen.

Jim · Post by **Jim** » Thu Aug 11, 2011 9:33 am

I'm told the two verticle holes were for the civilian
front license plate holder. Here in Darkest Arkansas,
we don't have that requirement for dual plates ( the
Governer said he wasn't concerned about convenience
for the law enforcement folks) so I made up a Priority
Plate to fit it. That looks like a standard 'yield' sign
with the symbols for the issuing authority inside the
white portion. Since I have four ammo crates for the
M1 Garand lashed on the back seat, I simulate a
truck headed for the Camp Chaffee, Arkansas, ranges
in 1953, when my father (deceased) was on the Special
Staff there. The Priority Plate picture can be found on the
Internet, somewhere.

Jim in Darkest Arkansas

Jim · Post by **Jim** » Thu Aug 11, 2011 10:59 am

Priority Plate description. A vertical staff to fit the two holes;
a triangular plate outlined in red, white center with the symbol
for armored units ( a box with a tank track) surmounted by
two red 'x' over the box, and the numeral '5' on the right
side facing the plate by the armor box, all in red paint. The
Fifth Armored Division (Victory Division) was stationed at
Camp Chaffee in 1953. It was basically a training organization.

An aside; the camp hospital, some 80 buildings, just burnt to
the ground last week. Constructed 1941-1942. My father took
me to the dentists there.

Jim in Darkest Arkansas

Jim · Post by **Jim** » Thu Aug 11, 2011 11:13 am

Priority Plate. TB 746-93-1 from 1964. Found it at
Army Radio Sales over to the UK. Pages available
on line. This URL may work...

www.armyradio.com/arsc/customer

Jim in Darkest Arkansas

evanso1975 · Post by **evanso1975** » Thu Aug 11, 2011 1:54 pm

Hello Jim,

Thanks for all the information. I think you're both right about the two holes; looks like a leftover from the CJ3A bumpers:

To use this for a front license plate, you'd have to cut the slotted holes in too. Or fabricate a bracket that has the 4 mounting holes for the license plate in them?

As an aside, we have a legal requirement here in the UK to display license plates front and rear. I had intended to fabricate a bracket that bolted to the underside of the bumper, but I think a modification of the CJ license bracket would work better. The holes are there; might as well use them!

Wbr,
Owen.

maeserik · Post by **maeserik** » Fri Aug 12, 2011 12:22 am

I have the civilian bumper on my m38, it was on the jeep when i bought it.

Erik

Post by **wesk** » Fri Aug 12, 2011 8:07 am

The only Willys installed M38 bumper is the bumper with the two vertical bolt holes just to the right (passenger) side of the two front right frame rail holes.

They are a left over from the early CJ3A bumper and were for the old Willys license plate bracket which was similar to the "T" bracket photo above. Horizontal slotted bumpers ate not correct for the M38 or the or M38A1.