Front M38 Floors

[whydahdvr]

This question is for anyone but particularly Wes and Ryan.

I noticed on a 1951 M38 and a 1945 MB/CJ2A jeep this weekend that the front floor pans seem to have a stamped, indented rectangle angled in towards the pedals.

My 1952 M38 doesn't have these indents stamped into the floor pan. Was that stamp standard, from another type of jeep, phased out after a point?

I can't seem to find any pictures that show it. However, the 1945 MB had it on the passenger side (if I remember correctly). The 1951 M38 had it on both sides and mine doesn't have any of those.

Just curious.
Thanks!

[RICKG]

My '51 M-38 has 1 on the passenger side floor only.

[Bretto]

My '51 had it, like Ricks, till I replaced the floors.
added this pic, its right next to the rusted out section of floor above the hat channel:

[whydahdvr]

OK. That makes sense of what I saw. So then the 1952 M38 like mine wouldn't have that one.
Thanks.

[Bretto]

I'm curious to know its purpose.

[RICKG]

Yes, Brett-same location as mine..There had to be a reason
for it..

[whydahdvr]

What's interesting to me is that I saw the same indent in the floor of a CJ2A. That jeep is something of a jeep soup because of mixing/matching parts over the years - '45 MB frame, CJ2A tub, '43 MB windshield, etc.

Anyway, I have not idea what purpose it serves unless it was a clamp point to hold the tub while being built, maybe painted. But I have no idea. Just curious.

[evanso1975]

My father's June '42 GPW has a similar stamping on the passenger front floor (could have been on the driver's side too; can't remember). When the tub was blasted, we found that the transmission hump had "GPW" stamped on it, so the rectangular stamping is probably original. Don't know the reason for it, though.

Could just be my eyes, but from Bretto's photo it looks to be in line with the edge of the hat channel. Could it be a guide for positioning the hat channel during assembly?

This photo of an MB replacement floor on one of the vendor's sites might offer some clues:


Look at the hat channel just above the drain plug on the left of the photo. My jeep's front floors & hat channel were replaced before I got the jeep, so I don't know if the M38 had the same configuration under the floor. Maybe someone can post a photo of the underneath?

Wbr,
Owen.

[wesk]

Since the indents are within the Hat channel layout I would guess they are to stiffen the floor in that area. Notice they are very close to mounting bolts and the junction of the two longest hat channels.

Correction: The paragraph above is wrong. The indent lies forward of the hat channel not in the center of the hat channel.

[G740]

The emboss on the passenger side of the floor is a carry over from the WWII production days. It was there for the exhaust bracket on the G503 series. Rather than change tooling for later production, it just remained there even though it was not used for anything after the war time production.
The import floors do not have this detail. We put it in our floors for authenticity.
John

[wesk]

I researched the MB a bit and that indent appears to be on both sides, driver and pass. On the passenger side there is a bracket spot welded to both it and the hat channel but nothing on the indent on the driver's side. It may be the early crossover exhaust bracket being there was just a coincidence.

[whydahdvr]

Is there a cut-off year that this ceased? In other words, would a 1952 M38 not have that embossed indent whereas a 1951 and earlier would?

[wesk]

I have two 52 tubs without it.

Most likely it would have disappeared the same time the firewall and dash changes occurred around Sep 51.