m38 usmc hood

djalohr · Post by **djalohr** » Wed Jan 04, 2012 3:29 pm

i decided to remove the layers of paint on my hood to see if any numbers remained, on top of the OD layer of paint i found " U S M C 175159" in yellow paint on both sides of the hood. i removed more paint but the original numbers are gone it looks like http://www.armytrucks.org/images/gallery/clay6.jpg

BullRun · Post by **BullRun** » Wed Jan 04, 2012 8:04 pm

175159 are the correct USMC numbers. The USMC M38 depicted in your image has fake hood numbers.

USMC vehicles are still numbered sequentially. Always 6 digits.

WWll MB/GPW are in the 140xxx area. M38's are in the 175XXX area. M38A1's are in the 180XXX area and so on. 1960's USMC M38A1's are in the 330xxx range. It is not exact as far as I know that there is a specific ending or starting point for USMC hood numbers in relation to vehicle type. Maybe someone else can shed some light on this. All these numbers are approximations of range.

Current USMC vehicles are in the 6xxxxx range.

As far as finding Army. Navy, Air Force, etc. hood numbers under the USMC numbers... while I suppose possible I have never encountered this in my experience with USMC vehicles. What you might find are multiple hood positions (high or low) in 2" or 3" stencils of USMC xxxxxx from different points in the vehicles service life. Just my experience.

djalohr · Post by **djalohr** » Wed Jan 04, 2012 8:10 pm

thanks! it was hard getting the paint off without removing the thin layer of paint for the numbers, there are about 9 different layers of paint, most are some sort of OD or dark blue and grey.

Post by **wesk** » Wed Jan 04, 2012 11:14 pm

Generally jeeps procured by the Army and then distributed to the other services will have the Army registration number on the first finish coat of paint. Around 53 the Willys factory started delivering jeeps with the gaining service's color and numbers. The Army central procurement system faded away by 55 and the services contracted for their own jeeps from then on.

Many hundreds of M38A1's were transferred to the USMC when the Army made the big switch to the M151 in the 60's. The majority of these A1's were completely rebuilt at the appropriate Marine Depots and painted and configured just like their 1960's contract A1's with the posi's, M151 style instrument lights, M151 style air cleaners and undercoating. So these jeeps will generally not have remaining Army registration numbers under the Marine paint.

M38 Marine Hood #'s:
AUG 51 175411

Some A1 Marine hood numbers I have are:
Sep 52 198330
AUG 53 190356 (Suspect)
XXX 53 231545 (Suspect)
DEC 60 124214
MAY 62 316790
JUN 63 311434
OCT 63 240658
OCT 63 311850
OCT 63 311751
OCT 63 311907
SEP 64 315989
SEP 64 316110
OCT 64 316167
NOV 64 316242
NOV 64 31627X
NOV 64 316361

BullRun · Post by **BullRun** » Thu Jan 05, 2012 9:50 am

To add to Wes's list the rebuilt USMC M38A1's seem to have locking hubs added during their rebuild while the contract '62 and '64 USMC vehicles did not get locking hubs. I forget the brand name but they seem to be consistently used in these rebuilt vehicles..

The later '60's M38A1's and early '70's Canadian vehicles I have seen all seem to have the same locking hubs fitted.

But back to the original vehicle, hold on to that one. I have seen very few authentic USMC M38's over the years.

Edit: I think the brand is Superwinch for the locking hubs.

GPA · Post by **GPA** » Thu Jan 05, 2012 9:55 am

The hood # on my M38A1 is USMC 270760. It is probably fake because the jeep was built in Holland, but at least it is a six digit number, so it looks correct. Maybe there was an M38A1 with this number. I would like to know if this hood number is related to the correct year? DOD on the dash plate is 7/60. The second part of the hood # may have something to do with DOD or just a coincidence.

djalohr · Post by **djalohr** » Thu Jan 05, 2012 11:01 am

i already painted it OD tho and not the marine corps green, think it would be a big deal to put the USMC on the jeep with the wrong color?

Post by **wesk** » Thu Jan 05, 2012 11:13 am

To a Marine, YES!

To an avid collector, YES!

djalohr · Post by **djalohr** » Thu Jan 05, 2012 11:21 am

BullRun · Post by **BullRun** » Thu Jan 05, 2012 5:07 pm

GPA... your hood number sounds about right for 1960... on a Nekaf vehicle I don't know... In the realm of possibilities it might be possible I suppose.

As far as hood numbers correlating to serial number or year or any other data plate information I do not believe there is any connection. It is just a coincidence in my opinion. USMC hood numbers are more of an inventory number kind of thing.

The real clue would be I think if these numbers are under all the paint or on top of it assuming your vehicle has been repainted over the years. If they are under the paint surface and authentically done they probably are real especially if in the odd chrome yellow paint formula the USMC used then and now too.