Need help researching a USMC M38A1

Avalon01 · Post by **Avalon01** » Thu Mar 09, 2006 10:54 pm

I have a '52 USMC M38A1 and am in the process of researching this vehicle.

It has all of the early USMC modifications (rear bumper, undercoating, forest green over OD, USMC dataplates) and has an odd front bumper. The front bumper is a short M38 with the hole, however it was made into a long bumper by adding the corners of a long bumper. Was this a field mod? I have seen one other USMC M38A1 with a similar front bumper, so it may have been done at some time in military service.

Does anyone have period pictures of the USMC M38A1's? Any era is OK, I am looking for any sort of tactical markings that would have been used in the field. AFAIK, the only markings it would have would be the hood number.

Did USMC M38A1's serve in Korea, or were they still being tested in the States?

Anyone have a guess on production numbers for the 1952 model that were sent to the USMC?

Av.

Post by **Ryan_Miller** » Fri Mar 10, 2006 12:43 pm

Sounds like a bumper field modification, but a few photos would lend in identification.

M38A1's were used extensively after the truce was started from what I understand, but others with more info can shed some light on this.

Avalon01 · Post by **Avalon01** » Fri Mar 10, 2006 1:58 pm

Ryan_Miller wrote:Sounds like a bumper field modification, but a few photos would lend in identification.

M38A1's were used extensively after the truce was started from what I understand, but others with more info can shed some light on this.

I'll snap a few photos of it this weekend. It struck me as odd since it might have been easier to just replace the front bumper with a new one, as oppsed to cutting a long one and welding the peices on.

I have been trying to find photos of USMC M38A1's in use at the DMZ, but so far no luck.

Av.

Post by **wesk** » Fri Mar 10, 2006 3:23 pm

Talk to some USMC motor pool guys from the 50's. They'll tell you real quick that the USMC got nothing but hand-me-downs from the USN. They had to make do with a very austere budget.

I don't think you'll find much on USMC M38A1 activity ion Korea. After the truce the bulk of the Garrison and DMZ duty fell to the Army.

Field or tactical markings on USMC jeeps in the 50's was slim to none. Usually a hood number and occasionally a division emblem.

fredjones · Post by **fredjones** » Sat Mar 18, 2006 12:15 am

Your question about your bumper being a field modification caught my interest because my early style USMC '53 M38A1 had a similiar modification done to it.

Mine was 3" angle iron arc welded to a regular 54" bumper to extend it to the full width of the jeep. It also had u-channel braces arc welded from the extensions onto the chassis. The bumper had obviously folded back into the wheel from hitting something and this was the solution.

It worked. But fortunately, no one ever stressed the bumper again with enough force to cause the bumper to fold as it would of collapsed the chassis rail as well and totaled the jeep.

Whether it was a genuine field mod or not I can't verify except to say that it was a really stupid solution. Furthermore, every time some one saw the jeep who "was there" they would say "When are ya gonna fix that bumper!"

One thing about M38A1's is they have great style and these clunky bumpers that people put on ruin the body lines and flow of the vehicle.

So military mod or not (probably not) I put a new repro bumper on and it made the vehicle look practically new again.

My jeep does not have the lifting ring modification yet I determined that it was a combat jeep from the get go. In fact I have never seen any period pictures of the early style USMC jeeps with this modification. However, the pictures I've seen from the years leading into Vietnam the jeeps seem to have them. So, I suspect that when the early style jeeps went through rebuild programs, some got the mod and some did'nt.

These are educated guesses. Also, the unattributed period photo's from the mid '50's that appear to be Korea I now suspect to actually be Okinawa or its environs.

Wes would know more about this than me.

Hope that helps.

fredjones · Post by **fredjones** » Sat Apr 08, 2006 1:36 pm

Just to clarify the above:
I should have said Japan or it's environs not Okinawa.
Fred

Avalon01 · Post by **Avalon01** » Mon Apr 10, 2006 12:59 pm

Here is a picture of the bumper on my Jeep: It is the exact same size as a full length bumper.

Here is a period photo of a M38A1 Jeep with a M38 grille. Notice the bumper!

The welds on my bumper are VERY well done! Although at one point the bumper was painted white and then black, the first color over the welds is USMC Green.

Phil

Post by **Ryan_Miller** » Mon Apr 10, 2006 1:23 pm

Phil,

That is very interesting!

I noticed your bumper and the one in the photo have slots cut as if for a mounting for a vehicle tag.

The CJ3A has a similar cut out on the driver side rear for a licence plate (tag).

Looks your bumper mod must be a USMC field modification.

Post by **wesk** » Mon Apr 10, 2006 4:59 pm

Actually the M38A1 LOOKING jeep in the bottom photo is an M606A3. That's simply a militarized CJ5 which was sold primarily to third world countries but our military bought some as well. The grill in that photo is a correct 1955 thru 1968 CJ5 grill and the headlight guards were common then to the M606A series. I say she must be an A3 cause she has radio equipment and the A3's had an add on left hand mounted 24 volt motorola alternator as a radio equipment only 24 volt system. They would install the M38A1 dual cowl battery box and those two batteries would be for the 24 volt system and the main jeep's 12 volt system battery was in the engine bay. Also note the square side mirror, bottom wipers, civvy parking lights, civvy tires, M151 style wheels, black vinyl seat covers and the missing power receptacle in the right side of the cowl.

Post by **Ryan_Miller** » Mon Apr 10, 2006 5:10 pm

By jove Holmes!

That is great observation and deduction Wes!

You should have added "Elementary Watson!"

Have you been reading Sherlock Holmes lately?

Avalon01 · Post by **Avalon01** » Mon Apr 10, 2006 9:40 pm

Wow. I've never heard of a M606 until Wes posted about it.

Two questions then:

1. Did the M606 bumper have a hole in it like the M38 bumper? Would a CJ5 have had a hole in the bumper? The bumper looks like the bumper on my Jeep.

2. What type of plate holder attached to the cutout?

Av.

Post by **wesk** » Tue Apr 11, 2006 3:59 pm

The M606 was a militarized CJ3B meant primarily for foreign governments. The M606A1 and M606A3 were militarized versions of the CJ5 meant for the same market. The militarization was done at the Willys/Kaiser factory right on the CJ3B and CJ5 production lines. The M606A1 was a straight 12 volt electrical system. The M606A3 had the staright 12 volt vehicle electrical system with an underhood mounted 12 volt battery plus an addon left hand mounted Motorola 24 volt alternator with it's own 24 volt regulator, it's own pair of 12 volt batteries mounted in a standard M38A1 style cowl battery box, and wiring for powering a military radio set. The bumpers were with license plate holes. The M38 and M38A1 bumpers were without license plate holes.
These M606 series jeeps have tailgates. They do not have the military top bow system. They use the civilian top bow system and have the round sockets at the rear corners of the tub.

The hood cutout on the M38A1 (52 thru 72), CJ5 from 55 thru 66 and the M606A1 / M606A3 55 to 66 were the same.

fredjones · Post by **fredjones** » Tue Apr 11, 2006 5:44 pm

With a 1952 M38A1 you might have another option in regard to bumpers.

Some of the low serial numbered, early style M38A1's used a short bumper from the M38 production. I would guess you currently have a CJ 5 bumper just because it would have been the easiest to get years ago. Also, some CJ 5 parts I believe are made from thinner gauge metals, including bumpers so the CJ 5 parts don't look quite right on an M38A1.

I have a low serial numbered '52 M38A1 U.S. Army that is interesting in that it has several obvious parts that were taken from the left-overs of the M38 production and some unique details making it sort of a work in progress hybrid jeep.

Maybe your jeep has some of these design experiments/details waiting to be discovered?

Avalon01 · Post by **Avalon01** » Tue Apr 11, 2006 10:01 pm

I'm still wondering if the CJ5 or M606A3 front bumper would have had the same hole the M38 front bumper had - the centered round hole.

The M606A3 in the picture I posted has the same round hole in the front bumper - I thought that was for M38's only.

Av.

Post by **wesk** » Tue Apr 11, 2006 10:53 pm

The hole is very common to the universal jeep line.

51CJ3A

59 CJ3B

68 DJ6

Early A1 short bumper

Earl WWII SLat Grill

45 CJ1

69 CJ5