Dating/Dash Plate info for M38

GAwillysM38 · Post by **GAwillysM38** » Thu Sep 22, 2016 12:34 pm

Hello, I'm new to this site and have a few questions perhaps those with more knowledge can help me with. I've just begun restoring my M38 serial MC 54029.
On the title it's listed as a 1951 but in looking at the serial listings on this site it appears it should be a 1952? Is this likely a title error at some point?

It has the original serial plate on the wheel housing behind the passenger seat but no dash plates. I'm trying to determine the correct serial dash plate to reproduce to match my original serial plate on the body and see there appears to be an early and late style for the dash. One with the serial numeric only with mo/yr DOD and one with the MC and numeric with just DOD year, which one would mine be off of the serial number?

Would it originally have had brass or metal rivets holding the dash plates?

Is there any way to determine mo/yr DOD off of my serial number?

Sorry for so many questions in one post, but any insight would be appreciated. Thanks

4x4M38 · Post by **4x4M38** » Thu Sep 22, 2016 1:07 pm

Your Ord 9 G740 page 339 has the information on the dash plates.

At the factory after MC34151 they were affixed to a separate plate with oval head brass rivets 1/8" x 1/8".

The plate was then attached to the dash with steel cad or zinc screws #6 x 3/8"

The plate was to cover the hole which Willys added after 34151 for the optional personnel heater. If I remember correctly earlier units could have been modified for a heater by having the hole cut out and the plates attached to a separate plate like later production units.

There was a thread about the early and late patent plates, namely one being aluminum and one being black. You might search for info on different serial dash plates.

Welcome, and be sure and open a photo page and download the manuals available for free on the downloads pages to the left.

Take care,

GAwillysM38 · Post by **GAwillysM38** » Thu Sep 22, 2016 1:35 pm

Thanks for all the great info Brian

Post by **wesk** » Thu Sep 22, 2016 9:58 pm

Your M38 is a February 1952 jeep.

Your serial plate will have Month & Year on it.

Sep 1950 thru Dec 1950 Contract # W-20-089-ORD- 4758

Jan 1951 thru Apr 1951 Contract # W-20-089-ORD- 4758

May 1951 Contract # DA-20-018-ORD-9196

Apr 1952 Contract # DA-33-018-ORD-43 This would be your plate

4x4M38 · Post by **4x4M38** » Fri Sep 23, 2016 7:52 am

Wes,
I have the second plate with mfd date of 1950.
MC11481.

GAwillysM38 · Post by **GAwillysM38** » Fri Sep 23, 2016 8:50 am

Thank you Wes, from you and Brian I've learned a lot just through your replies and also viewing the other posts on this site, that's what's so exciting for me about having begun restoring my M38, learning the history of the M38s, their uniqueness and variations, and having fun turning the wrenches along the way

Post by **wesk** » Fri Sep 23, 2016 9:00 am

If you have the second plate and it has your number 54029 on it then it was replaced in the field at some point. Your serial did not come from Willys with the second plate above.

4x4M38 · Post by **4x4M38** » Fri Sep 23, 2016 12:50 pm

Hi Wes,
Brian has the second plate above with 1950 on the plate,
S/N MC11481.

Jan. 1951 may not be a beginning date for use of this second plate.

Post by **wesk** » Fri Sep 23, 2016 10:42 pm

You do that a lot. A guy asks a question. I reply with an answer and you reply to my answer before the original poster does and I quickly assume it's the original poster.

Anyway The second plate is a 1951 plate not a 1950 plate. It was only used for Contract 4758 jeeps built from Jan 1st on. The last 1950 M38 was about serial 10607 if you use the Willys production numbers from a 1954 report or serial 11570 if you use the 1990 production report prepared by AMC. That would be a total of 600 1950 Production M38's and 6 Pilot model M38's produced from JUN thru Dec 1950. Your M38 MC11481 is the 1480th 1950 M38 built or would have been 874th 51 M38 depending on which production report you use.

Note: Willys production serials always start with 10001. Son subtract 10001 from your serial and that tells you which M38 in order of production you have.

4x4M38 · Post by **4x4M38** » Sat Sep 24, 2016 10:41 am

Sorry for the confusion Wes.

My point was that I have a second style plate etched with 1950 on it.

I will take a photo and upload, although it is unrestored and very little contrast.

Post by **wesk** » Sat Sep 24, 2016 11:57 am

If you look closely the first photo is of the 1950 data plate shown in TM9-804 page 6. It is not a photograph of a real plate but an artist's rendition for the TM. Your 1950 plate will be an actual one and only 1950 plate not a second style.

This is a photo of a original one and only 1950 plate:

This plate was only used from Jun 1950 (6 pilot model M38's) thru Dec 1950 and only for the single contract W-20-089-ORD-4758. It was WO# 801802. A with winch plate was available as WO# 801803.

The 1951 year only plate was WO Part # 802367 wo/winch and 802368 w/winch for the last of contract -4758. The 802368 w/winch plate was also used for contract -9196 M38's with winch till around MC34151.

4x4M38 · Post by **4x4M38** » Sat Sep 24, 2016 3:00 pm

Yes, this is the plate I have. Among other things the margins are wider than
the first example or artists' rendition.

MC11481, inspector's stamp, no winch, reinforced by the lack of four holes in the dash for the winch plate.

I went to the MV Plates website. It doesn't look like they have all versions.
Are there other suppliers?

Post by **wesk** » Sat Sep 24, 2016 11:13 pm

Don't waste time trying to compare any real plate to the artist drawings in the manuals.

Very few of the half dozen types of plates are still available. Once in a while you will see them pop up NOS on Ebay and when they do make sure you have the correct part number. The ORD 9's are known to have a few errors.