M38A1 Top bows & rear seat.

Frans · Post by **Frans** » Fri Feb 23, 2007 1:39 am

Hello from a very hot and dry South Africa. We've got a heat wave with temperatures over 40 deg celcius.

I need to build top bows for my NEKAF M38A1. Can somebody please give me dimension and, if possible, close-up pictures of the whole layout? I must also make the brackets where you strap the bow on the rim of the tub when it is not up. So dimensions and pictures of that brackets will also be appreciated.

I also have a rear seat for my jeep but it is without mounting brackets. I cannot figure out how it is mounted in the tub. Can somebody please help me with pictures and dimensions of the mounting brackets?

Thanks for your help.

Frans

Post by **wesk** » Fri Feb 23, 2007 2:06 am

Hello Franz,
Where in SA are you. I was last there in 1996 to Lanseria.

You can buy these from MWM http://www.midwestmil.com/

Here are the locations for the rear seat supports:

Frans · Post by **Frans** » Mon Feb 26, 2007 5:08 am

Thanks Wes.
Can you please give me the dimensions of the Top Bow Assembly (pipe work) also? I will have to make them. It is too big to import from Midwest.

The last three pictures (rear seat support) do not show on you post. Can you please email them?

Thank I appreciate your help.

Frans

Niclas · Post by **Niclas** » Mon Feb 26, 2007 5:41 am

Frans

im in the same situation.

have to make my own top bow.

I'm using ~1 inch steel pipe ( 26mm )

I have an old unusable M38(a1) top bow as reference.

/Niclas

Post by **wesk** » Mon Feb 26, 2007 7:55 am

I don't have a bow set here. Niclas should be able to give you the measurements.

All the photos are up as I read this thread. You must wait for all of them to completely load.

Niclas · Post by **Niclas** » Mon Feb 26, 2007 9:32 am

Of course I will help you.

Just let me know what you need to know, and ill do my best.

The bow I have is not perfect but... anyway

Bending the steel pipe is no problem all you need is look like HULK

But the foot is a different chapter

Its not perfect, but I'm working on it

I can live with a home made look alike.

/Niclas

Frans · Post by **Frans** » Mon Feb 26, 2007 11:57 pm

Thanks Niklas, I appreciate your help.
I have a small (hand operated) hidraulic pipe bender, so I would not need "Hulk arms" to bend the pipes.

For the foot I thought that I can use a piece of flat iron that fits in the bracket and just give it a 90 degree bend on top and weld the pipe to it. I think mine is the the only M38A1 in South Africa, so no-one here will frown if they look at it. If it is not too much trouble, can you please send me a couple of close-up photos of the foot?
Then I need the length of the two legs of the bow from the bottom of the foot to the top as well as the length of the legs of the shorter bow.
The width, I assume, is the same as the width of the rim of the tub?
I must also make the brackets where you strap the bow on the rim of the tub when it is folded up. So, if you can help, dimensions and pictures of that brackets will also be appreciated. (You can email it if it is easier.)

Wes, for some reason your last three pictures are not showing when I open the page. Maybe the firewall on our server blocks it, thinking it is of pornographic nature.

Thanks

Frans

Frans · Post by **Frans** » Tue Feb 27, 2007 12:17 am

wesk wrote:Hello Franz,
Where in SA are you. I was last there in 1996 to Lanseria.

Wes, If I am correct, Lanseria is an airport near Johannesburg. I live in a small town, Vryburg, in arid cattle country. It is about 450km (280 miles if I am correct) west of Johannesburg. They call our town the Texas of South Africa.

Wes, Do you perhaps have a close-up of this picture? I have two of each of the bottom two brackets, but the other items I will have to make.

Thanks
Frans

Niclas · Post by **Niclas** » Tue Feb 27, 2007 6:50 am

Frans

Ill do my best

As I said my bow are in bad shape (used as rollbar... )

Will take pic's and measure as accurate as possible for you

hope friday is ok...

/Niclas

Post by **wesk** » Tue Feb 27, 2007 9:29 am

Hello Franz,
Yes Lanseria is about 40 miles north of Johannasburg, I spent a week there. I am an Aircraft Mechanic and I was performing pre-purchase inspections on several corporate jets both there and at Grand Central airport about 20 miles east of Lanseria. I found it to be a very beautiful part of South Africa.

I have these lying around the shop somewhere. Let me have a little time to look.

Frans · Post by **Frans** » Tue Feb 27, 2007 11:48 pm

Thanks fellas,
Friday is OK, Niklas. I am not in a hurry.

Wes, If you think Johannesburg is beautiful, you haven't seen anything. I think it is the worst part of the country. If you ever come here again, you let me know. I will take you on a hunting trip, or something. (If you hunt?).

Frans