Serial number etiquette

[davem201m38]

Hi all,
I've just had a friend on the phone asking about putting a serieal number on the bonnet of his M38.
Now he doesn't know the original number, all our jeeps are ex Jap Ord Command, Military Aid and are so heavily rebiult in the Far East by US workshops (Korean Women doing the work) that they have usually lost all original i.d apart from workshop rebuild plates with dates and workshop numbers and sometimes place names.

So, what is the etiquette for inventing a bonnet serial number, I read here someplace (i think) that you used part of the number from the plate to make it obvious to researches that the number was not original but I can't find that data now!!
Thanks,
Dave.

[wesk]

Look at the M38 serial number database. Find your serial number. Interpolate your probable hood registration number from the ones show nearest your serial and then using the first 2, 3, or 4 digits shown add add the serial number of your jeep.

an example from M38 data base
MC22936 6-51 DA-20-089-ORD-4601FS 20891049 US Army
MC22985 JUNE 1951 unk unk (Unverified) unk
MC23491 Unk unk unk unk unk unk unk unk unk Edit Delete
MC23867 6-51 DA-20-089-ORD-4601FS 20891908 US Army Unk

Let's say your friend's M38 is MC23800.
That's 67 less than MC23867
20891908 - 67 = 20891841
So to avoid skewering the data bases several years from now we want a hood number that will identify with the correct period but be obvious it is not an original. So we take 208 drop 91841 and insert 23800. Now when a stranger looks at that M38 10 years from now and wants to record numbers it will be quite obvious to him that the number 20823800 was contrived by including the M38's serial number.

[davem201m38]

Many thanks Wes,
I'll pass that on my friend Lou is not on the internet.
All the best,
good health,
Dave.