willysmjeeps.com

hi

i was hoping for some help please with serial numbers on a M38A1. i have been looking at buying an M38A1. the dash plate has the serial no 12121 on it. the other plate/s mentioned are not present on the vehicle.
if i wanted to research the history of this particular vehicle, do i need more than this? thee is a downloadable pdf of M38A1 serial numbers, on this site produced by Wes Knettle. it seems to mention MD12121, but i am not sure quite how to read this? if anyone can point me in the right direction here, i would be very grateful. ch

Charles,

MD12121 was a listing for a gentleman in England by the name of John. It is a June 1952 unit. Unlike aircraft & ships the US military did not retain historical records on jeeps and trucks. With that said there are very few investigative paths one can follow on the history of one's jeep.

1-Any surviving documents from when the vehicle was transferred out of military service. These were usually found in the glove box.

2-Any unit markings found on or under the paint layers on the jeep.

3-If you were lucky enough to have an original hood number then any military unit histories that may have a photo of that particular jeep with the hood number visible.

4-Any military depot rebuild plates on the tub or the engine.