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Are these M38A1 Jeeps?

Posted: Wed Jan 06, 2021 9:50 pm
by mydadsjeep
Found this picture and wondered about the horizontal fenders.. I heard these were early M38A1 jeeps? Can anyone say is there are a common thing or any information on them.

https://imgur.com/egthgnx

Posted: Wed Jan 06, 2021 10:33 pm
by keats
interesting photo.they are all m38a1. not sure what you mean by "horizontal" fenders. The first jeep (on the right and the last jeep) have the later front fender with the straight vertical seam on the side, while the second jeep (middle) has the early fender with the diagonal seam.

Posted: Wed Jan 06, 2021 10:59 pm
by wesk
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M38

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Early M38A1 with diagonal weld joint.

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Late M38A1 with doubler overlay panel.

Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2021 5:19 am
by MoxM38
And we can all see the look on the officer's face in the passenger seat of the M38, telling himself "keep eyes caged!"

Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2021 8:13 am
by bbloom
Interesting to see that the M38 appears to have the hot water heater installed on it. I see the intake cut out by the axe head.

Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2021 9:33 am
by kenperkins
the louver is different than whats shown in the meter manual...

the registration number and star on the hood is applied just like I found mine

Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2021 1:31 pm
by wesk
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M38 Hot Water Heater Kit TB

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Only on the jeep illustration in this TB shows only the later vent cover.

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TB illustration of early kit. NOTE item 7!

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TB illustarion of the later kit. NOTE item AA

Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2021 7:39 pm
by RonD2
I always get a chuckle when I hear somebody say or when I read "Hot Water Heater" (especially in official Army publications).

Why is it necessary to heat already hot water? I could be mistaken, but it seems to me it's just a plain old-fashioned "water heater" --- that's what I have in my home anyway (can't afford a "hot water heater")..... you can call me a chuckle head if you want..... :lol: And all this time I was thinking that the L134 motor did all the water heating and the kit just put a fan across it into the passenger compartment?

Standing by to get chewed out for hi-jacking the topic...... 8O It started with asking if these are M38A1 fenders then drifted to stray eyeballs (was Jayne Mansfield hot or what?) and finally landed on M38 hot water heaters..... :lol: Maybe I'm not off topic after all.

To be fair, maybe when the Army said "Hot Water Personnel Heater" they were referring to heating soldiers that are in "hot water" from doing something stupid the night before and getting caught? :lol:

Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2021 8:30 pm
by wesk
:roll: I'll try to help you understand. The "Gas Heaters" aren't meant to heat the gas. They are (Gas = adjective) heaters that burn gas to produce heat. Hot Water Heaters use the adjectives hot and water to help- ID what this heater uses to produce heat. I used only 3 short sentences to sort out your 5 sentence (If I don't count the 5 multi-period thought interrupters "Funny" misunderstanding"

Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2021 8:38 pm
by Jeff_Lee
I thought that was Jane M. (what were my first two clues?)!

Better Jane than the CO's wife, which would certainly "cage" the eyeballs. The guy sitting on the rear fender-well, better have lived in the BOQ's, otherwise his wife didn't talk to him for a month.

Look at the polish job on that M38... never again did it look that good! Nobody needed a heater with Jane hanging on the windshield.

Great photo's Wes. Thanks

Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2021 8:41 pm
by RonD2
Thanks Wes. You're a gentleman and a scholar (and my Professor). Much appreciated. Thanks for granting a feeble attempt at humor without 86'ing me.

Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2021 9:34 pm
by RonD2
Hi Jeff!
If I had an M38 today with U.S.A. registration number 20914298 I'd never wash it!

Hey! Maybe I'll just re-paint my hood numbers........ :D

Hood blocks

Posted: Sat Jan 09, 2021 7:28 pm
by TomM
The hood blocks on the M38 look special.

Posted: Sun Jan 10, 2021 8:05 am
by Xamon
interesting. Also what is the wire running along the window arm for?

Posted: Sun Jan 10, 2021 3:10 pm
by 4x4M38
The modified hood blocks are for the top mounted windshield wipers. The “wire” is the right side vacuum hose to the wipers.