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M38 frame serial number tag?
Posted: Mon May 05, 2025 6:16 pm
by Mike_B
Did the M38 have a small tag on the front frame horn, mine doesn't have it? I just had someone send me a picture of on that was buried behind his snow plow sub-frame. The number stamped on it is MB38xxxx... I'm confused! Could he have a MB frame under his M38 body? The serial number is 6 digits long where is think th M38 are only 5. He did say there is a machine gun mount cross member on his frame...did the MB's all have them?
Thanks for a info you can share!
Mike B.

Posted: Mon May 05, 2025 8:35 pm
by wesk
Did the M38 have a small tag on the front frame horn
NO
Could he have a MB frame under his M38 body?
Yes
machine gun mount cross member on his frame...did the MB's all have them?
Yes & so did the M38A1.
After WWII Willys discontinued any frame serial stamps or plates. M38's left Willys with 3 serial numbers. One on the dash plate. One on the patent plate behind the passenger seat that matched the one on the dash. One on the front of the engine at the front edge of the block that extended slightly forward from the head that did NOT match the body serial.
Posted: Mon May 05, 2025 8:44 pm
by Kendall
Wes,
I think you meant to say that MB's had a frame tag, but M38's did not.
Kendall
Posted: Mon May 05, 2025 10:05 pm
by wesk
Thanks Kendall. That was a dumb typo!!
Posted: Tue May 06, 2025 7:58 am
by Mike_B
Thanks Wes and Kendal!
Looks like the Jeep in question is a "frank'n-Jeep'...
Mike B

Posted: Wed May 07, 2025 12:53 pm
by 4x4M38
Many of them are.
My 1950 M38 has an earlier rear differential.