willysmjeeps.com

I was just reading a post of a guy finding a data plate concerning a rebuild by the Japan Ord. command. Rather than hi-jacking his thread, I decided to start this one. I am looking for information about rebuilds from the Tooele Ord. command (TEAD) I have a M38A1 rebuilt there, it looks like 1959. My plate has been severely sandblasted. Does anyone have a blank plate or pictures for the same? I would like to replace mine, but most importantly I would like to see how the plate is laid out. If anyone has one of these on their jeep, can you take it off, and look at the back side. Mine has what looks like the serial number and hood number etched on the back. I would like to confirm this info. I know the serial number is there. I assume that the other number is the hood number. Please confirm if I am correct. Thank you

Hi. My 10/1952 M38A1 (MD26784), which I bought directly from the US Army Depot at Livorno, Italy, had a 5 cm X 8.9 cm aluminum plate sheet metal screwed to the dash under the Data Plate. On the front was stamped:
"RECONDITIONED AT
TOOELE ORDNANCE DEPOT
DATE (IROAN) ODOM
6 - 59 13672"

I had never studied the back before, but your post got me to look because I do not know my hood number (2B 6426 ?? USMC ??). In fact, upon inspection, running across the narrow axis (i.e. perpendicular to the info on the front of the plate) I can make out "530". The 3 is for certain and the 5 and the 0 are pretty sure. These numbers appear to be raised which makes me suspect that they were made by the mill when the aluminum stock was manufactured. I have a great scan of the front and a good scan of the backside if you want me to e-mail them to you.

bluewatersailor PM sent

I would like to resurect this thread, as I have not been around here for some time. I have long lost the reply from bluewatersailor, so my apologies. I am still looking for a blank plate and photos, so if bluewatersailor is still around, please contact me again. I had been on another site looking for this and other information, but since they are "having some problems" I thought I would ask here again.
My plate is approximately 1 1/2 inches tall by 3 inches long and has been severely sandblasted. The RECONDITIONED AT TOOELE ORDANANCE DEPOT is stamped in 1/4 inch letters, all capital. There looks to be a date on the lower left and what looks to be mileage on the lower right. The date looks like 3.7.58 or 3.7.59 and miles look like 11?20. Miles may be 11820. The serial number and what I assume is the hood number is inscribed on the back. I can put up pictures as soon as I can figure out how. Thank you for your help.

I did have a copy of this engine tag:



I thought I had a copy of a body rebuild tag somewhere but haven't been able to locate it.

You might contact the Tooele depot and quiz their historical office for copies of photos or records.

Contact US


Public Affairs Office
435-833-2693 (DSN) 790-2693
Email: usarmy.tead.jmc.list.pao@mail.mil

Mailing Address

Tooele Army Depot
1 Tooele Army Depot
ATTN: JMTE-CO-PAO
Tooele, UT 84074


Webmaster
Email: tooe-webmaster@conus.army.mil

Thank you Wes! Of all the ideas I've tried I never thought to contact the source direct. I've contacted many area surplus stores, family, and other ideas, but not the depot people themselves. I will do that Monday! Here is a photo of the front. The rear shows my serial number and hood number. If you wish a photo of that too, let me know.




Edited....Thank you Wes!!.





Posted by Wes K, You just add the two bracketed Img icons before and after the URL.



Plate is:

1 1/2 inches tall by 3 inches long.

I have just added a photo of my plate to my gallery (page 8, 2nd page). Please let us know what you find out. I am especially interested to know if my jeep was in the USMC for a portion of its career. dwm



Plate is:

5 cm X 8.9 cm. +/- = 2 in. X 3.5 in.

Can you guys post the dimensions of your plates?

Mine is: 5 cm X 8.9 cm. +/- = 2 in. X 3.5 in. dwm

My plate is approximately 1 1/2 inches tall by 3 inches long. It appears to be different than bluewatersailor.
I assume that mine was silkscreened black with natural aluminum blanks left to stamp in information. I have seen this for most of the plates I have come across.

Hi bluewatersailor, thank you! Lost contacts for you long time ago. Did you ever find out what was on the rear of your plate?

Nothing has changed regarding the rear of the plate since I posted in 2011:
"I had never studied the back before, but your post got me to look because I do not know my hood number (2B 6426 ?? USMC ??). In fact, upon inspection, running across the narrow axis (i.e. perpendicular to the info on the front of the plate) I can make out "530". The 3 is for certain and the 5 and the 0 are pretty sure. These numbers appear to be raised which makes me suspect that they were made by the mill when the aluminum stock was manufactured. I have a great scan of the front and a good scan of the backside if you want me to e-mail them to you. "
I do not have a photo of the rear, but do have a poor PDF file showing it. I guess I scanned it at some time. Next time I am fiddling around that part of the Jeep, I will take the plate off and photograph the back.
Since we are on the subject of TOOELE, does the fact that a jeep was rebuilt there signify for certain that it was in service in any particular branch (USMC, ARMY, USAF)? Anyone know for sure? dwm

Army depots would do Army jeeps. The USMC had two primary equipment depots. Barstow CA and Albany GA. The 2B 6426 hood number is the 1955 and up Army registration number system.

If you are trying to prove some USMC history on your jeep then it should have a "Responsible Agency" plate with at least USMC in the "Depot" column.
When the Army went whole hog into the M151 several thousand of the Army's M38A1's were transferred to the USMC and were processed through their two depots.

I would tend to agree with Wes, but maybe explain a little further. All the plate really means is that in 1959, your jeep was reconditioned at the Army depot. It was in Army service at that time. It's history after that......a good many years......could have been anything. It very possibly could have been transferred to the Marines and issued a Marine hood number after that. In that case, it could still have had the Army hood numbers until it was transfered.

If it started out as US Army, why does my Responsible Agency plate say "Marine Corps" (see last foto of my foto album gallery page 8 ). Would USMC have changed that plate if they took possession after the 1959 rebuild? Sounds doubtful, doesn't it? Another data plate (photo just added to my album) says: "REVISED 8 AGE / GENERAL DEPOT NANCY / 9 * 61 ". Would USMC have sent jeeps to Nancy for revision? My final data point is the "Vehicle Classification Inspection" Form DA 461-5 dated 20-2-69 that I received when I bought it from the Property Disposal Office at Leghorn (Italy) General Depot in 1970. That document lists the Registration No. as 2B 6426, Serial No. as 26784 (same as on dash and patent plate), DOD 1952 (consistent with dash data plate), Age 17, and mileage 20988. Since I bought the jeep directly from Uncle Sam, I can exclude the possibility that Bubba placed these plates on the jeep. Mystery ??