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Strange question....but my M38 came with a Willys MB block and GPW head. My assumption was that this was installed after it left the service. The jeep was clearly a USAF jeep, strata blue paint on everything. While looking over the motor/head I noticed that under the black paint the entire motor had been painted yellow. Not just any yellow, but the same shade as the AF markings. The oil filter and intake manifold had also been painted strata blue and I don't believe that the intake manifold is an M38 item. I know pictures would help but I'm still struggling with how to post pics. Is there any chance that the AF would have replaced a blown m38 motor with what I have? It seems highly unlikely to me but I wanted to put it out there. I've seen photos of flight line jeeps painted yellow, but the motor??? Also for whatever it is worth the blue paint that had not been painted over seems very glossy to me. Your thoughts are always welcome.

Strata blue is fairly glossy. Sorry cant answer your question about the engine, but anything is possible.

Official USAF Strata Blue is semi-gloss. It was not any glossier than OD2430 or 24087. USAF paint shops had a tendency to go for a more glossy glean. In my 22 years in the USAF our trucks were very semi-gloss. Some of the lunatic CO's and NCO's would have their troops try and wax them. That course semi gloss held the wax all over in little specs and the only way to get rid of the trapped dried wax was to scrub the truck down again. USAF registration yellow is very yellow/orange looking and I never raised the hood on any USAF truck to find an engine that color.


Example of 1970 USAF truck semi-gloss Strata Blue with registration yellow.


This is about the most glossy we had back then.


This is flightline yellow.