willysmjeeps.com

Does anyone have a good reference showing where factory holes are in the tub? I believe all of them are there on mine hiding amongst all the other ones that have been drilled in over the years. I just need to know which ones I shouldn't close up.
Thanks,
-brett

Refer to Chapter 17 - Body Panels - in Ryan's 'M38 Reference Guide', specifically pages 141 thru 151.

If I had the book, ya. I don't so I guess I'm hoping someone might have so good links to pics.
Thanks anyway .

While you are waiting for an answer, get a marker and go around and circle the suspicious holes. Usually suspect holes will have a sharp ridge on them, be out of round, or have a burr. Original holes will have a weld nut behind them or will be clean like they were punched.

It's best to circle them because when you get welding you can easily get confused and fill in the wrong holes. I had to fill about 50 holes in mine and accidently filled in one I didn't circle.

Some after market holes you may want to keep, like the ones for the strap holders.

What I may end up doing is just looking at my many holes and try to compare it to a few restored rigs to see if there is some there or not. I figure comparing to multiple restore samples with give me a better chance of not closing something up I shouldn't.

That's basically what I did along with looking in the TMs.

Wes has some good pics in his photo gallery I've just found

90 % of correct hole determinations can be done using the military manuals. Yes it is time consuming to scan and blow up the key manual illustrations then take them into the shop and sit and stare for a few hours at them and your tub. This is what was done to come up with the list in Ryan's book. It's a dirty job but someone has to do it!

The sales from Ryan's book support this web site and the continuing research he is doing thru factory archives.

You've sold me on Ryan's book, Wes-will you list
the vendors who carry it one more time??
I'll order 1 today.. thx, Rick

I ended up buying two of Ryan's books, and consider it essential if you are restoring, or just into, an M38. The second printing has some corrections, the color printing and paper are also somewhat different. One I use in the shop, the other stays clean in my library.