M170 SN: 10513

[toojeeps]

Hello all,

This is Deino posting on my dad's SN while my account is being worked on. Thought you guys may want some pics of the "new" M170. Would be a great opportunity for you guys to tell me what all I'm missing! Bear in mind this jeep has been...altered. These are pictures while in possession of the previous owner. I don't have it home yet, so I apologize for the bad photos (the PO doesn't know how to use a camera very well).


Chopped fenders. I have some more fenders to replace or repair these. Also, the bed of the jeep in the back has been "patched" with a giant sheet of steel. Will have to remove it to see what I have underneath.


Note the rot on the rear right corner along the hat channel. Rust on this jeep is spotty. The entire vehicle has been undercoated, so the rust you see is really all there is. To sum up...the right rear corner, the rear floor, and the passenger side rear tool box lid and hinges (covered by the roll bar) are the known issues. Truthfully, if there's more it doesn't bother me. This vehicle is worth saving.


The fuel tank on this vehicle may or may not be original. I still don't have it in possession to get a look at it, but here's what I know. It has the original brackets, with the two "straps" running along its length. You can see one of the straps in this very limited photo. The part that confuses me is the picture of the front-driver's side view of the jeep. It doesn't show the tank below the body even though the fuel neck is clearly visible. I don't know if its just a bad picture or an aftermarket tank that's been installed using the old brackets. The seller isn't very knowledgeable of the subject, but says he thinks its original (and he says its 20 gallons). It is undercoated and green.


The data plate. It was a Marine Corps jeep. DoD 4/54, SN 10513.


The battery box. Needs to be cleaned.

I will have more detailed pics when it comes home in a couple of weeks. I don't have a photo of the engine bay, but the sellers says its unmolested and still 24V. The engine runs, but it has a timing issue currently.

There are a couple of mystery brackets I can't identify. One is on the passenger side of the hood. It's like a hook with one bolt holding it on. I was thinking it could have been a fire hose catch or something, since this jeep was used by a FD in civilian life. The other is on the dash, just top left of the data plate by the upper stretcher rail bracket. You'll see it in the following photo.


I'm missing the grab bars on the windshield frame.


A very blurry pic of the interior. Both seat frames are missing as well as the pivot hinges. The seller says the floors up front are good. I just can't wait to get this thing out of the elements and clean it up. The spare tire carrier has been cut on at least one side. Since I have the complex part, I should be able to fabricate the rest and save a lot of money.


Finally, the right rear wheelwell opening. Note the undercoating.

Well, that's all I have. It's going to be quite a project. Let me know what you guys think. I didn't pay much for it, so if you think it's a little rough, don't feel bad for me. There's still a lot of unknowns to this jeep. I'll have many more details when it comes home.

-Dan

[rdsar2k]

From the pictures
Missing Stretcher brackets
- Tailgate
- Drivers rear
- Passenger front
- Drivers fender well
Missing Ambulance Gear
- Lower stretcher rails
- Upper Stretcher rails
- Reel Light (someone has been selling them lately for 125.00 on ebay and they are correct -cheapest I've ever seen)
Missing Seats, seat pans
Missing Glove Box Door
Missing Top Bows (Ron Fitzpatric has them by the set)
Missing door frames

The bracket on the hood is for the fording kit air intake hose. The one on the dash looks like a CB radio bubba bracket. There are signs that all over that it had the complete fording kit on it at one time. The fording valve cable has the brass plate and the cable is there though the handle has been broke off. The gas tank may be there just a bad photo angle. Probably rusted out as they usually rust from the inside. Fenders will be on your shopping list. Marine versions had different rear lift shackle bumper that move the shackles toward the outside corners.

I'm an M170 guy. I have two; one I just completed and another in the wings. Sorry, I don't have extra parts. I am still looking for the drivers wheel well stretcher support behind the drivers seat to have all the parts for the one in the wings. It is a long process to find the parts. They do pop up over time. The trick is to continuosly search not just once in a while. Curious as to what is under the hood. The splash guard, regulator cable are unique under there. The parking brake cable and bracketry are unique. Mullins has the cable but no bracketry. He also has the long exhaust pipe. I spied the rear sway bar so hopefully it has the front sway bar.
Another option is to make it into a flight line taxi. No stretcher parts needed.

I have a gallery here on page 5 under my rdsar2k handle if you want to see what I went through.

[MODIFIED]

have any other pics of the passenger wheel well?
might you confirm with the Seller that the Mfg "Willys" vehicle plate is still attached to the sloping face of the pass. wheel well ?

I 'm suspicious that your Delivery Date on this M170 is post 1955. You'd want to confirm the stamped inscription with the seller towards verifying the Data plate you have pictured is orig to this vehicle.
clues from pics:
no thumbscrew battery cover
no pivot hinges present on bottom of grill.
the fender seams for pre 55 were diagonal as opposed to your late
evident with a straight vertical seam.
If indeed you have what the Data Plate suggests as a Marine Corp ambulance, as rdsar2k mentioned:
check the rear bumper for the ends to be square with the lift rings on the ends
both front and rear axles should possess "Power-Lok" differentials
check the floor between the pass and driver side valley for an escussion where a PTO- Ramsey would have resided.

Most Marine Corp ambulance were converted to Flight-line Taxis or a Radio Jeep and were stripped of their litter accoutrements.

the dash "handle" mounted on passenger side dash is the forward litter bracket.

nice find!!

[rdsar2k]

Hey Modified!
I don't believe there ever was an early vs late differences on the m170. I think the M170's only came out with the late stuff. Reason I say that is because the first M170's came out in 1953 which is the later parts date of implementation. Also, of all the M170's pictured on the various web sites I have never seen one with the early parts. I have a reference somewhere that gave the dates of manufacture and quantities built. Also David Doyle chimed in on one of my posts under steelsoldiers where he had a copy of the original contract for M170's where none were built prior to 1953. Also the dod seems correct of 4/54. I'll dig around and find the production numbers by year and estimated serial #'s for the year. Got is saved somewhere.

[rdsar2k]

Heres an old post that I started when trying to date my M170
Good info.

http://www.steelsoldiers.com/m38-m38a1- ... -m170.html

[toojeeps]

rdsar2k, thanks for the info. I am wondering if, since I'm missing most or all of the stretcher brackets, this jeep was used as one of the troop carriers I've read about. Granted it could have all been removed in civilian life, it would be easier and less expensive to make it a troop carrier. I'm tracking the USMC did do some of those conversions.

Speaking of USMC conversions, the rear crossmember is definitely not the USMC type. It is the standard, slant-up cornered style. I noticed this when I was told it was a USMC jeep and thought that maybe the previous owner was misinformed, but the data plate definitely shows it belonging to the USMC. I did a search a while back when I was trying to verify, and I found some USMC jeeps without the marine rear crossmember. It leads me to believe one of three things: 1) the original crossmember was damaged and replaced with a standard version; 2) it was never adapted to begin with; or 3) it really isn't a USMC jeep and the dash data plate was put on at a later time. Does anyone make the USMC style rear bumper?

In regards to data plates, the wheelwell plate is missing. My research does show that 10513 falls in line with an April, 1954 delivery date. The information rdsar2k posted also indicates this.

As for the mystery brackets, I never even thought about the fording kit and CB radio. Both make complete sense. I had noticed the fording plate on the dash. I'll probably keep the CB bracket and use it since its there and I'd like to have a modern radio in it. No further modification required.

The seller told me he had removed the fuel tank recently to inspect the rust issue. He said he was nearly crushed by it when he took it off because he failed to check the fuel level inside. It was full. This could be good news for rust issues.

I promise my dad will take better pictures when he gets it home. It'll be another 4 months or so before I get to see it in person.

Modified, noticed on your photo gallery you were in the process of creating an arctic top for your M170. How is that coming? Looks awesome. rdsark2, very nice resto of your M170. Hopefully mine will look similar some day.

[MODIFIED]

stand corrected. guess my M170 trivia needs a re-fresh. 1952 to late 53 M38A1's only possess thumbscrew batt lid, hinged front grlle, etc.

for the few M170's whether Restored/Modified/Preserved/ as functional and driven; whichever direction you pursue with your new purchase, it will provide a greater satisfaction to those glancing a K-war veteran humming by.

you'll appreciate the ride of the longer wheelbase the M170 offers.

let me know when you get her, I have a few M170 parts left.

[rdsar2k]

Here's a link to some Marine Radio M170's. They had the unique rear cross member.
If I were in your shoes I would go for the taxi. In the mean time you could continue your search for ambulance stuff. No harm done.

My M170 was full of gas also. Nasty stuff. The inside top was swiss cheese that showed up when prepping the tank for sealant. Most old vehicles require a tank resto or replacement. I wish you well.

I have seen the rear bumper kits for sale separately.

http://www.vintagemilitarytrucks.com/M1 ... fornia.htm

http://www.vintagemilitarytrucks.com/M1 ... eorgia.htm

[toojeeps]

So is the rumor of troop carriers not true? I have not found any pictures of such a configuration, but I have seen forum posts by Vietnam veterans who swear they saw them used as 6 man troop carriers.

Also, was there a distinct color/pattern for converted flightline taxis or was it mostly just any color with ambulance gear removed? I have only seen one photo of a flightline taxi M170. It looks grey and white patterned. Paint chips on my M170 jeep show no grey, just a solid coat of white that I assumed was from the Civil Defense. I'll be able to trace the previous paint schemes down once its home.

It'll be nice to get this thing home and really figure it out.

[toojeeps]

About to be loaded on the trailer in that picture.

It's missing the original fuel tank, but it apparently still has the brackets for it. Rear floor isn't rusted out after all. The steel plate is simply some sort of reinforcement plate the fire department installed. The rear crossmember was replaced, as apparent by the lack of paint and bolts instead of rivets.



It's got a crazy lean to it, more than usual. Gonna have to find the source. All stretcher brackets have been removed. Tool boxes in good shape.



I have some replacement fenders. I'll need a front bumper, too. Blackout light housing heads are in a ziplock baggy in the toolbox.



Motor is still 24v. Regulator is there, out of view in the picture.

More pictures to come. It's missing quite a few parts, but overall the jeep is pretty solid.

[rdsar2k]

You are going to enjoy. I agree that the flight line taxi was probably a field modification. I have never seen anything that shows an official model but ther is hard top radio jeep m170 also out there that there is no manuals for so you never know.

[toojeeps]

Found the two missing rear stretcher brackets in the toolbox!



Here she is sitting pretty at home before taking it to storage (for while I'm away). It will finally be indoors after a few years in the rain.

[rdsar2k]

And a sway bar bracket. It hopefully has both front and rear sway bars on it. I see thw rear. I hope the front is still on it.

[toojeeps]

Yep, it's got both front and rear sway bars. It also has the splash guard in the engine bay. One bad note, though...there's spotty rust all over the body, especially around the toolboxes. It will be tedious to repair, but nothing that I can't do myself with some time. At the very least, it will hone my fabrication skills.

[toojeeps]

A small update...

My dad removed the steel "patch" from the rear deck and discovered something interesting. Six bullet holes. What's weird is that all rounds penetrated from the bottom up. So at one point, the jeep was possibly on its side and was shot six times. Five rounds match 7.62, one is .50.





Rust through where the hat channel is. Also some rust near the tailgate. Shouldn't be terribly tough to fix.



Also, found the body tag. Was there after all. Numbers match the dash plate.