M38 serial number

Fmbruce · Post by **Fmbruce** » Thu Apr 17, 2014 2:50 pm

Dear all,
I am a completely new member of this forum from UK. I own several jeeps and various 4x4 quarter ton vehicles, including a M38 and a M38A1, both ex-USAF in Europe. The M38 was stationed on a base in UK. On another jeep forum in USA I saw a post from a M38 owner who said his vehicle had a 6 figure serial number, starting with a 2. (Unfortunately I can't find the post again). Respondents said that this was not possible. My M38's dash plates list a serial number of 220107 and a date of delivery of 1951 but the Willys serial plate behind the passenger seat is not there. This is definitely a US jeep, with history and appears absolutely original, sold onto the civilian market in 1962, and its UK registration papers also show this serial number. It seems an amazing coincidence that 2 jeeps, 1 in USA and 1 in UK, both have 6 figure serials. Can anybody offer any help with this?
Thanks,
Bruce Hoad

Post by **wesk** » Fri Apr 18, 2014 7:07 pm

No six digit M38 serials.

They all (everyone) left willys with 5 digit serials. Any 6 digit number found on a dash plate on an M38 was put there in the field and there is any number of possibilities when and where and by whom.

Now in some rare cases M38's after they left the military and were titled in a state or country that used the engine serial number for titles could end up with a six digit number since although the Chassis were only produced thru the 73000 series the engines were produced in higher quantities and could be found in the 6 digit range for the factory new spares (RMCXXXXXX) from 1952 on.

Fmbruce · Post by **Fmbruce** » Sat Apr 19, 2014 2:21 am

Thanks Wes. Any clues how I might find its true identity? Bruce.

Bretto · Post by **Bretto** » Sat Apr 19, 2014 7:23 am

Perhaps that is an extra 2 at the beginning? Maybe wherever it was registered required a 6 digit to fulfill registration and it got added. Long shot I know. Do all the numbers that are stamped look original and match the font of the others, maybe one just doesn't look right? Maybe you could remove the plate and look at the back plate to see if it has any indication that the brass plate was stamped again, in that the stamping was transferred to it while still attached. Make sense? I don't know if the originals were stamped after or before they were attached to the back plate. Of course, yours could be attached directly to the dash.
Another place to check is to look for a number on the frame. It's not normal from what I've have heard but sometime frames got stamped, like I found on mine.

Drivers side just between the bumper and grill.

http://www.willysmjeeps.com/v2/modules. ... _photo.php

Post by **wesk** » Sat Apr 19, 2014 7:51 am

Some overhaul facilities would occasionally stamp the serial number or the registration number on the frame to keep the body and frame linked together during the overhaul. I would first look to see if your engine serial is RMC220107. Then I would post a photo of the dash serial plate so we can better discern any small issues we might look for. The Air Force installed a USAF Property tag in jeeps back then that looked like the one below that I have.

This is the dash plate set you should have

Here's a May 51 plate

Here's an early 1951 serial plate.

I opened a photo album for you on our web site:
http://www.willysmjeeps.com/v2/modules. ... _album.php

Here's a short tutorial on how to looad photos to it:
http://www.willysmjeeps.com/v2/modules. ... _album.php

Fmbruce · Post by **Fmbruce** » Wed Apr 23, 2014 10:47 am

Wes,
Many thanks for this. I am just leaving for three weeks working in Eastern Europe so will put up some photos when I get back.
Bruce

Fmbruce · Post by **Fmbruce** » Wed Apr 23, 2014 10:52 am

Brett,
Thank you for your reply and suggestions. The jeep has a typical 5 digit engine number (MC 75999) so no link there I guess. I will have a careful look at the frame rail and see if there's any evidence of a number there. Thanks for the link to your restoration file. You've done an amazing job.
Bruce