Uncovered my M38A1 Hood Numbers

[Mike_B]

Thanks Harold,

I'll dig around and see if I can find additional markings.

Mike B
_________________
Mike B
1953 M38A1 Brush Truck
1952 M38
1951 M100 Trailer

[Mike_B]

So, I've been looking around the Jeep for a Logo and in wet sanding behind the passenger door I found a very thin layer of Blue paint on top of the OD and under many other layers. It looks sorta like a capital "G" to me...any ideas???


_________________
Mike B
1953 M38A1 Brush Truck
1952 M38
1951 M100 Trailer

[w30bob]

Mike,

Is that the only place you found blue paint........or have you not gotten to strip the rest of the tub? If paint could only talk, eh?

regards,
bob

[Mike_B]

Bob,

I used a window scrapper razor blade on the hood to find those numbers and they were easy, so I tried the same method on the drivers side front fender and behind the gas filler hole and I did see a touch of blue in the feathered edge, but could never clean it to see the blue as it was to thin. I didn't find any blue on the hood and so far no hood star either.

Knowing I may have removed something with the scrapper on the drivers side I decided to wet sand the passenger side...took about 2 hours to uncover what you see. If that blue was some sort of a logo it was put directly on the OD and is very thin and hard not to sand right through.

Did the Army and Navy ever have a master inventory list of where there jeeps were located by their hood numbers?

Oh, and I won't be wet sanding the entire tub looking for a ghost logo, that's WAY to much work...lol!

Mike
_________________
Mike B
1953 M38A1 Brush Truck
1952 M38
1951 M100 Trailer

[Thunderbird712]

Mike,

I know I will be meeting you tomorrow and can show you in person but this info may help others. There is a very small chance your serial # and/or your Hood # (factory applied US registration # starting with 209) maybe be stamped on the frame. Sometimes when the jeep went through a depot they would stamp this information onto the frame for tracking purposes. I was lucky and found my Hood # and what I believe is my Serial # stamped on the drivers side frame just aft of the front bumper. I have to emphasize that this is not common but worth looking for.



Hood # 20999713. The rest of the numbers are maybe a job # or workshop #.

_________________
TJ
53 M38A1 (project)
3/28/45 MB factory restoration project

[Mike_B]

I looked and didn't find any numbers on the frame in front of the grille...

Mike
_________________
Mike B
1953 M38A1 Brush Truck
1952 M38
1951 M100 Trailer

[Mike_B]

UPDATE:

I finally got the right Hughesville VFD guy to stop by my shop on Saturday, turns out Jimmy built the Brush Truck for the VFD and shared what he could remember.

The Jeep was bought as surplus from Patuxant River Naval Station (PAX River) about 1985 and when they got it it had been brush painted Navy Gray (that's the layer I thought was Primer). It had a PTO Winch on it and they paid about $250.00 for it. They converted it into a Brush Unit on a very limited budget. Jimmy said he made the water tank, cut a donated Hannay Booster Reel down to fit on top of the tank, installed an oil delivery truck PTO pump on the frane and connected all of the plumbing. He also added the coil over shocks and cut the dash for the FM radio to be recessed. He made the grille guard and installed the lights and siren. The red lights that were mounted on the upper corners of the windshield were taken off of a hand held lantern/flashlight. He said they had to move the water tank forward as when it was full the center of gravity was WAY off making it hard to drive at high speed (50 mph). He remembered rebuilding the engine and painting it Ford Blue! He said the extra leaf springs were alerady on it when they got it. The Jeep also had the "death wobble" and they almost got it corrected when they replaced the tie rod with another used one...no money to buy new stuff!

He even remembered putting the patches in the floor.

The horn was missing and since the Jeep wouldn't pass inspaction without one they took a pair off of a car they were training on with their jaws of life. Screwed then on the inner fender and put a button on the dash...problem solved!

The Jeep seat cushions were made from jump seat backs they took out of two of their fire trucks that were being modified for breathing tanks to be worn by the firefighters while sitting in those seats.

He said they left the PTO winch on for a few years and after more than one guy almost lost his fingers because it wouldn't come out of gear fast enough they took it off and added an electric Warn Winch (8000#?). When he removed the PTO winch he also made the aluminum plug to seal off the PTO shaft opening on the gear case.

He painted the Jeep late 60's Ford Mustang Wimbledon White, which closely matched their 1946 Ford Fire Engine.

I had a great time talking to Jimmy and he was supper happy to see it had survived and was being restored!

Mike B
_________________
Mike B
1953 M38A1 Brush Truck
1952 M38
1951 M100 Trailer

[wesk]

Always nice to find history on your jeep.
_________________
Wes K
45 MB, 51 M38, 54 M37, 66 M101A1, 60 CJ5, 76 DJ5D, 47Bantam T3-C & 5? M100

Mjeeps photo album: http://www.willysmjeeps.com/v2/modules.php?set_albumName=Wes-Knettle&op=modload&name=gallery&file=index&include=view_album.php

[4x4M38]

Did he say anything about the dash plates?
_________________
Brian
1950 M38
MC11481
http://www.willysmjeeps.com/v2/modules.php?set_albumName=album372&op=modload&name=gallery&file=index&include=view_album.php