Joined: Mar 10, 2013 Posts: 105 Location: Stevensville, Montana
Posted: Tue Jan 28, 2020 11:17 am Post subject: M38A1 Tub Question
So here are photos of my 53. My data tag and patent tag doesn't match so I really don't know the exact year. So with that said, does the location of the floor drains and absence of the locking mechanism for the passenger seat make this a 52 or early 53?
The answer to your question is not that simple. Over the last half century a lot of swapping of parts occurs with these old jeeps. Most of the time when a replacement tub is put on a jeep where it came from wasn't questioned and usually the swapper overlooked the patent plate. Thus the simple general rule is the patent plate you find painted over on your tube is usually the original to that tub. However the same folks that overlook the presence of that plate will often only move the dash plate from the original complete jeep to the replacement tub's dash. Voila, here in lies your present issue.
This usually means dating the tub will not normally accurately date your jeep. Your frame is a better source for dating the rest of the jeep. Early vs mid vs late.
To further aggravate this issue your jeep could be original chassis and tub and just the dash plates were lost. Then someone finds a used dash plate and put's it on again overlooking the painted over patent plate on the tub!
Also I will send you our M38A1 survey form. We hope all members will complete these survey forms and return them to us to help us better ID specific changes and dates.
This leaves you with a tub that could be any serial between Jun 1952 & Oct 1953.
This battery box lid was used thru OCT 53 _________________ Wes K
45 MB, 51 M38, 54 M37, 66 M101A1, 60 CJ5, 76 DJ5D, 47Bantam T3-C & 5? M100
Joined: Mar 10, 2013 Posts: 105 Location: Stevensville, Montana
Posted: Tue Jan 28, 2020 4:58 pm Post subject:
Thanks Wes,
I knew I seen those photos on here before but couldn't remember where. Send me that form and I'll fill it out the best I can. _________________ 1951 M37 WOW, 1953 M37 WOW, 1954 M37 WOW, 1953 M38-A1, 1954 M38-A1, 1964 M151-A1, 1967 M151-A1, 1968 M151-A1, 1978 M151-A2, 1989 M35A2C, 1965 M416, 1966 M416, 1967 M416
MSgt, USAF Retired 1/84-10/05
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