Thinking about redoing a “restoration” of mine....

[linx310]

Thinking about redoing a “restoration” of mine.

In 2009 I purchased a 1952 M38A1 that has never been restored. After its service in the military it was assigned to the Civil Defense Force and painted orange. It was given to the university of Nebraska forest service department in 1974, at which point the engine was rebuilt. As of right now the engine has only 3,000-4,000 miles on it. It was sold at auction some time in 2008 I believe, and the owner who purchased fixed a few minor issues with the body and painted over the orange with green.

I bought it from him in 2009.

Here is a list of what I did:

I completely replaced about every component with the front steering gear due to some severe slop and worn out steering box.
New tires
Fixed Gauges
Added replica spare tire carrier
Added replica Canvas top (beachwood)
Fixed horn
Fixed lights
Fixed fuel pump
Fixed wipers
Touched up base green coast and added markings
Lots of other minor stuff

I probably put about $7,000 or so into it included the purchase price of the vehicle, parts and tools.

Here it is 2011 and I am having some issues with the vehicle that make me want to take it completely apart and do a frame off.

Issues:

Transmission is leaking a lot
Because of the previous owners attempt to save money by doing a spray over the paint job is starting to come off and surface rust is starting to come through.
Some of the spot welds on the body are coming apart.
The wiring harness has been spliced and repaired over the years and needs to be replaced. Apparently when it was in the forestry service they thought it was a good idea to clip off some of the metal connectors and just directly splice into some of the lights!
Missing back seat
Seat cushions need to be reupholstered
Passenger seat frame is bent.
Seals along windshield leak badly when it rains.

Items I would like to upgrade:

I would like to upgrade the brake system to front disc brakes.
I want to install the turn signal upgrade
Add a key to turn the power on


Basically I want to pull it apart to the frame, clean up the gunk off the frame and coat it with a rust preventative.

While the body is off I want to:

Rebuild the transmission (to replace the leaky seals).
Upgrade the braking system.
Replace motor mounts (the rubber is pretty old)
Replace any wiring or old rubber parts

Sand blast the body and weld in new sheet metal on any problem areas (the body is actually in great shape for being 60 years old).

Once the body is cleaned up I want to coat it with an excellent rust preventative primer and paint it the correct color again.


I think my M38a1 is an excellent candidate for a frame off. It has 90% of the parts and no major rust issues. I also don’t drive it as much as I would like due to the fact I don’t really trust the poor brakes.

One of the key issues holding me back is the top canvas I bought made by beachwood canvas, it has been on the vehicle for 2 years now, I am afraid if I remove it may shrink. Can this actually happen?

Also in your area what is the going rate to have all the body parts sandblasted?

Here are some pics of what it looks like now:

[Deadguy]

I came on this forum with all these ideas about how to modify my 1952 M38A1 "for the better". One was disc brakes. Alot of people told me to just get 11" drums instead of the 9". I didn't listen, went for the disc brakes, and now I've sold them back and gotten 11" drums. You will need to swap out the master cylinder and proportioning valve to change to disc brakes. Herm the overdrive guy makes the parts, but they are incredibly hard to install, and all told, you will spend close to $1,500. Brand new (well, reconditioned like new) 11" drums have alot more stopping power than old 9" brakes, and they are a bolt on change, no swapping anything. They run about $350. I've noticed, with the little 134 inline 4 engine, knobby basically tractor tires, and a 60 year old steering setup, the vehicle doesn't play nice over 50 MPH. So, my point is, you won't need too much extra stopping power.

[53a1]

Hey linx nice to see you back.

Your getting into a whole new ball game if you take it down to the frame. In my opinion you don't have to take it down to the frame to fix the mechanical issues your having.

What you will gain by taking down to the frame is you will be able to correctly fix any rust or body rot issues. If you plan on keeping the Jeep for the rest of your life than it's not a bad idea to do this. You probably know by now if you really love the thing or not.

But... it's a lot of work and if you can't do the work yourself it's a ton of money. Personally, that is why I chose to restore a Jeep. It's the coolest vehicle for the money and I can do all the work myself. If I had the money to pay someone to restore a vechicle, I would probably go with a muscle car.

It boils down to two simple questions. Can you do the work and do you have the tools and space? If not, are you rich?

If you can say no to both of these questions than I wouldn't take it down to the frame.
_________________
'53 M38A1 X2

[BullRun]

Your jeep right now looks better than most "restored" jeeps.

Unless there is a structural problem like the tub not being fastened correctly to the frame due to corrosion it is really not worth the trouble. It does not sound like it is necessary. Mechanical issues are normal. A body off restoration done professionally is like a life saving operation. It should only be done as a last resort in my opinion.

You might be out of a driveable jeep for 3 to 5 years+. Thats a lot of missed drives, dirt road adventures etc. Lifes to short to tear apart your only jeep!

Value wise, original running vehicles are gaining in popularity and value too.

I would buy another M38A1 that needs some love and restore it instead.

[bluewatersailor]

Linx, I agree wholeheartedly with the three previous replies. Sounds like my situation. Giving up the driving is too much of a sacrifice. By the way, are you confident of the accuracy of your hood number? My M38A1 was delivered 10/1952, is Serial No. MD 26784 and, I think, bore Hood No. U. S. ARMY 2B6426. I'm not too sure about the Hood No. because the data plate show original issue was to the USMC. Any insights?

[wesk]

Your 52 M38A1 if issued to the US Army would have had a hood number in the range 2096XXXX. The 2B6426 is a 1955 or newer issue hood number and is what would have happened if your jeep transferred from the USMC to the Army. If your A1 was originally issued to the USMC the responsible agency plate on the dash will list Ordnance under procurement and Marine Corp under Depot.

The very early A1's from Jun/Jul 52 would have had a hood number in the 2092XXXX range.


_________________
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

[bluewatersailor]

Wes,
The Data plate (new pics will soon be in my photo album) shows USMC received the jeep initially. Is there any way to determine what the USMC hood number would have been before the army got hold of it? BTW, the serial number on the data plate and on the fender well match. I found the "2B 6426" as the "Registration No." on the "Vehicle Classification Inspection" form (DA FORM 461-5) that came with the jeep when I bought it in 1970 from the U.S. Army Leghorn General Depot QAD Supply Branch, Italy.

[oilleaker1]

Your Jeep is worthy of putting back in USMC paint and trim. I'd buy a CJ5 and do the modern stuff to it, have it to drive, while restoring your A1. Have both worlds John

[linx310]

[rgmutchler]

I don't know where in Texas you are located but if you decide to do a frame off I suggest using a place called Metal Rehab in Arlington instead of sand blasting your body. They use a non acidic strip and a rust treatment. I had my M38 done this summer and was very pleased with the way it worked without overheating the metal or having holes blasted. After looking around for sand blasting for the body I found that the Metal Rehab thing worked well and cost about the same as sand blasting. You can see my body after I got it back in my picture album on pg. 9.
_________________
R G Mutchler
M274A5
M-38 MC13312
http://willysmjeeps.com/v2/modules.php?set_albumName=rgmutchler&op=modload&name=gallery&file=index&include=view_album.php

[evanso1975]