willysmjeeps.com

Hi April,
It's hard to tell from your photos of the drivers seat, but if you intend to run your fuel line from the tank to the pump by the book, then the seat doesn't look high enough in the rear to clear that fuel line.

And this is hard to describe, but the top rear edge of the tank lip near the rear hold-down clamp (a couple of inches on both sides) is supposed to be folded down slightly so the clamp bracket reaches the floor.

mdainsd wrote:There is part you may or not be missing in your top bow assortment. There is a U shaped bracket that goes over the triangle mount on the passenger side only.
???

[/img]

WO 673773 Bracket, Vibration dampener, Spare wheel

Thank you Bob! I had been told it has to do with when the spare was mounted on the side. My understanding is M38s all came with them, at least that is what I've been told since the 70s...

A couple of questions. Do you have the anti squeak strips installed under the tank? Also, is your seat frame level?

It looks from the photos that it leans to the right, and to the back. It may just be my eyes.

If it is tilting, as you mentioned placing spacers at the right rear at minimum, and right front should bring it level and give you the spacing you need.

Take care,

mdainsd wrote:I had been told it has to do with when the spare was mounted on the side.

Yes, it serves the same purpose as the vibration damper on a CJ.

mdainsd wrote:My understanding is M38s all came with them, at least that is what I've been told since the 70s...

I haven't researched this part enough to know for sure if it was on all M38s, but I suspect it was.

Yes, every M38 had one. WO-673773 on page 277 of the September 1955 ORD9 seems to say so anyway.

4x4M38 wrote:A couple of questions. Do you have the anti squeak strips installed under the tank? Also, is your seat frame level?

It looks from the photos that it leans to the right, and to the back. It may just be my eyes.

If it is tilting, as you mentioned placing spacers at the right rear at minimum, and right front should bring it level and give you the spacing you need.

Take care,

Yes squeak pads were under.
I haven’t bolted down yet. Sure makes me nervous to drill into my floors before I m sure of placement. It’s been raining and thundering so I haven’t tried again. But on the to do.

It may have been leaning by the way I was holding it or the camera at the same time.

If I drill, i want it to be right. Need to mount the behind seat on fender tab still.

There are so many variables, from the aftermarket seat frame, aftermarket tank, replacement tub, etc.

It feels like you need to mount the tank and cinch it down. We can get you the minimum clearances between the seat frame and tank. As Ron noted may have to bend down the rear overhang of the tank.

But then it’s a matter of once everything clears, see where the front left foot needs to go. Should be a hole there. We can get you dimensions where the bracket and holes are, but it just may come down to putting the seat frame where it needs to go.

This is not a concourse build by any means.

My bubba mod is the driver seat among other things.

Fitted the tank straps the best I could. It was a KW kit purchase and since it is an MDJuan tank which is a bit higher I think than an original, I had to make up the difference in the strap bolt. I had to use a 5" long bolt to hold the strap tight.

The inboard side I didnt have the little hook piece that goes to the floor so the strap can hook on it, so i took the strap hook, bent it the other way and made a 90* out of it and bolted it straight to the center floor by the PTO cut out. Bubba mod which will work and unless you are a enthusiast you might not realize it was wrong.
I bolted the seat down, located my behind the seat on fender bracket and welded it in place.


You know KW wants $20.00 for the rubber anti-squeak pads and I got a piece of cove base (rubber strip you glue to the wall like at commercial buildings) for $3 at Lowes. I cut it into strips and you cant even see it under there and it works. Bubba mod..


Aftermarket dont line up with the measurements that Wes has for original. I did the best I could to locate the holes as per his drawings.
but aftermarket stuff is consistently wrong.

Located the jerry can bracket and the Spare Tire Carrier. The lag bolts holes on the MD Juan tailgate are about 1/4" too high, so they lead straight into the rounded section of the tailgate. Pissed me off, but I will live with it.


Spare rim provided by Ron D.
The jerry can is a HF thing I did a long time ago. Cut the panel off and made it a hideaway storage for something else- but it worked for mock up purposes here.

Again, aftermarket parts and the jeep body isnt 100% square... I did the best I could.

The rear seat is MD Juan. I have MD Juan and NOS brackets to hold the seat, and it is off just by a 1/4" from driver to passenger side. It folds, sits nice, but the J hook brackets on the tailgate are rubbing on the Driver side. when I go to install them. I actually like that I can fold the seat down though.


Had my Dad help me with the windshield frame moving it from my storage rack on the shed to the saw horses. My back is sore so If I dont have to lift too much or bend over too much I am okay. We placed it here, and sure enough, as soon as I started to cut the old rubber stripping off the window frame, the window broke. It was delaminating anyway and I will replace it.



There are a bunch of holes from various years of mods on here. There are holes in the upper frame that may have been for lights, but are close to where windshield wipers would have been. Though the vacuum wiper set up was on the bottom and had to come out.

The old canvas top channel had to come off as it was rotten through. Left me with a nice pitted surface.


I have a NOS channel I can install when I figure out what I am going to do about all that pitting. I would need to weld this channel to it, so fiberglass filler under it to fill those pits is not a plan.



Expecting a ton of rain today.

Great progress! Good for you!

I should do the same re my channel on my frame. I had a bazillion holes in the flat for civvy top mounts. What a mess.

Look at all that wiper vac stuff! Lines, shut off valve, correct wipers! You even have the rifle rack brackets!!

Not my Jeep but similar to what my end product will look like,



Just above the axe/shovel there is a 6” decal I have been trying to find a closer image of.
It is a “US government decalcomania” required by the CG colors and coatings manual for 1952.


Finally found one I can get made.

Not sure how I am gonna handle this. I can weld, I can fill, but wether I want to commit to replacing this whole section right now- not sure.

Tomorrow is going to rain a lot the whole day. I may get nothing done, or I may go tool around on the transfer case rebuild.

ended up doing a ton of welding today.



I started that at about 0900. By 1400, I was on to the fenders. I only primed one side of the windshield frame since I ran out of primer. I will flip it later this week and work on the inside of it.

Fender bracket.


Fender sanded to 80 grit. I really need to do a better job at it, as the old paint (yellow and blue colors) are not well applied over the original OD. I ran out of 80 grit for my mouse sander by the end of the afternoon and I will run by HF later this week.

Dad ran to Tractor supply for me to get a can of primer.




I started working on the driver fender bracket too, but there are some holes to fill with some new metal I will need to crop in. My back is hurting so I had to quit.
Back to work in the AM, after I drop my Dad off at the airport. His grandpa dog watching service has come to a close for the deployment- mom will be out here in a few weeks since I am leaving again.



I came in from outside, jumped in the shower and came out to load laundry and looked at my father and said "where's dinner old man?!" lol..... He is actually making dinner tonight I am surprised. Gotta leave at 0300 to get him to the airport. ugh-- the dogs are going to be upset!

Also,
A slight bubba mod... i bought some seat belts form Jegs.

"where's dinner old man?!"

Brings back fond memories of fine dining on hot tongue and cold shoulder.....

Are seat belts required on 65 year old vehicles in Virginia?

South Carolina is exempt if it didn't come from the factory with them. I keep a copy of the paragraph of the motor vehicle code with my registration for the rookie deputy who stops me (not like that'll help any, but makes me feel better).

I do have them in mine, eyelets on the floor and OD green old-school belts with hooks on them. I keep them stowed most of the time in the glove box. Law says if they're there they have to be used, and rolled up in the glove box isn't there. Big debate about it for vintage jeeps. Roll-over? Hard collision? Might be better off thrown clear. Might not.

I wish us all much luck in that department!