Well, they're still out there! I found this 1964 "Army jeep" for sale on Craigslist about 85 miles away. Hauled it home yesterday. It starts with starting fluid - no big noises. Very complete - only a few accessories missing. One small area with rust in the passenger floorboard - none in the hat channels or triangular cowl braces! Came from the Darlington, SC Fire Dept , and kept under a shed by the current owner since 2005.
Will hopefully only take a few days to make it driveable (clean fuel tank and lines, replace pump, rebuild master cylinder, bleed fluid and replace). Bad weather coming this weekend and working, so will hopefully get to start on it next week. Will update here and on my blog https://wilfreeman.wordpress.com/1964-usmc-m38a1/ as I work on it.
Thanks guys - I'm happy with it so far! Been looking for a decent one that wouldn't break the bank. And the best part? My wife said instead of selling one or the other, just go ahead and build that shed I've been talking about for years and keep them BOTH! Guess I lucked out on the wife too!
Somebody did a nice job installing the hasp on the shifter rod.
I meant look and see if there is a pipe cap screwed in the side of
the glove box wall. I've seen references to the Marines putting a
pipe cap in the glove box to screw the $&% housing plug into for
storage.
Good find.
I'm re-creating my dad's USMC M38A1 he had in Vietnam. Love those USMC Jeeps. Looks like Denton show is on again this April. Hope to see you there. I will be interested to see your progress and to get some information on what should be on the USMC version.
Seems like so many other things have taken my time lately. I have all the parts to rebuild the engine and patch panels made up for the rust repair. I got a new TIG welder to weld up the patch panels, practicing with that, but have had very little time in the garage lately.
More to do at work has put a lot of things on the back burner. Oh, well 9 years and I can retire.
Looking forward to making more progress.
Everything I work on on that M38A1 needs a total rebuild plus lots of past bubba work. Worked out the hood and it now looks good, repaired lots of the floor boards. Brakes are in great shape now and I added silicone brake fluid.
Slow progress.
Looking forward to the Denton show and any more close by.
See you there.
Slow progress is better than NO progress! It takes me forever to get anything done too (I'm still working on the m100).
I plan on being at Denton Fri - Sun as usual. This Jeep will be there finished our not. I plan on getting the mechanical done and maybe staying on the metal work - prob won't be painted by then.
OK, so I had to start a new blog on this Jeep. The old one just wouldn't let me do what I wanted to as far as integrating the new page. I'm still trying to figure out the new theme, so forgive the mess!
So far, I've gotten the gas tank cleaned and painted, gas tank well and driver floorboard painted, battery box and trays cleaned/primed/rubberized, dash removed/stripped/painted, gauge cluster painted, dash installed, passenger floorboard stripped/primed/painted.
Tomorrow I plan on stripping the rest of the interior and priming/painting. Maybe even doing a little mechanical work. I still have a skip and exhaust leak. I also have to replace the exhaust (I have the pipe and muffler already), and rebuild the bellcrank.
so far! Been looking for a decent one that wouldn't break the bank. And the best part? My wife said instead of selling one or the other, just go ahead and build that shed I've been talking about for years and keep them BOTH! Guess I lucked out on the wife too!