M38 Project

Hugh_Mongus · Post by **Hugh_Mongus** » Tue Oct 16, 2018 2:51 pm

I started working on this project approximately a month ago. It has been a lot of fun. It's a 1950 M38 with a fresh 5.3L LS, T-90, and Dana 18. I am also doing the saginaw power steering upgrade. I want it to look as close to stock as possible on the outside, but have more power than the Go Devil offered.

Here are some pictures from the day I brought it home until the current day.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/cEKv2g3SqReo6qhX9

Dmk67 · Post by **Dmk67** » Tue Oct 16, 2018 5:52 pm

Hi,
I’ve never commented before but wanted to wish good luck with your project, to each their own I guess. I hope you enjoy your rocket as much as I enjoy my stock old girl. I certainly hope you upgrade all systems in that old dog to work safely with your power upgrades. Well I’ve rambled long enough, I’m having trouble with replacing my stock brakes and can’t figure out how to print Wes’s TO manuals on how to adjust the brakes

, so I’ll end it here.
Good luck
Dave

Post by **wesk** » Tue Oct 16, 2018 9:32 pm

I am surprised you went with the T90/D18 behind your V8. There were several better tranny/transfer setups offered by Kaiser Jeep that would have performed much better with that much torque out front. It's the only weak link that you have left in the jeep after looking at your photos showing discs and now a saginaw steering unit. Both excellent choices.

ocwd · Post by **ocwd** » Wed Oct 17, 2018 7:34 am

Very cool! Nice work on this Jeep. I also like the user name. Good sense of humor.

Are you going to have to beef up the drive shafts and differentials? I really have no clue.

Dave

Hugh_Mongus · Post by **Hugh_Mongus** » Wed Oct 17, 2018 3:06 pm

I decided to stick with the T-90 after speaking with Novak. They said it would perform fine as long as I didn’t drive crazy. I rebuilt it using their kit. If it fails I will go another route.

As far as the diffs, I was also told the rear D44 would do fine with the V8. Since I’m not hard on stuff I figured the D25 would donok. Again, when it breaks I’ll do something else.

My overall goal is for this Jeep to look completely stock to someone just walking around it.

Post by **wesk** » Wed Oct 17, 2018 10:09 pm

My overall goal is for this Jeep to look completely stock to someone just walking around it.

That someone would have to know very little about the M38 to think she's stock. The planned saginaw conversion will put an end to that.

Novak. They said it would perform fine as long as I didn’t drive crazy.

That means you can never put your foot into it. On or off road.

When AMC introduced the 304 series V-8's to the CJ5 / CJ7 one look under the jeep will show how much beefing up went into that. The T15 3 spd std, Only 4spd option didn't show up til 1980 with the Tremec T-176, the Dana 20 72-79 and the Dana 300 80 & on. Frt diff was the Dana 30 & rear 72-75 Dana 44 But I believe it was the 19 spline axle. They used the AMC 20 76-86 in the rear. Brakes were 11 x 2 for Frt/RR drums to 76 then 12" disc frt & 11" drum rear.Std 77-86 (opt 75-76).

I have always preferred upgrading the 80 and 81" wheel base universal jeeps with the Dauntless 225 V6 and the T-98 4 spd.

ocwd · Post by **ocwd** » Thu Oct 18, 2018 7:31 am

Couple of questions:

What's the deal with the box on top of the hood? Looks like it had an L134 in it when you got it so why the box?

Did you make the new (red) hood? it looks a bit long.

Was the L134 an MC engine?

4x4M38 · Post by **4x4M38** » Thu Oct 18, 2018 10:32 am

Probably yanked the oil bath filter and topped
The carb with an aftermarket.

Hugh_Mongus · Post by **Hugh_Mongus** » Fri Oct 19, 2018 1:50 pm

The previous owner put an after market breather on it that wouldn’t clear the hood, so they cut a hole in it and topped it with that ridiculous box. The new hood is a replacement hood from Kaiser. It had a Go Devil in it when I got it. I gave it to a friend who is also restoring a Willys. The 134 was missing a lot of parts that would’ve cost me over $2000 to buy. That’s another reason I steered away from it. The internal condition of the 134 was unknown and probably would’ve needed machine work. The LS will last as long as I own the Jeep and then some.