Your Jeep, Your Paint code

Mjp83 · Post by **Mjp83** » Mon Jan 10, 2022 11:05 am

Hi everyone.
I have searched, read and googled. My 52 M38 appears to have three very distinctive paint variants of OD Green, and I am trying to find the top layer. Now, I know computer screens, digital images, exposure and sun light change paint appearances, as we see in OCWD’s thread on the difference between 24087 and 23070.

http://willysmjeeps.com/v2/modules.php? ... ight=24087

I am looking for a darker shade than 2430 (the base layer of my jeep), not a brown shade (second layer and many pics of 24087 I have seen), so maybe a 23070? I have ordered a paint chip chart from Quarter ton Military off EBay, to see the Gillespie paints in person.
I have seen the KW 2430, and it’s too yellow for me.

Post up your Jeep WITH the paint supplier and code! There are so many build threads with amazing restorations, but not many (any?) mention the final paint they chose.

Thanks in advance,
Martin

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4x4M38 · Post by **4x4M38** » Mon Jan 10, 2022 2:59 pm

Martin,
Don’t forget the primer for most M38 parts was 2430 without the gloss added.

They put a coat of non gloss paint on as primer, then a coat of glossy 2430.

The difference in the way non gloss and gloss 2430 may be what you are looking at.

Just my opinion.

Kendall · Post by **Kendall** » Tue Jan 11, 2022 7:14 pm

My M38A1 in 24087 and M38 in 23070.

Post by **wesk** » Thu Jan 13, 2022 5:49 pm

The only paint used by Willys on M38's and M38A1's for Ordinance contracts was OD2430. 23XXX paint codes are late WWII thru 1949. 23070 is a Gillespie developed commercial code for their own version of late WWII OD. One must make sure they keep seperate the WWII paint code system which changed digit/letter arrangements several times from 1939 thru 1945 from the postwar 4 digit system introduced in 1948 when the GSA took over control of all paint coding for all government agencies. In the early fifties the GSA progressed to their 5 digit Federal Standard FS595. The 24087 was from the FS595 standard and was not used by Willys. It started appearing in Army paint shops around 1954 from which date the Army field repainting usually covered the original OD2430 with 24087. Keep in mind this is all applied to US Army Ordnance Command jeep contracts. The USMC, USN and USAF started writing their own contracts around 1954/55 and then their desired paint codes were used on their own contracts.