M37 Delivery Date

[SturmTyger380]

My M37 before I got it had it's data plate taken that has the serial number and date of delivery.

So I took the serial number from the frame and looked it up on the production dates list. It is a Feb 1953. Is there a way to estimate the delivery date for my truck? Serial number - 80046010.

Also during that time did they get stamped with the Department of Defense symbol or the crossed cannons symbol? Any idea what inspector initials were stamped during that time. I have seen the initials PMS on other vehicles from 1953.

If the hood number might help I can try to sand down on the hood to find it.

Alan

 

[Blake]

I would estimate around 2/10/53 and 2/12/53

 

[SturmTyger380]

Do you have a truck that is close to that time and serial number?

Alan

 

[Roller]

You could check the registry on the G741.org site for serial numbers near yours. My truck, serial ending in 51113 was delivered 4/27/53.

Frank

 

[T. Highway]

Hi Alan,

Your truck was the 40,021th accepted into service.
Build # 1022
Contract number is DA-20-018-ORD-9198 or 12101
Truck was built on Feb 13th 1953 and was delivered on the 14th or 15th.

Bert

Disclaimer: I'm not a Dodge Brother or related to them in any way and have never portrayed one on TV. I will deny ever being to Detroit. Just ask Frank AKA Roller.

 

[tbone1004]

Bert, where did you get that info from? I'm curious about this history of mine as well but also trying to find out where it went and when it got turned over to civil defense then to the town

 

[SturmTyger380]

Hi Bert,

How did you come up with the build date of Feb 13th?

I have found on the G741 site trucks with serial numbers of 80045940, 80046229 and 80046262 that the owners say had delivery dates of 2-10-53. Now I know those are the dates the Army accepted the trucks and what the current owners say but 80046262 is 252 trucks after mine.

Truck was built on Feb 13th 1953 and was delivered on the 14th or 15th.

 

[T. Highway]

Alan,
I got the information from the G741 site. There is no definitive answer because of errors in record keeping and the available information is generalized.

There was 2174 units built in February of 1953 starting with Ser #80046010 and ending #80047162.
I took 2174 and divided it by the 28 days of the month to get 77.6+ trucks produced per day. (This is an average)
I then took the ending Ser # and subtracted your Ser# to get that yours was produced 1152 from the end of February production. 1152 divided by 77.6 gives you 14.8 days. (This again is an average) 28 minus 14.8 puts production on the 13th of Feb. You need to accept this information with a grain of salt because they may have produced more or less trucks on any given day.

tbone,
There is no way to track the truck in the military or the destinations that followed. (The records have been destroyed years ago)

Bert

 

[SturmTyger380]

Thanks Bert,

You are right that there is no way to really know.

Alan