My M38A1

[aaron92685]

Well I thought I would post my build. So not to litter the form with a bunch of posts. A few months ago I found a 54 M38A1 here in Phoenix for 500 bucks guy said it ran just needed a water pump. I bagged the wife and she said yes. So when I got it home. And started to look at it more It needed ALLOT more than just a water pump, witch is fine I like working on things. So over the last few months I been collecting allot of parts to get this M38A1 going again and driving down the road. Right now I don't want to restore it to brand new I just want it running good and driving. And just cleaned up. Here is a few pics of the work so far. I will post pics as time goes along. Let me know what you think I like to here what people got to say. I am new to M38A1's so I don't know much.

 

[ASTFU]

nice job so far keep the pics coming as you progress

 

[NDT]

Exceptional work so far, starting to look like a restoration . . . Nice front fenders!

 

[jbingvtx]

I wish I was brave enough to just wade into a project and start taking it apart. I have a feeling that your jeep will be awesome when you are finished.

 

[Ferroequinologist]

Great Job! I miss my m38a1 but looking to add another in the near future.

 

[ralbelt]

It cleans up real nice, will look great , seems like a steal.

 

[clinto]

Looks like a really clean M38A1. Good to see you are replacing the wiring harness, in working on our '55, we have found it to be so brittle and the rubber sheathing so dried out that you really can't work with it.

Have you found any of the original hood or bumper #'s yet? Ours was sanded to bare metal, so all our ID marks are long gone.

 

[aaron92685]

The original wiring harness was all cut up someone tried to splice 12v into it and could not. so just left it. And it was so dry and rotted it only made since to replace it with new. I don't want to fight it later down the road. As for the numbers on the hood, the hood came off another M38A1 but I did find numbers on it. Under the first layer of paint I found US Navy on it witch is cool I spent 5 years in the Navy. Then as I got down into the OD paint I found US Army on it. As for the number I wrote them down on some paper in my shop and cant find it...... The numbers are still on the hood i just need to sand my paint off to get them again. Right now I am waiting on the passenger seat frame and cushion, new head lights, and other random parts. The engine had been converted over to 12v but I want the 24v back. So on eBay I bought the starter and the distributor I am still looking for a generator and generator regulator.

 

[greg6459]

Nice! Keep us updated...

 

[aaron92685]

As for the engine when I got it, the original YS 950 carb was gone so was the original fuel pump. I went back to Ebay and found a good YS 950 carb that just need to be rebuilt for cheep same with the fuel pump. I rebuilt the YS 950 carb, installed it and it fired right up smokes some but i think it will make it through the summer to when I get some time to rebuild it. The fuel pump I sent off to Kaiser Willy's to have it rebuilt I should get it back sometime this week I hope. The guy who sold me the M38A1 said he had the radiator but never came though so I had to get a new one witch took of change out of my budget. Witch is fine, looks like the radiator that was in there did not belong there anyways as you can see on the grill they welded some angle iron on there to mount it. There also was no thermostat in it. So I got a new one. I downloaded the tech manuals off the internet and started to look into the random vent lines and oil lines and found out almost all the lines installed on the engine were in the wrong spots. They had the oil filter pressure line coming from the oil pressure sensor hole in the block and had a vent line that was smashed closed on the other end going to the hole in the block for the pressure line for the oil filter. The list goes on and on. My poor wife when I got it I told her all it needed was a water pump.... but she understanding. And more pics I know every one likes pics. I can about write a novel about this....

 

[emr]

Very Very Very NICE!!!!!!!!! As a fellow Jeep freak, Nice Job ......Love those round fenders TOO!!!!!!!!

 

[Skip]

Nice Jeep

I am green with envy. I want a M38 real bad and to find one from the Navy that is the cats meow. (20 years). Keep us informed.

 

[aaron92685]

Got the windshield sanded down and primed today, Any one know a good place to get a 2 piece windshield in the Phoenix area?

 

[pvtjorge]

Take your windshield frame to the glass cutter if you don't have any glass to make a copy from. Thats what I did for the M38 one piece wind shield. They only charged me $60 to cut and install it. I was thrilled. That was 3 years ago.

 

[FrankUSMC]

Welcome to the M38A1 fold. The M38A1 that I am working on was marked as a Navy model that started life out as an Army one. I am now getting ready to convert it over to a M38A1C.
One of the few, Frank USMC RET

 

[aaron92685]

That would be sweet. From what I have seen they are quite rare. Your going to have to post up pictures from your build. Can't wait to see it!

Aaron

 

[FrankUSMC]

Aaron
I will try, on the photos. We are now done with the 106, I hope to start on the M38A1 this week. Funny part is I bought it to use as a push/pull vehicle to move my other military vehicles with. Did not want to mess with it because it had the tailgate tourched off, they only cut down about 10 inches, very slooppy. We are going to cut the rest out so we can mount the 106 in the back. I will keep you posted.
One of the few, Frank USMC RET

 

[68t]

I ,ve had a m38a1 for about 7 years now, but have not touched it. just can,t get started on it. but will some day. i got the radio and mount for it. it has the c windshield, back is cut out, but no data plate.

 

[FrankUSMC]

68T
I will PM you later today, I am out the door to help my mother in law.
One of the few, Frank USMC RET

 

[AaronW]

Nice build Aaron! Awesome to see so much getting done in a small shop/garage. Makes me want to go out to the shop and start wrenching.

Keep up the good work. Your wife will love riding in it this summer.