1951 M38

I bought a 51 M38 this week. It was posted in the CL section and everyone was helpful with "check this, look at that." Can't beat that help at Sears. My plan is to make it roadworthy and maybe fill in a few of the 1,000 holes in the body. The body, floor and hat channels are very solid. This has been kept in the machine shed at a ranch in the Hill Country of Texas for the last 40 years and appears to have been stored inside before that.

This is the text and photos from the CL listing.

This is the 1951 Willy's Jeep. In working order with original motor and transmission. "New" re-manufactured carburetor installed. Body is rust free. New brake parts and electronic ignition module included, not installed. Original seat frames, windshield and tail gate included. This jeep is ideal for restoration enthusiasts. It has been used as a utility vehicle on a hill country ranch for forty years. Originally purchased from a military officer who bought it from the Army when he retired. $2,750 or OBO.
Pickup from seller will require own trailer transportation.


More to come shortly.

 

This is a video I received from a relative of the seller.




I decided this was not for me and left the door open - "Please call me if you get it running. I like it and am really interested." Never expected to hear back from them. Last week the daughter called me and told me it was running now and was I still interested? So I went and looked. As I have said (about three times) before, "You know what happens when you go look."

 

That is a really nice find!

 

That there is purty!

 

It has been converted to 12V and the wiring is all home made with no fuses. It should be an interesting project. The alternator looks like one that came from my 65 Valliant. It runs very smooth and quiet. The oil bath air cleaner is gone.








The fuel tank is home made or from something else. It is just a steel box with a fuel neck.







Electric fuel pump and a pressure regulator.
Anyone have any links to engine numbers?

 

The windshield and frame are very solid. The vacuum wiper motors are there. I also have both original seat frames including the back seat. They need some repair. Imagine that.
I dislike the overused "barn find" but this rig had been on this ranch for 40 years and not started in five. You know - "Ran when parked." The first photo of the windshield is how it looked before they decided to sell it. They washed the JEEP to make the photos look better. They forgot to bring the windshield out. LOL




A new cowl gasket is on the way and then I'll get the windshield installed. They even had the glove box door and dash side of the latches for the windshield in a box for me. The pivot bolts where the windshield pivots were screwed back in the cowl when the windshield was removed back in the day and stayed there. It came with a new master cylinder and wheels cylinders. He could not find the brake shoes. I think if the owner hadn't been so tired he would have let me look around his machine shed. I suspect there are more pieces still there. It looks like they didn't throw anything away.

I asked about the original wheels and the PO said he believed a couple of them rusted. The tires are at the end of their life so I am undecided on what to do there. The steering needs work. I suspect a worn steering box. Time will tell.

The seller was concerned about a few things that were wrong with it and told me if I had any major problems to give him a call and he would give me some money back. Yes he really said that. I told him thanks but it is 69 years old and I don't expect a warranty.

And now the title work begins. I have the title but we discovered the VIN is not the same as on this JEEP. The title is for a different M38 based on the VIN- starts with MC. I am checking on that but think I will have to do a bonded title. I have done that before and the process is not too bad.

I always wanted a flat fender and this seems to be in pretty good shape.

 

I love this jeep so hard.

 

there's not much . Not to like about this jeep
so cool to see the military light switch is still there

 

Excellent.

 

Congrats on the great find!

 

You got A great buy on that .

 

Love it! While I'm a make it what you want type, this is one of those just run it as is. Lose the lawnmower air cleaner for stocker and source some rims / tires and off you go.

 

Cool find. Another ECJ5 member crosses over to the flat side . . .

 

Great Jeep. I want a flat fender. Just like that.

 

Big progress here. I washed it and replaced a bumperette. Although the black one looks larger it isn't. I had to measure to convince myself.
AAAAAnd I ordered some parts to install the windshield.

 

And they say black is a slimming color...

 

The VIN on the title starts with MC and has the serial number after that.
The body VIN on my M38 starts with MC and is different from the title.
The guy that sold it to the previous owner must have mixed his titles. The way I understand it he had more than one JEEP. I think this is so because he gave the manual to the guy I bought it from. On that manual he had handwritten the VIN that matches my purchase. They were friends so I don't think he was trying to get over on him. But that was 40 years ago and the first guy is gone. The PO is 85, not well and divesting himself of stuff.

The last five digits of the body VIN match the last five digits of the serial number on the dash so I am confident that number is correct. The engine number is something different (4SW11381). I read on G503 that 4SW number indicates the engine came from an early Willys Station Wagon. IDK if that is true.

Dash plate-Manufacturer's Serial Number 24198

Body VIN tag. It is hard to see but this says MC 24198. This tag is the Willys tag that usually appears on the passenger side firewall. On M38 the body tag is behind the passenger seat.