How to find year of MB/GPW?

I posted a picture and short essay in "flat fender tech" about getting the family MB back in service. I can sort of read a number on what's left of the glove box. My Pop has never been to sure about the year and he's had this body since 65. I tried checking the serial number search and it would not load the page. Any help finding out would be great. The number that I can read is 119548. Below that I can see a 5-27-???. The body has the shovel cut out but no axe dent. It has rear tool box's behind the rear wheels. Any idea's?

 

There are typically 3 or 4 places that are numbered that you can look up to find a year, but on yours there is likely only one place since it has been altered from it's past. There is the engine number, a tag on the front frame horn where it met the bumper, the tag on the glovebox, and on a triangular support piece on the front driver's side of the body (towards the bottom of the firewall). Your best bet would be to look for the body number.

Jim

 

I just found something I have never noticed. The axe dent in my MB body has been removed. I really started trying to figure out why it didn't have a axe dent and I can see a very faint weld line where someone years ago removed it. My Dad says the guy he bought the body from in 1964 told him it was an MB. Probably true but I would like to know for sure the year and make. I took the original bolts out of the E-brake bracket from under the dash and they don't have the Ford F on them. Those are the only original bolts on the body I know of. I haven't found the number on the body mount. Maybe this winter I'll get a sander and really look for it...

 

Check out this site:
http://www.g503.com/
there is a tab for serial numbers and you can sort by delivery date. If that number you have is complete, it looks like you have a May 1943. There also might be a stamp on the frame. The guys on that site can help. My 42 has a serial number on the motor mount and also on the dash plate.
Nice jeep.

Tom