What Is This Thing? (inherited Jeep)

Grandpa left me his jeep, and it seems to be a weird hodge podge of CJ5 and M38 A1.

Things that are m38 a1:
Data plate,
machine gun mounting plate,
frame rails boxed in front,
battery compartment in cowling,
split windshield


Things that are CJ5:
The engine? (no serial number above the water pump)
Grill (no hinges)
Body tub (no 'dog bowl' on passenger side)

What am I working with here? Thanks.

Photo gallery:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Y5Fk4c-D8uV3zWh6TwPhrHgoIlLDA2Lr?usp=share_link

 

Shows a '52 date, but the battery lid is the later style.

So is the "non-hinged" grill - which was phased out at about that time. Does the grill have the recessed headlights and military style 'doors' (rims)? Or cutouts for the black-out type running lights?

Lack of dog-bowl (power receptacle) may be related to the bodywork done and bondo that seems to be under the paint.

The engine number may have been machined off during a rebuild if the block was decked. Since all the furniture is non-military, it might be a civilian engine swapped in. (Although it seems to have the double-belt crank pulley.)

 

Welcome to site...
Introductions | ECJ5 (earlycj5.com)

 

There's a picture here of the inside of where the "dog bowl" would recess in to, it doesn't look like there's been significant body work, but I'm also ignorant to what exactly that would look like.

I've also included a photo of the grill, rear passenger side of the body, and the front wheel.

The body is so messed up it's hard to tell if someone converted a civilian tail gate to match the non-tailgate style, or if this is just a really busted military body.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/10t2XueFhDOEPLflSj6giuvwqPEGqjIbY?usp=share_link

 

It's non-tail gate, but it's also is so messed up that it sort of looks like someone just welded up the tail gate to match the military body style.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RJVnebgXm2TPRPFBEpnf3YN69snlHyoc/view?usp=sharing

 

Do you have any idea why the "dog bowl" wouldn't be there on the passenger side? It doesn't really look like someone did a bunch of body work to cover it up. Did the military make some like that?

This is the inside view of where it would normally recess into the body:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NQuy58geLdsWwVjNXA0YTCMcbWPONpQx/view?usp=sharing

 

Welcome

 

No doubt it's basically an M38A1. It has full-on military grill, lights, seats, wiring harness, tailpipe, front wheel, etc.

And a lot of bondo!

The engine accessories are Civilian (not waterproof 24 volt), and thus possibly the engine itself.

 

I think it is mostly M38A1 with a civilian engine in it. The back looks like the 55 I used to have.
The piece across the back with the footman loops is definitely M38A1. Lots of work back there though. Funny it doesn't have the indent for the slave receptacle. Don't know what year the battery box cover went to the flip lid. I've had M38A1's with both styles. The 55 had the hinged front grill, but I have a 53 without the hinged grill. Who knows what you will find on these. The military swapped around parts all the time when they were in service. I guess. Working on a section at a time will tell what has been added over the years, but it started life as a military M38A1.



Dave

 

Something you won't see in many forums..

 

I think the side panel with the missing dog dish has been replaced. The circled area looks like what's left of the original panel:


Up and to the right from that It also doesn't look like the current panel has the lip bent into it to joint to the cowl. It looks like they overlapped the new panel over the cowl. That would explain all the bond there.

 

Looks like its running a solex carb. Just be aware, while they are great little carbs, they're very specific when it comes to fuel pressure. The carter fuel pumpwill be feeding it way more pressure than required 1.5-2lbs needed to keep the solex from flooding. If you're gonna keep it, I'd add a fuel pressure regulator to the line between the pump and carb.

 

Also, where the angled toe panel meets the “replaced” cowl side, there is a gap that should be a tight spot-weld seam (the angled area below the red circled spot). That whole panel that had the “bowl” has been cut out and replaced with a flat panel. The spare tire carrier on the rear is not the correct A-1 design (its a civillian CJ5 part), and mounted 90 degrees off. The A-1 version is larger and spaces the carrier further out from the body. You clearly have an M38a-1 that has been worked over numerous times. It is pretty solid/unrusted looking, just rough around the edges!
-Donny

 

The most likely reason for there to be no serial number on the engine is that the block has been decked a few thousands during a rebuild. My block was decked .007" to square it up and all sign of the serial number was cut away. Luckily I had it recorded and just restamped it.