'52 M38

[Tumbleweed]

Hey Ryan,

I got your PM but I also noticed that your project has an alternator painted black - that does not look bad at all!

Best regards from the fracking state of Texas

George

[Ryan_M]

My Carter YS returned today from Dr. Scoutpilot's intensive care unit.�

Here's what I shipped him:



Here's what came back. Isn't she a pretty?

[Ryan_M]

It's only once you start welding body panels do you seriously determine the number of vice grips in your possession. Never before have mine all been assembled in one place at one time. Turns out I have 13. I was surprised at that number. I would have guessed half that many. Regardless, I'll likely be purchasing some more.

The floor riser and transmission hump panel are in....


...so the CRAPCO toolbox was the order of the day.�

I'm pretty sure this lid is just a flattened Pepsi can painted black.


So off it comes...


...and is replaced with the lid from the original M38 tool box.


MD Juan must also assume that everyone has an extra latch loop so they don't bother putting one on their tool box either. No problem, I had one of those too.


Aside from this I had to snip, grind, and bend quite a few edges and oddly positioned bracing channels that were seemingly installed for no other reason than to get in the way.

I'm waiting until the wheel houses to arrive before I actually attach the tool box to the tub but I think it's in pretty good shape now. Oh yeah, better save this rain gutter because the tool box doesn't have one of those either.


I guess I should be appreciative that MD Juan is making these toolboxes as apparently they are the only ones doing it. If someone else out there wants to dive into the Willys tool box manufacturing arena you won't have to work that hard to decimate a monopoly.

[1955CJ-5]

Nice work....With MDJ being the only manufacturer you just have to deal with it....unfortunately..

Now what would you do without that welder?

Question: I've been researching M-38's....there is one for sale nearby..

Do either of your body tubs have that welded on reinforcement strap around the rear corner, roughly from the� tailgate loop to about halfway through the top of the rear corner?

[Ryan_M]

Do either of your body tubs have that welded on reinforcement strap around the rear corner, roughly from the  tailgate loop to about halfway through the top of the rear corner?

Are you talking about this? I figured it was the work of Bubba but maybe not?

[1955CJ-5]

Do either of your body tubs have that welded on reinforcement strap around the rear corner, roughly from the� tailgate loop to about halfway through the top of the rear corner?

Are you talking about this? I figured it was the work of Bubba but maybe not?

It apparently was added as a result of a service bulletin or something...and sometimes they came that way from the factory. It was supposed to add strength for the hard top or arctic top..

It should be roughly 3 5/8" by 8".....and Bubba still may have had a hand in it....

[Ryan_M]

Very interesting. When I first noticed them I checked out a couple other M38 tubs online and they didn't have those patches. The welds look a little sloppy too so I figured for sure they were Bubba. I like your explanation much better.

[athawk11]

While researching the M38, I noticed that reinforcing plate on the majority of them.  Like you guys, I initially figured Bubba had paid a visit.  Eventually, I figured Bubba couldn't have visited that many...could he?

I'm sorry to see your tool box battle.  I think Rommel is trying to improve these parts, but I've never heard anyone praise the MDJ toolbox.


Aside from this, the resurrection of your M38 is coming together nicely.

Tim

[Ryan_M]

It's funny because when I first got this tub I actually priced out what it would cost (financially and mentally) to remove those patches and replace the panels beneath them. I decided in this case it wasn't worth the effort. I'm glad I left them alone!

[Jeff_M]

That carburetor is a real work of art.

[bretto]

Yep some of those reinforcement panels are pretty rough looking.  But since they were field installed and stick welded on, what do you expect.  They didn't care so much back then the way things looked over their functionality.

[Bill]

My m38 had a hard top on it while in the military.  Since it was a USAF jeep it never got the plats welded in.

[Ryan_M]

I tip my hat to you guys who have resurrected these truly destroyed tubs. This light duty overhaul I'm doing on mine is tedious enough. Finally, wheel houses and tool box are IN.



The wheelhouses fit up pretty well but that tool box is bonafide a train wreck. I hammered it into shape but it will still need a little more wrestling once I get the tub off again and can get better access to the underside.

I have two driver's seats. Both have issues but the one on the right is the better of the pair. With that said, you can see that Bubba welded a new leg (a bent piece of hardware store pipe) onto it at some point. Apparently Bubba doesn't own a tape measure and left it about an inch too long. A longer leg means the seat doesn't match up anywhere close to where the seat bracket on the wheel house should be. No good.



After carefully measuring I cut the legs off both and transferred the good leg over to the good seat.





Tacked in place



Next I fit the seat into the tub and lined up the bracket. I held the bracket in place with a couple magnets on the back side of the wheel house. I pulled the seat out and could now mark and then weld the bracket in place. Magnets holding it here:



Knowing the seat sits as it should I finished welding the leg. Came out pretty well.






I picked up all the other body parts yesterday too. The have been blasted and primed. The paint shop guys added green to the epoxy primer as they figured it would be easier to top coat with green paint. The fenders will need a little TLC due to a couple weak spots but the other piece are rock solid.

[1955CJ-5]

There's that squirrel gun again....

Tub looks nice and solid.....I'll bet it was fun to sit in it for the first time since the rebuild started......did you hold the steering wheel in place?

Ain't it great to have a big pile of fresh parts just waiting for assembly?

[Ryan_M]

did you hold the steering wheel in place?

No....but I was tempted.....