M38CDN Questions

[Owen Evans]

Attached some photos from the Southwind installation manual, which give a good indication of where to spot the extra holes that David mentioned. I'm reasonably sure that all the M38 CDN's had that large 4-1/8" hole in the dash, btw......on the US-built ones, they started installing that hole in the factory mid/late 1951 (I think!).

I see from your photo that the jeep doesn't have the YS carb or the M38 crossover tube.....but those are very minor details, and easy to rectify if you really wanted to; personally, I would run it just as it is!

Owen.

[Nate Jaros]

Got a good zoomed in shot of the hood area in front of the driver’s seat. Doesn’t initially look like any holes present. Man... I wish I could get there to see this in person.

[Nate Jaros]

Although there is something attached to the center of the windshield below the glass. Like a plate or something. Is that normally there?

[David Dunlop]

Hello again, Nate.

I do not know if US Army M38’s were so equipped, but in the front photos you just posted, you can just see the sets of one large and one small hole at the fronts of the fenders and in line with the length of the fenders where the M38CDN turn signal lamps were installed.

I also see a potential ‘red flag’ for you in the earlier photo of the front, looking down behind the bumper. I can see what looks like a pneumatic damper bolted to the tie rod assembly. That commercial add-on is nearly always fitted to stop a bad case of tramp, or gallop in the front end, where at a given point in acceleration, or after hitting a bump in the road, the whole front end of the vehicle starts to shake alarmingly. The damper cures the symptoms but not the problem, which can be as simple as unbalanced front tires, flat front springs, worn out tie rod ends, worn out guide pin in the steering box, or any combination of all these factors. Something worth asking about in any event.

You might also want to see what information the guys here on MLU can dig up for you based on the CFR Number stamped on the front frame. At the least, you will get some or all of the basic service history and possibly luck into some better idea of what the serial number might be.

Best regards,

David

[Owen Evans]

Originally Posted by David Dunlop

I do not know if US Army M38’s were so equipped, but in the front photos you just posted, you can just see the sets of one large and one small hole at the fronts of the fenders and in line with the length of the fenders where the M38CDN turn signal lamps were installed.

Hello David,

The US Army MWO for turn signals specifies discarding the marker lights in the grill, and replacing with the larger marker lights (8376368) as used on the M37 (and other larger trucks). Have to say, the M38 looks pretty ugly with those lights fitted onto the grill. Some info photos are attached. All that being said, I found a picture of an M38 in service with the US Air Force in the UK......if you look just in front of the BO drive light, it seems like they've fitted "butler" style marker lights to the wings?

Note the US Army MWO also states that it should be applied "only to trucks in, or destined for shipment to, USAREUR and applied on an as required basis....". So, there's a high probability that any US-built M38's that spent all their service life stateside never had turn signals fitted.

Owen.