Sixty-seven pattern Jeep progress log

[maple_leaf_eh]

Just for the Halibut, I've decided to keep a running log of the return of M38A1 CDN 3, former Canadian Forces Registration 70-08876 to the streets. The goal has never been to make the jeep a showpiece, but a roadworthy small 4x4 with an attention getting paint job.

A hundred and fifty years ago in the reserves, my unit The Sherbrooke Hussars had a number of as we called them, '67 Pattern Jeeps'. No one used the M series number. We also had two '74 Pattern Jeeps', which were M151 series.

The unit's history has been a sequence of mounts and dismounts. It was locally raised cavalry and infantry for WWI, machine guns in the Depression, then into tanks early in WWII, landing on D-Day afternoon, fighting through to VE Day, repatriating Tank Bomb to the Parade Grounds Park, then demobilization. The Postwar period saw M4 Shermans back again, but 76.2mm postwar models. The tanks were turned into stores in the mid-60's. As a very impressionable boy, I rode in one with my father. The unit reroled for light armoured reconnaissance (which meant Jeeps and 3/4 tons). Just as I was releasing they converted to Cougars, but never had more than a handful either on hand at the armoury or in a pool in Valcartier. Their other vehicles were Iltis'. I'm not sure how to define the role of The Sherbrooke Hussars these days, other than to provide a manpower reserve for overseas deployments.

I learned to drive at age 16 in them, and made many fond memories onboard '67 Pattern Jeeps. Since becoming a father, I have one of those irrational mental images of me and my son riding, smiling, and getting windburnt as we build some rugged outdoorsy experiences together.

Enter the Internet. On a Wednesday in Oct 07 I saw a posting by a fellow who needed to sell his '67 Pattern Jeep fast. She who makes the rules had spoken to him. So after a quick exchange of messages and phone calls, the deal was closed. He was losing money, and I had to drive 6hrs to go get it. Fair enough. By Saturday night I had Jeep in my driveway. Young man was already excited about, 'Dad's Jeep'.

I inhaled slowly through the nose and set 9 or 10 steps to be done in sequence. The desired result is a safe vehicle on the road in serviceable, recce squadron condition. Getting the paperwork and registration was the first step. Making the Jeep look good was the last one. The budget is to spend the purchase price again in parts and services. If something bad appears, that amount will be reevaluated.

Step zero was to contact the local Rusted Old Truckers (aka the Rotters) in Ottawa. The Internet makes this part so easy. Bob works in the same department as my wife, so it is a small world. Alex sold me more manuals than I wanted, but which have answered many questions. The OMVA chapter conveniently had a small sale where I spent all my pocket money and missed out on a few things. The internet of course is a great place to explore and find suppliers. Over the winter a coworker/boss passed me copies of JPMagazine, which puts some of the work ahead into perspective. And, on a free classified listings I found a local fellow parting out a '67 Pattern Jeep. He seems to have some of what I need.

For less than $100, I found a vehicle appraiser (Rupert Phelan in Ottawa) to put a $$ value on the vehicle so the province could get their fair share on the ownership transfer. I bought the used vehicle package from the Ministry of Transport that listed previous owners and liens. After a false start on misinformation, I spent $190 to change the name on the registration and register the Jeep as unfit, meaning it could not be driven. The alternative was to wait until the work was complete and safetied before registering. I didn't want to have the vehicle in the old owner's name and me doing all that work. Step 1 - check.

Step 2 was to get the lights working. The previous owner had installed a mixed pair of commercial 12v batteries. One turned out to be dead, the other serviceable. I stripped the battery compartment, removed and wirebrushed the trays, and repainted them Rustoleum flat black. I bent some 5/16 threaded rod and green garden hose (free salvage, non conductive and flexible) for battery holddowns. In the books, there is a proper holddown frame for the issue batteries. With the electricals working one day the time will come to install a pair of batteries, I'd like to have found a pair of holddown frames by then. Tonight the boy tooted the horn on Dad's Jeep a ceremonial first toot. The lights work all around, except for a missing blackout marker/tail light. Must keep looking.

Step 3 is to get the engine running. That means reading and following the previous owner's fuel lines and connections. More to follow.

[rob love]

When I was younger I used to build M38A1s from the condemned ones out of the scrapyard, and maybe even borrowed the odd part from the PCC lineup out back. Those were the days when you just walked in to the registration/insurance department, told them a story and paid your tax/insurance.

But my last Cdn3 I bought was literally a turn key. I paid the money to the previous owner, drove it up onto the trailer, and took her home. I drive it every warm day to get the mail on the base, and often get compliments on it. I even passed a guy the other day in town who was driving one of those fancy newer Jeeps with the humvee type profile. "I like yours better" he said as he passed.

I too, learned to drive on the military Jeeps. It was the first vehicle I ever drove, around the back field of the McGregor armouries. I have always loved the feeling of a open top jeep. It becomes an extension of your body.

[maple_leaf_eh]

As a test of the theory that an M38A1 can't be too different from a CJ5 I took a windshield base screw around to the dealers. From a physical look see and reading the military parts manuals, it is a Phillips head, flat head, torque grooves underneath, 5/16 - 24 pitch about 3/4" long. The Jeep online parts system only goes back to 1984, and isn't very descriptive. My screws were not at one place, but apparently at another. No, out of luck - ghost in the bookkeeping.

But the old guy behind the counter had 2 well thumbed illustrated parts cross reference manuals. Line drawing across the top of the page, four or six columns wide and about 30 rows high. After a dozen CJ2, CJ3 and CJ5 versions, down near the M715, were the M38 and M38A1. Identify what you need, and order (or at least identify) the commercial part number. Everything from pitman arms to jerry can holders and windshield weatherstripping. This should come in handy for some of the consumables like gaskets, bearings seals and electrical bits I may need to replace. I noted the name, toll free number and address of the company. I'll see if anything comes up in a search ... It may be fruitless because that company's consolation to progress was a TELEX address! Does that network even still exist?

I found screws, nuts and toothed washers for $4.50 at the industrial fastener store on Bentley Ave. Allen heads and not Phillips, but I don't really need a full set only 2 replacements. One side will look a little mismatched, and I have some modern spares.

[maple_leaf_eh]

Today I stopped by Frisby Tire on Industrial Ave, Ottawa and asked about Jeep tires. Yes, said the counter man at Frisby Tire and pulled out a Firestone Antique and Specialty tire pamphlet. Skinny Model T Fords, classic 50's convertibles, fancy motorcycles tires, etc. Sounds pricey already. Flip flip flip and there they were, a choice of NDT or NDCC Jeep tires! He called an order desk, and says each will be $150 to $175, plus $40 per order for shipping. (I couldn't remember the exact dimensions off the top of my head.) I gulped at the thought of no less than $750 for 5 tires, but remembered buying new rubber for the family daily driver and it was $600 for very ordinary tires. He said they were going to put in a big order because the prices will go up 6% at the end of the month.

Unless someone talks me out of it, next week I'll roll an oxidized, cracked-sidewall 38yr old Jeep tire through their front door and place an order for 5 new ones. Anyone else want in?

[Jon Skagfeld]

Small world, eh?

The Lorne Scots had an M38 w/CFR 70-88888...not unnaturally nick-named "Crazy Eights".

[maple_leaf_eh]

A certain well-known fellow in the scale modelling community, known as JP, who seems to know a lot about that CFR.

[servicepub (RIP)]

Here's a photo of mine. I haven't started work on it yet but I hope to find some time soon. Thanks to Boobie it is currently stored at Chateau Carriere.
CFR number is 70-07824, manufactured in November 1967. (Edit CFR is actually 67-07800)

[rob love]

You can do a lot better than that on the tires if you bring them across from the US yourself. Wallace Wade or Coker tire will sell you Firestone NDTs for under $100 each. If you can get down to the US to either a UPS store or to a Border parcel service, the shipping from either isn't that terrible.

If you ever made it to a MVPA convention, Wallace Wade brings them by the stack to the convention, and charges his catalog price on them. They were about $80 each just a year or two ago.

Are you sure about that CFR 70-88888? More likely it would have been 70 (or 71) -08888. The M38A1Cdn3 ran from CFR 08500 or thereabouts and ran just across the 09000 numbers.

Servicepub
I see your Jeep used to be fitted with the GPMG mount. There are still a few of these mounts left at the local scrapyard if you feel the need to have a M1919 with you. There are some of the wire cutter bars as well, but they are not economically feasable to ship.

[Jon Skagfeld]

Yeah...08888 sounds more like it. JP=Jim Price?

[Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP)]

Originally Posted by servicepub

Thanks to Boobie it is currently stored at Chateau Carriere.

Gee, it'll be a bare frame next time you see it, Clive... oh well...

[maple_leaf_eh]

What is that object behind the driver's seat back? An upright fire extinguisher mount maybe? The common service mount was a cage affair on the dash, maybe between the seats or on the transmission hump, and infrequently anywhere in the back.

It that is a loose piece of Boob's junk sitting there so it is off the ground, never mind.

[maple_leaf_eh]

My garage man got the engine turning over and running. But the fuel pump is not moving fuel in the lines. The lines are flowing, but not getting fuel past the pump. He smoked out his garage too from the overrich mixture too!

Sounds like a bad diaphragm ...

[maple_leaf_eh]

Well, maybe 95% complete with another 40% to go.

I took advantage of a beautiful fall Sunday to work on 70-08876. Even though Rob Love helped me get the engine running, I have had trouble starting it since. No amount of cranking, fresh gas or ether would work this morning. So I hitched the Jeep to the family minivan and drove down the block to an empty hospital grounds. After failing to start on compression, I towed it around in gear. Hopped in and cranked the starter. VROOOM! She runs! (and smoked) Starting will be an ongoing problem with this engine - running the engine is not.

I tentatively started around the parking lot. All gears work. Front wheels engage. High and low range work. No angry noises or smells. Some hesitancy when accellerating which might have been bad gas. And raw speed! At least 35 mph in 3rd. But absolutely no brakes except the handbrake.

After rehitching to the van and towing the running Jeep back home, I let it run for an hour. I reinstalled the hood and windshield, reconnected the vaccuum wipers and put the passenger seat back in. It is almost complete.

But, the next problem arose after parking it in its place for the winter. Once on the jackstands, I wiggled the front wheels. Left is good, right is loose on the axle. The top of the wheel moves in and out about an inch, almost like the lug nuts were slack. A mechanic who had done some other work told me the King Pin needed to be replaced. I understand now what he meant.

[rob love]

Fresh fuel will certainly make a difference. Getting your timing spot on will also go a long way. You need to use a timing light.

You also mentioned that you had fairly low compression on some of the cylinders. I found that cylinder compression below the 95-105 psi range would result in very difficult unassisted starting. You may be looking at a combination of all 3.

Wrt your wheel play, if you have someone else shake the wheel, and look behind at where the play is, it will be fairly obvious. If it is the kingpins, the whole knuckle will be moving, if it is the wheel bearings, then just the wheel and drum will move with relation to the brake backing plate. Either way, a teardown to at least the wheel bearings is always in order for piece of mind. You can do the front brakes at the same time.