Wanted: Blackout Headlight

[M38CDNBill]

Hello All,

To complete the features of my MB, I look to have the blackout headlight (not the BO light on the driver side fender) as canadian jeeps had during the WWII. Does someone could help me? Also, I know that the canadian jeeps had a convoy lamp to illuminate the rear axle cover. What kind of lamp was on the WWII jeeps and does needing a special switch on the dash board? I'm also interrested to buy this convoy lamp.

Best regards

Guy Bordeleau

[Jordan Baker]

Hi Guy

Is this the kind of blackout headlamp you are looking for. If so try getting in touch with Brian Asbury. I think he had one on his table yesterday at the OMVA show.



As for the rear axel lamp I was talking with Eric Booth about what to use. He said the ones pictured below are correct.



This conversion would have been done in England. I picked up another of these lights yesterday (Brian Asbury) and the earlier style mount for it. I mounted it on the chassis crossmemer just above the rear diff. The angle of the mount allows the light to shine down onto the diff. I did have to drill two small 1/4" holes into the frame to bolt on the mount. As for wiring I added it to the "blackout" wiring with another 3 way connector.



I can post pictures of this but it wont be unitl next weekend.

I will post a picutre of how I mounted it next weekend.

[M38CDNBill]

Hello Jordan,

Thanks for these informations and I wrote to Brian to have the BO headlight.

Best regards from Trois-Rivieres

Guy

[Eric B]

Hello Jordan and Guy

Both styles of CMP lights were used, the rubber ones depicted above and the metal tubes. There was a single pull toggle switch of British manufacture used, which was mounted on the left side of the dash. Above this was a white plastic switch plate. These were a standard mod to all 505 and 242 contract jeeps assembled in the UK. This was generally not done except as a field mod on later contracts. If done as a field mod Brian also has the CMP Convoy light plates and switches.

There is a company in the US who makes the Headlight guards.

Eric

[M38CDNBill]

Originally Posted by Eric B

Hello Jordan and Guy

Both styles of CMP lights were used, the rubber ones depicted above and the metal tubes. There was a single pull toggle switch of British manufacture used, which was mounted on the left side of the dash. Above this was a white plastic switch plate. These were a standard mod to all 505 and 242 contract jeeps assembled in the UK. This was generally not done except as a field mod on later contracts. If done as a field mod Brian also has the CMP Convoy light plates and switches.

There is a company in the US who makes the Headlight guards.

Eric

Hello Eric,

Thanks for these informations. I bought a BO Headlights from Brian and I received it yesterday. I bought also a kit of repro M38CDN data plates from Brian and I'm very impressive by the high quality of his stuffs and the very good service from him.

Best regards from Trois-Rivieres.

Guy

[Eric B]

Thats great.

Eric

[Philippe Jeanneau]

Hello Eric,

Do you know the name of the company in the U.S. that makes the jeep blackout headlamp? Thank you.

[Michael R.]

Originally Posted by Philippe Jeanneau

Hello Eric,

Do you know the name of the company in the U.S. that makes the jeep blackout headlamp? Thank you.

reopened after what, thirteen years ?

[Philippe Jeanneau]

Well, sorry I wasn't here 13 years ago....Just happen to be looking for one now.

[chris vickery]

Kudos to you Philippe for ressurecting an old thread. Nothing wrong with opening up new discussion on matters already in the archives.

[Philippe Jeanneau]

Hello Chris,

Thank you, I am still looking for one if you know anyone that can help...

[Robert Bergeron]

M38 Bill sold that MB a loooong time ago and still regrets it to this day. He will trade a CCKW for an MB now . Please help him out .

[M38CDNBill]

Originally Posted by Robert Bergeron

M38 Bill sold that MB a loooong time ago and still regrets it to this day. He will trade a CCKW for an MB now . Please help him out .

No Robert, I still have my MB. I sold my M38CDN to Michel Pouliot in Rimouski and I still regrets... I don't have a CCKW but a Chevy G7107 to trade for another M38 (CDN or US). I lack time and opportunity to give glory to my truck and I would return to my first love with an m38. Also, it makes a spare jeep when I receive a visit from another jeeper and we can go eat an ice cream in a convoy...:wink:

http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/sh...ad.php?t=33616

[Philippe Jeanneau]

Originally Posted by Philippe Jeanneau

Hello Chris,

Thank you, I am still looking for one if you know anyone that can help...

Originally Posted by Philippe Jeanneau

Hello Chris,

Thank you, I am still looking for one if you know anyone that can help...

Frustrated and still unable to find a light in years, I decided to make my own, so here is my attempt to do something that I hope would pass... Going with the few original photos I could find online plus a few scarce current photos of originals which show a few styles, I decided to come up with something that may pass from a distance and almost look like the real McCoy...

So, in order to make this happen, first I remembered having a repro seelite lamp that burned and came unglued on its own! Bingo I thought, I will use the bucket ring and gasket as my starting point...

Having these parts on hand the next thing to do was to remove the old bulb out of the lamp which twisted off... Then I drilled the remainder plastic insert and cleaned the cavity to accomodate a generic socket that would hold a 30 CP bulb similar to the original bulb in size...

After that, I had the task of searching for a hood that would closely match the original in size... I say closely only because I had to approximate the size/scale down from photos... Having said that, I did not want to spend a great deal of $$$ on something that may not work, so I found my candidate here for $45.00- shipped

https://www.ebay.com/itm/174567602100

The next expense would cost as much as the lamp, which meant having a shop cut the lamp's circumference to match the required dimension of the original headlamp... Another $50.00 and I had most of the pieces needed...

After that ordeal and a mishap by the shop where I left my parts (broken seelite ring) I had to figure out the profile/height of the lamp, which may be way off from the original in appearance, but which would be dictated by the height of the bulb against the cover...

So the strip needed out of 0.87mm (20 Gauge?) thick had to be 1" in height to clear the bulb and fit properly... The next step was to cut the length which turned out to be 17-1/16" which I would have to bend and tack together to make a ring...

Finishing that, it left tacking the ring on the inside to the hood and disk... I only did it in 4 sections and about 1" in length so it would not come apart on me... If you rush it, you may distort the metal a little which means you will have to cheat later on with bondo!..;(

Following that, bear with me please I am almost done... It left sealing the inside with caulk, touching up a few imperfections, priming and painting the lamp...

The final step entailed making the plug for which I used a piece of 1/4" rubber, along with GM series 56 terminals plus a short pigtail for the ground wire...

In short I hope that anyone else wishing to have a headlamp blackout lamp can use this as a guide for one, since they cannot be found anywhere or for a reasonable price...

[Philippe Jeanneau]

Here are a few more photos of the build...

[Philippe Jeanneau]

I tried to come as close to the original as possible...