1953 m38a1 cfr

chris vickery · #1 22-12-12, 03:33

Hi Rob. I understand your sentiments, and usually those are my same thoughts.
When I went to look at this one, it was described as a garage stored jeep (every restorers dream aka barn find) that had been tucked away for the last 35 years. You can imagine my unbridled excitement, only to be disallusioned upon viewing it. It may have been stored for the last 35 years indoors but the life it must have endured previously tells another story.
I always try to see the good in any diamond in the rough, to pick out the good points and to try and ignore the bad ones.
Of course looking for a jeep, my first thoughts are to find a nice body, folloed by a decent frame, engine and dodads.
Well, in this case lets start with the frame...
-engine mounts and pitman arm mount torch cut out
-bent shock mounts, front axle
-broken springs all around
-engine pulled, sitting in the cormer of garage with an apparently bad piston according to the owner
-all 24v wiring and accesories gone and converted to 12v
-the only body parts without major dents, rust and/or damage was the windshield frame and front grill
-rusted out front floors and toolbox bottom and passenger rocker panel
The good-
-driver and pass seat, rear seat
-good used gas tank,
-data plates and a matching ownership
misc small parts
So, in a nutshel, frame and motor are scrap, body is negligible and most of the military dodads are gone.
The only reason I asked about scrap pricing is that I would have a hard time believing there is more than $500 worth of useable spares plus the time and trouble to recover it and drag it home.
Thoughts?

chris vickery · #2 22-12-12, 03:47

Further to my post, can anyone tell me if it was common practice for US jeeps to have the number stamped on the frame rail or was this only a Canadian thing???

rob love · #3 22-12-12, 05:32

Jeeez, and I have a spare frame sitting here too. And a spare body tub, although I think I will hold onto both until I get around to the restoration of the M38 that's out in the back lineup.

The frame stamping was a Canadian thing, although it will likely have been done to the US produced but Cdn owned Jeep as well. Hard to pin an exact date on when they were stamped....we could narrow it to between 1856 and 1967 I guess. I'll have to look a the next gasser 5 ton I see...they were early 60s vintage, and see if they were stamped as well.

Hanno Spoelstra · #4 22-12-12, 08:12

Thoughts?

Walk away and find a better one, they aren't that rare ...

H.

chris vickery · #5 22-12-12, 15:28

Thanks Hanno. I have a 1970 CDN3 that is almost finished and was looking for another project. Of course spares are nice to have, currently I have a couple 67 CDN2s sitting around. If I get enough spares I could build another one but always looking for the obviously hard to find items like a decent body.
One of my 67s has a really nice frame and I have a good running engine on my shop floor, I figured if this one had a good body at least I would have all the ingredients....

Does anyone know the serial number range for Canadian purchased 1953 A1s???? I think we bought around 700 units if memory serves.

Casey B · #6 30-12-12, 19:51

Hi Chris
Been away and have now just seen the thread. have to agree with the others there are better finds out there than the work that you'll have to do on that one...unless you like shackling yourself to a huge lump of steel and working endlessly towards the light at the end of the tunnel...?
My 53 M38A1 shows the original everything and never left British Columbia. It was used in Chilliwack and got some use out of the BCR's that's all I know or can find out.

The CFR is 53-32490
date manufactured is 2-2-53
by the Ford motor co. of Canada
serial number is F-200512
It was surplused in 2-14-1976 hence her name Valentine.

So there is a start for you.

You may have to consider coming out our way to find one that is workable and by our way yeah I mean west but that's only Manitoba! Right Rob?
Good luck Casey

rob love · #7 30-12-12, 23:24

Casey
We in Manitoba are actually the geographic center of Canada (and for that matter North America,) so we should technically be central Canada. However, since the universe theoretically circles around a certain un-named Canadian city which contains the CN tower, we are therefore relegated to being the start of Western Canada.

Not sure the status of BC these days. It has started leaning very left, and with a few more of those earthquakes you guys have been getting, may break off altogether and float away.

And yes, Jeep picking in these provinces is very good, however Easterners should note that they require a permit from Prairie Command to either purchase, transport, or even advertise or solicit for military hardware anywhere West of Thunder Bay Ontario.