My 1952 M38 Project

Bought this M38 from a gentleman in Summerville who apparently got it from a bubba in AL. It has had some manner of conversion to 12 volts. All of the wiring for the lighting is chopped and looks like a mess and the battery box is gone. I had to secure the battery with a bungee haha. The engine runs like a champ and it actually drives quite well. The body is in good shape and I have ordered most of the bits and pieces including the top and rear seat frame. I still need to find wipers and assemblies etc for those as well as the side mirrors. The real trick will be to sort out the wiring.

Nice job. The more we reclaim from Bubba the better.

They guy I bought it from had about 50 acres of land and had been using it for a mode of transport around his property. I can see from inside the engine compartment that the bubba had at some point painted it PURPLE. I don't even want to know.....

Bubba sure does get around it seems. Glad to hear that you saved it. Can't wait to see some pictures of it once you start fixing her up.

Considering how cheap repro wiring is for these, I'd just buy an entire new harness. I think for about $550 you can rewire the entire vehicle, with all new wiring, including the metal circuit # tags and your choice of either Douglas or Packard connectors. Best part is the vendors (there are a couple) will add in a second brake light circuit in the rear, turn signals with M-series turn signal switch and flasher connectors (so that it will look like a factory installation) and you can tell them where you want the front turn signals (a lot of people either replace the blackout lights under the headlights or they add them on the fenders).

The wiring harness on my '55 M38A1 is relatively uncut and I was going to try and re-use it but after I had to do some work on it, I realized it was old and brittle that it was just pointless to try and mess with it. I guess 54+ years will do that to wiring.

Nice Jeep!

Agreed clinto...even that old wiring that hasn't been "chopped on" can be dangerous. My M37 was sitting perfectly still not running when suddenly a cloud of smoke came from under the dash!! Good thing we were close to it.

I say if you're gonna fix her up and drive her...get the new harness or you will always wish ya did

Vintage wiring of Maine is great to deal with. My harness went in under two hours of work.

BillF said:

Vintage wiring of Maine is great to deal with. My harness went in under two hours of work.

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I second using Vintage Wiring of Maine. They do really awesome work, and the harnesses they make look better than NOS. They can also add in extra wiring into the harness if you want to add other accessories such as lights.

We got one for our M37 and it was super easy to install as they even include the wiring diagram.

Vintage Wiring of Maine - Wiring Harnesses for Vintage Military and Civilian Trucks and Tractors.

Heres the thing. Will those harnesses work as a 12 volt system? I am not sure what parts have been changed out to 12 volts and whether it is better to keep it that way or to change everything back to original 24 volt configuration. Advice guys?

The wiring won't care which voltage is being put through it, military wiring can handle either (it is already the correct gauge).

I'd do it 24V. Raise the value of the vehicle, you can use the factory TM's to troubleshoot, etc.

So I need to replace the alternator and...I don't know where to start guys. I don't know if the lights have been converted or anything. Suggestions?

If it was converted to 12V, they might have left the original lights in it, they would have just been super dim. All the bulbs should say 12V or 24V on them somewhere.

If you want to put it back to 24V, then you will need the military 25amp generator and external regulator box. Then if they had put 12V lights in it, you will need to go source replacement 24V units.

Pics of the engine compartment will help.

What about the alternator and distributor?

Marines42 said:

What about the alternator and distributor?

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The coil is built into the distributor on the factory 24V military setup, so if you are going to use that distributor, you would have to run the correct 24V setup (coils are voltage specific).

You can pretty much do it one of 2 different ways-the correct military setup which is the 24V generator, separate voltage regulator and original military distributor with built-in coil.

Or, a civvy F-head (think CJ-5) 12V distributor with external (separate) 12V coil and a generic civvy 12V alternator with a built in regulator.

Marines42 said:

had at some point painted it PURPLE. I don't even want to know.....

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Does it have an aftermarket windshield washer pump/tank under the hood which is piped to spigot under the dash?

Does the windshield washer tank smell like whiskey?

If so, the jeep was named "Burple" and was used by an old friend of mine for low speed, mellowed out, backroad cruising.

The washer tank was filled with whiskey. He carried a cooler of ice, and a mug. The w/w button was positioned so that he could hold the mug under the spigot with his right hand and activate the button with his right thumb.

He had Canadian Club on tap in that jeep.

He and my uncle were working a plan to modify some bare wheels so they could run it on the miles of abandoned railroad tracks in the area.

He ran out of time before he could ride the rails.

I have a take out cowl battery box and lid available

ITS NOT MY FAULT!!!! i haven't seen that jeep before in my life! lol nice find