1955 Willy’s M38A1

[Ben1999]

Hey all, I’m Ben. I recently acquired my great uncles old Willy’s Jeep. From what he told me when he was still around, it was used in the Air Force. After it was retired from the Air Force, he bought it and it was used in the civil air patrol. After doing that for a number of years, the Jeep was somewhat neglected as it sat in the driveway under a tarp except for a couple of times he would take us out for a ride. After sitting for longer and longer periods of time as he got sicker, it was used less. It hasn’t run in 5 or so years, and he could never figure out how to take the tires off to change the brakes. This is my first Willy’s, and I was just wondering if you could give me some information about anything you see on the Jeep. I don’t know what to look for problem wise but nothing really sticks out to me as being too much of a problem. Although, I’ve never seen one of the hardtops like this one has on it. Any info on how to get started on working on it, where to start and how, would be greatly appreciated! Thanks so much

[gmwillys]

Welcome Ben! Our condolences on the loss of your Great Uncle. When you get a chance, snap a few pictures from under the hood. This will help us determine on what we need to give advice. Bothe sides of the engine should be the main focus.

We'll start with a few basics. The driver's side lug nuts should be left hand thread. You can identify them by an L on the end of the stud. It would be my guess that if your Uncle was having trouble removing the wheels, then he most likely started on the driver's side. To remove left handed lug nuts, you will have to turn them to the right to loosen them. The passenger side will be the traditional right hand thread. Those studs will have an R stamped in the end.

Next would be the fuel. Open the gas tank cap and see if there is any gas remaining in the tank. If there is, it would probably need to be drained. There is a drain plug on the bottom of the fuel tank, that is accessible from underneath the Jeep. Be careful not to damage the tank, for they are expensive to replace. Use a good penetrating oil, (PB Blaster or WD40) to help free up the plug. If there is any rust mixed in with the fuel, then you would be better off pulling the tank, and having it boiled out at a radiator repair shop.

As far as the top is concerned, you may want to post some pictures over at http://www.ewillys.com/. David has a working knowledge of the different manufactures of hard tops used on Willys. There is a lot of information about Willys Jeeps through his website.

[LarrBeard]

Now the adventure starts. There are enough "barn find" vehicles like this that we put together some best practice ideas for bringing a beast like this back to life.

http://willysjeepforum.kaiserwillys.com/showthread.php?1820-Start-up-Best-Practices

Does it still have the 24-volt electrical system and fording valve accessories?