Serial number help please

[Bobbi]

[QUOTE=Bobbi]Just purchased a 1953 (I believe) Willys Jeep Serial number MD 40675; she also has USMC Markings and a vehicle number on the hood of 529393. I’ve checked Kaisers serial number list, various internet searches but still cannot find any history or simply verification of year and military association. Can someone please help? Thank you in advance

6656

[bmorgil]

Hello Bobbi, did you check here? https://willysjeepforum.kaiserwillys.com/showthread.php?2464-JEEP-Serial-Numbers-Production-Figures-amp-Models

Also g503.com.

[gmwillys]

Welcome Bobbi!

Your Jeep appears to be of the correct time frame for an M38A1, but I can not make out a detail that would put it at a '53 or older. The element I'm looking for would be if there are hinges on the lower section of the grill. The '52 and early '53 had the hinges.

To explain the hood identification numbers, and the lack of records. The frame or body serial numbers will be the fail safe to verify the exact year range of your Jeep. The first link will get you to where you need to look, then the rest are some reasons to why this information is hard to come by.

http://www.m38a1.com/Registry/registry.htm

https://texaspowerwagon.com/vehicle_history.htm

https://forums.g503.com/viewtopic.php?t=272956

Some general information to help determine the vintage;

http://www.m38a1.com/Models/models_usmc.htm

https://www.militarytrader.com/military-vehicles/the-in-between-jeep

[Bobbi]

Okay, before I begin opening your links; here are some better pics I hope. Also the engine block has a number....
806279-W-12D-AR. 6671

[Bobbi]

6672. Second pic. Hope it helps

[Bobbi]

6674. Grill with hinges,?

[gmwillys]

Those are the hinges I was referring to. This and the delivery date puts you correctly at a '53. The next item(s) that make the Marine Corp A1s different from the other branches is 1) undercoating throughout the underside. This stuff is sprayed on extra thick, up to 3/8 of an inch in easy to reach spots. 2). The rear bumper is boxed in with heavy shackles on the outside corners.

[Bobbi]

Undercoating is what color if possible (not familiar); I’ll send pic of the rear bumper. I believe it was originally Army due to serial tag stating “ordinance” but you guys are the knowledge.

[Bobbi]

6675. Also, here are pics of rear bumper. Thank you so very much. 6676 pic of vehicle number on hood of vehicle also. 6677

[gmwillys]

The Marine Corp rear bumper will look like this, the A1 pictured started out as an USMC variant with gobs of undercoating covering everything, but the bumper was removed somewhere in time. The last picture is of the bare frame of the Jeep in the first two pictures. The USMC bumpers are out there if that is the direction you wanted to go to make it original.

[Bobbi]

I would love to restore her to her original assigned branch of service upon her arrival in the Korean War. Is there anyway I can trace this information? Thank you

[Bobbi]

Do you believe that my Jeep was a USMC Variant? The veteran responsible for her markings passed away so obtaining any history of her from him is lost. Wondering if there is a way to research this with my Jeep.

[gmwillys]

There was a link from yesterdays post that covered some of the unique USMC additions and some reasons for the difficulty of tracking down the history of your Jeep. The main one to look for is the undercoating sprayed under the body. Since the Marines were based next to the oceans, they required the coatings to prevent rust.

[5JeepsAz]

They'll be Octogenarians, so maybe chatting up the local VFW could locate a person with general knowledge about Jeeps used during the time?