I bought this 1964 USMC Jeep right after I sold my M561 Gama Goat. This is my first military Jeep, and I think it will fix up nicely. It has a coat of what looks like Forest Service green over the original USMC semi-gloss paint. While it has some civilian modifications like a roll bar (not that it would help too much in a roll-over, as it’s bolted to the body, not the frame), it’s not too badly hacked up.

Pictures

These are the “wrong” tires and wheels that came with the Jeep. I plan to put properly-sized tires (though they might not be military NDCC tires) on the truck eventually, and then probably sell off these big wheels.

Cosmo poses for a picture, and Sweet Pea sneaks into the frame, too.

These three wheels were also provided with the truck. If they’re the right kind, then I’ll just need two more to put proper wheels on it.

Here are my new reproduction parking brake parts from Midwest Military. The lower lever and stop plate are in the white, so I’m sandblasting, priming and painting them before installation.

My steering wheel could use some repair:

My serial number dataplate behind the passenger seat appears to be stamped. Earlier plates that I’ve seen pictures of appear to be etched.

Specifications

 

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General Specifications

 

Name	M38A1 1/4-Ton 4×4 Utility Truck
Manufacturer	Kaiser-Jeep
Year	1964
Maximum Height	73-3/4 in
Minimum Height (over steering wheel)	56-1/2 in
Length	138-5/8 in
Width	60-7/8 in
Electrical System	24 Volt
Number of Batteries	2
Minimum Ground Clearance	9-5/16 in
Loading Height (empty)	28 in
Towing Pintle Height	21-1/2 in
Tread (Front)	49-1/8 in
Tread (Rear)	49-3/16 in
Wheelbase	81 in
Payload	Cross-country: 800 lbs Highway: 1,200 lbs
Weight w/o Crew	Empty: 2,665 lbs Cross-country: 3,465 lbs Highway: 3,865 lbs
Passengers (including crew)	4
Tire Pressure	28 PSI
Size	7.00 x 16

 

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Performance

Allowable Speed (Transfer: High Range)	Gear Speed 1st 24 mph 2nd 40 mph 3rd 60 mph rev 16 mph
Allowable Speed (Transfer: Low Range)	Gear Speed 1st 9 mph 2nd 16 mph 3rd 24 mph rev 6 mph
Approach Angle	46 deg
Departure Angle	34 deg
Cruising Range (loaded)	280 mi
Cruising Speed	55 mph
Engine Horsepower	72 bhp at 4,000 RPM
Fording Depth	37-1/2 in
Towed Load	Cross-country: 1,500 lbs Highway: 2,000 lbs
Turning Circle Diameter	Left: 38 ft Right: 38 ft 8 in