emailNeed to contact me and don't have my email? Click on email button.
Welcome to eWillys.com, a website for vintage jeep enthusiasts. I update this website nearly every day with jeep deals, jeep history, interesting reader projects, jeep related info, and more.
These quick searches can help you find things on eBay. People list in the wrong categories all the time, so don't be surprised to see brochures in the parts area for example.
The links to posts below show jeeps grouped by models, condition, and other ways. Some of these jeeps are for sale and others have been sold. If you are unsure whether a vehicle is still for sale or not, email me at d [at] ewillys.com for more info.
There are plenty of interesting, unusual, historic and surprising stories related to Jeeps and their owners. In addition, some of these features have nothing to do with jeeps. This link will display all featured stories starting from the latest.
Looking for parts and not sure where to go? There are a variety of large and small new and used parts sellers both online and offline.
Importantly, the allure of buying a project jeep can be romantic. The reality of restoring a jeep can be quite different, expensive and overwhelming without the right tools and resources. So, tread carefully when purchasing a "project". If you have any concerns about buying a vintage jeep, or run across a scam, feel free to contact me for help, comments or concerns .
This photo forwarded by Marc shows a large number of M-38s awaiting shipment. The curious item is the date: 1961. Is it possible the photo was from some earlier date, but never published until 1961? Or did someone mean to stamp 1951?
View all the information on ebay
I got to wonder if my ’51 is sitting there.
I wondered the exact same thing about my 51 Brett.
Highly unlikely, since these jeeps were shipped overseas. Very few if any have come back from Korea, Japan, or China or any other place they went during the Korean War Era and subsequent to that.
If you have an M-38, and I’ve owned three, it most likely served it’s time here in the good old U.S. of A.
Steve S
Back about 1983 I had a nice M38 Jeep that I found in North Carolina, it had a rebuild plate on the engine that was from some place in Japan, so I would guess that a few of the Jeeps found their way home after Korea.
Steve S. I wonder if a serial OR vin number could tell where our jeeps went? Buz, I have wondered that to.
Most of the research I’ve done indicates the hood number is more important to trace where your jeep might have been. There wasn’t much of a relationship between serial numbers and hood numbers- unfortunately the hood numbers faded fast (meaning they were painted or rusted over)and for the most part are gone.
Regarding the rebuild, there was a large jeep rebuild plant in Yokahoma Japan, they rebuilt thousands of MBs and GPWs used during the occupation of Japan and in Korea. I’ve seen engines bearing these rebuild tags before, but I still question whether the entire jeep came back from Asia. I recently rebuilt an M38 that had a WILLYS OF FRANCE engine in it, I doubt that this jeep ever set foot in France. Seems more likely a surplus engine got installed some where along the way over the past 60 years.
If you’ve never seen these pictures, take a look at the junk pile in Okinawa and then think about the likelyhood of any jeeps being shipped home.
http://www.tahiti-pacifique.com/hobbies/Jeeps-what-bloody-waste.html
Somewhere I have some photos of some US WWII jeep trailers that were used by the Japanese Military, some time back Sarafan Military Surplus was mentioned here, they purchased a large amount of surplus jeep stuff including the trailers from someone in Japan and brought it back to the US in the mid 1980’s. So the US Military may not have brought back the vehicles and parts, but the surplus dealers sure did. I remember buying the trailers, they were disassembled the axles and wheels and hitches were removed and put inside the trailers and then two trailer bodies were strapped together making like a big tool box with the parts inside. I think I got six of them at the time, restored them and they flew out the door, sure wish I had kept one.
I”ve heard a story of an officer who sent a M-38 jeep back to the states in pieces. Somebody else who served in Korea claimed a variety of officers sent M-38s back for themselves. But, I have no evidence to verify either claim.
– Dave
I live in Brazil and I own a M38. The original dash data plates are missing and the only information known is from an overhaul plate riveted to the glove box door which says that the vehicle was overhauled at Red River Arsenal in February 1961 and a hood number 20945744 stamped on the top of the left side front frame rail.
As the Jeep is over 60 years old, is hard to get some information about it. Probably the Jeep first belonged to U.S. Army and then, after 1961 overhauling, it was sent to Brazilian Army under the MDAP (Mutual Defense Assistance Program) where U.S. Government used to supply surplus weaponry and military vehicles to friendly foreign governments. Maybe my M38 is one of those from the picture awaiting shipment.
Is it still possible to get some information of it by tracking the hood number?
Hi Luiz,
Here’s some info that might help a little. I’m getting ready for a short vacation. Perhaps I can find more info when I get back online:
http://g503.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=92328
– Dave
Hi Dave,
Thank you for the info. According to my research, the hood registration number 20945744 would have been on an April 1952 M38 and the serial range would have been from MC64042 to MC65927. The contract number would have been DA-33-019-ORD-43 or DA-33-019-ORD-494. Do you think I still can get the original serial number at Red River Arsenal, where the M38 was overhauled in 1961?
Any additional info which helps me to find the original serial number from my M38 will be very much appreciated.
Thanks,
Luiz Felipe