M38 Frame Off Restoration

This past summer, I told my wife that I would like another project. With a smirk, she immediately handed me a list of household chores that needed to be done. Joking aside, she truly understood what I meant and she placed a WTB ad on our club’s FB page. It didn’t take too long before I was inspecting a great candidate for restoration. The M38 even included a restored trailer. It was a non runner but I was told that it had recently although not very well. So, I loaded them on the trailer with the help of some friends, and thus began my new project.



I spent the first few months getting the M38 just to run and move, thus evaluating what would be needed for a resto. Finally began the disassembly shortly after Christmas. I am very grateful to my wife for letting me use her side of the garage! With all of the major components removed, I began with the frame.



Knowing that the paint was probably lead based, contamination and disposal were my primary concerns. I initially decided to use a liquid paint stripper. Initial tests were quite favorable but I quickly found that it was way too slow and very messy. I then opted for a needle scaler with plenty of plastic sheeting to catch the residue. And of course, protective clothing and a full face respirator were used.



I am now beginning to follow up with a die grinder fitted with a sanding pad. The frame has turned out to be in great shape with the only significant structural rust being at the battery box plate. I have also found a few “W” or “M” stamps under the paint. Ideas on their significance would be greatly appreciated.



More to follow in the days, weeks, months to come.

More progress with the die grinder with abrasive pad or electric drill with wire wheel. Using a ”wet sand” method and low RPM’s to stop any airborne dust or particles. Drips, splatters, sprays are contained on plastic sheeting which is promptly disposed of. Will eventually follow up with a phosphoric acid treatment to convert any remaining spots before priming and painting.

A minor milestone was reached today. The frame is finally ready for it’s first coat of primer. This was made possible after spending the week removing the last vestiges of old paint and grinding/blasting on any areas of rust. I had a local welder tack on a new right rear shock absorber bracket. The original was, in my option, structurally compromised. And today I was able to treat the entire frame in a metal treatment (sulfuric acid) in preparation for priming in a few days. Altogether, I‘m guessing that I have around 40 man-hours invested.

man that looks like a great project!
I'm glad you were able to find a solid candidate for your restoration

I have so wanted to find and restore an M38. They are my favorite of all the Jeep variants. I was able to restore an M100 that I hope to someday have the appropriate tow vehicle for. Following your restoration with a little bit of jealousy.

Thank y’all for the comments. I knew this before starting, but it has to be a passion. If ever sold, there is no possible way that I could price it to make up for the parts and labor involved. I built model airplanes as a kid (both plastic and balsa). This is just a larger and more complicated version of that, takes much longer, and uses some different skill sets. It’s what I like doing.

Yesterday, I treated the internal frame sections with Eastwood’s Internal Frame Coating. Today, I sprayed two coats of Rustoleum Rusty Metal Primer on the frame. It felt good to make some progress forward. On Wednesday, after the primer cures, I’ll be able to spray a couple coats of 2430. That’s when it’ll really feel like progress is being made.

The weather was gorgeous today, so I used my engine hoist to move the frame outside. I was able to spray multiple coats of 2430 (original factory color) on both the under and top sides. For ease, I chose to just rattle can it. I purchased the GCI paint from Army Jeep Parts and it performed great. After letting it dry to the touch, I splurged and installed the axle-frame bumpers just so I could say “assembly has begun.” A total of 8 1/2 cans were used.