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Thanks for the links, but the original 1954 M37 main ID plates (at least the ones that I've seen) have all upper-case characters, rather than a mix of upper- and lower-case characters. If someone has an original main ID plate with mixed upper- and lower-case characters, please post a photo of...

Color-coded wiring is a very nice way to keep things in order without having to fuss with meters or tags. That said, my plan for my M37 is to keep it primarily original, other than a few safety mods, so I'm staying with original-type black wiring. CuNi brake line is becoming quite popular...

It turns out that for duplicating the stamped characters on a replacement main data plate, it appears that I will need 3/32" letter/character stamps instead of 1/8" stamps, so I just ordered a set. I've also been trying to locate an accurate reproduction main data plate. Not much luck so far. I...

The Southwire automotive wire and the mil-spec wire I bought are both AWG 14, but the mil-spec wire has Hypalon insulation that is not only thicker, but more flexible than the Southwire, which has PVC insulation. I don't like working with stiff wire. Here's where I bought the mil-spec wiring...

It shouldn't be hard to find a good used military distributor body and oil pump, especially since quite a few people have M37s with civilian ignition, hence some spare take-outs should be lying around. As to coil operating current ranges, that can vary. The coil manufacturer should be able to...

You should be able to find a 24V ignition coil. The distributor doesn't care about the voltage. You might consider a Pertronix breakerless ignition conversion. I would call Pertronix and tell them exactly what distributor model you have, and mention that the system is 24V. They may be able to...

My 1954 M37 is amazingly rust free, but there are a couple of places that tend to rust out on these beasts. One of those places is the front bed-support cross-member, which collects dirt and water, leaving the cross-member perpetually filled with mud. Here's the rusted cross-member: I was...

Interesting comment. I've used unflavored milk of magnesia (primarily magnesium hydroxide) some years ago to help prevent galling of stainless fasteners in a few high-heat applications. I use anti-seize compounds on a case-by-case basis, and if I do use an anti-seize compound, I allow for the...

Very busy this week with other stuff, but some minor progress on the M37: I bought a replacement Signal-Stat 600 turn signal switch/lever that matches the old corroded one that had been installed in my M37 except for the paint color, which is easy enough to change. The switch appears to be an...

Yes, I totally agree that by the time power reaches the wheels, there are a number of significant losses. I'm just researching the actual engine HP specification (gross, less accessories), so that I get it right in anything I write up about my project. My M37 has a hefty 100-amp alternator (I...

Over the years, I've heard the HP rating of the T-245 engine in the M37 bantered around quite a bit. Some say it's rated at 78 HP, while others say it's 94 HP. I'm OK with either one, but I'd like to affirm which is actually correct. I have a copy of the Army/Air Force TM 9-1840A technical...

I've made a bit of progress on the light restoration work. I've started stocking up on supplies for working on the lights and wiring: Supplies also include a bunch of Douglas and Packard connectors for both 14- and 12-gauge wire. I have 200 feet of the correct mil-spec 14-gauge wire, and I...

How about tire shaving/truing? If they aren't too far out-of-round, you shouldn't lose too much tread depth.

Sorry, no part number handy, but here's what I'm doing to convert a two-bolt-mount tandem master cylinder to replace the three-bolt mount original master cylinder for my M37. Scroll down a bit in the post: https://www.steelsoldiers.com/threads/m37-restoration-project-revived.219891/ Do you...

The taillight repair kits from Army Jeep Parts arrived yesterday. They look good, and I think they should work well. One had been sprayed with cosmoline (or something similar) as a preservative and had to be cleaned, which was easy enough to do. I plan to paint/touch up the divider plates in...

Just guessing, I'd say that there might be multiple crimp types that would work for the 'male' Packard connectors with what I would call a female terminal. I was just looking at the Amerline Enterprises website page for the MS27144-1 Packard 14 gauge 'male' connector kit, and there is a link to...

While I'm waiting for some light parts to arrive (red full-lens doors are on back order, amber being shipped), I thought I'd turn my attention to wiring for a while. I have a reproduction wiring harness (the most complicated one), which I bought several years ago, and I just checked on prices...

Yes, I've seen them in operation, and as I recall, the small glass lens in the original light door seemed to do a pretty good job of capturing the light from the filament and reshaping it into a decent beam pattern, although I can't remember how it compares to the larger ribbed/Fresnel-type...

That certainly makes sense for plastic lenses. I noticed that in the old lights the smaller lamp was likewise in the socket closest to the lens. I suspect that the bulb sizes and placements figure into the optical design of the lenses, with the filaments placed at the optimal locations relative...

Thanks. It will take a while to get it done, but working on a project like this is the part I like best...even more fun than driving them, IMHO. I've had several vehicle projects over the years, but for the past 15 years my main project has been the restoration of a 220-year-old home. We...