1953 cdn m37

[High5u]

Hi,

I just bought a 1953 Canadian M37. I know it is a Canadian by the hardtop and it has the 251 in it because the head is 25 inches long . There have been no alterations made the truck's engine compartment or radiator so I assume it came with the 251 Cu In motor.

The block serial number is S15-83590 and cast at the bottom of the block it says 12-19-50, which I assume is the date it was cast.

I know this is a De-soto block, but it seems to be missing a digit in the code since most show 6 digits after the dash.
The frame code appears to be 8025109?, the last digit is hard to read: it may be a "0", "8" or "3".

I'm just trying to figure out what I have so I can begin to get parts.

The engine has a Carter ball to ball carb, but it is not the 90 degree version ET? version that has the air horn, but I do have the air horn and purchased the normal carb that came with the Miltiary M37's. Not sure if the seller just acquired the air horn or if it was taken off the intake at some point.

Any help with my id would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance
Tony

 

[Superdave]

Some pictures of the engine would help to truly identify it.

 

[Stan Leschert]

If Super Dave is around, you have real good backup. Lots of other members have similar trucks, but most of ours got surplussed near Dave. Either he or Gilles may be valuable sources if info.....

 

[zak]

Canadian Serial numbers ran from 91400001 to 91404524. They didn't start with a 8. 4524 were built. This comes from John Zentmyers book. Reverse in the canadian trans is far right and up. It and the pto are pretty scarce. The carb air horn on the canadian model is different also

 

[badga the badger]

pics of m37?

 

[Bill W]

I believe ser# starting with 800 of 802 are american vehicles. I checked your ser# and "if" it is a US built then your truck was made in Dec,1951. The first CDN 37's weren't made until Oct,1951 ( your engine was built a year earlier??) and as zak stated the ser#'s started with 9. If you have a US built 37 that someone swapped a 251 into than unless they modified the radiator brackets to move the rad forward then the fanblade will be only about 1/2-3/4" from touching the radiater core (something to check). Regardless of who made it I believe having a 251 in a M-37 is the only way to go

 

[High5u]

Pictures added

Hi Gents,

I added pictures of the M37, engine, serial numbers, and trans.

Thanks for your help
Tony

 

[rosco]

It just looks like somebody changed out the engine and stripped out the military stuff...... Civi voltage reg., fan belt/probably generator, distributer, etc. Here, they also came with ports in the intake manifolds (on each of the three block ports of the manifold), for cold weather gas priming systems.

My bet is, that its US, not Canadian. The top is similier to the late model hard tops. The early ones had wood trim pieces around the side windows, and a small oval rear window. The military hard tops, late model, had sliding rear windows that wouldn't stay shut unless you cut a stick, to keep it from sliding open.

 

[Bill W]

Looks like someone swapped in a 251, fanblade is right up close to rad and tranny looks like a U.S.made New Process (see pic) not the " Acme" tranny that come in the CDN 37's.
Carb looks like the DTW1 type ( civi) carbs

 

[Superdave]

Also what does the data plate say on your glove compartment door for the serial # as the Canadian models will say M37CDN and built in Windsor Ontario and the Motor I believe should start with T249 and would have a bolt on oil fill tube as the civilian engines were pushed in. The transmission is also synchronized from 2 to 4th gear.

 

[High5u]

Dave,

I have no data plates other than the shifting/speed instructions for low and high transfer.

I guess mine is a US model, with the sliding window hardtop, and a Desoto block 251 cu in, which I understand is a good thing from an RPM perspective or should I consider looking for the proper engine that it came with. The current engine runs very well, starts all the time immediately, and has good acceleration.

The truck does have the primer that someone spoke of, just under the dash above the clutch with a large black ball type handle that pushes in, unless this was used to shut off for fording? Nevertheless it is disconnected at the wire end in the engine compartment with the end of the cable tucked into the fender: did not notice this until I started looking around.

Will the miltarty version air horn and carb bolt up to my intake? Is the bolt pattern the same as I wanted to get an air cleaner on this and have everything to do so except for the 4 bolt flange that connects the oil filled air cleaner to the air horn.

Thanks
Tony

 

[citizensoldier]

Looks like a US Airforce truck. Appears to be Strata Blue on the frame. The Canadian trucks have the serial number on the frame dog up near the bumper not that far back near the steering box like the US trucks. It is a DeSoto motor but could be smaller displacement like a 237 or so. That does look like a Canadian camo job and hard top though.