Rick W Posted June 22, 2007 Share Posted June 22, 2007 Dont get too excitied, but one of my work colleagues suggested there might be something resembling a jeep/champ sticking out of a hedge at the local yokel landrover breaker/workshops. I popped over there today to have an inconspicuous nose round pretending to be on the lookout for landy bits and saw its nose poking out of some long grass. Definitely not a Willys or GPW. I'll try and describe it as best as I can, but havent taken any photos of it as, a)I dont know if its for sale, but it cartainly hasnt been driven for many years, b) if it is up for grabs and the farmer bloke isnt too bothered by it I may have found a right bargain and dont want to crawl over it taking photos! I plan to go over there again on Tuesday to see if he's interested in parting with it, if he is I'll post some photos. Here goes then. Its slightly bigger than GPW size, i would say more champ size, but it definitely isnt a champ.The front mudguards curve slightly over the tyre, similar to a Gipsy, but having looked at a couple of photos on the internet I dont think it is. Indicators and sidelights with a blackout cover are mounted on mudguards. Front grille is flat with vertical slats, and is flat faced with no overhang from the bonnet.I couldnt see if it was right or left hand drive as it had a big mucky tarpaulin shoved in it, but it did have the plates for 4wd instruction on the right hand of the dash. Most conspicuously I thought, the bonnet didnt go right up to the windshield, it stopped short by about 8or 9 inches. On the right hand side of the panel between the windshield and bonnet was an access panel which lifted off and seemed to give access to the battery. Any ideas?? :? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bodge Deep Posted June 22, 2007 Share Posted June 22, 2007 Dosen't ring any bells with me but sounds interesting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Posted June 22, 2007 Share Posted June 22, 2007 ...can we have a postcode of the yard so we can use Multimap to have a look......just helping out of course :whistle: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snapper Posted June 22, 2007 Share Posted June 22, 2007 It's not a Ford GTB is it??? check last month's CMV?????? Sounds a bit like one to me. If so and it is in good nick then perhaps Tony Corbin, who is an HMVF regular can offer a comment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick W Posted June 22, 2007 Author Share Posted June 22, 2007 If you mean the Burma jeep, then no, nothing like. The front mudguard doesnt protrude forward like that, they more follow the line of the wheel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick W Posted June 22, 2007 Author Share Posted June 22, 2007 Mystery solved, its an M38A1 http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o72/rik242_2006/M38A1Front400.jpg[/img] This is the battery tray cover thing which caught my eye http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o72/rik242_2006/CheneyM38A1Battery400.jpg[/img] Gonna go see if I can get me a yank next week i reckon! ( Yes love, of course we need it, its an investment for our daughters future.....another glass of wine dear?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Posted June 22, 2007 Share Posted June 22, 2007 ....another one coming over to the darkside - welcome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bodge Deep Posted June 22, 2007 Share Posted June 22, 2007 ( Yes love, of course we need it, its an investment for our daughters future.....another glass of wine dear?) This guy's good! Do you give lessons :-D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick W Posted June 22, 2007 Author Share Posted June 22, 2007 Luke.......I am your father........ After consulting Mr Askews guide, it looks like an M38A1 MD which started production in 1952, hence the curving mudguards which confused me.(Im not too well up on my jeeps yet!). Iwill pursue it and keep you posted. Unfortunately not a rare jeep prototype. Probably worth about £500 in its present form! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Posted June 25, 2007 Share Posted June 25, 2007 ....another one coming over to the darkside - welcome. No Jack it's...................................................................................PW :-D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick W Posted June 28, 2007 Author Share Posted June 28, 2007 I go and see the farmer where this M31 is . Me-"Ive come to have a look at that crusty old M31 I spoke to you about yesterday" Yokel-"Oh, this thing over here." Me-"No, its in the field over there, isnt it?" Yokel-"Oh I forgot about that one?" Me-"theres another one over there then?" We go and have a poke around the one I originally had a look at, not too bad, a rotten floor and its got a diesel lump in but aprt from that, not impossible. Yokel-"Youre not interested in an Arrows are you?" Me-"Never heard of it, what is it?" Yokel-" Its over there next to that old wartime thing." Casually walking past ,what was in effect a large clump of stinging nettles with a roll cage poking out of the top, I noticed the familiar front end of '44 Jeep. It was totally rotten, been fitted with a rollcage and had an engine transplant, but the papers were there. Yokel-"Some bloke was interested in it a few years ago, but I think its beyond any help." True, it would require major surgery, but nothings impossible, and it depends how much its worth to him, sitting rotting away in the nettles. Moving round the corner we find the other M31 , an earlier version with straight mudguards, but completely b******d. He's got to have a word with his mum to see how much she wants for them......... Needless to say I will be going back next week, armed with a pocket full of cash and a camera. I will keep you posted! :-D ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snapper Posted June 28, 2007 Share Posted June 28, 2007 Amazing - worth some snaps, if he'll let you. But they sound beyond hope. What a shame.... This stuff can still be found, then.....but not in downtown Southend methinks.... MB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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