Am I alone?

Is there anyone else out there who has an original early CJ5 with a factory M38A1 frame?????

 

I once knew a guy who.........

No, wait.....

Your alone as far as I know.

 

Seems like we had this come up before. :?
If I recall more than a few of the early production ones had a1 frames.

 

I actually think one of my older ones is that way. I will have to check it out next trip I make diggin around in the barn.

 

Tutor has a m38a1 frame but in put it in

 

Should I look for a gun mount up under the rear floor?. I have the shackle reversal.

 

Yup ,,,,,,,,

 

NO I have a 63 cj5 that is on the list next to restore as soon as my body kit gets here.. Also after I help a friend on his TWO jeeps as well.. Dont feel like the LONE RANGER keep your chin up it only gets better..

 

My '56 has a regular ol' civvie frame, thankyewverymuch. With factory reversed shackles too. It's in outstanding condition. I've been wirebrushing the paint off and it's the original paint, only one coat, no rust anywhere to speak of. Very light rust only on the battery tray.

 

im pretty sure my dad has one its got the reverse shackle up front.

 

First year or so of the CJ5 had the reverse shackle.
If you have the machine gun mount underneath then you have the M38A1 frame. Is there a big round indentation on the passenger side between the door opening and the front wheel well?

 

Boy I have been away a LOOOONNNNNGGGG time. I just happened to pick up on this thread again. A few misconceptions have obviously arisen. First, my frame IS an M38A1 frame. Second, my CJ5 is NOT an M38A1. Third, my CJ5 IS original. I have no doubt that Willys did use A1 frames in the beginning. Also, mine was purchased from the Army in 1955, so it may have been ordered by the Army (for a general or something) with an A1 frame for extra strength. The only question to be answered was ..... am I the only one out there that has an original CJ5 with an A1 frame? I am just curious.

JFTR, to some who have chimed in, just because it has a shakle reversal doesnt mean that it is an A1 frame, as the early civvy CJ5 frames had reversals. To see if it IS an A1 frame, you have to look for the boxed frame in the front, the machine gun mount under the rear floor, and other little nuances.

 

Early cj5's had a boxed frame from from behind the 2nd cross member (counting the bumper as no. 1) to behind the front "c" shackle. Isn't the only difference in the 2 frames the machine gun mount? I think there is a thread on this.

 

No, that is not the only difference. The battery tray would NOT be on the frame up front, and would have to be welded on afterwards, as the A1 had the battery in a box in the cowl. Also, the A1 frame is boxed from the bumper to the first cross-member, where civvys, as you point out, had no boxing. The A1 had more leaves in the spring pack, heavier duty shocks, larger tie-rods and tie-rod ends, as similarly found on the postal Jeeps, no holes in the rear cross member for the draw bar, and a few other nuances.

I hope that clarifies.

 

Interesting. Where did the factory mount your battery then? Do you have a pic?
I would think somebody would have been falling asleep on the line to put a civvy body on a A1 frame, probably p.o.'d at the guy on the line who had to put the battery in.
Does your frame have bumperettes and a pintle hook as well, or lift shackles? Pics of rear frame would be great. Didn't the bumperettes mount where the draw bar holes are?
Sorry lots of questions.

 

My battery tray was a civvy tray that was welded to the frame afterwards. I could take a pic of that, but it would look no different than any civvy setup.

I have heard that many A1 frames were utilized on early civilian CJ5s, but have not actually met anyone that has one, other than me, which is why I started this thread. My serial number is also properly matching and placed on the A1 frame, in the correct spot, just for your edification.

My frame does not have the bumperettes, but has the threaded holes for them. I removed the original draw bar, which had holes "drilled" into the rear cross member to mount. They are not supposed to be there and will be filled in. So, to answer your question, the draw bar does NOT mount to the bumperette holes. They are in a totally different spot. The draw bar also required "extra" holes to be drilled into the mount area. Those will be filled as well. I put a pintle hook into the correct holes. I will eventually get NOS bumperettes to put on the rear. Of a really interesting nature is the fact that my CJ5 had only a driver's side tail lamp originally. This was somewhat common in CJ3Bs, but apparently VERY rare on CJ5s. Somewhere along the line, someone cut a hole to put in a passenger side light.

 

Hmm...so the battery tray is just like a civvy, welded on. I have seen a couple of A1's without the gun mount as well, so who really knows what happened in Toledo? How low of a serial number do you have? Was it built in '54 or '55? Just asking for my edification and tutelage.

 

2,725th CJ5 ever built.