NZ Find, #4089 need help ID'ing MB

[W. Winget]

Friend "Mike" in New Zealand was given what I perceive to be an early MB (not sure when slat grilles stopped)
Body tags missing, but corner reinforcement show below is stamped #4089 Would this in theory be close to what the serial number would have been? Any month/dates you can help with, and would he need a slat grill for the front. (along with a LOT of other items)
Anyone see an underhood brace like that before or is it just some piece of scrap metal? (not talking about the fan deflector)
V/R W. Winget
(I'm a GPW guy.. )

[W. Winget]

one more

[W. Winget]

A few more for assistance.
Do the differentials have dates stamped on them?
Mike couldn't find any, just casting No's and the number 23 on the rear diff, the front one has front axle cast on both sides.

Any help appreciated.
V/R W Winget

[Adam]

Its a piece of scrap metal on the hood,
Yes it needs a slat grill, grill
serial number real close to that, there is info on this forum for these numbers, i dont know if they started at 1 or 1K, you have some searching to do, my slatty frame of 22K has a body 3.5K higher. search on here for "body Numbers" lots of info
Frame should have shorter reinforcing strips, and maybe rear brake line in a different location on crossmember,

it is a slatty cowl. axle housings look early,
should be dates on the ring rears inside, might give an idea of what date it cant be, if they are original to this particular jeep.

did not NZ get the earlier jeeps, anything in the books about what may of been sent down there.
Adam

[rjbeamer]

This might help.

Roger

https://rdrnl.home.xs4all.nl/4UWPBodynumbers.html

[W. Winget]

So if I read that correctly, he has a January 42 MB which would come with a slat grill, no blackout drive light or trailer socket. (or were only early Fords without the Blk- out and tr-socket)
Might make for a harder restoration.
I suppose he could get a script Willys repop tub and graft the cowl on if he needed too, have to see what's left under the flat sheetmetal front floor.
Thanks!
W. Winget

[rjbeamer]

A further reference is that the axle housings are usually dated. On the face of that round hole next to the stamped metal ring gear cover is normally a date stamp that is on most MB Dana/Spice and some GPW axle housings. Also as stated before the ring gear is usually dated also. Of course this is all Moot if they are not original to the Jeep. How ever it can make for an accurate estimate if used along with other clues.

The Axle date might help in determining as to whether this Slat is a Dec. 41, Jeep or a Jan. 42, Jeep. (As in I also have a hard time deciphering some of those data charts and lists. Did the number start at the beginning or end of the month.)

Look at these earlier postings by HK G36 in 2006 with his MB, & ZEPHER11 in 2011 with his GPW

viewtopic.php?t=70737&highlight=axle+dates


viewtopic.php?t=193928#p1130870

Roger

[BERLIN RED]

I believe the first MB tub was #2,000 or 2,001. Most of the 42 MB’s I’ve seen have a tub number 2,000 greater than the frame #. ( + or - 250 )

Just my observation and food for thought.

[BERLIN RED]

It also looks like it has the early 3 piece rear seat mounting brackets.

Can you get a picture of the gusset or fish plate that connects the passenger side panels together located by the passengers feet? Could be the early rectangular design. The really early ones where rectangular.

Also look to see if the frame has or had the brake line hose bracket on the drivers side just by the machine gun mount crossmember.

[BERLIN RED]

The rear axle appears to be later than the tub. It should have the brake line splitter mounted on the tube and not the pumpkin. I think that change occurred around mb 7,000 or 8,000.

[W. Winget]

Mike found the dates:
Rear 1 17 42

Rear

Front 1 5 42

Front

Looking like the diffs belong to the body, maybe the frame is correct too?
He looked at the fenders and there are no holes down the front inner panel for air deflectors, so these probably not correct fenders for this body?

I will ask him for a photo of the front body cowl brace section.
V/R W. Winget

[rjbeamer]

So.....It looks like maybe a 4th week of Jan,1942 Slat. Or so it would seem.

Roger

[W. Winget]

Floor board was removed and sheet metal dropped onto flange that's left in place, once he removes that, might get a better shot of the supports.
V/R W Winget

[Ian Fawbert]

Hello,

Does Mike know if this jeep was in NZ or is it one of the many Australian jeeps which NZ collectors have sent back to NZ?

Any markings on the hood of a rego number (in white, 5 or 6 digits) or across the rear panel?

Thanks,
Ian.

[W. Winget]

Ian: (Your web links are not working)
As I cannot say he's "on" the G yet, I will forward your e-mail or contact to him. I suspect it's been in NZ for a very long time based on the poor condition.
Mike and I know each other through the WWI 1918 Standard B 'Liberty' trucks we are both restoring, and he has had many excellent reproduction castings made up for several trucks around the World. Recently another early Type I showed up in Australia as well.
V/R W. Winget