A trip to the local Military show turned out to be just what Paul needed. BTW Paul, you don’t owe us anything. You are putting on a show for us up there in “The Last Frontier (which is the official state nickname)”. No doubt there’s a few readers who might benefit from this mod.
Paul, take it away! “This past weekend the local military vehicle collectors had a show at a car dealership near my house for the general public and it was free so I went. Before leaving the house I grabbed my camera and a steel tape just incase I ran across a shining gem of a radiator nestled among the antique olive drab metal. In addition to the WWII Willys and Ford Jeeps on display, the Dodge command cars, M 38’s and M 38 A1’s there were a couple of M 151’s and one of them had it’s hood up. Naturally I began checking out the radiator, first by eye and then measuring the height, width and thickness and ending up on my back under this Mutt where I noticed the radiator was a bottom mount. Most interesting!
The original M 38 radiator is a bottom mount with a top mount brace rod, it’s 21 1/4 inches wide by 19 inches high and 5 inches thick. These dimensions are overall and they include the radiator cap. The core dimensions are 13 inches high by 20 inches wide and 3 inches thick.
The M 151 radiator is a bottom mount with a top mount brace rod, it’s 20 1/2 inches wide by 19 inches high and about 4 inches thick (I didn’t measure the metal shroud so I’m guessing here) and once again these measurements are overall. The core is 13 1/2 inches high by 19 1/4 inches wide by 2 inches thick.
Both radiators have a drivers side inlet (top) and a passenger side outlet (bottom).
Gentlemen, we have a winner !!!!!!
For the past 55 years E. A. Patson Parts and Equipment has been dealing in new and used surplus military vehicles and parts here in Anchorage but Elmer Patson is 86 years old (his son, Rod, is only 63 but he’s been working at the business since he was 12) and would like to retire so everything’s for sale. I asked about M 151 radiators and they have both new and used radiators. I was able to borrow a used radiator so I could do a bit of metal massaging and fabricate a lower mount and the top brace rod and when the snow melts some and they can get into one of their outbuildings where the new radiators are stored I’ll buy one of those. For now this used radiator will allow me to continue my progress with the Willys resurrection until the end of March when I’ll officially declare the winter to be over and it will be time to do outside (summer) projects.
Thanks again to all the Willys fans for their much appreciated suggestions, ideas and help. I look forward to the day when I can return the favor, but until then I owe you. “
