Jeeps have an obvious military connection because these little mules played a huge role in World War Two.
They set the standard for efficiency, adaptability, and toughness in combat situations, so Jeeps have a history unlike any vehicle on the road today.
Jerry Sutherland
Joe Coughlin is the proud owner of a 1952 Ford M-38 Jeep. Jeeps like this would have seen duty in the Korean conflict—Joe knew this one was with the Canadian military back in ’52.
Joe’s father was the guy who tracked this one down. He lived in England and this one was in western Canada, so had Joe look at it. Joe said his dad used to own a WWII Jeep plus he used to build them in England, so he wanted to revisit his past with this ’52 Jeep. He said the ’52 was, “the pinnacle of flat-fendered Jeeps” so that made him want it more.
Joe said his dad realized the distance from western Canada to England meant the cost of shipping the Jeep would buy a mid-sized house in a small towns. He passed on sending it back to Britain and that’s when Joe took over.
This Jeep was on the property of a large construction company, and they wanted it gone. It had been sitting for years until 2018 when Joe took over ownership. Joe said, “It had been in the family for awhile”, but the Jeep was taking up space–that’s when Joe took over.
Hibernation is the worst thing you can do to anything mechanical, so Joe had to address the usual problems. Seals are one of the biggest issues because time turns them into garbage, so Joe said he, “went through the gaskets in the engine, bearings and welded a few rust spots”.
Joe also cleaned the gas tank because that’s one of the biggest issues you can have—especially with today’s ethanol nightmare blends. He said it runs well after all the little things were addressed.
As mentioned, this is a M-38 (military spec) Jeep so it has the blackout light feature along with other stuff you wouldn’t see on a C-J model.
The Jeep has what looks like a camouflage paint job, but Joe explained what it really is. The previous owners let kids do some custom paint work of their own, so the Jeep was turned into a blank piece of paper for overactive little humans.
Joe isn’t crazy about the look, but he takes comfort in the fact it’s a paint job he doesn’t worry about. This Jeep shows its age–but that’s how 72-year-old vehicles that spent time in the real world are supposed to look.
This Jeep may have been an impulse buy in some ways, but it really makes sense because of the deep family connections to the military. Joe’s grandfather served in the military during World War Two and he did drive a Jeep. Joe’s father was also in the military and he—as mentioned earlier—worked on Jeeps and owned one from WWII.
Joe is also ex-military, so he too has an historical connection to this piece of military history…three generations deep.
Jerry Sutherland
By: Jerry Sutherland
Jerry Sutherland is a veteran automotive writer with a primary focus on the collector car hobby. His work has been published in many outlets and publications, including the National Post, Calgary Herald, Edmonton Journal, Ottawa Citizen, Montreal Gazette, Saskatoon StarPhoenix, Regina Leader-Post, Vancouver Sun and The Truth About Cars. He is also a regular contributor to Auto Roundup Publications.
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