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Hi Guys,

Is there any positive way to tell if an M37 had a hard or soft top when built? I mean were there any special holes drilled or metal removed to accomodate one top over the other. My M didn't have any top when I bought it, just the rear bar and the two pieces that form the window frame on the rear side and top. Were those parts used with the hard top, or only the soft top. Just trying to figure out what top it had.

thanks,
bob

w30bob wrote:Hi Guys, My M didn't have any top when I bought it, just the rear bar and the two pieces that form the window frame on the rear side and top. Were those parts used with the hard top, or only the soft top. Just trying to figure out what top it had.

thanks,
bob

The parts you describe are used with a soft top, a hard top does not need them when it is installed.

That answers that! Thanks Carter!

regards,
bob

Any time Bob, happy to help.

I was told that the hooks for securing down the soft top were installed on every M-37, even the ones with a factory hardtop...can this be confirmed?

The M37"s that were made north of the boarder all came with hard tops and no hooks. Well at least my 54 M37CDN is that way.

Some cabs had more hooks than others, too. My original '54 cab had 5-one on each corner and three across the back, as well as the replacement '52 cab I run now. I've seen severaI that came with 7 hooks. I added two more hooks to to mine (totaling 7) to properly secure the NOS top I got from Adirondack Dodge a few years agao.
Gary

My truck has holes for snaps on the part just over the door. I bought a replacement vinyl utility top on Ebay from a guy in Alasks and the top was made by Beachwood Canvas. This brand new top also has four or five snaps on each side. I am thinking of putting matching snaps back on the truck, but they will not line up with the existing snap holes. Did they ever use snaps in the Military on this truck? I am wondering since Beachwood does a lot of accurate reproductions.

Bob:
The last two M37's I've had with hard tops were U.S.Army trucks. Both hard tops were Strata Blue under serveral coats of O.D. and U.S. Forest or local fire
department colors. The rest of the trucks were O.D. down to bare metal with no Strata Blue. Strata Blue is, of course, U.S. Air Force.
Both trucks had the hooks. I assume that sometime after the trucks were surplused, a new owner "robbed" an Air Force hard top
from an old Air Force M37 and ditched the soft top. Both of these hard tops were what is commonly called an "Artic" top.
Theyre insulated and lined with sheet metal inside. Many, if not all, Canadian M37's are said to have been built with
Artic tops.
Both of my hard tops had/have rectangular sliding rear windows. A nice feature if you have "troops" riding in back.
The open rear window also helps dirculate the 2/50 air. (Two windows open at 50MPH.)
Ah yes.... 50MPH, the dream of all M37 drivers.
J B

A friend north of the boarder told me that all M37CDN were hard tops. This made having the tie down loops an extra item that would never be needed. However my M37CDN has a hard top and no loops, but it does have 5 locations where bolts are that the loops would be. As for the hard top it has 5 bolts that hold the top on, If your top was factory installed it would have these holes. Now if an American M37 had a hard top, it would be anybody's guess if the loops were installed. Here is a photo where I used a pointer to point at the back seat bracket, there you could see one of the bolts for the hard top and just to the side of the pointer are the two bolts for a soft top loop. I did look no loops. My American M37 Has 9 loops to secure he soft top.

Hi Ed,

I checked my M......it has 9 hooks and no bolt near the seat bracket you're pointing to. So I guess we answered that one. I'm a softie!

Looking forward to running into you at Redball. I think you told me you were going when we met at Sussex.

thanks,
bob