First Bantam!

Hi, Everyone.  I'm new to this sight - and to Bantams!  I've got a Willys M38A1 and am in the process of doing a frame-up restoration on a 1943 Ford GPW, so I've always been on the lookout for jeep trailers, especially an MBT or M100.  Recently, I came across a rather forlorn-looking Bantam T3-C in a salvage yard.  You could barely identify it with all the junk piled on top of it.  Even though it was a civilian trailer, I couldn't stand to see it rotting away (apparently, it's been there for years.) Anyway, the price was too good to pass up, and it followed me home.  Like I said, I'm new to these trailers, and would like some opinions.  What have I got?  It's missing the data plate, so can someone show me a pic of where the s/n is stamped into the frame?  What's missing (besides the tailgate, that is!)?  Is it mostly original?  Any comments would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks!  My intention was to try and trade it for military trailer, but it's kind of growing on me!

Edited by tarfu43 - 16 July 2009 at 7:59pm

To answer your question about the frame stamping, only the very early T3-C's had them (leftover military I suspect). Once they got into the swing of civilian production they disappeared. With no data plate, figuring out the year is conjecture based on details (which aren't completely understood yet). 

Edited by 48cj2a - 18 July 2009 at 1:28am

I don't know if anyone makes complete tailgates, what I have seen done is purchasing a rear sheet metal panel (same as T3 military) then making the frame out of angle iron. The hinges I got from the local bolt supply place, they're called weld on hinges (no screw holes) and they had the exact size in stock, I had to cut the leaves to size, but they're indistinguishable from originals. The studs just get driven out of the hub (or better yet use a press to remove and install the studs) Ron Fitzpatrick has the proper length, they're a bit shorter than the studs for Jeeps, although longer ones work just as well. Stock studs have right hand threads on one side and left hand on the other (again, just like the Jeep). I replaced mine with all RH because I can never remember which are which (I know the LH studs are marked, but I still missed that fact at times, getting old is a bitch.)