Motivational Poster Thread (warning content)

Looks like you can take it with you

 

Naw, that's likely @Seacowboys on the way to a gig.

 

What can I say? I can't....

 

No E ticket needed, Unka Sam will let you ride for 'free'....

 

at least you don't have to ask - "How high?"

 

all this time I was just looking scrap paper and stuff....

 

Goats on parade. You can almost smell the diesel....

 

and you thought Barbie had all the cool accessories.

 

You thought you had stupid road layouts?
You ain't been here (Tameside). Now this is stupid....

 

M-60, mine rollers and mud. Is this Fort Polk?

 

Just found this - a Medical operating room in a rail car. WWI vintage. Better than a wagon, no doubt.

 

Not in my Army - Thanks the good Lord. They were phased out in the 80s. Never saw any for sale surplus....

For those that never had the pleasure (or deafness)

Overall, some 15,274 Gama Goats were built at a cost of US$8,000 each (1965 dollars; equivalent to $60,072 in 2015); this was considered quite high at the time. While the Gama Goat had exceptional off-road ability, its quirky steering made it hard to handle on pavement, and its tendency to flounder in amphibious operations required drivers to have special training in order to operate it. This meant it could not be the "general purpose" vehicle the Army had hoped for, and production was halted after the original contract expired. This is somewhat ironic, as some claim the problems were largely due to cost-cutting modifications made at the request of the US Army.

The air-cooled engine used in the original prototypes overheated in use, and was replaced in the production vehicles with a Detroit 3-53 diesel engine. The high-intensity noise from the two-stroke diesel engine resulted required hearing protection while driving the vehicle. (ya, no sh!t Sherlock) The double hull construction and complex articulated drivetrain made maintenance difficult (the lube order alone took around six hours). In service in Vietnam, Gama Goats would often be sent out ahead of other vehicles in order to arrive at their destination at the same time.

While technically listed as amphibious, the Gama Goat's swimming capability was limited to smooth water crossings of ponds, canals and streams due to the very low freeboard and the lack of a propeller. Propulsion in the water was supplied by the six spinning wheels, and bilge pumps were standard equipment. Drivers had to remember to close the hull's drain openings before swimming the vehicles. Some models had extra equipment installed which made them too heavy to swim, such as heavy-duty winches, communications shelters that made them top heavy, or radar gear.

It was designed to be air-transportable and droppable by parachute.

Bottom line, you would never have to worry about these things sneaking up on you ....

 

The good news, for M38 Jeep restoration, is the Gamma Goat's Rear tail light assembly is an exact, but more visible replacement for the M38 Jeep. It even has the same connectors.

"The high-intensity noise from the two-stroke diesel engine resulted required hearing protection while driving the vehicle."
A lot like Diesel Submarines.