From: Mark J. Blair, NF6X (nf6x@nf6x.net)
Date: Sun Nov 20 2005 - 17:55:32 PST
[A link to pictures is below]
I posted a few weeks ago that I might be interested in trading my 1970
M561 Gama Goat. I got some interested responses, but a trade didn't end
up happening. Here goes with another try! :-)
I bought my Gama Goat about 4 years ago through eBay. Since then I've
hardly driven it. I don't expect that I'd get around to fully restoring
it for at least 2 or 3 more years (probably a lot longer!), and I don't
really see myself driving it much afterwards anyway, so I'm considering
trading it for a different vehicle or possibly even selling it.
It needs cosmetic restoration, but it runs well and doesn't need much
mechanical work to be in top shape. The engine always starts easily,
even after the truck has sat for a couple of years.
The brakes need a bit of work before I'd consider the truck to be truly
road-worthy... the master cylinder piston returns sluggishly when the
pedal is released. I've obtained parts to rebuild the master cylinder
recently, but I haven't done the job yet. I haven't been inside the
brake drums, either. The truck does stop, but I'd give the brakes a good
going-over before taking it into traffic. I may or may not get around to
doing that before the truck leaves my collection... too many projects,
and too little time!
I have not tested the heater, and at the very least it'll need a new
fuel hose and a good cleaning before firing it up.
There's a tear in the hull near the large access panel under the engine
which would need to be fixed before the truck could be sea-worthy again.
I would take it for granted that all of the seals related to
sea-worthiness would need to be replaced. I think that all of the hull
plugs are present. The bilge pump makes pumpy sounds, but I haven't
tested that it actually pumps fluid because the hull doesn't presently
hold water.
I just added a bunch of new pictures of the truck to my web page:
Those pictures were taken a few weeks ago, and I've cleaned most of that
junk out of the engine compartment and hull since then. I may take some
more pictures during the next week or so, particularly if anybody is
interested in the truck. Right now it's parked in my driveway with the
hood open, the seats and transmission hump out, all of the hull plugs
and access plates removed and a big pile of wet debris underneath it!
I always figured that a Goat hull ought to be a place for lost tools to
hide out, and I was kinda surprised that I didn't find anything in there
when I bought the truck. Well, I just didn't look hard enough... after a
couple hours of pressure-washing out the innards with the hull plugs
out, I saw something shining underneath. That turned out to be a rusty,
filthy ratchet wrench with a 9/16" socket. Hmm, 9/16"... that could have
been dropped into the hull when the alternator and its bracket were
stripped out, hee hee! I disassembled it, hit it with a Dremel with a
wire brush and WD-40'd the heck out of the innards, and brought it back
to life.
I have the following NOS items for the truck which I have not installed,
but would include with the truck:
* Tailgate (the original is included, but is not on the truck right now)
* Soft top with doors
* Surf shield
* I may have a seatbelt kit... not sure about this.
* I might have a new shift lever boot and tailgate chains... need
to look.
The truck is mostly original, with the following exceptions:
* The lower alternator bracket is a home-made replacement. I haven't
managed to find an original bracket yet.
* I added a keyed battery master disconnect, mounted in the firewall
behind the driver's seat.
* The mirrors came from an auto parts store, and have a coat of green
model paint over the chrome. I may have a pair of NOS mirrors
somewhere... I'm not sure.
The electrical system charges, and the lighting system and horn work. I
haven't replaced any fluids or filters since I've bought the truck, but
I may do that soon if the Goat doesn't wander away soon... refer to my
earlier "NAPA has Farty Pants" thread. :-) Oh, I did replace the
transfer case oil today. I noticed that the dipstick wasn't fully seated
and was concerned that I might have gotten some water in there when I
pressure washed the innards, so I drained and refilled the case just to
play it safe. I didn't see any signs of water in the drained oil, so I
probably knocked the dipstick out after pressure-washing.
There are a couple of wires that the ^#%!%$$# rodents chewed on, but I
do plan to fix those myself.
I don't know if the air box heater works, because in my area it never
gets cold enough to need it. The spark plug wire is one of the ones that
got chewed, so unless I find a NOS replacement I'll need to see if I can
fabricate one from an ordinary spark plug cable.
Basically, this is a running truck which needs a good bit of PMCS, some
fairly minor repairs and a full cosmetic restoration. It's drivable, but
I would not recommend taking it into any traffic before thoroughly going
over the brakes.
It's registered in California with a clean title and Historical Vehicle
plates. The plates would be included, of course, but are not mounted on
the truck. I'm pretty sure that the registration is current, but if it's
not I'd take care of that before selling or trading the truck.
I would consider a straight no-cash trade for a post-WW-II Jeep or MUTT
of comparable value. I like M38, M38A1 and M151-series trucks in
different ways, and I'm not sure which kind I'd be happiest with. I
wouldn't be looking for a showroom truck, because I'm more of a
motor-pool kind of guy. 12V conversions and engine swaps really turn me
off... I would want an original 24V electrical system and the proper
models of engine, transmission, etc. Civilian wheels and tires don't
bother me as much, because they're easily replaced.
I may consider a trade for some other type of truck... probably not, but
I don't mind if you ask! No, I don't want a 2.5-ton truck. I have too
many of those already! :-) Trades with nearby folks would be the best,
because I wouldn't want to spend too much on shipping. I'm in Riverside,
California (not far from L.A.).
I may also consider selling the truck for cash, which I might then apply
towards buying some sort of Jeep or MUTT, or may just spend on beer. I
apologize in advance to those of you who don't like this price, but my
asking price is "make an offer" because I have mixed feelings about
selling the truck.
Other items:
I also have a running 10kW MEP-018A gasoline-powered generator set that
I'm eternally trying to get rid of.
I just listed an AN/VVS-2 driver's night vision periscope on eBay. It's
a working Gen II image intensifier which mounts in the driver's hatch of
various tanks and APCs.
Various other items live on my web page's trade list (see below).
I look forward to seeing any responses from folks who might be
interested in my Gama Goat, or any of my other excess junk for that matter!
-- Mark J. Blair, NF6X <nf6x@nf6x.net> Web page: http://www.nf6x.net/ GnuPG public key available from my web page.
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