Early GM GP MV prototype

[watkinssr]

June 29th, 2010.

PRETTY COOL! I was never a fan of the Corvair, as my family had one of the station wagons and it was never able to start below +35*F from new. BUT this truck would have been almost as useful as the GAMA Goat, and would have been the forerunner of the CUCV's.... I wonder way GM axed it, as it could not have had the stability issues the car had with FWD there would have been either two live axles or an arrangement like the Mighty Mite? I bet GM scrapped the AGL just like the electric cars..... No use being known for having a good idea that works.

Just my .02 worth, but a fascinating truck....

hmm...I wonder what was wrong with it. Corvairs, in my experiance, really like the cold. The wagons were pretty early (stopped making them in 62 IIRC) but it's the same basic design as the later ones I was in to (65 and later ones).

 

[popacom]

ole thread......new post

The prototype Gama Goat was most likely part of the inspiration
in design on this unit. Looking at the pics of the original
GAMAUT / Chance Vougt designs. See these in Fred Crissmons
military wheeled vehicle book.........popacom /Bill

 

[L1A1]

The prototype Gama Goat was most likely part of the inspiration
in design on this unit. Looking at the pics of the original
GAMAUT / Chance Vougt designs. See these in Fred Crissmons
military wheeled vehicle book.........popacom /Bill

Wasn't the preproduction Gamma Goat powered by a Corvair engine?
Matt

 

[armytruck63]

Wasn't the preproduction Gamma Goat powered by a Corvair engine?
Matt

Yes, this is true. My dad worked at Chance-Vought in the early to mid '60's near Dallas and saw the prototype there (this was before he was an MV collector). He has a photo of a prototype that showed up at the Tower Park meet in Northern California earlier this year. I will see if I can get a copy of that photo from him.

Matt

 

[dstang97]

I wish there were prototype pictures and videos of the CUCV.

 

[L1A1]

Yes, this is true. My dad worked at Chance-Vought in the early to mid '60's near Dallas and saw the prototype there (this was before he was an MV collector). He has a photo of a prototype that showed up at the Tower Park meet in Northern California earlier this year. I will see if I can get a copy of that photo from him.

Matt

That would be really cool to see. I've only seen the one image in Fred Chrismon's book on wheeled vehicles.
Matt

 

[popacom]

more

There was a prototype Goat that came out of Ft.Knox
(AEB) that was a very complicated and had hydraulics
Which controlled articulation. It copied alot from the Meltracc
That was studied during development of the Goat. I tried
to buy this truck on several occassions with no luck and the
fellow that owned it passed on and it disappeared
There was a fellow here in my town that was part of the
original development team for the Goat and he had quite a bit
of the info he helped compile........pics from front of the
project to the contract award to CONDEC. I saw some units
with Corvair engines,283 sb chevies,and piles of pics and data
when they tested them in Thialand. I asked to become the caretaker
of this stuff but his family threw it all away when he died......
sad that people can't see the historical value of these vehicles
and equipment. popacom/Bill

 

[Tanner]

I wish there were prototype pictures and videos of the CUCV.

Prototype pictures & videos exist - they're called 'Chevrolet civilian K-Series trucks'...


'Tanner'

 

[dstang97]

Prototype pictures & videos exist - they're called 'Chevrolet civilian K-Series trucks'...


'Tanner'

Really.. did they talk about the cummins that was tested in them?

 

[L1A1]

There was a prototype Goat that came out of Ft.Knox
(AEB) that was a very complicated and had hydraulics
Which controlled articulation. It copied alot from the Meltracc
That was studied during development of the Goat. I tried
to buy this truck on several occassions with no luck and the
fellow that owned it passed on and it disappeared

I remember Dave Uhrig had one of the original Meltracs on his site for sale. I had just sold my M151A1 through him and inquired about the Meltrac. I went as far as to call the owner of it (I had the cash from the jeep sale to buy it). After talking with him and discovering that his meltrac was one of only two known to exsist, I thought that it belonged in a museum or at least in an indoor, temp controlled storage & not driven around/off road stored outside.
Matt