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Working On The M561 Gama Goat

mkcoen

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Looks like you're hoggin all the fun, Tom. I can't make it up this week, but next week if the weather looks good, I can make it up for most of one day and part of the next.
Thanks for the offer. I'll either be changing out the steering box or it'll be at the soda blasters. I'll let you know. I'm probably going to load it on the trailer and take it to the monthly SS car show at the RIM Saturday and then over to Tornadogt's to pull the top off.
 
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KansasBobcat

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San Antonio, TX
goat

That's the thing, you can't be too choosey when your prospects for parts are limited. I was thrilled with the NOS tailgate and other parts I've gotten so far. I'm still waiting on some more used stuff but I'm pretty confident it'll be in fairly good shape. And what I can't find (mirror arms) I'm going to try and fabricate out of some deuce mirror arms. It won't be 100% authentic but I'm guessing the average car show attendee will never know the difference.
The average car show attendee in SA won'tknow what goat is let alone what is original...(except the MVPA members)
 
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mkcoen

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Weather is starting to get decent again so I fiddled a little with the Goat today. I had a couple of brake lines made up and reinstalled them at the quick disconnect and onto the carrier. One of the things I really need to do is power wash the bottom if I'm going to do much down there. That NC mud is everywhere and takes every opportunity to fall into your eyes as you're working. I still need to swap the air/brake lines on the right rear wheel and it should be ready to bleed.

The second thing I did was remove all of the bolts holding the overhead cover on. All of them except one came off easy enough and the difficult fellow went quick once the cutoff wheel got hold of him. I put a couple back in finger tight so it doesn't try to take off on the way to Tornadogt's place this weekend.


002.jpg001.jpg
 

Another Ahab

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That shock looks brand spanking new, mkcoen:

- Can't recall if that's your work,

Or if you got the Goat that way. That your replacement?


View attachment 547014
Look close and you can see a paint run in it. It was on the Goat when the Forest Service painted it yellow.
Realized that as soon as I hit "send":

- Right? It's yellow!

Trying to do too many things all at the same time (including keeping up with the SS site).
 

Tornadogt

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Weather is starting to get decent again so I fiddled a little with the Goat today. I had a couple of brake lines made up and reinstalled them at the quick disconnect and onto the carrier. One of the things I really need to do is power wash the bottom if I'm going to do much down there. That NC mud is everywhere and takes every opportunity to fall into your eyes as you're working. I still need to swap the air/brake lines on the right rear wheel and it should be ready to bleed.

The second thing I did was remove all of the bolts holding the overhead cover on. All of them except one came off easy enough and the difficult fellow went quick once the cutoff wheel got hold of him. I put a couple back in finger tight so it doesn't try to take off on the way to Tornadogt's place this weekend.


View attachment 547009View attachment 547012
The Wrecker is Going to be at the AutoRama car show this weekend. We have to drop it off Thursday at noon and pick it up on Sunday. If you want to come today-Thursday morning we can do it, or after Monday.
 

mkcoen

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The Wrecker is Going to be at the AutoRama car show this weekend. We have to drop it off Thursday at noon and pick it up on Sunday. If you want to come today-Thursday morning we can do it, or after Monday.
I'll load it up today then. Text me a good time to swing by tomorrow. If the AutoRama is going on is there going to be anyone at Lowe's on Saturday?

Edit:

Well 1st time loading the Goat solo. All limbs and digits accounted for which is a good thing.

004.jpg
 
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mkcoen

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Thanks to Tornadogt the Waffle House Express is now al fresco. Personally I think it looks much better this way but it is still yellow.

One of my fears was that the Forest Service buggered up the spot where the front lifting rings went. They had removed them to mount the top and it wasn't until we pulled it off that I was able to confirm that they had simply bolted a plate using the same nut as the lifting ring. It's pretty rusted but I've got it soaking in some PB Blaster and then after lunch I'll give it a shot with the impact to see if I can get it out. With luck I can just locate some lifting rings and bolt them right back in for the original look.

001.jpg002.jpg
 

Keith_J

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Schertz TX
So you found the fittings? Because compression fittings on brake lines is a general no-no but those are night and day different from standard compression types. Guess it makes for easier field service. Still confusing.

Doubt you you can find the swivel fittings to the hub but they might be able to reuse? These are standard flare types.
 

mkcoen

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So you found the fittings? Because compression fittings on brake lines is a general no-no but those are night and day different from standard compression types. Guess it makes for easier field service. Still confusing.

Doubt you you can find the swivel fittings to the hub but they might be able to reuse? These are standard flare types.
They reused the fittings from the old hoses. That's the reason (plus ridiculous price) that I only did the 2.
 

maddawg308

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Interesting resto you have going on - subscribed! I wanna see this thing all made green and happy again.

Everyone loves a Gama Goat. Noone can really explain why to any great degree of satisfaction, but they love them anyways.
 

mkcoen

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Everyone loves a Gama Goat. Noone can really explain why to any great degree of satisfaction, but they love them anyways.
It's probably because like a S.E.E. or myself, you move so far past ugly you get back into the cute category.

After heading back out after lunch I discovered the bolt heads were 1 1/8th and my impact collection only went to 1 1/16th (of course), so it was off to NAPA for a new tool. Once home the 1st came off pretty easily but the 2nd one took a little encouragement. It finely gave up and both left a fairly clean nut to work with when I get the lifting rings. The area around both of them is going to need some cauking, especially the 2nd one but will cover well once painted.

003.jpg004.jpg
 

cpf240

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... Everyone loves a Gama Goat. Noone can really explain why to any great degree of satisfaction, but they love them anyways.
I have to say that I somewhat fall into this category... though I prefer the look of them with the windshield down/off, and I don't even want to consider the hard tops...
 
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Another Ahab

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Interesting resto you have going on - subscribed! I wanna see this thing all made green and happy again.

Everyone loves a Gama Goat. Noone can really explain why to any great degree of satisfaction, but they love them anyways.
It's probably because like a S.E.E. or myself, you move so far past ugly you get back into the cute category.
I have to say that I somewhat fall into this category... though I prefer the look of them with the windshield down/off, and I don't even want to consider the hard tops...

the-ugly-duckling-slider.jpg
 

mkcoen

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Well after watching what salvage Goats brought in TX today I'm feeling pretty good about mine. The decent (and I use that term quite loosely) looking ones (all w/o winch) brought nearly twice what I paid for mine and this one brought the same as mine. Of course I had that much in driving to NC and back but still feeling I came out ahead. Then again, this one has the front lifting rings and it's NOT yellow.

scrap goat.jpg
 

M813rc

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....this one has the front lifting rings and it's NOT yellow.
Yes, but I don't think it is going to be started and driven onto the trailer come recovery time. Besides, the NC trip was fun! (Of course, it was more fun for me, since I wasn't paying the bills, but...)

Cheers
 

mkcoen

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Well after a 3 hour MRI this morning to see if I still have a brain and a spine (won't see the DR until Oct so will assume they're still there) I came home to start back in on the paint eradication. Temps are in the mid 70s so reflecting off my concrete drive are upwards of the high 80s. I put up some overhead cover to try and cool things down a bit and slapped on the 1st coat of stripper snot and we'll see in 15 minutes if it's going to work any better with the warmer temps.
 

papabear

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Interesting resto you have going on - subscribed! I wanna see this thing all made green and happy again.

Everyone loves a Gama Goat. Noone can really explain why to any great degree of satisfaction, but they love them anyways.

Ummm...not everyone! Gama Goats are like cats to me. They are just fine and I even like to see them occasionally...as long as they belong to someone else.:naner:
 

mkcoen

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So a little more un-yellow today. Tomorrow I'll go back over this area with a DA. If the weather cooperates I might be able to get most of the inside of the carrier done before the weekend.

001.jpg
 
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