We get a sneak preview of this new tool kit from Tamiya, the Vietnam and later era Gama Goat 6x6 Cargo Truck.

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Thanks!

Looks really nice. This is a most welcomed new item from Tamiya. Great video too. Keep up the good work.

Nice video Jim, and a nice kit. And opposed to predictions it's coming in at $25 USD!

Thanks, Jim.

Top review.

enjoy your modeling weekend

Thanks for a good preview video, Jim.. the kit looks nice.. I personally like the way Tamiya simplifies parts like the suspension which won't be visible.. cut down building time and effort a bit

So if I understand this correctly, the only conflict this can be built in is the Grenada mission.. and otherwise, just build it in a training mission or something like that?

Hisham

I thought for a minute that the wheels were actually hollow on the inside, but looking at the instructions in the video they do actually have inserts. Nice looking kit for $25

It looks like it has decals for Vietnam as well, A USMC and a US Army version.

For 25 bucks I may have to buy two of these!

Great video Jim, thanks . Now just a crew in NBCs for a scene from The Stand!

Should have mine next week. As far as "combat" missions Grenada is pretty much it.

If you can find a photo of one in Vietnam, you've found the holy grail. David Doyle and I discussed that a few weeks ago while standing in front of my Goat. They were in the system by that point, but there's no photographic evidence that they made it to Vietnam.

On the ADA side of the house, the two HAWK battalions that were in-country were gone by the time that the Goat came into service, and there were no towed Vulcans in-theater that I'm aware of. Those are the only two types of ADA units that used the Goat, although it was fairly common throughout Artillery battalions as well.

Jon

I tried an image search for the Goat in Vietnam but didn't get anything.. was it used towards the end of the conflict, or maybe just on the bases? Anyone have pics of it in Vietnam?

Hisham

Guess not

Hisham

Thank you for the preview Jim. Nice work! Looking forward to getting one of these kits. Guys I have spoken with that operated the Goat in service hated it..no doors...dangerous roll overs...and the like. I am looking forward to learning more about this off road machine. Thanks

I wonder if the trailer will available separately to tandem them along?

Hi Jim ... Great review .. Not my cup of tea but isn't it great to see a kit that looks this good AND it doesn't need to have 500 parts...Great job Tamiya. Have fun with that camo scheme!!

Rick

Has this kit already hit the stores...?

Looks like a fun, quick build --- hopefully classic Tamiya build and a good one to take on the next road trip for work.

Pulled out Shelby Stanton's Vietnam Order of Battle as I remember a Gama Goat picture...was hoping to find a pic of it in combat, but no such luck. The picture on Page 314 is of the vehicle on a generic tarmac which could be anywhere.

Does anybody have any connections at Fort Eustis...? If anyone had a picture of the vehicle in combat, I would assume the Army Transport Museum would...?

And of course, there's always the amazin' Frenchy --- got anything, amigo...?

Thanks for the pix, Jim! And a great subject choice, Tamiya!

With Regards and Aloha,

Johnny B.

Damn! Now I have to figure out how to scratch a RATT Rig for the thing. Those were the only ones I remember along with the ones that had a plywood box in the back and were used as platoon FDC's.

Johnny,

I'll give a call over there, but considering neither the FA or ADA Museums (the latter which I head up) has anything, and it was primarily an FA and ADA vehicle, I'm not hopeful that Transpo will have anything. But, ya never know with the Army museum system!

Jon

Havoc I think the Goat was only used in Grenada back in 83 . I want one or two of these for my stash

We had them in Germany in the Infantry units in the mid 70s to early 80s. I bruised many a rib in the things as a CSC XO. When they were operational, they were great...when they were operational

I've got mine on order, with a promised delivery by the end of this month.

Dave

Going up to upstsate NY w/my parents as a kid in the summers in 1980's there CONVOYS of these things heading up to Ft. Drum. I think they NJNG vehicles. As far as I can remember, the only "combat" deployment of these things was in Beirut and Grenada.

Possibly in Panama, too. Tested in Thailand.
Grant

I remember these at Ft. Bragg in 1984. The 82nd Airborne used them. They were very loud and very slow. Lots of smoke.

As part of a large, early AMF(L) exercise on Salisbury Plain (southern England) we watched these things roll accross the training area. It was the first time I had seen one of these beasts and they were laden with stores of some kind.

My driver asked me what was it that we were looking at (being a recce vehicle commander) I quickly informed him "I have no idea but it is a 'joined in the middle' and looks like a bl@@dy cold ride"...

We were experiencing very low temps with constant blowing snow and I knew they didn't have boiling vessels for constant hot tea and coffee. The driver was really bundled up...

I will have to build one of these for posterity reasons if nothing else.

Keith.

It seems that with the Goat there's no in-between. You either loved it or you hated it. Of course, I find it somewhat amusing that you had to drive it wearing hearing protection. Not great for a "tactical" vehicle.

I'll post some pics of mine later. Now, which aftermarket company is going to come out with a FAAR radar to stick in the back?!

Jon