GAZ-69

A bit of history

GAZ-69 - is one of the first Soviet off roads cars, which had been produced from 1952 to 1972 and originally it was produced at the Moscow Molotov plant. The same team that was engaged in the creation of GAZ-67 was working on the creation of this model, namely: V. Podolsky, B. Pankratov, F. Lependin, G. Schneider, S. Zislin, V. Filiukov, V. Soloviev. The head of the whole process of creation was G. Wasserman.

Appearance of GAZ-69

In fact, the history of this car began right after the war in 1946, when Gorky plant received an order to develop a decent replacement of GAZ-67B. It had to be the same all-wheel drive car, but with an improved engine, higher passability, more modern design and comfort. By the way, it was also clearly stated in the decree of the USSR about the need in the army truck for transportation of various goods, guns, ammunition etc., the total weight up to 800 kg. The modification without a trailer for intelligence and transportation of military commanders had to be produced as well. Despite the fact that almost all cars had some prototype or basis for the development, GAZ-69 was developed from scratch, starting from a personal experience with American Jeeps "Willis" and "Bantam" during World War II.

Car GAZ-69A

In mid-autumn of 1947 the designers presented the first prototype E-1, which was released in triplicate over the next year. These cars were called “Workers” that just meant not only their military purpose, but economic as well.

Very often you can find both names GAZ-69 and UAZ-69. It happened so because a few years after the launch of series production at Gorky plant, this model officially was conveyed for the production to the Ulyanovsk Automobile Plant and the name of the car was changed accordingly.

The manufacturing of the Soviet off-roaders

With the release of the first prototypes of GAZ-69 (1948), it was immediately decided to put them in a serious test. The length of the route was 12.5 thousand km and the entire process was supervised by the known engineer A.Romachev. At that time the car had a very good performance - high towing rate (nearly 70% of the total weight) with minimal damage-speed, high angles of ascent and descent (34 and 30 degrees) and good permeability through large layers of dirt. As a result, the vehicle passed a predetermined route. A year later, the car was put in a tougher test, where the route consisted of a cross-country, which deliberately created the worst conditions. At that time when famous ZIS-151 stuck in mud or snow drifts, GAZ-69 overcame any difficulties with confidence. Neither 40 cm of snow nor 30 cm of mud or ditches, a depth of about 55 cm became the obstacles. In early 1950, GAZ-69 was put in another test, but that time the test was on the safety during the transportation in the air by military aircraft and gliders. The fifth prototype, that was tested at the firing range, was released the same year. All the tests were completed only in the middle of 1951 and the cars were delivered for a complete inspection. As it turned out, all copies retained their performance, their units remained in one piece, without any serious damage and the wear of spare parts was very low. This result fully satisfied the State Commission and the car had received a "ticket to a ride" for the production.

GAZ-69 plant

The first major large run was released in 1953. Cars were immediately produced in two versions - military GAZ-69 and agricultural GAZ-69A. The first 20 copies were sent to Kazakhstan right after it, where large export chains were established.

GAZ-69 had an open 8-seat body, which had a retractable awning. It had two doors and was designed for eight passenger seats and had three rows of benches. At that time, as GAZ-69A was more comfortable because it was intended to be produced for the personal use of officials. It had a 4-door 5-seater body, which was further equipped with a trunk. The designers equipped this car with soft seats instead of benches

Main dimensions of GAZ-69

Since 1954 both cars were produced at the same time at the Ulyanovsk Automobile Plant, which was largely engaged in the production of trucks during the war. But since 1956 Gorky plant had stopped the production of GAZ-69, giving all its powers to UAZ.

Another interesting fact is that more than a half of the different parts of this car were taken from other previous models of GAZ. For example, the designers had taken the entire engine system, including the gearbox, brakes, ignition and heater from GAZ-M20, but the handbrake, control panels and lights were taken from GAZ-51. New off-roader got the axles and tires fromGAZ-67B. The features of the new model include: rear axle with interwheel differential of the unlockable type; transmission transfer case without direct gearing; dependent spring suspension wheels; ball speed joints and two pairs of hydraulic double acting shock absorber. By the way, during the production of the car, the individual structures of MIA of the Soviet Union placed the orders for the modification of the car, namely to install a complete metal roof instead of folding awning.

GAZ-69A with a homemade metal top

Since 1970 UAZ began to produce the upgraded GAZ - part number 69-68. It had the axles from the previously produced military truck UAZ-452. Also some modifications of new GAZ were equipped with the rocket launchers that were used to launch anti-tank missiles. For all 20 years of production more than 600,000 copies rolled off the assembly line and about half of those cars had been exported to many countries. In the late 50-s the designers of UAZ granted the right to mass-produce GAZ-69 to the Romanian auto industry, officially handing them all necessary technical documentation. Since 1962 this right was granted to North Korea as well.

Engine system of GAZ-69

The engine for GAZ-69 was taken from the older car GAZ-20, namely, 4-cylinder carburetor. But since the new car was designed for more complicated tasks, the designers slightly improved it, making it more powerful, economical and durable.

The engine on the left

Based on the sources, the previous off-roader GAZ-67B used a lot of fuel, especially with a trailer or driving off-road conditions. In difficult conditions the figure was 0.4 l / tone-kilometer. At the time the new GAZ-69 used not more than 0.288 l under similar conditions. Starting from the old model, the designers also realized that the new car needed more power, so it was decided to install the fan with six blades and oil cooler to prevent overheating of the engine. The cylinder block was interchangeable with the engine block. Regarding the cylinders, they were made of cast iron and had inline vertical position. In order to make them more durable, they were put into the iron sleeve with the length of 5 cm and the thickness of 2 mm. Experience had shown that it was due to the cylinder liners their durability was 2-3 times longer. The cylinder block had water channels with cast iron valves (separate for each cylinder). It greatly improved the movement of the combustible mixture.

The engine on the right

Two pairs of bearings were installed in the lower part of the cylinder block, each of which was securely fastened with two bolts. On the other hand, the clutch housing was attached to the unit. Total cylinder head was made of aluminum alloy and was attached with 23 cotter pins and plates. A special asbestos gasket of 1.5 cm of thickness was put between the head and the cylinder block. By the way, asbestos could stick to the head and the block over time, so from time to time it was necessary to rub the gasket with a special graphite powder.

Also GAZ-69 had 2 oil filters – one coarse mesh filter (set of special metal discs with slits and sump) and fine mesh filter (designed to drain the used oil into the crankcase). By the way, the air cleaner had been of the oil bath type and the clutch consisted of a single disk. Three-step manual transmission was two-way. The second and the third gear had a synchronizer. The main gear of the car was single and had a spiral tooth. The only difference between the current transmission and the gearbox of GAZ-M-20 was the location. It was not located near the steering wheel, but on the floor, to the right of the driver. In addition, because the hub of the front axle could be turned off, the fuel consumption was slightly reduced. But unfortunately it could work only on perfectly smooth roads.

If you look under the hood of GAZ-69, on the left you can see the heating boiler of prestart type. To warm up the car in extreme cold it was necessary first to turn the steering wheel to the right and using the door on the left front wheel, set a blowtorch. Thus oil was heated in the crankcase.

Appearance and interior of the Soviet off-roader

As we have already mentioned, the body of GAZ-69 was open and had a special tent, which was stretched by hand. It was attached with the help of special rigid frame. By the way, the top of the doors had a canvas lining, which could be removed at any time. Window frame could be raised, so in the hot season it made the trip more comfortable. The hood had wide side panels, which were also easily removed, making work of the engine easier at high temperatures. The interior had been designed for 8 passengers: the driver and one passenger were sitting in the front, then there were 2 rows of benches for 3 seats each. In fact, those benches had served as boxes, as the seats were lifted for the storage of different tools. The gate of the car was of a swing-type and the space inside was used for the storage of the rope, emergency sign and other accessories. The fine mesh filter was located on the petrol pump and the coarse mesh filter - on the frame.

Interior of GAZ 69

In addition to the main fuel tank there was the second one with ventilation hidden under the front passenger’s seat, but it could be refilled only through the passenger compartment. The other detail was the fact, that the dash-board showed the driver only the amount of gasoline in the main tank. Gasoline in the extra tank was checked through the neck. The heater in the cabin worked only during the ride and served hot air under the feet of the driver and all passengers. Stationary vehicle could not be heated anyhow.

Interior of GAZ 69

Agricultural modification of GAZ-69A had a number of differences. First of all, it affected the exterior and interior, the amount of seats was reduced from eight to five. In addition to the driver's and front passenger’s seats, there was only one bench installed in he back. Also, the car was equipped with a spacious luggage compartment, which could be reached even from the passenger compartment, the car had only one fuel tank. In general, the appearance of both cars common at the time and had some similarities to the famous American jeeps.

Modernization and major modifications of GAZ-69

A few months later, after the start of production of GAZ-69, they were used for military parades, and in agricultural work in the spring of next year. In 1954 a lot of cars were taken for the service of polar stations. By the way, this step was the motivation for the Gorky plant designers to invent as much as 4 types of snowmobiles with tracks instead of wheels, based on this "worker" vehicle. But despite its wildly popular and seemingly perfection, the car was frequently converted and introduced as something new. So in 1960 the front axle was upgraded, equipped with the reinforced bearings, pivot assemblies and denser cardan.

GAZ-69-68 1970

The most significant changes were made in 1968. Then the differential had already 4 satellites and became much safer, also the designers improved braking system, equipping it with tougher drums. New plates for the front wheels were installed, strut and the headlights were slightly changed, disconnect switch was added, the back window was increased, and finally - the designers installed new awnings, and additional windows for cargo-passenger versions. The modernization plan was fully completed in 1970 and the car received index 69-68.

GAZ-46 MAP

During the whole production together with the modernization of GAZ-69, a lot of other military units were created on its base, in particular - 2K15 "Bumblebee" (missile system), GAZ-96rh (car for radiation and technical intelligence), prototype of GAZ -19, GAZ-46 (floating car), GAZ-011 (amphibious vehicle), P-125 "Alphabet" (headquarters car for commanders), etc.

GAZ-69 snow and swamp vehicle

Also, GAZ-69 had a lot of modifications, which were widely used in the Soviet Union and were produced in large quantities. These include:

• GAZ-69 - 8-seat 2-door off-roader with an open body
• GAZ-69A - 5-seat 4-door agricultural off-roader with a trunk
• GAZ-69-68 - an upgraded 8-seat 2-door off-roader with a tailgate
• GAZ-69A - 68 - an updated 5 seat 4-door agricultural off-roader with a trunk
• GAZ-69E – 8-seat 2-door with shielded electrical equipment
• GAZ-69M - export 8-seat 5-door vehicle (engine capacity - 2.432 liters, which used the 72-d gasoline)
• GAZ-69ME - export version with shielded electrical equipment
• GAZ-69AM - export version with a 5-seat 4-door body
• GAZ-69AME - export version with an 8-seat 2-door body, tailgate and shielded electrical equipment
• GAZ-69P - police car
• GAZ-69B - rural postal car
• GAZ-69 LSD - medical van
• GAZ-69 DIM - road induction mine detector (depth of not less than 70 cm)

GAZ-69A “Bumblebee”

Specifications of GAZ-69

Interesting facts

Toy model of GAZ-69 “Baby”

• This car was one of the main "characters" in the film "Letters from Iwo Jima" (2006), where it was in the role of Japanese off-roader of World War II. The plot took place on the island of Io.
• Italian travelers performed an extreme 2-year journey across the expanses of the forgotten Africa by cars GAZ-69 and UAZ-452 in the late twentieth century.
• During the production of GAZ-69 there was no reusable cooling fluid at the Soviet market, that is why the drivers had to use water, they poured it every day for the night time in winter.
• The people called this car "goat".
• Specially for the pioneer camp “Artek” the designers released "Baby", which was a fire-pump for the youth fire brigades.
• Chinese company «Bronco Models» produced prefabricated toy designer models of GAZ-69, GAZ-69A and 2P26 in scale 1:35.
• GAZ-69 and GAZ-69A were used in computer games such as Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Vietnam and Soldiers of Anarchy.