Features Who can figure this out ?

Hey Guys.

Scrolling through images of GAZ AA trucks and I came across these. Is anyone able to shed any light. They look impressive.

 

Model A Fords were produced in the Soviet Union workers paradise. In the early 30's nearly 30,000 Americans were even lured to work there as an escape from the depression. Only a couple are documented to have survived Stalin and return to the U.S.
Famously, in the Stalin days it was all about meeting quotas no matter what and there are pictures of hundreds of finished trucks in holding yards...except none had steering wheels. The trucks were based on the Model A (or AA as the case may be)

 

I know all about the History of The GAZ AA and AAA Trucks they were manufactured from 1932 to 1950 and over a million were produced. What I am really interested in is the images I posted. I can’t read Russian so I am trying to work out if the panels in these images are one off fabrications or some kind of aftermarket industry.

 

Well, in that case you should have asked that in your first post.
I'm not a mind reader.

 

select and copy the text on the site, then go to the web link below and paste the text, then hit translate.
Chappy

Google Translate

 

First pic the new panel has much sharper top corners radii, doesnt have much crown side to side, rear window has steps from bead roller, lower right has odd crease from brake die, panel is welded and finished at the top of the window, likely to allow bead roller work.
Its not stamped. Good fabricator, may not have the size of equipment needed.

 

At least 5 years old pics.

 

Doors look right on, Those dash rails look a little out of scale though.

 

I will see if my wife is willing to translate the text.

 

Just states “Parts available for GAZ A in Kistinev” Kistinev is the capitol of Moldova.


Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

Something you’re building?

 

Hmm. That is interesting, Moldova and not Russia, clearly someone had the foresight to do these panels.

 

here is a link to a posting I did on the GAZ https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/posts/12218624/
there a forum in russian language for those buying and selling parts for the original GAZ cars and jeeps. Most originated in Russian, but also some from Ukraine, Poland and other FSU countries. I had some russian friends try to contact some posters regards engines but rarely got responses.

 

Ford sent the ruskies all the tooling and dies to make '30 model AA trucks...
you see tons of them in WWII documentaries ...
any others who have read "coming out of the ice" by victor herman ?... he worked for ford
when they sent the stuff over there he went with it...
worth the read...

 

Wow, Moldova is a real place?

 

The translation of the original ad in Russian is:

“Remember to drink your Ovaltine, comrade”

 

I own the movie. Willie Nelson was in it. The rest of the story is about that man's son. His son set some kind of airplane world record but he refused to lie about being a Russian so the USSR could take credit. The KGB sent him to a gulag in Siberia for 10 years.

 

didn't know about the movie...
the book is about the son... set a high alt. parachute jump record in Russia.. yup gulags...
not going to high jack this thread by telling more... rent the movie.

 

You might want to look up the book The Forsaken by Tim Tzouliadis.

 

Just on a side note. At the same time GAZ was producing Trucks it was also producing passenger and light commercials as well. Quite a few of these were 4WDs.

 

If Ford had produced a Model 40 pickup in 1933/34 it probably would have looked like these.

 

.

 

Were our Soviet comrades making Utes before the Australians?

 

Those grilles look like they have a Dodge Bros. emblem on them. I love that classy military truck with a mortar (?) launcher...can't beat a military vehicle with wide whites! LOL

 

Used to be Moldavia, USSR took it from Romania at the end of WWII.

 

A lot of Soviet vehicles were adorned with whitewalls during the Cold War years Check the old pictures of the May Day Parades in Red Square. T 64 and T 72 tanks were spruced up with white wall road wheels for the Soviet regime hierarchy along with some missile launchers.

 

Ryan's rule no. 4
4. We cover traditional '65 and older American cars only. All other threads will be deleted.

 

The complete movie is on Youtube

 

That's not fair. I have seen a lot of Citroens, Anglias and other cars that have "the look" on here and nobody seems to mind. These GAZs are built on original Ford tooling. They aren't even clones, they're just Fords with different badges. I'd say that makes them more authentic than any reproduction shell on the market today, but nobody goes "not pre-65!!!!" when a Brookville body is used in a build with no vintage parts.

Who really cares? It's about the look. These Iron Curtain cars are cool.

The really tantalizing thing is that since the Soviets never got rid of anything, the original Ford tooling probably still exists somewhere. Now that would be the barn find of the century.