This car has seen everything. The rise and fall of the country that created it, its torment, convulsion and perestroika. He fought, built a peaceful life, made his way to the most inaccessible places where only gobbies and kikimors are found, for which he received his nickname "Shishiga". And although, as all Europeans and extreme people love, they did not put a diesel engine on the GAZ 66, this did not prevent him from remaining an off-road conqueror.
He was always a warrior, and his appearance is an unequivocal confirmation: a small, sturdy and maneuverable truck that can go anywhere and even land from an airplane was an eternal army hard worker and served his country as much as he could. His pedigree comes from another military vehicle - GAZ 63, which was replaced by Shishiga. It appeared in 1964 and was mass-produced for thirty-five years.
At the GAZ 66, a diesel engine was not initially provided, a gasoline eight was used as a power unit, in the usual version it was 115 hp, and a forced one was 195 hp. The truck was cabless, the engine was located in the cab under the hood, but thanks to this decision, the angle of entry was 35 °, the exit angle was 32 °. Such geometry, together with other technical solutions, provided Shishige with fantastic cross-country ability.
If we consider the GAZ 66 characteristics, it should be noted that the car had
limited slip differentials in both axles, a transfer case with a demultiplier and the possibility of turning on all-wheel drive. Power take-off up to 40 hp is provided. The car is equipped with a tire inflation system and a winch driven through a power take-off shaft.
Shishigi had an ideal weight distribution, which, when landing, allowed him to land on all four wheels. In addition, the overall dimensions gave him the opportunity to freely sit in the fuselage of the aircraft. For GAZ 66, fuel consumption, especially in civilian life, was quite substantial and amounted to at least 20 liters, and the flow rate depended on traffic conditions and increased on the roads.
It was a purely utilitarian car, it practically didn’t have any devices and components for providing comfort - to drive a car considerable physical strength and skill were required. Even the gear lever was located behind the driver and required certain skills in performing the necessary shifts. But all the inconvenience was compensated by the incredible passability of the car.
The issue of excessive appetite "Shishigi" worried designers. In 1990, a diesel engine appeared on the GAZ 66, but the power of such a motor was only 85 hp, and in the future this modification was forgotten. Although amateurs repeatedly installed diesel and got very good results.
Of course, if a diesel engine were put on a GAZ 66 in series, then the car’s characteristics would change for the better, but without that, Shishiga demonstrates unique off-road patency, and as an army car it has many different modifications - from a communications vehicle to a technical volatility and staff a car. “Shishiga” has come a long way and has always remained the best.