GAZ-3309: technical characteristics, reviews, prices, photos

Gorky Automobile Plant is one of the largest manufacturers of cars and commercial vehicles in Russia. During the Soviet Union, he produced several models of medium-tonnage cars, among which was the GAZ-53. Its successors in the 90s became the model 3307 and its diesel modification 3309. Today we will consider what GAZ-3309 has technical characteristics, design, interior and average cost.

Design

The "appearance" of the diesel "GAZON" practically can not be distinguished from the appearance of its gasoline colleague. The difference between them was only in the presence of an air intake pipe (for GAZ-3309), which passed along the hood and the window frame of the cabin. Thanks to this element, a diesel truck could overcome the deepest water obstacles, since the air to the engine was coming from this pipe, which was at a height of 2 meters. Plus, there are huge wheels and ground clearance. As we see in the photo, the GAZ-3309 by today's standards has a very ascetic design. However, as many drivers say, for a truck, first of all, technical indicators are important: if the machine will bring real profit, then its external appearance will go to the background.

The design of the cockpit of the successor of the 53rd "GAZON" practically did not change. On the truck there are all the same round headlights, recognizable steel bumper, oblong hood and classic metal footboard, which facilitated the driver's way to the salon.

Judging by the reviews, the design of the cockpit of the 3309th "Gazon" had a lot of flaws. Among them, the main problem was wings, which constantly rusted. They had to be treated with putty or put new sheets of steel on top of the corroded metal.

At the same time, the bumper remained massive and durable, as before. Due to the large thickness of the metal, he was able to withstand a force of up to several tons. The driver could confidently fix the cable for one of the two holes in the bumper and pull the machine out of any swamp in tow. However, the diesel "GAZon" practically did not get stuck even in the deepest and most relief areas, and there was often no need for towing.

Interior

If you compare the salons of the 53rd and 3309th "GAZON", the latter has significantly stepped forward in its convenience and design. The main difference was the use of plastic parts. At the same time, the salon GAZ-53 was mainly metal elements, including the instrument panel itself. Speedometer, tachometer and other information details remained in the same old style. The glove box is also made with a plastic lid. The helm of GAZON is double-spoke. As before, it has a very large diameter. What is noteworthy, diesel versions of the machine from the factory were equipped with a power steering. At that time the GUR was a luxury and was installed only on the 66th "GAZon" and large-tonnage KamAZ.

The floor inside is flat, like the 53rd model. Among other changes, it should be noted the new layout of the seats. Now instead of a continuous wide "sofa" the truck was equipped with a separate driver's and one passenger seat. By the way, the driver's seat was sprung and equipped with a separate backrest adjustment.

The capacity of the saloon has decreased, as earlier two passengers could have boarded the truck. But this has its pluses: due to the absence of one more chair, the free salon space has significantly increased.

Another small part of the interior was a new fabric upholstery on the doors with a large pocket for things.

As we see in the photo, the GAZ-3309 is made in the style of the 80s (just then the first GAZ-3307 appeared). The construction of parts is predominantly angular. Because of this, the salon of the car by today's standards seems completely outdated.

The last and most important element of the modernization of the cabin was its thermal and noise insulation, which in 53rd "Gazon" was not in sight. Inside, there were far fewer extraneous sounds and noises from the engine. And in the winter the cabin did not freeze so quickly. Although the power of the stove was not enough to heat the cabin in the winter cold.

GAZ-3309: specifications

The first diesel modifications of "GAZON" were produced in 1992 year. At that time, several consignments of trucks equipped with a Japanese 136-horsepower Hino engine came off the assembly line. Soon this project ceased to exist. In the 95-m on the "GAZON" began to install new turbocharged GAZ-5441-10 engines with an air cooling system. The total power of the engine was about 122 horsepower. At the same time, its working volume was 4.75 liters. Along with model 3309 in the 90s, its modification 4301 was produced. It was no different from usual diesel "GAZON", except for the length of the body (3.85 meters instead of 3.7) and the power unit being installed. This truck was supplied with a 6.2-liter six-cylinder engine. The power of this car was 125 horsepower. But it was not the only engine that was installed in the 90s on the "GAZON".

The GAZ-3309 was also equipped with an Austrian diesel engine with in-line cylinder arrangement and an air cooling system. Its working volume was 3.2 liters, and the power reached 150 horsepower. The main drawback of this power plant was its poor maintainability. After a run of 200 thousand kilometers, these engines were not subject to major repair. At the same time, domestic engines after the boring of the unit and the repair of the piston group could again go "into battle."

The crisis of GAZ and the revival

The hardest times for "GAZON" came in 1998 year. It was at this time that the demand for domestic trucks fell to the lowest possible level. The reason for this was the collapse of the collective farms, under which, in fact, this car was designed. For the Gorky plant, the production of diesel trucks became unprofitable. Fortunately, it lasted only a year, and already in the 99th the production of "Gazon" was resuscitated.

1999 was a turning point for the GAZ-3309 van. The technical characteristics of this car have improved markedly thanks to the new Minsk motor MMZ D-245.7. The engine had a low fuel consumption and was characterized by high performance. This unit was also installed on trucks ZIL "Bychok" and GAZ-3309 dump truck. The D-245 engine became the most popular in Russia. He quickly fell in love for high maintainability, power and surprisingly low fuel consumption. Parts were also very cheap. GAZ-3309 could be repaired almost in the field with a minimum set of tools and spare parts. Well, to find the right spare part for such a machine was not difficult in any Russian outback. Moreover, the repair of GAZ-3309 could be carried out by any driver who knows at least superficially the design of the truck.

Last update

In the continuation of the conversation on engines, we note that in the 2000s, Gorky engineers adapted the Minsk engine to the ecological standard "Euro-2". However, by the end of the 2000s the production of "Gazonov" fell sharply. Why this happened, we will tell you later, but for now - interesting information about the fuel consumption of domestic medium-tonnage.

Economical

Many drivers praise the diesel "GAZON" for their economy. According to the passport data, the machine consumes about 14 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers of track. But in practice, the figures do not agree with the manufacturer's data. In fact, the real fuel consumption of the diesel "Gazon" is from 16 to 20 liters. But this, according to the drivers, is a fairly good indicator of "appetite".

For comparison, we give data on the consumption of a similar gasoline truck GAZ-3307. In the summer, this car consumes about 27 liters of fuel. In winter, its consumption can increase to 30 liters. And this despite the fact that the gasoline "GAZON" is equipped with a modernized carburetor K-135 and inertial air-oil filter.

About the gearbox

As for the transmission, the GAZ-3309 "diesel" was equipped with a single checkpoint throughout the 20 years of its existence. It was a 5-speed manual transmission . By the way, the circuit of its switching was drawn not on the gearshift lever, but on the front panel (in the center in the form of a small sticker).

Why is the demand for "GAZONDS" falling?

If we consider this problem objectively, then the low demand for "GAZON" is due to several reasons. Firstly, this is an obsolete design. After more than 20 years, the shape of the cabin and the body did not change at all. Secondly, "GAZon" in its type is absolutely unsuitable for today's transportation market. At present, small, economical and voluminous (in terms of cargo compartment) machines are valued. In this regard, GAZ has a good "Valdai" model. Thirdly, the driver's comfort. In the 80s, automakers did not think about it at all. Today, comfort is a weighty factor that affects the popularity of the truck.

Cost

Due to the fact that now the GAZ-3309 "diesel" is almost not in demand in the transportation sector, its price has noticeably dropped. On the secondary market, the cost of such a truck is from 1 to 2.5 thousand dollars. Such modifications as the GAZ-3309 dump truck can be purchased for 4-5 thousand dollars. The price mainly depends on the year of manufacture and the technical condition of the car.

So, we found out what GAZ-3309 has technical characteristics, design and price.