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Lada experiences
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Jim.Walker



Joined: 27 Dec 2008
Posts: 1229
Location: Chesterfield

PostPosted: Mon Feb 13, 2012 12:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

bob2 wrote:
Hey Jim the yugo did not have anything parts wise from the fiat 124, but from the fiat 127!
A friend had a yugo purchased new from his mum and I remember the silencer used to fall off on a regular basis, and we'd have to put it back on the hangers it had, apart from that it was a reliable car!!


Sorry! A tie-pin error! Very Happy It should have read 127. I can't even remember what a 124 looks like (if there is such a model).
Jim.
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Quote from my late Dad:- You only need a woman and a car and you have all the problems you
are ever likely to want". Computers had not been invented then!
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47Jag



Joined: 26 Jun 2008
Posts: 1480
Location: Bothwell, Scotland

PostPosted: Mon Feb 13, 2012 2:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Jim,

The Fiat124 was the car that the Lada was based on. There were also coupes & a nice looking Spider.

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=fiat+124&id=4B8D7931CCAFDFAA59AE1781F5358F77607732F3&FORM=IQFRBA

Art
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bob2



Joined: 06 Dec 2007
Posts: 1727
Location: Malta

PostPosted: Tue Feb 14, 2012 8:29 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

yep, my cousin has almost finished the resto on one (Fiat 124)!!
will post some pics of it when I remember to take the camera down to his garage!
The 124 sport coupe is the one I have always liked most of that range!!
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ukdave2002



Joined: 23 Nov 2007
Posts: 4100
Location: South Cheshire

PostPosted: Tue Feb 14, 2012 12:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Our fleet manager bought a Lada in the late 80's as a punishment for the worst company car driver of the week, folk "won" for things like having poor accident record or high volume of parking tickets, the victim had to give up their normal car for a week and use the Lada... it worked as quite a deterrent until someone wrote it off in the Blackwell Tunnel Shocked

Alas it was never replaced...

Dave
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Mandy Lifeboats



Joined: 14 Feb 2012
Posts: 3

PostPosted: Wed Feb 15, 2012 10:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi all

I had a Lada Riva when I was a student in 1989. I wanted something cheap and nearly new , on the basis that it would be reliable, so I got a 3 year old Beige coloured one for £1500.

It used to get me up and down the A1 but I remember having to plan overtaking manoeuvres about one mile back from the unsuspecting victim !! Once you were happy there was no traffic coming from behind for approximately two miles you could pull out and then spend then next three miles thrashing the Russian Tank until the overtaking experience was complete and you could pull back in again.

Servicing was interesting. I never was happy that the points were seating properly , but it seemed to run OK. The wiring all had that black burnt tinge to the plastic sleeving indicating just how under speced it was.

I never bonded with it , in fact my party piece was walking over the top of it when drunk. Eventually it died from a seized clutch , I`d had enough of it by then so we towed it to the scappy and I got about £20.

£1500 - £20 in three years. My worst ever car buy.
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Mog



Joined: 30 Dec 2007
Posts: 661
Location: Sydney

PostPosted: Thu Feb 16, 2012 7:53 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Most people, including me, loose money on cars. Be happy for the fun !
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Rusty



Joined: 10 Feb 2009
Posts: 202
Location: Bunbury, Western Australia

PostPosted: Sun Feb 19, 2012 12:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sorry for coming in on this a bit late, "BUT" ! My uncle and one of my close friends both had Lada "Niva's", I live in a farming area of country Australia and both the niva's did good service for years without any major problems until Clive (my mate) had his gearbox expire due to a dodgy Russian bearing somewhere in the gearbox (its been so long I forget which one now), anyway I gave him a hand and we pulled the box out, stripped it and ordered the parts, only problem was this large ball race bearing that was unavailable through the spare parts channel, not just going to take a while but not available at all "ANYWHERE". He tried unsuccessfully for several months on and off and ended up talking to a bearing expert in Malaysia who reconed he could source one, which he did, it came from Spain and was one of two that were available worldwide. It took 6 months before he actually got it and after he did he reassembled the box got it going and traded it as quick as he could. Its a shame realy because it was a good country farm vehicle, it would go places his Toyota Landcruiser couldn't and was actually reliable except for this bearing, and the good ground clearance and uncluttered floorpan meant it didn't get stuck in wet boggy conditions very much. Uncle Lews was much the same, it wasn't a fireball but proved reliable and not too uneconomical for what he was doing with it. I have pleasant memories of both these vehicles and quite often wish they were still around !
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Jim.Walker



Joined: 27 Dec 2008
Posts: 1229
Location: Chesterfield

PostPosted: Sun Feb 19, 2012 2:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I agree that the Lada Niva was a sturdy and useful vehicle and though I worked on one or two, I never drove one other than to move one around the workshop. Which gave the impression that it was underpowered.
This thread reminded me of a Court case I was involved in a professional capacity regarding another Russian commercial vehicle. A Moskvitch I think, though it was about 40 years ago.
The Dealer (seller) was taken to Court by the purchaser for mis-representing the vehicle. A 4 wheel drive one ton truck. Essentially, the plaintiff was claiming that the truck was not up to the job he required it for.
I inspectd the truck (for the dealer) and found nothing wrong mechanically, though the engineering was rather crude. A road test revealed that the maximum unladen speed was only about 45mph and handling on corners was a bit un-nerving.
I decided the handling was due to the permanent four wheel drive with no third differential, Inspection of the specifications clearly stated a maximum engine output of about 35bhp to propell a rather overweight vehicle and a one ton load.
While I could find no faults I did have reserves in my own mind about the usefulness of the truck. But presumably the plaintiff had a test drive when its limitations should have been apparent. And should not have bought it.
The plaintif lost the case.
Jim.
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Quote from my late Dad:- You only need a woman and a car and you have all the problems you
are ever likely to want". Computers had not been invented then!
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Mog



Joined: 30 Dec 2007
Posts: 661
Location: Sydney

PostPosted: Wed Feb 22, 2012 7:54 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Talking of bearings... I worked with a young guy, about 15 years ago, who had a short wheel base 5 cylinder , yes 5 cylinder diesel , Toyota Landcruiser 4 wheel drive. It had been bought by a council for working on the beaches, it had a twin stage clutch , the clutch failed and he had to replace it. The only thing he could not get was the bearing that held the tail shaft up. He would have to wait more than 3 weeks to get the special bearing from Japan. As the bearing did not get much work he put the old one back.
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