Landrover? 4x4? We don't need no steenking 4x4

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Jan 3, 2010
5
0
n. america
I have seen that before and I believe that was old henry himself driving that. I lost interest in henry ford many years ago when I learned he had 17 men shot in the front yard of the ford plant in a union dispute! he apperantly liked nazies too.
 

Ivan...

Ex member
Jul 28, 2011
1,771
0
Dartmoor
The Lada Niva/Cossack was brilliant...............as long as you got one that wasn't assembled and QA checked by an Ivan on a Friday after shifting the home brew for the rest of the week........

Had a Cossack from new. When it ran it was amazing. Most of the time it was having something fixed - like the master cylinder for the brakes or being resprayed cos the paint was peeling. Fiat running gear, diff lock, low ratio box and could be tweaked. The heater was more than capable of dealing with Siberian winters. Put Landrovers to shame ( and I've had a few of those).
Best avoided :)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lada_Niva

How very dare you! I have never worked for Lada, any more of that talk young man and you will be hearing from my legal team!

Anyway, wheres my beer?

Ivan...
 

Andy BB

Full Member
Apr 19, 2010
3,290
1
Hampshire
Drove quite a few miles in Lada nivas when I used tto visit Kyrgyzstan for work. Got rather fond of them - particularly the long-wheelbase version which I'd never seen before, but was very popular there. They were still being made at the time - about 3 years ago, and probably still are. One of our companies ran a fleet of them, and they seemed pretty reliable, if somewhat basic.
 

peaks

Settler
May 16, 2009
722
5
Derbys
I said an Ivan, not the Ivan:)

Sorry mate have a pint on me............

Andy BB - agree with you that they can be really good - thats why I bought one after loads of research.
The ones which came in to the UK - especially the Cossacks which were up-spec'd over here for the UK market seemed to have lots of probs. The garage where I got mine from were fed up with them. The Niva's (+ later the Hussars) were apparently better and much more reliable, but much more basic.
 

palace

Forager
Mar 4, 2011
228
1
NW London England
The Lada Niva/Cossack was brilliant...............as long as you got one that wasn't assembled and QA checked by an Ivan on a Friday after shifting the home brew for the rest of the week........

Had a Cossack from new. When it ran it was amazing. Most of the time it was having something fixed - like the master cylinder for the brakes or being resprayed cos the paint was peeling. Fiat running gear, diff lock, low ratio box and could be tweaked. The heater was more than capable of dealing with Siberian winters. Put Landrovers to shame ( and I've had a few of those).
Best avoided :)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lada_Niva

Got all emotional when I saw this entry I also bought one new in 1988 after a friend won a military off road competition with a standard one he told me "Oh and the flywheel bolts shear at 9000 rpm though 8000/8500 is useable" I found this to be true. I fitted gas shocks, smaller steering wheel, I think a Janspeed exhaust system larger bore not much louder than standard, Lumenition ignition & coil, NGK leads & plugs set at 35 thou not 25 thou, Lada Sport saloon (same engine) kit of twin twin choke side draught Solex carbs and Piper camshaft, fitted by the garage tuned by me.

****** all over Range Rovers quicker than my mates Escort GT.

It was a pussy cat to drive, farming friends of mine in Cumbria were amazed to see it would go places a landie could not, I drove the Rhino Pass with 1 foot of snow with it,

I sold it when the second gearbox started to whine
 

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