If only I knew what you said !
"I had a Suzuki, but it broke....."
Today I mostly .....
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Neil Chowney
- Administrator
- Posts: 2641
- Joined: Sun May 25, 2003 8:34 pm
- Location: Whitchurch, Hampshire
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OK chaps, this is the direct translation of the broadcast from the interview.
Big thanks to Tom (UZBEK) for doing this translation.
For those of you who haven't seen me, i'm the tall one with the curly head and the 'Village People' approved 'tache. Paul is the other fella. They did get us mixed up a bit, it was Paul who had the Suzuki.
There are some factual inccuracies in this, I mentioned Alan several times as the one who kept it all going.
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There was a Club meeting of enthusiasts of Russian car owners in Great Britain , mostly Niva owners.
The Niva is very popular overseas because of its off-road quality and simplicity.
There are also other Lada models in England, mostly "fivers" which the English call Riva.
Our correspondent Yegor Khabarov could not resist and went behind the wheel of a RHD Lada. Because of strict restrictions in the UK there is not many places to go off road.
There are several green lanes in the county of Hampshire. A small but highly capable Niva suits ideally for them green lanes. (Neil) I had a suzuki but it broke so i bought a Niva and it`s a much better car than the Suzuki plus you can lock the differential on the Niva and no mud can stop you.
About 20 yrs ago Paul bought his first Russian car and he's owned one ever since.
It`s very manoeuvrable, powerful and will go anywhere , its` an excellent car. Once he offered his friend a ride in the Niva and his friend went and bought himself a Niva.
Neil said it was about two weeks after being in a Niva for the first time that he bought his own. They are not like modern cars with their electronics and airbags etc but still they are nice to drive.
Now you can't buy a new Niva or Lada with RHD in England. But in case such a showroom opened in the future selling RHD Ladas Neil would be the perfect salesman for it because he can talk about them non stop like they where his children.
Look at all that space in the boot you could fit a spare fuel canister and spare wheel in there, it`s amazing. The seats are very comfortable and you could spend the whole day driving and not feel a thing. The suspension is wonderful , it absorbs all bumps.
Neil kindly offered us a test drive in his "fiver" which the English call Riva , it`s also known as 2105. Pity the camera can't transfer the smells . Although the steering is in a different place and there are some minor differences it`s still smells like the mother land. Together with the Russian smell these cars also carry the same problems. That`s why local owners of Russian cars always need spare parts. To satisfy growing demand for spare parts (there are still around 800 Russian cars in the UK)
Neil opened the company and transformed his garage into a spare parts storeroom. The most rare part is the RHD steering box, you can't find them new but it does not stop Neil. Russian cars are different from others because when you drive them you feel each part of it.
Now in Russia where the local Automotive industry is not often appreciated they probably would be interested to know that somewhere far in England someone is still buying russian cars just for the pleasure.
From Yegor, Vesti ,Great Britain.
Vesti is the name of the news show.
Big thanks to Tom (UZBEK) for doing this translation.
For those of you who haven't seen me, i'm the tall one with the curly head and the 'Village People' approved 'tache. Paul is the other fella. They did get us mixed up a bit, it was Paul who had the Suzuki.
There are some factual inccuracies in this, I mentioned Alan several times as the one who kept it all going.
*****************************************
There was a Club meeting of enthusiasts of Russian car owners in Great Britain , mostly Niva owners.
The Niva is very popular overseas because of its off-road quality and simplicity.
There are also other Lada models in England, mostly "fivers" which the English call Riva.
Our correspondent Yegor Khabarov could not resist and went behind the wheel of a RHD Lada. Because of strict restrictions in the UK there is not many places to go off road.
There are several green lanes in the county of Hampshire. A small but highly capable Niva suits ideally for them green lanes. (Neil) I had a suzuki but it broke so i bought a Niva and it`s a much better car than the Suzuki plus you can lock the differential on the Niva and no mud can stop you.
About 20 yrs ago Paul bought his first Russian car and he's owned one ever since.
It`s very manoeuvrable, powerful and will go anywhere , its` an excellent car. Once he offered his friend a ride in the Niva and his friend went and bought himself a Niva.
Neil said it was about two weeks after being in a Niva for the first time that he bought his own. They are not like modern cars with their electronics and airbags etc but still they are nice to drive.
Now you can't buy a new Niva or Lada with RHD in England. But in case such a showroom opened in the future selling RHD Ladas Neil would be the perfect salesman for it because he can talk about them non stop like they where his children.
Look at all that space in the boot you could fit a spare fuel canister and spare wheel in there, it`s amazing. The seats are very comfortable and you could spend the whole day driving and not feel a thing. The suspension is wonderful , it absorbs all bumps.
Neil kindly offered us a test drive in his "fiver" which the English call Riva , it`s also known as 2105. Pity the camera can't transfer the smells . Although the steering is in a different place and there are some minor differences it`s still smells like the mother land. Together with the Russian smell these cars also carry the same problems. That`s why local owners of Russian cars always need spare parts. To satisfy growing demand for spare parts (there are still around 800 Russian cars in the UK)
Neil opened the company and transformed his garage into a spare parts storeroom. The most rare part is the RHD steering box, you can't find them new but it does not stop Neil. Russian cars are different from others because when you drive them you feel each part of it.
Now in Russia where the local Automotive industry is not often appreciated they probably would be interested to know that somewhere far in England someone is still buying russian cars just for the pleasure.
From Yegor, Vesti ,Great Britain.
Vesti is the name of the news show.
Neil Chowney
Land Rover Discovery Sport (just sold the Freelander)
Cube Agree HTC Di2
Land Rover Discovery Sport (just sold the Freelander)
Cube Agree HTC Di2
Did battle with my mums Ford Focus, this time replacing rear springs.
Got the anti roll bar off and replaced the bushes.
Came to do the springs and tried to remove the bolt that holds the suspension arm to the hub it was very tight !
Got the bolt moving as did the metal insert in the bush as this broke free from the bush. So now it needs either a new suspension arm(maybe a pair as i guess the same is true of the other side) or, replacement bushes if they are available with out buying the whole arm.
So tomorrow is a trip to the local Ford garage to see if you can buy bushes separately or not.
Got the anti roll bar off and replaced the bushes.
Came to do the springs and tried to remove the bolt that holds the suspension arm to the hub it was very tight !
Got the bolt moving as did the metal insert in the bush as this broke free from the bush. So now it needs either a new suspension arm(maybe a pair as i guess the same is true of the other side) or, replacement bushes if they are available with out buying the whole arm.
So tomorrow is a trip to the local Ford garage to see if you can buy bushes separately or not.
Regards.
John 2E0DHN
Holly: This is not a daffodil, repeat, this is not a daffodil!
John 2E0DHN
Holly: This is not a daffodil, repeat, this is not a daffodil!
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Moscow Wolf
- Standard
- Posts: 10
- Joined: Wed Mar 18, 2009 7:39 am
- Location: Bulgaria
Sitting at home whilst the rain comes down (strange weather for Bulgaria in July).
Not what I have done today or yesterday, but over the last few months with the Nivas.
I changed my all season tyres for 4 new VOLTYRE knobbly ones and they do really make a difference when you live down a mud track. Cost me around 50 Euro each with tubes and I paid another 10 Euro to have them all changed, balanced etc. Must get back for the 5th tyre for the spare.
I bought a small Karcher power washer and am really pleased with the results and pleasantly surprised to see the white paint under the wheel arches is still in great condition.
Eventually got around to greasing the driver's seat slide. Every time the Wife used my Niva, I was struggling to get the seat back and locked into position. It seems better now that I have removed piles of dog hairs, dried mud and grass from down there.
Had a Tow Bar fitted on Friday. This is a German specification with all the EC conformity regs, but made in Poland. It cost me 285 Lev (BGN) and 50 Lev (BGN) for the fitting. I Euro = very close on 2 Lev so not bad in my opinion. I have to go back on Tuesday for the electrics to be fitted which apparently, didn't arrive with the Tow Bar.
Also on Friday bought two new rear Mud Flaps for 4 Lev each. These have NIVA 4x4 embossed on them and I was considering highlighting the lettering in white paint or similar.
As might have been seen above, I've bought a Music Box for the car with a rear USB - iPod link. This will be a huge comfort factor when it goes in.
Future stuff; well, I am about to buy an Inverter Welding Machine as we've a lot of wrought iron fencing panels to make, I really wanted a TIG, but it is a bit out of my budget at the moment.
I am going to buy a piece of 16 cm channelling and have it welded into my double axle Bradley trailer so that I can get the BMW Dakar on to it and strapped down. This bike needs some work, but more importantly, the dealer stamp in the service book. Only place I can this done is four hours drive away in Sofia. Hence, the tow bar, the music for this journey which on Bulgarian potholed roads is like whacky races.
Once I have the new inverter welding machine, I want to have a go at making some roll bars combined with dog guard for my stripped out Niva. Are there any plans on this site for the roll bar/cage on here somewhere?
I will fix those awful Niva wing mirrors from moving about on their own. I used a small drill yesterday and stuck a self tapper in it as a test. It seems to be doing the job, but they need to come off, be sanded down to remove all the rust and old black paint. I have some Chrome spray paint that we used for Christmas Tree Cones so, might be I'll give that a try or, just buy two new ones. I'm not sure if I like the larger 4x4 Niva wing mirrors, but at least they fit in the same two pre-drilled holes as far as I know.
Another getroundtoit job is to fit a couple of fog/spots somewhere on the front, but the Police get funny here if you start moving their number plates about and I was wanting to get rid of the front bumper (where the number plate is fixed) and make something from steel tubing. I've seen similar somewhere on whichever site, but can't recall now?
In between, we managed to finish the house build, just done some double glazing and aluminium panels to 3 terraces, building a big pavilion type housing to put the caravan under and for good, used nearly so far a 1000 concrete blocks for perimeter walling of which, has to be plastered and have a stone façade along the bottom. Wrought iron gates and fencing panels to do, so plenty going on and always something to do out here.
Not what I have done today or yesterday, but over the last few months with the Nivas.
I changed my all season tyres for 4 new VOLTYRE knobbly ones and they do really make a difference when you live down a mud track. Cost me around 50 Euro each with tubes and I paid another 10 Euro to have them all changed, balanced etc. Must get back for the 5th tyre for the spare.
I bought a small Karcher power washer and am really pleased with the results and pleasantly surprised to see the white paint under the wheel arches is still in great condition.
Eventually got around to greasing the driver's seat slide. Every time the Wife used my Niva, I was struggling to get the seat back and locked into position. It seems better now that I have removed piles of dog hairs, dried mud and grass from down there.
Had a Tow Bar fitted on Friday. This is a German specification with all the EC conformity regs, but made in Poland. It cost me 285 Lev (BGN) and 50 Lev (BGN) for the fitting. I Euro = very close on 2 Lev so not bad in my opinion. I have to go back on Tuesday for the electrics to be fitted which apparently, didn't arrive with the Tow Bar.
Also on Friday bought two new rear Mud Flaps for 4 Lev each. These have NIVA 4x4 embossed on them and I was considering highlighting the lettering in white paint or similar.
As might have been seen above, I've bought a Music Box for the car with a rear USB - iPod link. This will be a huge comfort factor when it goes in.
Future stuff; well, I am about to buy an Inverter Welding Machine as we've a lot of wrought iron fencing panels to make, I really wanted a TIG, but it is a bit out of my budget at the moment.
I am going to buy a piece of 16 cm channelling and have it welded into my double axle Bradley trailer so that I can get the BMW Dakar on to it and strapped down. This bike needs some work, but more importantly, the dealer stamp in the service book. Only place I can this done is four hours drive away in Sofia. Hence, the tow bar, the music for this journey which on Bulgarian potholed roads is like whacky races.
Once I have the new inverter welding machine, I want to have a go at making some roll bars combined with dog guard for my stripped out Niva. Are there any plans on this site for the roll bar/cage on here somewhere?
I will fix those awful Niva wing mirrors from moving about on their own. I used a small drill yesterday and stuck a self tapper in it as a test. It seems to be doing the job, but they need to come off, be sanded down to remove all the rust and old black paint. I have some Chrome spray paint that we used for Christmas Tree Cones so, might be I'll give that a try or, just buy two new ones. I'm not sure if I like the larger 4x4 Niva wing mirrors, but at least they fit in the same two pre-drilled holes as far as I know.
Another getroundtoit job is to fit a couple of fog/spots somewhere on the front, but the Police get funny here if you start moving their number plates about and I was wanting to get rid of the front bumper (where the number plate is fixed) and make something from steel tubing. I've seen similar somewhere on whichever site, but can't recall now?
In between, we managed to finish the house build, just done some double glazing and aluminium panels to 3 terraces, building a big pavilion type housing to put the caravan under and for good, used nearly so far a 1000 concrete blocks for perimeter walling of which, has to be plastered and have a stone façade along the bottom. Wrought iron gates and fencing panels to do, so plenty going on and always something to do out here.
Check your thermostat.
That's what my 306 was doing. Would be perfect all day long on the level or downhill - the moment you started going up hill though the temperature would start climbing.
One new thermostat later, problem solved.
Was a bit tricky to trace that one, as the radiator was still getting hot - just not hot enough it seemed.
If it's getting hot enough, you probably will be losing some water due to the system boiling at which point it will blow it out through the cap. Even though there's no recovery system, it does have a pressure release system all the same - so if things go wrong the pressure gets out there rather than one of the hoses going "pop" which would be rather less desirable!
That's what my 306 was doing. Would be perfect all day long on the level or downhill - the moment you started going up hill though the temperature would start climbing.
One new thermostat later, problem solved.
Was a bit tricky to trace that one, as the radiator was still getting hot - just not hot enough it seemed.
If it's getting hot enough, you probably will be losing some water due to the system boiling at which point it will blow it out through the cap. Even though there's no recovery system, it does have a pressure release system all the same - so if things go wrong the pressure gets out there rather than one of the hoses going "pop" which would be rather less desirable!
LOZ: Oddball cars, lighting information, and anything else I remember to upload!
Current fleet: 02 VW Caddy 1.9SDI, 90 Mercedes 208D Autotrail Navajo, 85 Sinclair C5, 78 Vauxhall Cavalier 1.6GL, 73 AC Model-70.
Current fleet: 02 VW Caddy 1.9SDI, 90 Mercedes 208D Autotrail Navajo, 85 Sinclair C5, 78 Vauxhall Cavalier 1.6GL, 73 AC Model-70.
-
Neil Chowney
- Administrator
- Posts: 2641
- Joined: Sun May 25, 2003 8:34 pm
- Location: Whitchurch, Hampshire
- Contact:
-
Moscow Wolf
- Standard
- Posts: 10
- Joined: Wed Mar 18, 2009 7:39 am
- Location: Bulgaria
Today I watched that download from Russian TV. I thought, this must be PROPAGANDA; did you really say that there is SO MUCH room inside the RIVA (not the boot) and that you could travel in it all day! I'm listening to this and looking at the lack of leg room for rear passengers and thinking, NEVER. 
The part about the RIVA smelling of the Motherland, I translated it as Russian's smell, but that is my sense of humour.
Nice article, but only 800 Russian vehicles in the UK, surely more? I read somewhere about a guy who imports ex-Military UAZ does an overall and sells them on, I think for about 4-5k Sterling. Not sure how many of those are knocking about.
Surely, if you only want the vehicle for green lanes or proper off-road, you'd be better to shop in mainland Europe for more recent models at a fair price. I'd only buy a cheap RHD model like that Cabriolet for use at the Beach resorts over here in LHD world.
Anyway, good work and that TV station only transmits to around 250 Million Russians and many more Slavic countries in Eastern Europe. You got good coverage there.
The part about the RIVA smelling of the Motherland, I translated it as Russian's smell, but that is my sense of humour.
Nice article, but only 800 Russian vehicles in the UK, surely more? I read somewhere about a guy who imports ex-Military UAZ does an overall and sells them on, I think for about 4-5k Sterling. Not sure how many of those are knocking about.
Surely, if you only want the vehicle for green lanes or proper off-road, you'd be better to shop in mainland Europe for more recent models at a fair price. I'd only buy a cheap RHD model like that Cabriolet for use at the Beach resorts over here in LHD world.
Anyway, good work and that TV station only transmits to around 250 Million Russians and many more Slavic countries in Eastern Europe. You got good coverage there.
