Why in U.S.A. you don't have hoses for at showers?

[Jon A.]

Originally Posted by maxhifi

Good luck finding any Lada, in Canada... I think those turned to rust many years ago.

No, that's the reputation of the Fiat 124 that the first Ladas were based on. Their rarity today is mostly the fault of our throwaway society.

Anyone with an arbitrary hatred for any particular car will call it a rustbucket.

[maxhifi]

Originally Posted by Jon A.

No, that's the reputation of the Fiat 124 that the first Ladas were based on. Their rarity today is mostly the fault of our throwaway society.

Anyone with an arbitrary hatred for any particular car will call it a rustbucket.

It's more so the severe driving conditions of our winters, coupled with the amount of time which has passed since the last time a Lada was sold, the low numbers sold in the first place, the number which were re-exported to Russia, where people consider the export version lada desirable compared to the ones sold domestically, and finally the fact that people seldom preserve or covot utilitarian economy cars. It all adds up to them being more or less gone from existence as something you can see in day to day life. The fact that they weren't reliable or particularly good quality also didn't help. Usually people who bought them new either bought into communist idelolgy, or were looking for something very cheap, or both. One of my friends had one which was constantly in need of repair.

The only one which turns up from time to time is the NIVA, because it's quite a capable 4x4, so some people hung on to them. That or farmers who tend to keep every car they've ever owned, because storage space is more or less free.

[Jon A.]

Originally Posted by maxhifi

It's more so the severe driving conditions of our winters, coupled with the amount of time which has passed since the last time a Lada was sold, the low numbers sold in the first place, the number which were re-exported to Russia, where people consider the export version lada desirable compared to the ones sold domestically, and finally the fact that people seldom preserve or covot utilitarian economy cars. It all adds up to them being more or less gone from existence as something you can see in day to day life. The fact that they weren't reliable or particularly good quality also didn't help. Usually people who bought them new either bought into communist idelolgy, or were looking for something very cheap, or both. One of my friends had one which was constantly in need of repair.

That one may have been abused by a previous owner as most cheap cars are. I'd rather deal with a thrashed Lada than deal with most people; no matter how rough it is it wouldn't cause me as much grief. Even the fuzz used them, they can't be that bad.

[maxhifi]

Originally Posted by Jon A.

That one may have been abused by a previous owner as most cheap cars are. I'd rather deal with a thrashed Lada than deal with most people; no matter how rough it is it wouldn't cause me as much grief. Even the fuzz used them, they can't be that bad.

If you get one, post a lot of photos, I'd especially like to see the engine. I was tempted by a NIVA once, but when I read that maintenance involves manually tightening the timing chain in the tractor derived engine every 20,000km I got quite turned off.

[NowhereMan 1966]

Originally Posted by Jon A.

No, that's the reputation of the Fiat 124 that the first Ladas were based on. Their rarity today is mostly the fault of our throwaway society.

Anyone with an arbitrary hatred for any particular car will call it a rustbucket.

True, my step brother had a 1980 Mustang, he calls it, "The 'Rustang.'"