cidni
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Post by cidni on Mar 17, 2011 20:44:38 GMT 2
After spending half an hour trying to see how to add "New thread" and blah blah (don't do Face Book things) eventually found tiny icon at bottom of page. Joined this Forum as I am trying to source a good 2001 Lada (after some research this seems to be the best model). if I can figure out how to do it I will post under Wanted.
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Post by ronnie on Mar 17, 2011 20:59:22 GMT 2
Hi Cidni
Welcome to the Forum. To post on Lada wanted := Click on Lada wanted, then new thread, and post your message.
Ronnie
PS you are not old enough to qualify as old ;D
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cidni
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Post by cidni on Mar 17, 2011 21:07:16 GMT 2
Want a bet, after you've seen what I have, been where I have plus need to protect a girl in this world we'll talk. Thanks, have posted "wanted add", will have to sit back and wait for frogs, oil, smoke and hopefully a diamond. Thought buying her a 4 x 4 would be piece of cake. What a joke, trying to get this sorted before Easter, wanted to pop in and see her with car for her. Whatever.
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spikes
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Post by spikes on Mar 18, 2011 5:03:52 GMT 2
Welcome "youngster ". The only old people that I know of built Stonehenge, The Maya buildings in Central Americas, the Pyramids etc etc and not to forget the ruins in Southern Africa. Hope you find the NIVA you are looking for. Shop around and don't buy the first one you find Regards all Spikes
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Hera
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Drink Beer, my husband does
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Post by Hera on Mar 18, 2011 6:38:42 GMT 2
Welcome hope you find your gem.
regards Hera
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Post by marius on Mar 18, 2011 6:50:47 GMT 2
Hi Cidni
Warm welcome to the forum. The best Lada model is the one that was looked after and properly maintained by it's owner ;D
Any particular reason why you favour the 2001 model?
Regards Marius
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darryn
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Post by darryn on Mar 18, 2011 7:35:32 GMT 2
There was a stunning Niva advertised on Gumtree this week. Have a look there?
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cidni
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Post by cidni on Mar 18, 2011 18:34:55 GMT 2
OK OK OK, I bow down to everyone's superior knowledge, I'm not a new old person. Middle aged greying person. 4 cats, 1 stupid dog and 9 cars. YES 9. Some women collect shoes, I collect cars. In response to 2001 model, after a bit of research, and chatting to some friends in Poland who have owned 5 Lada's they are convinced the 2001 model is the best. I stand to be corrected here but if memory serves me right the Lada has a Fiat engine. If that is the case it will be no problem to teach my darling brat how to do the basic maintenance on it herself in funny people land, I just need to find a website like they have for my poor Land Rovers called www.landroverhell.com, which gives a lot of insight into peoples problems with their specific vehicle. Also I presume the newer models have a bit more research in them, so should be more reliable. I will just have to wait and see. Thanks all for a lovely welcome into your Lada lives.
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Post by ronnie on Mar 18, 2011 18:45:55 GMT 2
Hi Cidni
Apart from the injected models there is basically no difference between the early models and the last ones imported. The motor is very loosely based on the fiat but you will find little in common between them. They are like the Landy in many respects and if looked after they will both take you any where you want and neither deserve the reputation that seems to prevail. You are at the correct Forum to get help with any problems you have or just to chat.
Ronnie
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cidni
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Post by cidni on Mar 18, 2011 19:53:41 GMT 2
Thanks Ronnie. If not Fiat motor, then what, and if need technical spares and none of the names already supplied can help, where do I go from there. I would like to do a bit of research as to how much a water-pump cost, brake pads, fan belt, plugs, points and so on. The most expensive vehicle I have is my 1981 Alfa. Major service parts cost me R1 900.00, labour R0!!! Just broken nails and couple of bruises with 1 or 2 greasy cats trailing paw prints through the house. Also would like to know who to contact who could advise me what spares Cheri will need to travel with in the vehicle. Land Rover, always take spare water hoses, 50 gallons of water and tow rope for all the Toyota's stuck on beach. HA HA HA!!!!
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Post by Ari Bezuidenhout on Mar 18, 2011 20:59:19 GMT 2
Hi Cidni
The Lada motor is loosely based on the old Fiat motors.
If Ventz, Mike, Chris or Centurion cant help then there is the Aussie Andy, the Brit Neil and the Russians to bail you out. The overseas guys all have good prices and shipping takes 5 days from England, not sure about the others.
"water-pump, brake pads, fan belt, plugs, points" Can all be bought at Midas, Autozone.
No points in Lada they are all electronic ignition.
Ari
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Post by marius on Mar 18, 2011 21:43:40 GMT 2
Hi Cidni At the risk of being shot or beaten to a pulp I am a little reluctant to give advice - but nevertheless... ;D If your daughter is going to travel in darkest Africa and you want her to learn the basic skills on being a DIY motormac I would recommend a carburetor model as it would be easier to maintain than the TBI models. She should be able to find some spares in Moz. The Niva is also still up and running in the Congo and Angola. Tanzania I don't know as the Chinese are much more influential over there. Ventz will probably be your most reliable local source - but you can also call on the other two if you get stuck. You should be able to source most parts from them. A much cheaper alternative for you would be to contact your Polish friends - they are literally flooded with cheap original Russian parts in Poland and other old Eastern Block countries. A basic service on the Niva should cost you in the region of R600. You will probably find it the cheapest of the 10 cars to service and maintain. A happy Lada is one that is maintained at the recommended regular intervals. The catch is - you will have to find one that has been treated with TLC. I know that I might stir some feathers here but I would strongly recommend that you buy a very basic Niva without any bells and whistles. These are the ones that will give less hassles - provided they have been looked after. These are just my thoughts on the matter. Best of luck with all your adventures Marius PS- Great to see that you are not scared to brake a nail - very nice!
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Post by danie on Mar 19, 2011 7:17:10 GMT 2
Hi Cidni
I once asked the local guy (Chris Swales) just to sort out a leaking brake cylinder leak, and to have a look at the Lada's enigine timing.
At the time I didn't have time to work on the car myself, and I thought Chris Swales wouldn't charge me more than R1200.00 for this service - which I regarded as very "basic".
Well, he charged me more than R5000.00 - which included more than R800.00 labour for cleaning and "working" on the carburettor . I didn't even ask him to work on the carb, because I have cleaned the carb myself about two weeks before I took the car to him.
Should you buy a Lada, I would advice you rather not to see any service as "basic" - it is very important rather to get a quote for a basic service before any work gets done.
As far as parts are concerned - it obviously makes a lot of sense to try and support the three local suppliers. Unfortunately their prices often does not suit my pocket, and I prefer to import my own spares directly from Graf Korvet in Russia.
Danie
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Post by marius on Mar 19, 2011 7:42:49 GMT 2
Hi Cidni The "basic" service for around R600 I refer to is when you DIY. As Danie pointed out - if you take the car somewhere else to service it will be an entirely different matter. From your comments I gathered that you are more than willing and able to do the job herself Marius
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cidni
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Post by cidni on Mar 19, 2011 7:54:27 GMT 2
Well, very informative messages from Marius and Danie. I thank you tremendously for the info and honesty. I do not agree if anyone should shoot you down or blast you for your opinion. On forums like these everyone should be free to pass their comments. If we start a huge debate and argument here, perhaps owners of Lada should remember the car is Russian, not the SA owner who is quiet gatvol of being ripped by government, service providers and every other yahoo out their. Open mind people, lets try bring back some of the honesty we had "in the old days" where a handshake and your word was more binding thank any black and white document, and where we didn't all try make a quick buck at the expense of someone innocent. Everyone needs to remember, ultimately this is all for a 19 year old who is treasured by her mommy. Theres no daddy anywhere, never has been a daddy in her life from the time I was 3 months pregnant. So my job is to protect her 100%, therefore all the info passed on by you helps me. I can used the money saved on her instead of some con artist who needs bling. I would have to say that your comments make sense Marius, the more basic the vehicle, the less can go wrong, or when it does the easier to trace. As Cheri has not been brought up like a pampered barbie doll and knows how to dirty her hands, she should get the gist of the basics quiet quickly. Thanks for the heads up Danie, perhaps you could tell me as a matter of interest, is the Lada easy to work on, my toyota is simple enough, every time I open the Disco II bonnet or BMW I scratch my head for about 30 min to build up the courage to loosen this or that. More electrics than a Boeing 747. There are more post-its with arrows "to here" "join 1 to 5" inside those engine bays than paper at a Sappi Mill. Once again thank you for your honesty and concern.
Cidni
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Post by marius on Mar 19, 2011 8:05:43 GMT 2
Cidni I was actually referring to your shotgun and baseball bat comments ;D - not scared of being knock down by some of the guys.
This is the easiest car in the world to service - finish en klaar! No frills - no funny electronic gadgets nothing unless you DIY it yourself. The only electronic thing is the ignition.
Marius
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cidni
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Post by cidni on Mar 19, 2011 8:20:35 GMT 2
Well good for you. Glad to see everyone can say their say. Best you remember I DO have a baseball bat, but only when it concerns brat.
Cidni
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Post by ronnie on Mar 19, 2011 9:07:52 GMT 2
Hi Danie
The sad thing about bills like that is the No pay No car rule applies. You as the customer cannot even take possession of your car and are forced to pay. For me that would be the last time my vehicle ever went there, and I would take every opportunity to make sure my friends also did not use that dealer. That way you hit them in their pocket.
Ronnie
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cidni
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Post by cidni on Mar 19, 2011 9:49:54 GMT 2
Which is exactly what we have managed to do here. Thats why freedom of speech is so important. We punish the guilty, and reward the honest.. It seems poor Ventz has quiet a reputation to live up too. Almost pity the poor man. But moral of the story Hard work is Rewarded. Good for you Ventz.
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Ventzel
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Post by Ventzel on Mar 19, 2011 12:23:02 GMT 2
Ha, ha. Thanks Cindi for the good words, but don't worry I'm not poor. I've got even investments in the East Asian stock exchanges.
Well, you need really very reliable vehicle. Check and test drive the same one from page 1. With such a low mileage this is almost new car. It is another story how was maintained and driven. Carburetor type is preferable but fuel injection is also good - does not need any adjustments for the fuel feeding system. If possible choose standard shape with thin tyres, not the posh Sidekick if the car will be used more in rural areas.
I've got an almost new Lada - believe or not but with only 11000 on the clock, stays here since January 2003 but still not for sale. Probably it will be ready ~ Christmas time.
Regards
Ventz
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Post by danie on Mar 19, 2011 12:57:42 GMT 2
Ha, ha. Thanks Cindi for the good words, but don't worry I'm not poor. I've got even investments in the East Asian stock exchanges. Regards Ventz Hi Ventz Unfortunately most of us at this forum are not that fortunate - times are quite hard out there and many owners are in desperate need of more affordable means of transport. So I hope you do understand why some owners will always look for more affordable spare parts. Hopefully I'm not hijacking this thread. Regards Danie
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Ventzel
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Post by Ventzel on Mar 19, 2011 13:24:47 GMT 2
Well, it was also some kind of humour, but true, why not?
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Post by danie on Mar 19, 2011 14:38:25 GMT 2
Nothing wrong with humor like that Ventz. At least you've been honest, and that's all that counts here.
By the way - it sounds like a lot of work needs to be done on the Lada which has only covered 11 000 kms ?
What needs to be done ?
Regards
Danie
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Post by marius on Mar 19, 2011 18:03:25 GMT 2
Well that just makes me joke looks silly - arggh! Delete delete delete!!! Thinks before you speaks
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Post by danie on Mar 19, 2011 18:32:55 GMT 2
Deleted ! ;D But I really thought your initial remark was very funny! ;D ;D ;D Maybe I should repeat Ventz's remark (above) about humor: "Why not " Danie
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Ventzel
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Post by Ventzel on Mar 20, 2011 10:10:35 GMT 2
Hi all,
The car which waits more then 8 long years to get back on the road is a nice white Sidekick with not too much work to be done but with another big problem. It has no papers. That kills all my motivation to work there. I don't want to fight with the Motor Licensing Bureau.
As brand new it was used at Datcentre Pinetown as a demo model and later used by the dealer principal. Never been registered and driven only with garage number plates. It doesn't exist in any MLB computer.
The car was in my place for some repairs but soon after that Datcentre lost the interest in it and made me offer to buy it. I accept without any knowledge how difficult will be later with the bureaucracy.
But I must do something, people want Ladas as you can see. If I can manage to track it down since offloaded from the ship I'll probably succeed but it will be hard work. And then it will be registered as brand new 2011 model.
Rgds
Ventz
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Post by danie on Mar 20, 2011 10:59:32 GMT 2
Hi Ventz If you still have any invoice or paperwork from Datcentre in your possession, I wonder whether the Authorities won't accept a certified declaration from you ? But I do agree - you will have to spend a lot of time in this regard. I once wasted three full days in trying to get duplicate registration papers for one of my previous cars. At the final day one of the bureaucrats told me that the problem was caused by the fact that I was too honest - they didn't believe my certified declaration, and it would be better if I have initially presented another declaration - even if it was false! Danie
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Post by danie on Mar 20, 2011 18:51:48 GMT 2
Hi Cidni
Unfortunately we got a bit off topic here - but whatever you do, I am sure you already know that the total number of Ladas on this planet is not as valuable as the life of your daughter.
Should you decide to buy a Lada for your daughter, you need to make sure that all components are still in very good condition - there are simply too many so called "Ladas in good condition" out there which are definately not in good condition.
I do not want to scare you off completely - as I am sure you are perfectly capable of making the correct decision.
Danie
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cidni
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Post by cidni on Mar 28, 2011 22:01:19 GMT 2
Thanks Danie,
I'm now a bit tired of vehicle hunting. As to making the correct decision, well not to sure about that. If I was buying for myself no problem, when it's your child, bit of panic sets in, especially because she is so far away and driving in the middle of no-mans land. But it would seem she will have to spend a few months in Sodwana. Much to her dismay. As to GOOD CONDITION, yeah right, maybe if we lived in Cuba or Siberia, they would pass for good condition, and thats for all vehicles I've seen.
As to affordable parts, if anyone needs help with Land Rover, I've got a great contact. Part I've just ordered, agents R2 800, my contact R300. Hows that for profit margin from the agents.
Thanks all.
Cidni
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Post by ronnie on Mar 29, 2011 8:52:52 GMT 2
Hi Cidni I was talked into having the injectors in my Landy (300 TDI) overhauled by the Agents. The result was 2 burnt pistons on the way back from Botswana. I then asked them for a quote to redo the motor. The answer was we can`t quote till we inspect and strip, but work on at least R50000. This was in 1999. I stripped and rebuilt it myself even going as far as sleeving, and boring back to standard. The total cost including new pistons sleeves, injectors, balancing, etc was R 15000. Now who makes obscene profit Ronnie
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