RATEL
Senior Niva Petrol Head
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Post by RATEL on May 31, 2011 7:13:55 GMT 2
Vincentc, I see what you mean....
Oky so I love a Niva.... Now I will buy one of each see which one I love the most and keep it....
I have cash for one now at this moment and want to make a decision before I spend the cash on hookers, booze and drugs (Waiters, Bars and Take Aways). Everyone agrees on a well maintained one, I also agree with that. But if it is in running condition (most important th engine in good condition), physically (seeing that it does not have a chassis and everything is bolted to the body) nothing wrong with it and needs some attention cosmetically then I will be fine with it. My plan is to eventually spray-paint the whole thing, you guys will see in the future....
Spikes I do not want to speak badly about anyone yet as I do not know who is who yet.... Besides, do they read this Forum
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spikes
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Post by spikes on May 31, 2011 7:18:34 GMT 2
Well Ari I knew you were going to ;D AND Yes you are correct you can use the diff lock when there is a chance of wheel slip like climbing a rock but driving on a firm surface with your diff lock engaged for an extended period will cause severe damage. I would not engage it on a wet tar road or a normal gravel road.Apart from damaging your expensive drive train you will wear your tyres down very quickly - esp during a turn - as you now effectively stops the differential from doing what it is supposed to do. Marius Hi all The NIVA is in permanent 4wheel drive already. To engage the center diff lock for increased traction on wet tar or normal gravel roads is an overkill and will put unnecessary strain on the gera drive components Regards Spikes
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Post by marius on May 31, 2011 8:16:14 GMT 2
Hi all
Warning: You can get life for arguing with the Chairman! ;D
IMHO the standard Niva handles almost any road condition brilliantly all be it at a very pedestrian pace. The only exception is Ronnie's Niva ;D
The car handles wet tar and good gravel roads (getting scares though) very well - no need for the diff lock.
The only time I find the Niva a bit dodgy is on corrugated roads. Due to it's SWB the car tends to be a bit jumpy and the back may even slide out a bit. LWB vehicles handles this type of road much better.
I never do - but you can engage the diff lock on such roads - BUT I would only do it for very short distances and only if the going is really tough.
I do agree with Vincent about his statement "you pays your money..." but it is vital to give the correct advice - esp to someone who has little or no experience with the Lada.
Marius
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Post by marius on May 31, 2011 8:27:35 GMT 2
Hi Darius I do hope that you will find the right Lada for you. The engine is normally pretty solid and you will immediately hear if anything is wrong. Check for any gray/black smoke coming from the exhaust. Test drive the car and engage all the gears from first to fifth and see if any of the gears jump if you lift the accelerator for a brief moment. It is fairly common for a Niva to vibrate somewhat at around 110km/h but it should not be excessive. Most vibrations can be cured though. NB:Check for rust underneath the car. Let us know how things are going Marius
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Post by ronnie on May 31, 2011 8:47:29 GMT 2
Hi Marius Ari and All
I have to agree with Ari (nearly). I would not engage the centre diff on wet tar, as if your tyres are doing their job there will be no slip at the wheels. If you are on gravel, or sand roads diff lock (centre) should be locked at all times. It is kinder on the vehicle as the centre diff has no work to do and you will have more control over the vehicle. It is wrong to wait until the unexpected happens before engaging. If you browse the 4x4 forums most will also give you this advice. At least they did the last time I looked (long ago).
Ronnie
PS Sorry Marius ;D
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Post by marius on May 31, 2011 9:04:42 GMT 2
Hi Ronnie ;D
It is good advice to engage the diff lock before you hit the slippery stuff. You should actually NOT ENGAGE the lock whilst the wheels are slipping.
I go with Spikes on this one >> The NIVA is in permanent 4wheel drive already. To engage the center diff lock for increased traction on wet tar or normal gravel roads is an overkill and will put unnecessary strain on the gear drive components<<
Marius
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Koos
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Post by Koos on May 31, 2011 10:10:01 GMT 2
Marius I have to agree with you on the corrugated roads. The weekend I went up the west coast I was looking through my side windows more often than my front windscreen. Regards Koos
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RATEL
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Post by RATEL on May 31, 2011 10:26:33 GMT 2
Thanks again everyone, I will then be on the look out for a Lada, good condition around the Pretoria area. Anyone who wants to join me when looking at one, beer is on me....
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Post by marius on May 31, 2011 11:12:05 GMT 2
Hi Koos The trick is to drive at the right speed to even out the corrugations. Very easy in a LWB but VERY tricky in a SWB. Sorry Darius for hijacking your thread like that. I will lift the accelerator a bit ;D Happy Lada hunting Marius
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Post by ronnie on May 31, 2011 15:46:53 GMT 2
Hi Marius If the wheels are at different speeds the diff lock will not engage,this is why you should lock it when on gravel roads. This is where I differ with you , you should always be in the correct gear and 4x4 mode when driving. Many people end up in trouble because they do not follow the golden rule. Ronnie
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Post by Ari Bezuidenhout on May 31, 2011 16:14:59 GMT 2
Hi Marius If the wheels are at different speeds the diff lock will not engage,this is why you should lock it when on gravel roads. This is where I differ with you , you should always be in the correct gear and 4x4 mod when driving. Many people end up in trouble because they do not follow the golden rule. Ronnie I agree, and between Ronnie and me I think there is more than 50 years of offroad experience. It is all about driving safely. I will rather pay the extra petrol than end up rolled over and in hospital. It sounds drastic but thats what the bottom line is. Drive in as safe a manner as possible for the occupants in the vehicle. But I will still tow the rest of you out when you get stuck so dont worry. ;D ;D Ari
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Post by ronnie on May 31, 2011 18:01:25 GMT 2
Hi Ari
Bought my first 4x4 in 1962, a 1948 Land rover. I also round about the same time managed to put my friends series 2 diesel Land rover on it`s side in the snow. don`t think it was all my fault as the tyres were like slicks.
Ronnie
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Post by marius on May 31, 2011 18:23:08 GMT 2
Ronnie/Ari As far as I am concerned the Niva is already permanently in 4x4 mode - unless you lift one of your wheels from the ground. We are talking normal gravel /dirt road here (or at least I am). For all practical purposes in my book it qualifies as a hard surface i.e. tar/concrete. Soft sandy roads and beaches is an entirely different matter. There is also a huge difference in corrugated vs normal gravel/dirt roads. I will advise that you engage the diff lock on such roads but only for a relatively short distance. Ari I don't think I have ever seen anybody get stuck on a normal gravel road - let alone in a Niva If you do drive like that for safety reasons - so be it and I can understand your logic behind it. As for 50 years experience - I will lift my foot from the accelerator NOW - but I suggest you make the effort and read the thread on Diffs for Dummies locsa.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=technical&action=display&thread=706I just want to add a pic of what I regard as a normal gravel road - and I don't think the guy behind the wheel can drift around a corner like that with the diff lock engaged Marius Attachments:
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Post by Charles on May 31, 2011 19:34:37 GMT 2
Marius if you let me borrow yours I will try!
Charles
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Post by marius on May 31, 2011 19:42:07 GMT 2
Charles whenever I see that pic I can actually picture you behind the wheel! I am sure you would love it Marius PS - sorry Charles our Niva has only ONE designated driver - ME! ;D
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RATEL
Senior Niva Petrol Head
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Post by RATEL on May 31, 2011 20:01:43 GMT 2
Lalalalalalalala enjoy Marius.... I wil keep on reading until I come to a conclusion... Triton is going up for sale tomorrow... Lets hope it sells
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Post by marius on May 31, 2011 20:54:25 GMT 2
I do not know much about the Triton but DCabs are quite popular so I hope you get a good price Darius Marius
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RATEL
Senior Niva Petrol Head
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Post by RATEL on May 31, 2011 20:55:14 GMT 2
I found a Lada which I might be interested in... The only mod it apparently has is a thermostat that Centurion Lada put in... The guy selling the Lada swears by Centurion Lada (But what do I know). It is completely original except for the thermostat and the price is R32 000
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Post by ronnie on May 31, 2011 21:00:44 GMT 2
Hi Marius
A gravel road like that should have diff lock engaged at all times. In a normal 4x4 you would then either drive in 2 wheel drive or you would engage FWD and then you would be exactly the same as a Niva with centre diff locked.
Ronnie
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Post by marius on May 31, 2011 21:04:07 GMT 2
A lot of our members would advise you not to buy anything that was touched by Centurion Lada but take it for a test drive.
I would replace the thermostat with an original one. Ronnie imported his fairly cheaply. The Centurion Thermostat is not a thermostat at all!
Marius
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Post by ronnie on May 31, 2011 21:04:52 GMT 2
Hi Darius
The vehicle does not have a thermostat at all, Centurion should not call it a thermostat, it is only a simple joint. If you buy it or one the same you must fit a thermostat straight away or the motor will always run too cold.
Ronnie
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Post by marius on May 31, 2011 21:10:04 GMT 2
Ronnie let's agree to disagree on this one ;D I would never drive on a nice gravel road like that with the diff lock on - it makes no sense to me AND I promise you if you drift like in the picture with your diff lock on your drive train will be history or end up like your friend's Land Rover did in the snow Marius
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RATEL
Senior Niva Petrol Head
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Post by RATEL on May 31, 2011 21:16:51 GMT 2
I thought as much but didn't want to mention it to this owner.... How the hell am I going to know whether it has been touched by Centurion Lada or not... aaahhhh yes she said I must call her to confirm if they worked on it and if i should buy it. Thus the math formule is as follows.
Centurion Lada + Service(any modification) = don't buy
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vincentc
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Post by vincentc on May 31, 2011 22:00:24 GMT 2
Ah yes, as you can see Darius,the Lada Niva is such a competent vehicle that we end up obsessing about whether we should lock the diff or not on gravel roads. Now in the NWP where Marius lives the roads are pretty straight and unless there has been a cloudburst VERY hard. I would not use my diff lock on his roads. Where we live, they have a "sugar grit road" which has a steep camber on it and very loose underfoot. For this I use my difflock as I hate sliding sideways into a banana tree. It all comes down to what you are doing.
Enjoy the hunt
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Post by marius on May 31, 2011 22:33:10 GMT 2
When last did you visit the NWP? - we now have craters (commonly known as potholes) - if you drive in a straight line they will arrest you for drunk driving ;D
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Post by Charles on May 31, 2011 23:07:18 GMT 2
Oneday I will most likely roll mine so I understand. If I had a double I wouldn't let myself touch my own car,
Charles
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Post by jaco1978 on May 31, 2011 23:53:28 GMT 2
When last did you visit the NWP? - we now have craters (commonly known as potholes) - if you drive in a straight line they will arrest you for drunk driving ;D Salute!!! "They" tared 15/20kms from Sin City to Boshoek (towards Rustenburg) for the SWC last year and there is already craters. Do one-twenty on it and...poop...pothole! All of it needs to be re-done in my humble opinion. Me thinks all the NWP's roads should just be kept as dirt roads. True Lada land! Happy days!
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Post by danie on Jun 1, 2011 6:40:15 GMT 2
Hi Darius
Whatever you do - buy with your mind, not your heart.
As somebody have mentioned here, all Ladas are old now and the chance that you will be able to find one in perfect condition, is so skaars soos hoendertanne.
While you are thinking of using the Lada as daily commuting vehicle, I think you should prepare yourself to spend at least another R5000 - R10 000 on most Ladas out there, to get it in perfect reliable condition.
Anyway, welcome to the forum and good luck.
Danie
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Post by marius on Jun 1, 2011 7:49:36 GMT 2
Charles they don't call it "The Young and the Restless" for nothing ;D
Darius>> what Danie is saying is quite true but there are owners out there who took care of these cars - also skaars soos hoendertande ;D
Marius
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RATEL
Senior Niva Petrol Head
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Post by RATEL on Jun 1, 2011 9:37:49 GMT 2
I believe I found it... It was owned by only one owner since 2000, its a 170 Carb and I think he serviced it at Centurion lada but I am not sure. Now I am thinking, what can be the worst that Lada Centurion did during a service and would I be able to get another that is being sold by its original owner (wel almost, very close). R5000 - R10 000 you say. Well then I am lucky he is willing to let it go for R22 000 cash. I have cash now...
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