The worst car ever? How bad is a Lada?

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#AgingWheels #Lada #EasternBlockCars

[@matthewmuellner]

Lada - the star of millions of Russian car crash compilations.

[@xgford94]

Only the white ones though 😂

[@JDMHaze]

lmaoooo😂😂😂😂😂

[@jwalster9412]

Also the star of many experiments on garage 54..

[@SwapBlogRU]

@@jwalster9412 hey there fellas

[@Awsomeisimo]

And they always get crumple under the slightest pressure

[@keithdosik]

WE NEED MORE ROBERT! Aging wheels tells the best stories

[@samholdsworth420]

Go to his channel then sussy baka

[@statementleaver8095]

cough cough Adolf Hitler.

[@ConcerningReality]

Robert is amazing.

[@ghomerhust]

he has such eclectic taste in cars that it makes his channel VERY interesting to watch. and his passion for the strange really shines

[@jamesengland7461]

Robert tells the stories best!

[@j_mars_cars]

That ending: I think everyone should be driving the same car. Every manufacturer making nearly identical electric/hybrid couches with an hd tv console 🗿

[@pot_ato1234]

Well, the difference is that suvs are expensive lol

[@codyrap95]

Crossovers

[@howard81]

@@pot_ato1234 A Lada was a very expensive car on a communist wage!

[@pot_ato1234]

@@howard81 ok thats a pretty good point

[@LMBC-xx5yx]

Tbh it wasn't shit because they wanted it to be shit. Both the ussr and east Germany had economic sanctions by the west. If they didn't, they would be able to have foreign cars

[@danielharder2052]

I bought one of those brand new in 84 in Canada. I drove that daily through the back roads of Saskatchewan as I was selling construction products to farmers. I even pulled a trailer with it. It was not as fancy as yours. The only available appolstery was black wool. I called it my tractor. It handled snow hood deep on regular basis. I even drove it into a herd of dear in the middle of the night. I hit seven of them at sixty miles an hour and still was able to drive it back to town. They fixed it and I drove it for years before I sold it to my brother-in-law for who rallied it. I impressed my four year old son by driving it on two wheels through the field behind my house. It was tractor but unstoppable!! Thanks for bringing back the memories

[@questioner1596]

By driving on two wheels, did you do a stunt where you drove the right side up a ramp while the left side stayed on the ground, or did you remove two of the wheels and just let the body drag?

[@danielharder2052]

@@questioner1596 I used a field approach to tip it. The dif wouldn’t keep it powered so it would coast a hundred feet and fall back. Usually on the wheels. There was stunt team that went through Canada using Ladas and doing precision stunts on two wheels

[@TheBeatlesShow]

That all sounds fun!! If a Lada can survive all that.....well, now I wanna see them add one to Carmageddon.

[@mikeholland1031]

Deer

[@xanax50cal4]

My father had a Lada Niva Austro Taiga (search the one in Hungary that went over full restoration) version, with beige interior, green-white paintjob for 20+ years, here in Transylvania. We used it for off-road driving on very harsh terrain. It started even in -30-35°C without any issues, warmed up fast, and never left us on the side of the road. It was the first car i have druven, and i miss it a lot. Thanks for the story and for the nostalgia that came with it!

[@piccalillipit9211]

My friend lives in Transylvania :-D

[@BLET_55artem55]

It was also a pioneer of 4x4 no-ram universal. (Check out Alex Blare's video about it)

[@frankbertuzzi4782]

Eastern Bloc Cars in the USA is a great group! I loved seeing what everyone had

[@TheBrianFlanagan]

Sarcasm? 🤨

[@frankbertuzzi4782]

@@TheBrianFlanagan no! Absolutely not, it really is a cool group!

[@Synchromesh123]

@@TheBrianFlanagan I'm with Frank here. A great group indeed!

[@MrAlekoy]

Eastern Bloc. is that a distant relative of Ken Block?

[@senaya]

@@MrAlekoy imagine what coul've been done with a Lada on a Ken's budget.. That would've rivaled even the best USSR/Porsche rally cars.

[@autisticlife]

These cas are a lot better than most people think they are. Strong, comfortable and easy to work on.

[@suicidestremyanka]

It's the opposite of comfortable, but yeah, its cheap and easy to work on Biggest downside is that the quality of spare parts is below any point

[@Lautrec_522]

actually bought one as my first car recently, a 1991 lada 2105 in brazil, it is REALLY easy to work with

[@jasonroberts2249]

They can’t be as lousy as many say they are as you still see tons of them driving around the former USSR decades later

[@aris95]

There are some ancient and bad cars (Trabant, Zaz Jalta, Wartburg, FSO Polonez etc.) but Lada does not belong to that group.

[@JSabini]

True!

[@mycosys]

One of the cool things about Lada is that they arent the only Fiat based vehicles round - they include Lancia. Best mate used to have a Lada Niva (the 4WD) and he put a 2L Lancia engine and fiat drivetrain in it, the only part he couldnt replace off the shelf was the rear axles so he was a little worried about dropping the clutch and snapping those lol. Amazing vehicles tho - everything might fall off the thing but it will just keep going, over just about anything.

[@bfk1970]

The big advantage of Fiat/Lancia is the timing belt instead of the chain. The chains on Ladas were the weakest point in a not very strong overall package.

[@pooltuunitud]

Also you can just drop in a 2.0l r4 from BMW e30, nothing needed to change, fits perfect

[@sailingspark9748]

@@pooltuunitud The original 124 engine lived on from 1966 to the last of the Lancia Integrales. You can take the 16v head off of a Punto and drop it onto an 1800 or 2000 Fiat twin cam and except for the head being a little longer on the backside, you can run it in any of the 124 and 128 derived cars.

[@vasilykostin8783]

@@sailingspark9748 128 had a different engine, its evolution was used on Punto. But you're right that 'Twin Cam' was manufactured for years and can be tuned with new parts relatively easy. But a 16v head swap ain't that easy for rear-wheel drive cars because of the exhaust being on the wrong side (it's on the left and may conflict with a steering box)

[@sailingspark9748]

yes, but the 124 engine will fit into a 128. It squeezes into an X1/9 and the Strada/Ritmo TC 125 and 130 shows how the factory would do it

[@Coolit2683]

LOL I love the ending... if you said that during the 70's or 80's... you would get in so much trouble. Here in Montreal the Lada's are also ultra rare. they were laughed at by anyone who didn't own one, but those who owned one loved them because of how reliable they are. Sadly we salt our roads quite extensively in the winter... all cars from Montreal rust to death. Specially those from the 80's, 90's and early 2000's. The best of the best is the Niva... that little Russian 4x4 just works.

[@hirveeressi]

I had a Lada once. But it was the Samara, the modern FWD hatchback with injection engine. Best bang for buck car I ever had, loved it.

[@charlesc.9012]

The fuel bill was probably one of the highest in class, even without considering things like refinement

[@senaya]

We had a 2108. I remember it so fondly. i wonder how much it costs these days in a good condition.

[@aliakseilyshchytski223]

front suspension tuned by Porsche, great steering!

[@user-ub8dc3rb4e]

@@senaya In Russia - about 3500 dollars (if we take 1=60 rubles) in "for-museum" condition and starting 500 in "can drive you to Vorkuta (return is not guaranteed)". Really good condition to comfortable use will be 1500-2000

[@fear-is-a-token]

I have a 2108 Samara (1991, 1.3 carb, 5 speed stick, German edition with different grille) now. Used to drive it daily, but bought another Lada (2011 Priora station wagon, 1.6 16v) and started using 2108 to bring home construction materials and have some fun racing modern shitboxes on the way. It sucks at 0-100/0-60 (16 seconds😳), but when it comes to tight turns, it is super fun.

[@Mladjasmilic]

Fun fact: KGB used to have Rotary lada with 1 or 2 rotor Wankel. Whole idea was to have stealth car that is faster than any car in Russia. And engine was just replacement part.

[@BLET_55artem55]

It was GAZ Volga tho

[@eddiewillers1]

My old man had a Moskvich 412, in the UK of the very early 70s. The differential grenaded one day while we were out food shopping - off to the scrapper it went.

[@tomfloyd8430]

Don’t know which model it was but a friend of mine in the UK bought a new one. It was the cheapest car you could buy there in 1971. It was the noisiest rough riding I ever rode in. No power drove for shit noisy rear end, gearbox and engine.

[@adityasanthanam1945]

Robert might like the GAZ Volga, a legendary Soviet car. Maybe even a Moskvich, Zaporozhets, ZiL, or Tatra. Great story and a fascinating, wonderful car that VAZ 2107.

[@pharkasj]

Chaika

[@sergeyalaev9393]

He should get a 3102 Volga with the 406 injection engine and power steering. Aside from the constantly failing... what do you call it... the sensors (unless you find Bosch German ones) it is a really good experience.

[@AxeGaijin]

One of my first jobs in '91/'92 was working at a billiards store, besides sales we also did maintenance and restorations. The boss had family in Russia and he would buy up old Lada cars here (Netherlands), use them for the business for a couple of months, then ship them to Russia to his family where otherwise they'd have to wait years for a car. (This was during the fall of the Soviet Union) I don't know how this construction worked because I never asked but in the time I worked there I've seen a handful of Ladas come and go. At the time I was still learning for my driver's licence so I didn't get to drive them regularly, however there was a gas station across the street of our shop so sometimes I had to fill up the cars there. Hateful little things to drive! Selecting a gear was mostly guess work and the steering wheel had so much play you could rock the wheel back and forth at 90 degree angles and the car would go straight on.

[@MickeyW3bst3r]

This was pretty common scheme back then - buying Ladas in Europe and bringing them back, because Ladas for export were considered better built and had better or special options/packages such as bodykits, interior materials, head/taillights etc. Even now so-called re-export Ladas are somewhat sought after and cost more money than those built for domestic USSR markets.

[@philhawley1219]

I saw the same thing in Hull docks in England in 1995. A Polski Lines ship sailed out with a deck cargo of used Lada and FSO cars. The crew were buying them for peanuts in England and taking them back home as supernumerary cargo and selling them for a good profit. Whether they told the shipping company owners of this is another matter, but I expect money changed hands.

[@sebastianriemer1777]

There is still a guy in Venlo doing it. 😁

[@aasphaltmueller5178]

Shortly after the Wall came down, Lada was also number 3 or 4 on the list of car most stolen in Germany - well, easy to steal, cops will hardly look, and if some guy in a Rusian Village buys it, he does not arouse suspicion or envy

[@kierancurtis8545]

Utter bollocks about the gear selection. The gearbox was light, precise and a joy to use. Steering play depended on if the car had been maintained properly...a properly adjusted Lada steering box isn't a bad device.

[@raveonum]

Роберт, спасибо за интересную историю! Удивительно что машина 91года не прогнила на сквозь. Видимо сказался климат.

[@markk3453]

in English :): Robert, thanks for the interesting story! It's amazing that the car 91goda is not rotten through. The climate seems to have taken its toll.

[@raveonum]

@@markk3453 Thanks for translating. A random Russian commentary is a must for a video with Lada)))

[@asahisagoiboi3517]

It's in Florida. In America Florida cars are known not to rust.

[@Nikowalker007]

Не видела снега и соли , плюс перекрашивалась один раз относительно неплохо. Один венгерский хозяин который на зиму закрывал ее в гараже до того как машина переехала во Флориду

[@reddturner6992]

I had two VAZ 2107s (1991 & 2001). I was the only one in my Russian family who bought these - they chose to buy innomarki (foreign cars) as soon as it was possible. Parts were so cheap back then - $15 per Bulgarian tire (tubed), $25 for a carburetor, $25 for a front bumper, etc. I carried an extra transmission in the the trunk just in case - once, we had to change it out so we rolled the car over on the side. I always carried two tires in the trunk - once a week I would get a flat so you needed a spare spare to make it to the tire "remont" stand. Neither the 1991 nor 2001 came with a radio. I did a lot of singing. Neither came with an automatic choke - you had to reach on the left under the steering wheel to pull the manual choke. Fixing the car involved, generally, a sledge hammer. And curse words. By the way, the 2107 designation referred to the fact that it made 75 horsepower out of a 1.7 liter engine - hence the "7". In the winter when it was -20, you would just stop any car on the street and ask him (always a him back then) to let you jump the battery. Even then, you either waited 25 minutes for the transmission to warm up or you put newspapers under the engine block and set them on fire. My brother-in-law had a kopeeka (2101), which had been built in 1978. Nearly all of the parts from his car fit both of my cars.

[@barnabaskiss2888]

Hello there, the 2105 had a 1.3 liter engine (~69 hp belt driven ohc), the 2107 a 1.5 liter with about 74 hp, chain driven ohc. This was a difference at least in eastern Europe. Greetings from Hungary!

[@JoeBidenIsNotMyPresident]

I watched a few of Robert's videos before, but the fact he has a Lada now made me go subscribe to the channel. I have followed Garage 54 on KZbin for years and seen them put Ladas to hell and back. These cars may seem to be junk, but they are solid when it comes to the off the wall testing these do to any vehicle on KZbin. I can't wait to see a car featured for something more than an experiment.

[@ShoelessJP]

Robert is an amazing guy with very quirky taste, I always love seeing him featured on this channel. Long time fan of his work.

[@TheNismo777]

Lada is not bad, hell those are the second best winter cars right after volvo & Saab. 2107 has a 1700cc engine, 2105 has a 1500cc, there was 1300cc model aswell :) I can help with Ladas, we got tons here in Finland

[@nicostenfors5690]

I drive a Lada every day, 1000km per week. 1997 Lada 2107 1700i, the 1700i was a bit special European export model. It is fitted with a GM single point TBI and a catalytic converter. It is a great car in the cold Finnish winters. I haven't had massive problems with it other than a wire under the dash that caught fire at a traffic light. I've had it 6 months and before it i had a 2000 Audi A4 1.8T which i traded in for the Lada. I love the Lada and other people love it too.

[@vspencer9764]

I bought a Lada Riva back in the early 90s when a was skint and it was a three year old example and cost me the equivalent of $100… I was expecting disappointment coming from an XR3i but in reality it was pure joy. It never went wrong and was as solid as a T34, In fact my mate borrowed it and liked it so much that he bought an FSO for $50 which was quite hilarious as every time we saw each other driving along we would play destruction derby by hitting each other’s car lol. My favourite feature was the manual prime fuel pump and the little Lada tool kit in the boot which could basically strip the car down if ever needed. A little fact is have a look at the handbrake handle as it’s the same item as the Ferrari 308 and actually it was the only thing I broke on mine when doing handbrake turns lol I didn’t even check the oil in my years ownership and sold it for $75 to some gypsies who put it through an auction at a profit.

[@RobinLikeABoss]

"It's mechanically... almost perfect". Don't even try to get it perfect. As someone that owned a (2121) Lada Niva and have seen my fair share of ladas, the saying for them goes here locally (especially the older ones) "Always half broken, never broken down". I got mine driving with only some new fuel and a new battery after it not having run for a decade (10 years), outside, in a pretty rainy, humid climate. It died a couple years ago due to terminal rust (USSR steel likes to rust) and it didn't make sense to repair it to get it through the MOT.

[@LouisSubearth]

Lada out here giving GM a run for their money on cars that run rough for ever and ever.

[@Mark-hi1cj]

My mum was in a terrible car accident about 30 years ago, the paramedic and fire service said if she was driving anything other than her lada she would have been dead almost definitely. So thanks to lada I still have a mum today

[@robertdominiczak6523]

I’m a Brit living in Bulgaria. You have to think, if you’re travelling across Siberia and you brake down they’re easy to repair, also if you run out of fuel you can use vodka rakia diesel or lpg. All you need to do is reset the ignition timeing, it’s one of the reasons that the military prefers petrol engines.

[@marklittle8805]

I worked at a Hyundai dealership here in Canada cleaning cars in the 80's. The owner used to have a Lada dealership and the parts car was a Lada. We drove the crap out of that thing trying to kill it. I learned to drive a standard on it. Rev her to 4 grand and drop the clutch! It seems Lada's almost thrived on abuse

[@CaptHollister]

This generation of Ladas was extremely popular up here in Canada. In fact, Lada still holds the record as the most successful new car launch in Canadian history. Sadly, by now most of them have biodegraded into nothingness. While the 2105 and 2107 (aka Signet) are iconic, the Niva 4x4 is the legendary one. In fact, 46 years after its launch, new Nivas are still being built today as the "Lada 4x4" because the "Niva" designation is now tacked on to a Russian Chevrolet model (wonder how that partnership is going).

[@ForeverHorrorLover]

It goes nowhere since it doesn't really exists anymore eh Basically Lada made a second gen of the old Chevrolet Niva and now produces it under their brand, calling it Niva Travel Also, the classic Niva is now called Niva Legend

[@douganderson771]

I was living in Warsaw, Poland in the early 90's and there were Lada's everywhere. They were slightly more desirable than the Polish built Polonase . Those would rust through in one winter. I was in high cotton driving a VW Rabbit, all 1000cc'c and an automatic transmission. Memories 🙂 Actually we could not wait to get out of there, but that's another story .

[@mycosys]

Gonna bet you drove a Golf in Poland, not a Rabbit ;)

[@LEGIOXIIIG]

My uncle and my grandfather had Ladas. I remember them vividly. My Grandfather had a Lada 2101, the softest and most comfortable rear seats imaginable and my uncle had a Lada 2107 yellow. This was all in former Yugoslavia. My father had a Red Yugo. Great times.

[@oskng]

Pretjerujes, nikada nisu valjale. Ako negdje ides dalje od 100km, obavezno si morao imati rezervne svijecice i jos dosta toga. Ne kontam zasto ljudi velicaju nesto, sto nikada nije valjalo????? Imam dosta godina da sam ih cesto vozio i takve stvari mi nikada nece biti jasno. Jedno je biti nostaligacar, a potpuno je drugo biti realan. Sa ladom, motas volan i to u prazno 😂😂😂 nikako da se tockovi okrenu, da ne spominjem mijenjac itd... usput, ako mislis da kenjam, napisao sam da sam dovoljno mator i da sam ih vozio i imao dok ih je jos bilo dosta na cestama, a dali trebam napisati i da sam u to vrijeme i bio mehanicar 😂😂😂😂😂. Sto si spomenuo sijedala, pa ona su iza bila kao da si na federima 😂😂😂 kada predjes preko najmanje rupe, udaris glavom od krov 😂😂😂😂 kada vec svi je hvalite, sto ih onda ne vozite 😂😂😂

[@oskng]

A sto se tice juga, dovoljno je samo sto je kolicina goriva (po kazaljki) ovisila o tome dali si usao u desni ili lijevi zavoj 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@oskng]

A ladu ako nisi je upalio iz prve (ako si dao previse ili premalo "coka" onda si morao cekati par minuta da je upalis 😂😂😂. Ako si dao koliko treba, onda je palila na "zub" 😂😂😂

[@georgec2126]

Piles of years ago I bought a 1984 Pokski-Fiat 125P, the basic model with the 1300 engine and only four gears. Little go, plenty of body roll-but for only £75 it was in my price range-! No rot, twin lamps and lots of space. Good, solid basic transport. Never missed a beat.

[@nR-kv7xo]

my dad drove that exactly red lada as taxi in the 90-93 in south america. it just works. they did re paint it black, but it was red underneath lol. He had to install a brake light when they became required. He also had a pipe across behind the seats so they don't break, welded to the chassis

[@williamegler8771]

When you compare a Eastern Block car to a Western European Japanese or Korean car of comparable age of course the Eastern Block car is going to come off second best. They were developed in countries with little interest in making world class consumer goods for export. The vehicles sold in the hundreds of thousands to eager buyers who may have driven them 5,000 miles a year and waited years to be able to buy one. I work with a lady from the former Soviet Union. Her father was a customs official in what is now Belarus. He placed an order for a blue Lada sedan and what he eventually got was a daffodil yellow Lada station wagon. When he complained he was basically told take it or leave it because they'd have another buyer available immediately. She said the first trip the car ever made was to a back alley garage in Minsk where one of the mechanics installed a lock on the hood and using a chisel strategically created a crack in the windshield Her father had to park on the street and would take the wheel covers the windshield wiper arms the antenna and the battery off the car to prevent theft. I asked why did he break the windshield and she said because these vehicles often had broken windshields and replacements could take months to over a year to get so they were often stolen from vehicles parked on the street. On Sundays he would drive the car down to the river and use river water to wash it. She has and probably a majority of owners also have more fond memories of owning or growing up with this vehicle then all the super cars ever produced.

[@mamdouha8313]

My grandfather had a 2105 and i learned to drive on it, here in Egypt people stopped buying it as a passenger car in the late 90s but it continued production till 2014 as a taxis

[@lefteris426]

Growing up in greece ladas were and still are everywhere (especially the nivas) and I love them, I love old soviet robust machinery, the most "rare" lada i've seen is an old riva station wagon that I adored ever since I was a little kid and that thing still drives around today, I saw it after many years at a super market parking lot and immediately recognised it

[@aldenfloyd5432]

I had a 1983 Lada that I bought in 1986 from a Ford dealership for $1,600 Canadian, it had only a little over 57,000 km on it and was in perfect condition. The car was in baby blue with a dark blue vinyl landau roof. It was the Signet version which came with the larger engine of 1,500 cc's, the surprising thing was that it was capable of about 100 mph. The car had 2 design flaws that were irritating, the wheel and brake drum had to be removed to adjust the rear brakes, and after removing the rear wheels several times the wheel bolts (it didn't have wheel studs) would stretch and then needed their tips ground down or they butted up against the backing plates, therefore not tightening down, I found this out the hard way when one day a rear wheel fell off and passed me as I was going through an intersection. The best thing I can say about Ladas is that they were very simple and easy to work on.

[@obelic71]

We had a 1979 Lada 2101 (Looks 99.99% like the Fiat 124) as a family car. They had some typical Russian options. - Powerstearing nope, just install a bigger steeringwheel ,grow some muscels comrade. - Tubeless tyres nope, they all had innertubes and you had standard tyre irons for fixing leaks. - Safety options, just use thicker steel and cut off the innerring of the horn activation on the steeringwheel. - Cold wheater options. 1 aditional steel plate and shielding for starting a fire beneath the engine to heat up the engine. 2 removable fueltank in the boot. 3 BIG heather you can drive one in a T shirt in Siberian / Alaskan blizzard. - Multiple fuel adjuster. yes just select the correct octane number on your ignition distrubitor. My advise if you ever want a 2nd Lada go for the 2101 estate.

[@eiccaw]

Lada 2101 (round headlight) was the first model in 1970-1988 and 2105 launched 1980 and it was newer model. But mostly it was quite the same, biggest major difference in body panels was bit more boxy also the engines did get up to 1700cc whit injection.

[@global_rankk]

the DISRESPECT of this great machine

[@henkkaj73]

My worst car mistake ever was when I thought I'd take a brake from Benzes and Chevys and instead refreshed a hyper low mileage immaculate barn find Lada VAZ-2105, think it was a 1988 model. One grandma owner and exactly as it left the factory but it had been standing in a barn for two decades so needed brakes rebuilt and pretty much every engine ignition part replaced, new battery and carburettor overhaul and it was good to go. The parts cost next to nothing, must have spent altogether 150 or 200 bucks to make it ready for the very tough Scandinavian MOT test and got it registered. Bought a russian Ushanka fur cap, equipped it with a CCCP badge and prepared to sing Rasputin and Katjusha and Ferrymen of Volga as I drive around enjoying Soviet nostalgia. Instead in two days the nostalgia wore off and I realized I had spent couple of weekends saving a 1960's designed italian cheap piece of crap that was aimed at low-income families and which was then redesigned by drunk Russian engineers and put together by drunk Russian workers near the fall of the union when absolutely nobody cared about anything any more. It was truly appalling to drive; dangerous even when you are used to German perfection in handling, overall just poorest quality I've seen in any vehicle both designwise or by shoddy manufacturing (and I grew up in 1970's Europe so I've seen my share of crappy cars) and there just really wasn't anything positive or funny or even interesting about the poor excuse for a vehicle after the initial excitement wore off in two days. Sold it cheaply to a collector and was just SO happy to get it off my hands and went back to modifying Benzes and Chevys. Lada was simply the worst car-based disappointment of my life.

[@gurtaijgill2167]

I always look forward to your next video at 10 am eastern amazing videos!

[@bobmcl2406]

You needed to come north to the Glorious People's Republic of Canuckistan. We had brand new Ladas available in the early 1980s. They were functional, but dismal. I test drove one in 1981, and I remember that getting back into my much used 1972 Datsun 510 wagon afterwards felt like a real upgrade.

[@12gark]

I always find fascinating that the FIAT 124 was sold abroad for decades after it was put out of production in Italy in 1974. Yes, you heard that right, OUT of production. I've never driven nor seen a Lada, but I've sat into the FIAT multiple times, it's not a super rare in Italy. My grandpa used to have it, scrapped it in about 1985 or something.

[@mycosys]

Check out the Morris Oxford/Hindustan Ambassador sometime, was made from the early 50s to 2014, English production ended in 1961.

[@BansheeBunny]

I love Lada stories. My first car was a 124 Special TC modified with a 1800cc short block from a 131 Mirafiori.

[@frantikfueled]

-30 that thing will start up cold everytime and blow such hot air and ONLY hot air in to the cabin that you’ll melt.

[@98RandR]

We had a brown one with headlights wipers, my parents bought it to replace fiat 126p when they learned mom was pregnant with me and my brother, although I was only 5 when they sold it I very clearly remember those headlight wipers

[@igorperuchi2114]

Great video! I have a Lada 2105, they were sold for some time here in Brazil.

[@Marc83Aus]

For a second I was worried Robert was abandoning the Trabant, but then I remembered he actually put a 'new' washer 'pump' in it recently. Im looking forward to a video featuring both vehicles, maybe comparing the pros and cons of these classic soviet deathtra... er I mean, people movers.

[@tomhsia4354]

I was rather bummed when he sold the hilariously modded Yugo. The Yugo and Wheego make such a good pair.

[@Marc83Aus]

@@tomhsia4354 Oh Bummer, I didn't know the Yugo was sold off. I hope the owner looks after it.

[@heiner71]

They sold a little fancier version of this in Germany until the 90's. It was called the Nova. The one to get is the Niva though. There is still a version of it sold today.

[@user-ox5ok4bf2d]

The last good classic model is 2106 preferably "export", but the best one to look for is 2101-02 the results shown in the snow drift events are extraordinary. 2107 something went wrong with the production of sheet metal and steel, it all falls apart under abuse or when giving it big air.

[@Carstuff111]

Aging Wheels, I am so very glad I stumbled on to his channel not long after it started! Can't wait to see this lovely little Lada soon!

[@BlueTrane2028]

I'm definitely excited to see more content with this car, the internet would've shamed you forever had you not bought it, haha.

[@allentough3445]

had a 1982 dark blue 1500s (the 1st gen 124 clone) in Nova Scotia. Could rub the paint off with your finger. easy to work on though. bought it 4 years old for $1200 and managed to get 5 more years out of it in university, Rusted away and blew up the motor finally. Saddest sight ever was me in my Lada towing my friend's first gen Hyundai Pony home after it died...

[@kijekuyo9494]

The photo at 6:40 really speaks to me. I have a thing about not only Eastern Bloc cars but also most European and Asian family cars from the past. I think it was because I collected 1960s Matchbox cars as a child. Although I would never own a Fiat, I love the Lada. I play auto racing video games, and if one has a Lada or a car based on a Lada (Wreckfest, BeamNG, GTA 5), it's a big bonus. I agree with your ending (though you may have been joking). Everyone should have a government-issue white Lada four door. Because of practical reasons (fuel consumption, interior space, small size, crash-worthiness), I actually feel that way about the Honda Fit, but emotionally the Lada would be great.

[@cristianpasquali4570]

Crazy to see them in rallying too, in Eastern Europe they are widely used

[@kennethsooley9938]

We had the 2105 (Signet 1.3 and Signet 1.5) and 2107 (Signet GL) in Canada. Lada pulled out in 1998. The Lada Niva was the last model sold.

[@tnmoe-]

You know why Ladas have rear window defoggers right? To keep your hands warm while you push it.

[@tarapita]

One and only good thing about soviet cars is - they get you home, whatever happens. Main reason being, of course, that you embark on every short trip like its Paris - Peking rally, trunk full of tools, wires, spare parts and things you can make a spare part of. In late teens early twenties I had Moskvich 412 and it caught fire, alternator fell off, fuel pump disassembled itself, starter broke, sparkplug snapped, (not on the same day though :) ) but I still got home! Eventually rust ate it.

[@zagnut48219]

Life of Boris gives 19 reasons to own a Lada. Is good car comrades.

[@GiorgosAngelosMakris]

Kopeikaaaaaaaa

[@MSkallywagg]

My Dad had a Niva estate and apart from no power steering he loved it , it never broke down in the winter the heater could melt lead and we lost count how many more modern cars we had seen on the side of the road in the winter yet this thing kept going

[@wsbill14224]

What is so odd about old cars with catalytic converters and carburetors? It was very common back in the day. Fuel injection was usually an option rather than standard equipment like today. Strangely the VW bug had fuel injection as standard equipment in 1975 but that was the exception not the rule. I had a 1985 Civic with a tiny 2 barrel carb and 3 valves/cyl. Toyotas of the same period also had carbs and both Toyotas and Hondas in those days were the most trouble-free cars you can buy.

[@lars-eriklarsson7826]

I also find (most of) the eastern block cars to be very interesting and honestly quite charmy even though they are simple and bears a reputation of being bad. The GAZ, UAZ, VAZ, Tatra, Moskvitsh and so on are pretty cool cars, and they are also a extremely rare sight here in Sweden as well. I have only encountered 4 different Lada Nivas, and they were all identical, dark blue. They could all have been made anywhere in between 40 to 10 years ago lol. I have also spotted an old light gray Moskvitsh 412 once, and it even head 2 extra headlights, which I guess Isn't very usual. In Norway I saw 3 PRISTINE condition Lada 2103's on a car meet, they were limegreen, darkblue (this one with red interior) and a babyblue one. There was also this monstrous Tatra 8x8 that was stripped down, and the sound of it running was unlike anything I've ever heard in my entire life, it was a genuine monster. I spotted a military green UAZ as late as last week even, pretty cool. Eastern block cars are so different from all other cars, and is why I find 'em interesting.

[@FunYl]

We had those in the early 90's here in Brazil. It was an alternative to the Beatle. They are rare these days

[@benrafer]

We used to have a lot of Ladas here in Jamaica, still a few around though. They were mostly used as Taxis

[@vasilykostin8783]

Not sure about the UK market, but in Germany RWD Ladas were sold with throttle body injection since the early 90s

[@JohnSmith-yv6eq]

Don't forget to occasionally adjust the timing chain tensioner. When the chain starts to sound like a bagfull of nails rattling in a tin can...... With the engine off undo the tensioner's cap and listen for the "Ping" as the spring pushes the adjuster out to press against the chain. Screw cap back on. Now oil pressure tensions the chain until it starts to slap a little...and you do the cap thing again...

[@AlanTheBeast100]

We used to say never fill the Lada with more than half a tank of gas. You'd have more value in the fuel than in the car. My father called a taxi and a Lada showed up. My father refused to get in. Driver was screaming. Got another taxi. (Lada's were sold in Canada in the 1980's ish). RPM as x100 min to the -1 ... only from Russia.

[@hugonubario]

despite their bad reputation I want one just for fun! in canada good luck to find one! 1- they are in terrible shape (they aged very badly) 2- too expensive for what they are if you find one 5k and up

[@michaelwalker1145]

Friend bought a brand new one in 1990/1. Baby blue, the tool kit had every spanner needed to dismantle the thing including an inspection lamp if it broke down at night.. Why do Ladas have a heated rear window, to keep your hands warm when pussing it..

[@Bonzoguy66]

You can see, at the grill, that your car had or was prepared for headlight washer . In 1985 , I worked at the importer of Lada in Denmark . Most 2105 were 1300 4 speed . I still remember the directors Lada 2106 1600 , with vinyl roof .....nice car then .

[@joshuagies4900]

That thumbnail reminded me of my '72 Alfa Romeo Berlina!

[@Kandisz_nora]

When I was a child, we had a 2 stroke Trabant 601 Kombi. My parents wanted a Lada 1500 or Skoda Favorit like everybody else, but they had to compromise because of the years long waitlist for new cars. Later we had a Wartburg 4stroke. One of my friends drove a Skoda 120 to college. These cars were everywhere in the '90s and early 2000s, but most of them rusted into the ground by 2022.

[@alvaropicasso6051]

Lived in Nicaragua in the late nineties, these cars (along with other Russian vehicles such as buses and trucks) were used as Taxis so i got to ride in many of these cars during that time , would not be surprised if they are still being used as Taxis, to me they seemed invincible at the time. Kinda like what the Tsuru became in Mexico... their Nissan Sentra ..

[@michaelhooghiem661]

I grew up in Ayton Ontario Canada and I remember there still being a lada dealership in the early 90's

[@Bularistan4o]

I wish I had the money to just export bunch of Eastern Block cars directly to your house for free 😂

[@edwardfletcher7790]

"It'll go 300 hectares on a single tank of kerosene" LoL In 9 mins he didn't say a single thing about how it was to drive !!! 😠

[@douggrisack5916]

I used to drive by the dealer every day in Calgary. I sure wanted a niva. There was also a guy who sold some aro units but the niva was my favorite.

[@juppzmuda9725]

They were available with TBI in Germany since 1992 and went to SPI in the 2000s. You could get a 2107 with EURO4 emissions standard in the 2000s, and you can still buy brand new Nivas with EURO6 nowadays. I've had a 1998 2104 with the 1700 "BigBlock" and TBI. It made 84 HP, and it really was a useful and reliable car.

[@Xplasma1]

"Everyone should drive the same car." Ehhhhh I wouldn't go that far. A sedan isn't ideal for hauling a refrigerator. A pickup truck isn't ideal for hauling a family. An SUV isn't ideal for racing. That said I do like the idea of a car platform that is easy to work on, easy to customize, had readily available parts, and is made for at least twenty model years. The idea is not to be flashy, but to be *there* when your flashy car breaks down.

[@chuffer1486]

I love Aging Wheels! I hope he stays a regular guest.

[@lunsy9420]

I bought one 2 years ago and I haven't been able to break it yet.

[@jayasankar_t]

We had a fiat NE118 which I believe is like lada we used it upto 2019 .loved the car. Very stable at high speed. The down force makes the car sit down at high speeds. You feel like you are sitting on the road because of the good visibility.Very Good at cornering too

[@wholeladalovenorthernireland]

I have a 1985 UK spec Riva 1200L, with only 19k miles from new. I have fitted a NOS 5 speed box and 13" Minilites. Great cars. Greetings from Northern Ireland!

[@dougfrith5001]

I bought a brand new 1978 Lada when I graduated Nursing. $3,495 (Cdn) Although you could choose up to 3 colours, you really didn’t know what colour you’d get until it arrived at the dealership. A great car!

[@nicce12]

A friend described the grill of his uncles new Lada De Luxe model as "Think of the girill of a 80s Mercedes" - "Yes...?" "ok, but not like that!" and I understood exactly what he meant...

[@zouniidesign4968]

Based on the window license plate etching kinda look to be a finland based car since that window etching is used here to this day

[@adamscholler4374]

Hungary has the same license plate format and window etching was also very popular here. Also fits the time period as it has a very early plate issued in 1990 (first year for the then new format)

[@mediocrefunkybeat]

I grew up 300 yards from a Proton and Lada dealer. I think Rob would have enjoyed that...

[@nashvilleslim]

Anyone who watches aging wheels knows Robert has a unique editing style. I think it's pretty cool

[@AsbestosMuffins]

which is a better off roader? the Lada looks beefier but the Trabant has an advanced composite chassis making it lighter and more nimble

[@nicostenfors5690]

In Finland we had a company called KONELA OY, they imported all kinds of Soviet vehicles. They built special models for Finnish market only. 1300 TURBO, 1500 TURBO, Niva TURBO and even one 2105 Limo. The limo still exists, turbo parts are extremely collectible, they used Japanese IHI turbos.

[@ag9hj]

I'm actually pondering whether that came from Finland as it has a quite finnish looking license plate number etched to her windows. Nice 'Ruble smile' anyways!

[@generic0000]

Yay! More Robert please.

[@terryhayward7905]

Many years ago I had a Fiat 124 Special T with the 1600 twin cam engine, very nippy, it just did not have the best suspension that meant it did not corner well, but would leave most cars of the day from the lights.

[@srbislavn]

Perfect car...... cheap , simple , easy to maintain.....

[@deadmansfire]

My grampa has a 2104 (the combi). Very nostalgic car for me

[@RwP223]

Fun fact, OEMs will sell their product lines to other countries, for example the Dodge Avenger/Cryslur 200 line went to Brazil. About 600 robots and hundreds of conveyors.

[@MrGaborseres]

My nephew has at least 6 Ladas.... 2 of them are station wagens and 4 others and at least 3 Trabant... And 5 MZ motorcycles and God knows what else.... He is totally into this stuff. He lives in Hungary

[@anntonyruelas3404]

Another reason lada pulled out of the U.K was to keep up demand in the home market, they even offered payouts to u.k. owners to sell their cars to repatriate them, Quentin Wilson did a very good piece on the subject back in the 90s that I highly recommend.

[@n2nitro444]

They used to sell lada's brand new in the 90's in Canada there was a dealer here in my town.

[@bozidarcvetkovic7551]

I actually had and driven this car as a kid for 2 years. It was one of most reliable and fun cars.

[@ZakiWasik]

How many gears do you have to add to your Lada to get it to 200mph?

[@bulow453]

I had a 124. Apple green with tan nauga interior. Maybe my favorite car ever.