My 1976 Lada 2101 - Nikita: Keeping Hobbyweld in business.

[St.Jude]

I've seen a few people do this here, so I thought I would jump on the band wagon and talk about one of my cars. Which just so happens to be a Commie Red 1976 Lada 2101 from Lithuania. Here's the obligatory photo:

I've also written about it here on my website: https://www.mywifehatesthiscar.com/the-fleet-avtovaz-lada-2101-nikita/

For those who won't click on it, let me tell you the story about this car.

I bought this over a year ago, and it's sat under a tarpaulin on my mom's drive way ever since. She doesn't mind, because she's an Irish mammy and doesn't drive. I bought the car as I liked it's classic design and the fact the wife absolutely hated it. I also sought out something over 40 years old, as Birmingham was/is introducing that daft ULEZ thing and at the time I worked in the city centre. Since then though I'm starting a new job so the whole ULEZ thing doesn't matter now, especially as they haven't bothered to bring it in yet. The Lada itself is from Lithuania, has been in the UK since 1997. I didn't buy it from the original owner, it's been through two owners before it got to me. Neither of which did what the original owner should've done and register it, so that's currently with the DVLA at the moment. 

What started as me buying a classic Lada to stick two fingers up to Birmingham City Council and my wife has now turned in to a longer term project. I have a Rover 25/MG ZR that I'm taking the engine from, along with an MX5 gearbox, and I'm putting that in to the Lada along with the half leather seats from the Rover. It's going to be a daily, and I want a daily that looks a bit crap and old that will surprise those clowns in their PCP BMW's. At the moment nothing's been done to the car as I haven't the space. Currently in the process of cleaning a garage that hasn't been cleared since I bought the house 5 years ago, and I've a Peugeot 107 and Toyota Corolla that need attention in there before the Lada even gets moved in there. 

So I'll update this post as well as the website and YouToob with the work on the car as and when, but I just wanted to say how bloody happy I am to be part of the forum with like minded people who won't give me the agro I get from the wife about these cars.

Also, FYI about the site, the name doesn't come from the wife's reaction to the Lada. It comes from her reaction to my Corolla! 

[Jim Bell]

Best of luck!

The engine, gearbag combination in that shell sounds like a less than easy peasy prospect. Be great to see how it comes along. 

[St.Jude]

21 minutes ago, Jim Bell said:

Best of luck!

The engine, gearbag combination in that shell sounds like a less than easy peasy prospect. Be great to see how it comes along. 

It isn't, but it's far more simpler than trying to get the BMW gearbox I bought to go with it. But the Mazda MX5 clutch is 200mm, same as the K Series, so that's ok. Just need an adapter plate and a spacer for the flywheel then it's all good.

Except for when I try to find a Caterham starter motor for cheap...

[Jim Bell]

Difficult but still a better hobby than playing golf or parachute jumping.

More pics please!

[St.Jude]

The photos I have of it are the ones from the advert when I bought it. Once I get it home I'm going to take far more photos of it.

[Jim Bell]

Space looks tight as snare drum skin mind. 

Will a k series fit without molesting the bulkhead? Or are you chopping in?

[St.Jude]

9 minutes ago, Jim Bell said:

Space looks tight as snare drum skin mind. 

Will a k series fit without molesting the bulkhead? Or are you chopping in?

Absolutely no idea. The K-Series is fairly compact in terms of size, and there's many a conversion with Ford engines which are bigger than the K-Series. So it can have another engine, but like you've eluded to I'm either going to molest the bulkhead (well, I'm not going to do that) or chop a bit off the front like most people do. 

But I'm confident it'll fit without too much drama. Better to be optimistic and proved wrong than to be be pessimistic and be proved right ? 

[wuvvum]

Alternatively you could fit a VAG 1.8 turbo engine, convert it to FWD, stick fake wood down the side and then sell it on as an unfinished project.

[Supernaut]

3 minutes ago, wuvvum said:

Alternatively you could fit a VAG 1.8 turbo engine, convert it to FWD, stick fake wood down the side and then sell it on as an unfinished project.

Oh, just stop it already. Leave the poor newbie's thread alone.

I'll be watching this with interest, it sounds ace. Why not use the mx5 engine along with the box? Size?

[St.Jude]

26 minutes ago, wuvvum said:

Alternatively you could fit a VAG 1.8 turbo engine, convert it to FWD, stick fake wood down the side and then sell it on as an unfinished project.

I could, but I'm not a pervert.

22 minutes ago, Supernaut said:

Oh, just stop it already. Leave the poor newbie's thread alone.

I'll be watching this with interest, it sounds ace. Why not use the mx5 engine along with the box? Size?

I bought the Rover before I bought the gearbox, as I wanted to do something with a K Series. I intended to get a BMW box, which I did, but then couldn't get the appropriate clutch to work.

[TataBobu]

The easiest way of doing it, but it would still be easier to drop a BMW engine/gearbox combo in it than a Rover. All you need to do is fabricate mounts and a driveshaft.

 

 

[Mr Pastry]

I don't want to spoil your fun, but I think you'll find that a Fiat 124 or 132  twincam and  5 speed box will go practically straight in. 

[loserone]

Doesn't @DodgyBastard have one of those still?

[wuvvum]

7 minutes ago, Mr Pastry said:

I don't want to spoil your fun, but I think you'll find that a Fiat 124 or 132  twincam and  5 speed box will go practically straight in. 

Possibly rather more expensive and harder to find these days than a Kettle though.

[St.Jude]

7 minutes ago, TataBobu said:

The easiest way of doing it, but it would still be easier to drop a BMW engine/gearbox combo in it than a Rover. All you need to do is fabricate mounts and a driveshaft.

I vaguely remember that, but I didn't like the idea of taking a BMW engine for it. I'm well aware it's a load of work by the way I didn't think it'd be a weekend job. It's just something I've wanted to do in a specific way, as I'm stubborn as hell.

6 minutes ago, Mr Pastry said:

I don't want to spoil your fun, but I think you'll find that a Fiat 124or 132  twincam and  5 speed box will go practically straight in. 

Yeah that was the first place I started looking, but then I saw the price which was well outside what I could get hold of. I then looked at extracting more power from the original engine (which has been done), but again the cost of this was a bit less than the twincam but more than what I could really justify. Plus it would only then meet the same horsies as what the 1.6 K-Series I got hold of, in the Rover 25, has. Would be 30kg heavier too.

In terms of gearboxes, I could get hold of a Type 9 (somewhere) and do it how Caterham do it. But again the Type 9 is a heavy lump and hard/expensive to find. 

[captain_70s]

With the modifications would you be able to keep it in the "historic" tax class?

[St.Jude]

5 minutes ago, captain_70s said:

With the modifications would you be able to keep it in the "historic" tax class?

Yeah I should be able to. My argument is that it's harder to get engine parts for a Lada in the UK than it is a Rover, and with Brexit etc it could be a bit more difficult to source the parts. Plus the K-Series is more "environmentally friendly", and I think on those two counts I'll be able to keep the historic tax class. Plus I think I read somewhere that the points system applies to the historic class too, and a different engine and gearbox takes 1 or 2 points off the car and it needs a minimum of 7 to qualify before it becomes a kit car. 

[SiC]

What is wrong with the current donk in it? Surely an old Lada needs the body worrying about and the engine just needs a good smack with a hammer. 

[SiC]

@Zelandeth is one of our resident Lada experts. 

[HMC]

 

[somewhatfoolish]

33 minutes ago, wuvvum said:

Possibly rather more expensive and harder to find these days than a Kettle though.

Cheapest source these days will be fucked Morris 1000s.

[Jim Bell]

Autoshite peer pressure in a nutshell:

I want to do THIS. 

10 other people: no, you should do THIS (10 different things) instead. 

[bezzabsa]

WooHoo another Yam Yam in the fold....

welcome to the nuthouse...and I'm sorry but we need a pic of you woolarding on this fine beast.......

(i'm sure you will soon be told what that is  )

[stuboy]

good luck with it

[St.Jude]

2 hours ago, SiC said:

What is wrong with the current donk in it? Surely an old Lada needs the body worrying about and the engine just needs a good smack with a hammer. 

Nothing, I don't think. I haven't had it running. It's had it's carb rebuilt, apparently.  I just fancy a challenge really.

1 hour ago, The Mighty Quinn said:

Modern BMW fours are as ghastly as a K Series (utter shit)  so I'd suggest a Mark 2 MX5 engine and box.

However, a supercharged Mercedes M111 2.3 from a rusty SLK or CLK would be even better.  You'll buy a whole car with the arches falling off for 500 quid.

For a moment I considered a Duratec, but I couldn't get one from a donor car that I liked or could afford really. So I ended up with the Rover 25/MG ZR for £350. I have the engine, loom, everything from that I need as well as half leather seats. And the Merc engine is a fair bit bigger than a K-Series in terms of size and weight.

1 hour ago, bezzabsa said:

WooHoo another Yam Yam in the fold....

welcome to the nuthouse...and I'm sorry but we need a pic of you woolarding on this fine beast.......

(i'm sure you will soon be told what that is  )

Steady! I'm a Brummie that - through my own will through the power of marriage - followed the wife to YamYam town ? .

I'm well up for Woolarding. I'd have done it sooner if I knew about it. Deffo going to get some in at the weekend.

1 hour ago, Jim Bell said:

Autoshite peer pressure in a nutshell:

I want to do THIS. 

10 other people: no, you should do THIS (10 different things) instead. 

In fairness I've had 12 months of me mentioning this car to my wife and her peer pressure (in terms of her, the mother-in-law and sister-in-law) telling me to get rid of it but I haven't listened to them either ?

[eddyramrod]

You, sir, are going to fit in here like my feet in a new pair of cotton socks.  Welcome!  And as a former serial Lada licker, can I have a go when you've done it?

[stuboy]

9 minutes ago, sgtberbatov said:

(in terms of her, the mother-in-law and sister-in-law) telling me to get rid

thanks for the input luv's, now pop home in ur kias

[Mr Pastry]

Each to their own of course, and I know we all wish you well with it.  But I used to do this sort of thing for a living.  It will be a complete utter and probably expensive ballache mating the engine to the gearbox. 

[Jikovron]

The historic class is dependant on the 8 points system, of which 5 must come from an intact monocoque bodyshell, brakes are not part of the points system so there is a free for all there.

The only thing lost is mot exemption bit that's hardly a big deal.

The K will defo fit with sump mods, fwd-rwd plumbing changes and as you point out a caterham starter motor provisioned onto the adapter plate.

Imo the K and the lada gearbox would be a happy marriage 4 or 5 speedwise as they aren't particularly weak and obviously it would work with the speedometer and propshaft etc.

Will watch with interest!

[St.Jude]

5 hours ago, eddyramrod said:

You, sir, are going to fit in here like my feet in a new pair of cotton socks.  Welcome!  And as a former serial Lada licker, can I have a go when you've done it?

Only if you let me have a go on your Polonez! My Dad had the white one of yours when I was born. Caused him nothing but grief. So I'd like to see how yours has survived!

4 hours ago, Mr Pastry said:

Each to their own of course, and I know we all wish you well with it.  But I used to do this sort of thing for a living.  It will be a complete utter and probably expensive ballache mating the engine to the gearbox. 

Yeah I fully expect a ball ache. That's what I've paid £40 for the MX5 gearbox and £350 for the Rover. So if it doesn't go well I'm not forced to stick with it because I've spent thousands on it if that makes sense? And I won't get rid of the Lada lump until I'm sure the engine and gearbox are together properly. 

4 hours ago, Jikovron said:

The historic class is dependant on the 8 points system, of which 5 must come from an intact monocoque bodyshell, brakes are not part of the points system so there is a free for all there.

The only thing lost is mot exemption bit that's hardly a big deal.

The K will defo fit with sump mods, fwd-rwd plumbing changes and as you point out a caterham starter motor provisioned onto the adapter plate.

Imo the K and the lada gearbox would be a happy marriage 4 or 5 speedwise as they aren't particularly weak and obviously it would work with the speedometer and propshaft etc.

Will watch with interest!

Just had a look, and with the Engine and Gearbox I lose 3 points. I'm not swapping axles or the steering, same with the suspension. So I'm over the 8 points, thank God as that'd kybosh the whole plan! MOT I'm not fussed with. I've applied for the MOT exemption at the moment but I don't believe in marking your own homework, so even if I didn't change it I'd get it checked.

Well it comes with a 4 speed, and I bought a 5 speed in bits (both Lada's) so if the MX5 tranny causes too much problems then I Can fall back on them. Well the 4 speed at least.

Thanks for the interest and responses guys it's appreciated