THAT Lada Samara - It's now FOAD's

[eddyramrod]

Well played Joe. Any Lada saved is ... well, more shite in circulation, as a hedge against the army of grey Teutonics that seem to be taking over! I like the colour scheme too.

[KruJoe]

Thank you gents, late update... this evening I have mostly been making the '94 Impreza 1.8GL rotbox spares car roll on (three) wheels and dragging it off the field onto the lane. But that's a different story.

 

Did you take a photo of said haggardly, croak-voiced Jean and weak-limbed Edwin standing proudly by the Lada when you picked it up...complete with tear in their eye...

 

LOL'd at that

Well I had hoped to, but Jean appears to be armchair-bound (yet internetted up to the eyeballs) so she stayed put. I attempted to catch Eddie with the car, but he stepped back from shot, leaving only the reflection of his trousers:

 

 

 

A closer look at the grot... here is the worst arch:

 

 

NS jacking area:

 

 

Further back:

 

 

Back end of the NS sill:

 

 

NS turret in the boot:

 

 

The other side was done last year:

 

 

I'm hoping that's the most of it.

Yes, Edwin opened his wooden-fronted garage and handed me a few spares from his last Samara that he scrapped in 2004.

 

 

His son is a scrap man, but he wouldn't let him have this one!

Oh, and he gave me a fiver's worth of juice from a can, to get me home.

 

 

 

 

There are little scratches and scrapes all over, but it's basically straight.

 

 

 

Inside, it looks to have had a hard time for a 50-odd thousand mile car.

 

 

The foam has "gone" in the front seats, causing wear in the fabric against the frames. If anything the passenger side is worst. Jean is erm.. quite heavy, and I suspect that the car has seldom gone further than the centre of town, so a lot of getting in and out for the mileage. Oh, I know they managed as far as Bingley Cattle Mart for the car boot sale there sometimes, Edwin recognised my sister from there! The house was full of that sort of tat.

 

 

 

By this time the light was fading, so apologies for the shoddy photography.

 

The steering wheel was a nasty surprise. It's probably just me, but I thought it might be from a Polo. More likely a shoddy chavvy effort. It's too small and falling apart, and Eddie might have managed better with a bigger wheel.

 

 

The back seats are fine, it just needs a good vacuuming.

 

 

I only drove it the three miles up to Oxenhope behind my sister in the BX (so in a faint blue haze!)

The Lada drove well, slightly more torques on offer than from the not-too-shabby 1360cc BX, though I'm sure it'll be no where near as lively as the 214's 16v excitement. There's a surprising lack of body roll, and everything in the dash seems to work, including the econometer!

 

So it is resting there until eBay numpties furnish me with a fresh alternator for the Rover. I've already been waiting too long.

When that happens, I'll go and lob it on, and bring home the Lada. That's when the fun starts!

 

 

Edit: Faint/feint spelling!

[Guest]

That steering wheel looks like an Italvolanti one, maybe not though. Nice save, now all you need to do is frisbee those wheel trims into the eyes of someone you don't like the look of.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Sterling work there Krooj!!! That looks like an honest old tank, I think its well worth £150. The rot looks moderately bad but i'm sure it can be dealt with OK. The body looks very straight. Plus it sounds like you met some right characters which is often half the fun of 'shiting'. Nice one!

[Rod/b]

IIRC the steering wheels are cheapo Mountneys.

 

There's a bit in the sidebar of the OC history pages that show a Samara getting pretty much retrimmed with that steerer sitting ready to go on.

 

http://www.lada-owners-club.co.uk/uklad ... page2.html

http://www.lada-owners-club.co.uk/uklad ... page3.html

[Barrett.in.the.USA]

Can't add much to what everyone else has said, this is a properly good save here. Looks like it'll be a solid old thing with the welding done. To be honest for 150 squids it's worth spending a bit to get the rot sorted properly, you'll probably end up with one of the best Samaras in the country... Can't wait to see it all nice and polished with those bumpers cleaned up. Hope you're planning to take it back to see Edwin & Jean when it's looking a bit healthier??

[Rod/b]

I can't be the only person here thinking what other engines would fit under the bonnet?

[scooters]

what have the evil old biddys being doing in the interior!!!

 

did you notice any 'Fritzel' style mysterious extensions in their house?

 

.....I don't think they are what they seem!

[boobydoo]

^^ Yeah, I thought that. If I was selling a car I'd at least hoover it out first...was there a secret stash of Edwins mucky mags in the boot?

[KruJoe]

Thanks guys!

About the steering wheel, it is currently quite ghastly to use, the covering has split at the stitching most of the way around, and there is mess from peeled off gaffa tape and insulating tape on the bottom half.

 

 

After reading that article, I found a round plastic Lada badge in the ash tray that might have come from that bottom spoke of the steerer.

 

I'm unsure about the wheel trims. Yes, they're also ghastly, but that's its identity. The whole car is, that's the idea. The steel is rusty cream behind them (I think) so they're staying for the time being.

I found a print-out of the eBay listing from which Jean bought the car. Here is the picture:

 

 

Those trims ring a bell, would they be standard?

The rest if the advert - old style eBay - remember that?

 

 

12 months MOT and they ended the auction early for her at £150! 2004 is where to go for cheap MOT'd crap. That's why she told me £150! Bill of sale to her (son in Surry who brought it up for her):

 

 

More books 'n' papers:

 

 

The 2004 MOT shows 41,000 so they have done only about 2,000 miles a year since then.

 

 

I haven't had chance to muck it out yet Jean and Edwin are each in no fit state to do it, and to be fair, I did turn up and take it away before the end of the auction, so they might have had the intention of a quick vac.

It' s a 20 year old Lada at scrap money, I didn't expect it valeted.

I said I would bring it back to show them when it is back on the road. I already sent them the picture of it with the BX and 214, telling then Id' got it safely to Ox'nop.

 

 

A few more images.

 

 

 

The engine looks like an old Fiat unit. Would that be about right? It's quite a gutsy little lump and pulls really well, despite much higher gearing than the BX which starts to sound frantic at 50mph!

 

 

 

Old boy 'fixes'?

 

 

 

 

There's a not insignificant oil leak from somewhere under the distributor, but the battery and surrounding area are also wet. Wet with what? Dunno yet.

 

 

 

Useful (non-functioning) under-bonnet light.

 

 

Anyway, the Rover's alternator was lost by the courier so that job is still not done, but I had a free lift to Oxenhope so took the chance to fetch the Samara home.

 

 

I pulled in to wedge something between the door card and the door, it was rattling really loudly. I used a cut off piece of hose I found in the footwell.

The only tunes I had were an Elvis CD that Eddie had left in the horrible chavvy Goodmans head unit (Jean said I was lucky, it cost them £60). Bored of Elvis, I pulled up the aerial in the front wing, to find it sticks out at 90 degrees to the surface, so it leans out at a jaunty angle.

 

 

The Lada went well, apart from a couple minutes of embarrassing kangarooing through the middle of Gargrave. I hope that doesn't happen too often. The brakes are ok, they just need a really good shove.

 

 

Safely home.

 

I just saw on the Spanish GP highlights that Lada sponsor the Lotus team One cane 18th, the other crashed out!

[Alexg]

Great save! These things used to be everywhere and now there are none!

[Tayne]

.

[KruJoe]

No idea what it says...

 

òþ÷ôушýыù фøûьтр = air filter

 

The sticker is on the filter housing, I'm guessing it says something along the lines of "change the element every 15000km".

 

Cool eh?

[Rod/b]

I think it says "Hang air filter from a tree and bash with a stick until dust stops coming out every 15000 km"

 

(NOTE: I am NOT an Emeritus Professor of the Russian Language)

[garethj]

That's brilliant; I'd keep the bodykit and wheeltrims in place

[gricer]

I just saw on the Spanish GP highlights that Lada sponsor the Lotus team One cane 18th, the other crashed out!

 

Lada sponsors the Renault team because Renault owns Lada. The Renault team is called Lotus because Renault has done a deal with Lotus Engineering. which is owned by Proton. As opposed to Team Lotus, which has the rights to the old Lotus F1 team's name. This is not owned by Proton. Or Lada. Or Renault.

 

BTW, Lada still makes the Samara.

[KruJoe]

Holy thread ressurection, Batman!

This POS has gone nowhere in the last year, it has lived on in my sig and so too in the shed. It has been my intention all along to get it legal and take it out as often as possible so that I may fully enjoy the fantastic* driving experience.

 

This was the last we saw of it. In the summer I told you ...

Sadly ... I've not had time to show it much love yet, snowed under with work.

I've taken it down the road a few times to keep it loose, and washed a huge pile of bird crap off the bonnet, otherwise no progress.

I'll keep you all in the loop as things progress!

 

 

So as promised, update time.

 

To have a closer look at it's underbelly, I 'constructed' an inspection ramp out of pallets and broken breeze blocks.

It wobbled like a bastard and had me touching cloth, so I fcuked that idea right off.

 

 

But after I'd been inside for a cup of tea and a nice sit down, the Lada was still up in the air, so I peered underneath.

 

 

NSF jacking point The grey stuff I think is dried mud.

 

 

NSR footwell / inner sill

 

 

NSR wheelarch / sill end

 

 

Most of the undercarriage looks serviceable.

 

 

Oh dear - dampness on the tank.

 

 

That would be it - looks like hose clamped onto hose on the filler neck. 'Jack the test' won't like that.

 

 

OSR jacking point.

 

 

OSF matches the rest.

 

 

And that was it. I put it away for the winter while I was off spotting for y'all in Thailand.

 

 

So, the beginning of the end, think ye?

 

GOOD WORK

 

Think again. Some proper progress has been made; I have weld burns on my fore-arms to prove it!

I'll bring you up to date next time next time I'm on, but rather than scratching my arse in front of the laptop, every spare 10 minutes is spent on my back getting filthy. My aim is for you to see this at Chumley in three and a half weeks. Wish me luck!

[Cavcraft]

Got to love the Autoshite ramp, that's effing brilliant! I'd love to see this car (and ramp!) at Chompley.

[skattrd]

Excellent save, and I hope the welding goes well.

 

That ramp is somewhat worrying, good work on reversing up the thing, I wouldn't have liked to have tried that.

If you're welding the inner sill or anything that may go through to the interior its less stressful if you remove the interior carpet and have someone inside the car on "fire patrol" with extinguisher/bottle of water. I'm usually on fire patrol, not the welder

[YugoLada]

Good luck

[Shep Shepherd]

The ramp looks like something that the yard operatives and diesel fitters at work would be proud of

[boobydoo]

Interesting to see that the ramp is getting more attention than the Lada. A bit like Robbie when he left Take That.

And quite right too! It's a work of art!

Glad to see the car getting some attention....will you invite previous owner, Edwin to the show if its ready in time?

[messerschmitt owner]

you absolute nutter!

 

great ramp though!

[HillmanImp]

That ramp belongs on there I fixed it.

 

Looking forward to seeing the update on the car (and indeed the car if you are coming to the show at the place I cant spell in May).

[e287yba]

There's a late Samara in the same shade as this car, around the north of Bolton. P298 XUA I think it is (the letters are right, but I'm not quite sure of the numbers as I only ever see it passing the other way on the road).

[AnthonyG]

Class stuff going on here. Good to see Camac tyres are still going (although they may have been put on the car 15 years ago!).

[KruJoe]

Thanks for all the encouraging comments guys. Now I have declared my intentions, I have you all on my side to get this thing to Chodley. Sadly I won't be towing a low-loader with crap to re-construct the ramp there. However, I have a few more super-shite mingebag bodges to share with you - watch this space...

 

Barn find!

 

 

So, after a winter in a damp barn door in the Yorkshire Dales she fired up after a glug of juice down the gullet. Winnar!

The battery I'd kept on a windowsill in the house with a solar trickle charger on it.

 

 

I brought the BX in to jump it off, but didn't need it.

 

 

Let's get crackin' with the knackin'.

 

I figured with all this floor welding, I'd have the seats and carpet out, not only because I could see underlay from below the car, but because the interior was minging, I mean really skanky. And the front seats are shit, like trying to drive whilst sitting on a milk crate. I couldn't live with that for long.

 

 

The seats have an unusual sliding mechanism; they slide at the back, but pivot over this rolling bar at the front. As a result, they offer no support under the thighs when pushed forward or back.

 

 

Rancid carpet out. That'll clean up.

 

 

74p cashback!

 

 

There was impressive layering of different under-lays and sound proofing. Only the rectangular felty one in the NSF foot well was rotten and crumbly, so that can easily be copied and replaced.

 

 

As a mojo booster, I decided to try to fit these seats from the 214 I'm breaking in the top field. The colour is almost a perfect match, they're the right size and fairly comfy. ACE!

 

 

After hacking off the back of the runners, they bolted straight in, and I fashioned front brackets from old dexian or summert.

 

 

That worked a treat, but the gearstick still rests on my left thigh, even in 3rd gear. I considered grinding it off and welding it back at an angle, but I discovered this in time:

 

 

There's a handy spline on the linkage where it goes into the back of the gearbox, under the diff. I'll have a go at adjusting that when the seats go back in.

Happily, the floor was surpisingly clean under the carpet (apart from the assortment of self-tapping screws that had been dropped between the layers as those pesky vodka-addled Ruskies threw this effort together).

 

OSR foot well:

 

 

Opposite side:

 

 

This is how it was below:

 

 

And so the grinding began. An easy one to start.

 

 

Yes, I do like to get my money's worth from grinding disks!

A patch was coaxed out of a mangled section of 309 front panel. I can usually find some scrap with creases in the right places.

 

 

Note the wet 'fire sponge' on stand by. I also shielded the rest of the interior, and importanly the windows from sparks. They can soon screw the job up.

 

 

Before you rip into the 'pigeon shit', this was my first EVER attempt at welding sheet metal on a car. I have only have a gasless mig that I found in the shed and repaired with bits from a BMX. I think my father bought it from an agricultural sale in town - he tends to go along and bid £1 on junk if it doesn't look like it's selling. So his workshop just fills up with crap. He didn't even know what it was 'til I told him!

Beggars can't be choosers, so I bought some gasless wire and a nozzle tip, and it sort of works ok now. I hate it to be honest - there's no adjustment of speed or power, only lo/hi. High burns holes for fun, so low it is. I'm getting better.

 

I have a £30 arc welder, which I love using, but it's only good for really chunky stuff, anything less than about 3mm it shreds.

 

As this thread goes on, you'll learn this truly is a minge-bag project. I ought to tot up sometime, but I think we're still under £250, including a whole new exhaust system and a welder I can't use on it.

 

I had a tickle with the grinder underneath and went around it with the shitmig again, just because I could get to it, and needed the practice. Looks better* for it anyhoo.

 

 

The nearby wheelarch...

 

 

You can see the hole in front of the wheel.

 

 

I shit you not, these side skirts are held on by two self-tappers at each end, and the fact that usually the doors are closed! I told you this was a quality machine.

 

 

 

That hole grew a bit, as they do...

 

 

We'll leave it at that for now. More later.

 

 

Any advice much appreciated (other than 'Take it to the bridge!), I'm very much a noob at this! Be gentle...

G'night.

[catsinthewelder]

Storming progress

 

My old welder ended up being gasless due to faulty parts so I fully understand you're pigeonshit woes. If it looks ok after a tickle with the grinder all is ok if possibly not too structural.

[skattrd]

Good job just getting stuck in there, learn by doing

No criticism from me on the welding, as I have never tried it myself, so any attempts from me would likely be worse, it can always be ground back. I would like to learn to weld, but my BIL can weld so I generally let him, I just do fire patrol and grinding duties.

[cobblers]

 

I always loved the 1970s BL ribbon cable wiring, clearly someone with a back to front R and a load of Zs in his surname shares my sentiment!

 

Nice work mate! Particularly enjoyed the size of the guano pile on the bonnet, I bet that took some shifting!