1991 Lada Niva from Turkey - Comments

1 month after I bought it, My friend had an accident with it and ran into a wall after jumping off a sidewalk 30 cm (1 feet tall). (replaced radiator with a new one and newer overheated again) However after repair, I drove it another 50 000 km and had my wife and my friends kept having minor accidents on and off-road. :)

Many things fail by the time if you buy a lemon in the first place! but the car keeps going and even survives accidents.

When I bought the car. I was told it had been in a very bad condition before and saw some restoration. The seats weren't original. Paint was in bad condition and the engine overheated easily although did not consume oil. It was an LPG conversion and almost never ran on petrol since LPG is cheaper.

The car is really solid. The engineering is very clever, but the material quality is very low. Rust, electric problems (blown fuses, blown bulbs are very common) are nature of the car. Clutch plate wears every 25 000kms (Heavy car with 1.6L engine.

Amazingly the car survived all the accidents and off road driving. Started very easily in winter even below minus 30 C.

Really slow on road and offroad, negotiating steep climbs can only be done using 1st low gearing. Otherwise a superb offroad car to amuse your friends.

Limited cargo space tells you that it is a small car. It is a 4x4 vw beetle!

Good review of your Niva, which sounds like it`s had a pretty hard life - what with all the accidents etc. However, it kept going- and that`s the main thing. Your comment about the clutch was curious. My Niva has done over 60,000 kms. and the clutch is still original, with plenty of lining still left. Maybe, on occasions, you inadvertently rest your foot on the clutch pedal when you drive. This practice will burn up the clutch rapidly on any car. The only other logical reason for premature clutch wear, is the installation of an inferior quality after-market clutch kit,- which might have been the reason in your case, considering the relatively high mileage on your Niva when you bought it in the first place. Cheers!

Electrics need not be a problem with the Niva if certain items are regularly maintained. When tail light bulbs fail, its usually not the bulbs at all- but the contact points that are at fault. All that needs to be done is to use fine sandpaper and "dress" the points which are usually covered by a fine layer of oxidation. Once you polish these points (so that they shine), you won`t have problems for years. The same principle applies to the contact points on the buttons that control the interior light (they are located on the inside front of the doors). If you are getting a bit of static noise through your radio, undo the small screws at the base of the aerial (on the side of the windscreen), and thoroughly dress and polish them. Don`t forget the small Phillips screw on the inside that holds the aerial to the mounting bracket. These screws develop a bit of oxidation and rust over time, but they are very important for transmitting a clear signal, so they must be cleaned every few years. Another tip is to replace the bulbs in the two interior lights with bulbs of a higher strength- this will give excellent interior light (which is normally a bit dim). Don`t use bulbs that are too strong however, as too much heat may affect the plastic covers. Don`t leave interior lights on for too long. If working inside the car (with doors open), balance the interior light switches in the middle position- this will ensure that the interior light is off. Hope some of these tips are useful. (From a 1997 NIVA enthusiast)

Thanks for your comment. NO, I don't drive my foot resting on the clutch I avoid it obsessively :) I guess you're right with the inferior quality clutch.

Sounds like most of your problems come from letting all your friends drive your Niva! In someone else's vehicle, especially off-road, I'll bet they ride it like a rented mule!

The best comment I think I've heard about the Niva's is to treat it like a big, enclosed, heated ATV, the windows radio lights etc are all nice extras, but secondary to the 4x4, and it's not made for highways. Sounds like you're having a lot of fun with it.