UPDATE: This car has been exposed as a likely Fiat 124 that was converted to a Lada clone. Check the comments section for details.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
1971 Lada 1200 / VAZ 2101
This Lada is located in Florida on Craigslist for $4,000. The price seems a little steep, but it's too early to have come from Canada, so you have to consider the overseas shipping cost from Europe. Still, though, I think unless there have been some serious improvements made the price is a bit high for what you get.
The 1200 is essentially a Fiat 124 that's been toughened-up for the Soviet Union's extreme climates. It was introduced in 1970, as production of the 124 was winding down, and built until the early '80s when it's bodywork was updated to become the Riva and the Canadian Lada Signet. This car's 1.2L engine has been upgraded to a 1.6L, 90hp engine from a Fiat 125. It appears to have some custom wheels and a go-fast stripe, but retains it's original early bumpers. No photos of the interior are listed in the ad.
I've always liked Ladas going back to my time spent in Holland, where they were the butt of jokes but loved for their simplicity. My ex's father had a Lada like this one at one point in his life, which he was very proud of (along with his lelijke eendje 2CV), and since hearing about it I have wanted one. I once saw a t-shirt in a shop window in Amsterdam with a "Lada Autosport" logo that I found too hilarious to pass up, but no one here gets the joke... I bet this seller does.
Find the Craigslist listing here. There's also a very active North American Lada forum here that is a good source for cars and parts from Canada and the rest of the world.
UPDATE: This car has been exposed as a likely Fiat 124 that was converted to a Lada clone. Check the comments section for details.
UPDATE: This car has been exposed as a likely Fiat 124 that was converted to a Lada clone. Check the comments section for details.
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Hmm... Florida... the seller speaks Spanish... I wonder if this car is from Cuba - unlikely, but they definitely have a lot of Ladas there. Also - 4k is really cheap for an early Lada in good shape with a US title. BTW, thanks for linking to my forum!
ReplyDeleteRe: Cuba - I thought the same thing at first. I can't see how it would have wound up in the US, unless it made a stop in another country first. It would be cool to know the history of this car. (Heck, you can't even get a cigar into the US from Cuba!)
ReplyDeleteI'm trying to figure out what the seller means by "chopped". Usually that means the roof was lowered, but that's not the case here. Maybe the suspension?
It's a cool car, no matter what.
Dave
I had written that it may have been from Central or South America but removed it when I couldn't find anything saying they were sold there in '71. If this car is from Cuba, which makes sense, it probably could have easily been imported through Mexico. And yeah I don't know what he means by "chopped" either. It might be the springs, but he makes it sound like it's a bad thing...
ReplyDeleteAbout the price, I just meant that it seemed high to me, given the little that I know about the values of Ladas in Europe and Canada, but like any well-kept classic car the value of this one is probably higher than most if it's in as good condition as it looks.
Andre, I think that forum of yours is a great resource. I have been talking about getting a Niva 1600 for a while, and I've been reading the discussions about them on your site (your 21011 and and Niva are awesome btw). I've got an inquiry in to AvtoVAZ about getting a FMVSS conformity letter for a 1990-ish model. I figure, since it was sold in Canada, it must have passed CMVSS, and since US FMVSS was the same at the time except for labeling it should also pass FMVSS for that time period (It is already US EPA approved). Technically I should be writing to Lada Canada for this letter, but they're long gone. The DOT form is the HS-7 and box 2B allows for less restrictive imports of late model Canadian cars if the manufacturer provides a letter stating that it meets US safety regs (like the Acura 1.6EL I wrote about on Monday). We'll see if they get back to me, I assume they won't but it can't hurt to try. Of course it's super-easy to get a 25 y/o or older car across the border, but I'd just like to find out if it's possible to get a slightly newer one.
I SERIOUSLY doubt that this is really a Lada, based on these photos, check CAREFULLY!
ReplyDeleteAnd, yes, $4000 IS a lot for a Lada.
Matt - you're right! I looked again, and sure enough, it's a FIAT 124 Wagon, not a Lada. The door handles, repeaters on the wings and quarter panels and bumpers are all FIAT. It's a FAKE! And no, $4k is not a lot for a Lada :)
ReplyDeleteChris - Lada Canada is actually still in business, believe it or not... They are reduced to a tiny parts-only supplier, but they are still there. Also - because Nivas really haven't changed much since 1978, you can go the "Mini" route you wrote about earlier. I'd be curious if you ever hear back from Lada - let me know if you do!
I love these cars since I first saw one while driving across Lake Superior after a 100 year family reunion at the family farm in North Dakoda. The family farm is the origin site of the Bobcat Mini Bulldozer which my wife's family invented...and apperantly has done better than the mother company of the Lada.
ReplyDeleteThe picture here is probably a Fiat. Didn't the bulk of the Canadian versions have only a single cam (overhead chain driven)engine? Doesn't this one apper to be a DOHC?
Even more than a Lada Ive really had "hankerin" for a Niva... I love all things AWD-4WD that are on the cheap side. Hence my current love affair with 12-15 year old Ford V8 Explorers... and Subaru Imprezas and Outbacks and even the funny SVX. The simplicity of the Lada is what really attracts me... and I can't wait to get one in Canada the next time I passs through. As long as it isnt rusted out, I'm getting one. Its easy to register it in Michigan... I love Michigans attitude toward the EPA... if you hold up the middle 3 fingers on your hand... and read between the lines... its pretty much how Michigan thinks of the EPA.
I'd love to get one of the Ladas with the GM single point injection system, now that would be wonderful. Hyper reliability, on a tough body. I'd stick a winch on the front and take it where only my AWDs can go. I live near the crest of the Sierra Nevada in California... and I think the Lada would find the isolation and ruggedness of this area reminissant of its home. Hell, the nearest Safeway is 30.5 miles from here. It would be fun.