Can anyone guess my new to me vehicle?

WilberM3 wrote: hey you wouldnt happen to be the ArthurDent from AF would you?

Indeed I am.

ArthurDent wrote:

WilberM3 wrote: hey you wouldnt happen to be the ArthurDent from AF would you?

Indeed I am.

good to see you elsewhere man, i thought that place had imploded sucking everyone on it into oblivion. cool lada by the way.

hows your locost coming?

The Locost is almost done - needs exhaust, driveshalf and some wiring to go. I have no time table to finish so we'll see.

I check into AF once every six months or so - its a shadow of its former self.

On here yet?

Can the Nivas be imported to the US?

I'm on LadaUsa as Dave7. The older Nivas can be imported to the US but there aren't too many left. Nivas tend to rust up pretty good.

Re that submarine video:

1. Arthur, you should send those guys your ex-duck.

2. How do you say "Hey, y'all, watch this!" in Russian?

A little update if anyone is interested:

So I wired up a Princess Auto switch so I didn't have to keep hot wiring the ignition to test the wiring. I tried the starter and nothing so I was a little disappointed. But hot wired the starter and guess what it runs! So ran a new wire and it starts from the switch now.

video of it running - http://www.flickr.com/photos/daveseven/4670415599/

Wired up the heater, windshield wiper and rear defroster switches - just need to fabricate a panel for them to sit on.

Got some orange 1156 for the signals. Oddly one worked and the other didn't. I swapped them from one side to the other and then both worked. Strange but whatever works I guess.

Put my horn button in that useless headlight adjuster spot - could be reversed if I get invited to the Lada Concours d'Eleganceat a later date :)

So just the highbeams to get and all my electrical issues are done.

Does it have the tool to hand crank it if the battery is dead? Does it have the legendary "Owners Manual" that is really more of a factory service manual?

When I was a teenager, Lada sedans and Nivas were a dime a dozen. Sadly, there are hardly any left. Not that the sedans were any good to begin with, but for some reason I have a soft spot for them.

I've never driven a Niva.

Its got the space for the hand crank. There are plans to make your own - http://www.ladaniva.co.uk/baxter/resources/CrankHandle.htm

Apparently a jack handle from a Nissan truck can be used too. I need to give it try one day but not sure if it works well with the FI model.

I didn't get a owner's manual with mine but all the service manuals are a free download at the bottom of this page - http://www.ladaniva.co.uk/

Is the FI system stock? I mean, did Lada simply convert the cars using GM parts? Or is it an aftermarket solution?

And now I am searching for Nivas in my area . . .

Its stock on the Cossack models of '95 and later - something like that. But they used the GM bits right at the factory.

There are some Nivas for sale here: http://ladausa.net/forum/viewforum.php?f=2