68 Lada Valiant

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Princess Valiant

A.K.A. Rainy Day Auto
Joined
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So now that i have my valiant wagon running but not so much driving because the brakes are horrible, im about to do the right thing and start another project.

So why the title "Lada Valiant? Those who know me might know of my love for the Russian made car known as a the Lada Riva. I absolutely love the Lada Riva which was made as a 4 door economy car for the streets of Russia. They were made through an agreement between the Russian Government and Fiat motors, which ended shortly after the fall of the soviet union. They most commonly had around 2 liters of Fiat power and they ALL had manual transmissions. Communist engineering dictated that the cars be built with utmost economy in mind and the Lada was the definition of basic transportation which is the simplicity i like in all my cars including my mopars.

So I had bought a 1989 Lada 2107 which was the car i always wanted. However there was a huge problem with the car, it was a basket case and needed a lot of parts that are simply not available in middle America. Soviet cars are already VERY rare in the USA and UK these days, so scoring parts that go for very small money in Russia and Soviet satellites get huge money in USA ...IF you can find them!! Importing a used Lada is also not a cost effective option because a car that would be worth 1000 bucks overseas could cost up to 20 grand to import it in through Seattle and get all the paperwork sorted and get it all translated and converted to a Colorado title.

So one day it hit me when i was reading an article published in Russia regarding the Lada Riva and the author wrote "the Americans made a similar looking car in the 60s, called the Plymouth valiant, however their car was oversized as everything else in capitalist USA"

So I accepted my defeat and determined that it would never cost effective nor worth the effort to build a soviet relic for use in middle America and so the Lada Valiant is born. I sold the Lada to someone in the very small American Lada community as a parts car which was a sad day for me and decided to build my own interpretation of a Lada Valiant.

I bought this 68 valiant from another member and it fits the bill completely due to its very basic trim and lack of options....just like the ol 2107.

It's going to stay a slant six car with a 3 speed manual transmission and be the worlds first valiant set up slav style. When shopping for a valiant to replace the lada i ran into a 2 door valiant but in order to be my lada valiant, it MUST be a 4 door, so this is perfect.

This is going to probably be a slow build because i dont have much car time these days.

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They are cool little cars, but I fail to see any similarities.
 
In Soviet Russia, you don't drive Lada, Lada drive you!
I drove one in Warsaw years ago and that's why i fell in love with them. They are like overgrown Go-karts and they are a blast to drive.

Got an order of Pierogi, and pointed that lada in the right direction and had a blast. They really bring you back to reality of what basic transportation means which we have completely forgotten in the USA today.
 
I drove one in Warsaw years ago and that's why i fell in love with them. They are like overgrown Go-karts and they are a blast to drive.

Got an order of Pierogi, and pointed that lada in the right direction and had a blast. They really bring you back to reality of what basic transportation means which we have completely forgotten in the USA today.
Oh I don't know. I think a slant powered 64 Valiant is pretty basic. lol
 
Basic, lol! I remember my Mom had a Datsun B- 210! I know a few that are for the " People's Car".. doubt I've ever seen a Lada,...
 
exactly, that's one of many reasons I'm coming up with the similarities. in comparison the valiant is a much bigger and heavier car but it's the same vibe.
Now THAT I can go along with. But not looks. The Valiant is the clear winner.
 
Yep, I am familiar with those Ladas. Modern interpretation of the Fiat, without the rust. I was driving one once in Jamaica, and lost brakes; pedal went soft, so we coasted to the side of the small winding road and stopped. Local passerby mechanic determined that the left rear wheel cylinder was leaking. He unscrewed the brake line from the back of the wheel cylinder, inserted an appropriately sized nail in the brake line (the pointy part of the nail went in the line, and the nail's head prevented the nail from going all the way in the line), reconnected the brake line, and away we went. No more braking problems for the remainder of the trip.
 
If you want a communist/socialist Mopar, just get a South American A body and be done with it. Geez, talk about the long way around a short path.
 
Might I say, the crew cab Valiant is beautifully cool! So basic!
One reason I love the old Mopars is the fact I can have all ! manual steer and brakes, NO radio, heater delete, and darn sure no A+C> And usually NO carpet headliner or door panels!!!! NO FI, yes that fundamental part, the carb, points dist. whats not to love and YES I love driving that basic crude car!!
I agree doing that more door Valiant make lots more $ sense!
A guy over on FBBO called other day inquiring about my 4 door 64 Belvedere. He is in Wa state. He mentioned he had a 68 more door Val. that he dropped $17000 in! I'm glad you are a hotrodder and not a BANKER!!!! :lol:
 
No Skoda?
I have no experience with old vintage Skoda but I have a friend who has a 2010 Octavia wagon in India. It's no Benz but probably more like a taurus or newer camry. Decent looker and looked really good when it was new in 2010.

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I dunno about giving up on the dream. To build a car even to driver/beater to bullet proof spec I think you end up spending about 6-9K. If building is the happy place, what about procuring a body and outfitting it with plymouth parts so you have access to easier fixes? Or get one for ?????10K? Here is one for 13K and has been here for awhile. Our Portland affiliates might be able to check it out? Just thoughts, I like your enthusiasm and respect that you charge forward and get it done. I know 10K is nothing to sneeze at, I had a hard time bucking up 7K for my slant duster, but now that its in the review mirror I feel miles ahead.

Lada 2107 Vaz 2106 Zhiguli Moskvich 2141 Volga Gaz 2410 - cars &...

Same guy?

Lada Vaz 2106 2107 Moskvich 2141 Zhiguli Gaz Volga - cars & trucks -...
 
Might as well toss in a photo of a Volvo 2 series sedan as it carried the usual 3 box design of pretty well all sedans made from the 1960’s to the late 1980’s.

I suppose if this thread is to give attention to a Lada sure, but pretty well any other sedan over a 30 year span looked similar too.
 
Might as well toss in a photo of a Volvo 2 series sedan as it carried the usual 3 box design of pretty well all sedans made from the 1960’s to the late 1980’s.

I suppose if this thread is to give attention to a Lada sure, but pretty well any other sedan over a 30 year span looked similar too.
But those cars don't have the mystique of the Lada.
 
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