Grew up with International Harvester pickups and all IH farm equipment. Still love em, but too much work and not enough time out there.
Oddball overlanding rigs!
- Thread starter Autism Family Travels
- Start date
Yes 2
One 1978 and one 93
Both 1600 carburettor
One is supercharged and needs body work the 78 is in mint condition
Member III
- 2,827
- First Name
- Jim
- Last Name
- covey sr
- Member #
16986
- Ham/GMRS Callsign
- none - BREAKER BREAKER HAND HELD CB AND WALKIE TALKIE
Let's see them. I never heard of them. I thought Dermot wanted to know something about "a lotta corsets" I was going to say ,yes in my wife's chest of drawers..
Here is the supercharged 93" needs some work but getting to it
I'll grab a picture of the 78 next time I'm at the barn I haven't got one on me I dont think
Member III
- 2,827
- First Name
- Jim
- Last Name
- covey sr
- Member #
16986
- Ham/GMRS Callsign
- none - BREAKER BREAKER HAND HELD CB AND WALKIE TALKIE
This thing is really neat. Me thinks it's too valuable to do anything but restore it and show it. Cant wait to see what a 78 model looks like. What country do they come from. Give us some history on where you got yours. It kinda reminds me of some early 70's VW rabbit from the rear view.
It's a Russian thing sold as Lada Niva, AVtoVaZ 2121 and lada 4x4 and Lada taiga
1600 carb 4 cylinder
VW 1.9 diesel
1700 fuel injected petrol
4 speed manual until 1993 when they put a 5 speed manual in
Permanent 4 wheel drive diff locks
Hand Crank start, which is still a thing on 2019 models
They can climb a 60% gradient (yes that suprised me they actually can) they can wade over 3ft in water, air intake is top of stomach high and I'm 6ft.
They come from the factory with tractor tyres
They started production in 77
Imported to 60 countries ish in 1978
Still make them identically to day except modern ones have heated seats power folding mirrors and EVERY thing you could imagine. They are still the same shape the only difference is grill-bumper-vertical tail lights.
I bought this one from a scrap yard in febuary it had been sitting there for 15 years but the owner of the scrap yard was adamant it was to good to get crushed- I paid £400 or $500 I think.
IT has 44k miles on the clock and started up on the key with 20 year old petrol with a new battery. EVERYTHING works. The 93 is quite special though the only RHD 1600cc 1993 left in Europe and the only cossack of its year because cossack finished the year before. but it was unregistered by the dealer till later that year but got all the post 93 parts added by the dealer such a cloth seats and sunroof.
The 78 I imported from Hungaria in 2006.
There are only 30 left in England. I believe one dealer ship branded it "the golf GTI on a landrover series 3 chassis with the capability of a unimog"
Member III
- 2,827
- First Name
- Jim
- Last Name
- covey sr
- Member #
16986
- Ham/GMRS Callsign
- none - BREAKER BREAKER HAND HELD CB AND WALKIE TALKIE
Hang on to them brother, they will be worth a mint in years to come if not already. I made the mistake of buying a 1967 Sunbeam Tiger (in 1984 (they had Ford v8 engines) way back when. I bought it for $1500 and sold for $2500 a few years later. Now they sell for $30,000 or more dollars, usually more .
I would suppose if your Lada were made in Russia for all those years without body changes etc., the parts would be plentiful in Russia but no where else.
Any way I Like it a lot..!
Member III
- 2,827
- First Name
- Jim
- Last Name
- covey sr
- Member #
16986
- Ham/GMRS Callsign
- none - BREAKER BREAKER HAND HELD CB AND WALKIE TALKIE
That reminds me of my first Ford car I bought in 1950. It was a 1938 model coupe. The starter was shot, so for the next 2 years I used the crank to start it. I couldn't afford a new starter. I wish they put cranks on cars today.
Member I
I would love to see your 1101. I am about to start building one out myself. Still trying to sort out how i want to set it up. I actually have the tarp and bows and I have been camping out of it already.
Member III
- 2,827
- First Name
- Jim
- Last Name
- covey sr
- Member #
16986
- Ham/GMRS Callsign
- none - BREAKER BREAKER HAND HELD CB AND WALKIE TALKIE
Whatzamatta, youz don't like chicken coops ? LOL
You can both brag all you want about your Hmmmmmmv's, I'd brag too if I had one.
M1101's are awesome equipment. Good enough for the Troops, it's good enough for me.
Can you see my drooling =,=,=,=,=,
He has a nice one. Mine is spent many years with with young government employees and it shows. It’s been quite a rehab project. I still have a long way to go to get ready for Moab next year.
Member III
- 2,827
- First Name
- Jim
- Last Name
- covey sr
- Member #
16986
- Ham/GMRS Callsign
- none - BREAKER BREAKER HAND HELD CB AND WALKIE TALKIE
Post your before and after pic's if you can.
Would like seeing a build up on old military rigs. What are your plans for the build ?
This is the before pic when I bought it from govplanet.
This is the most current pic I have. I just finished stripping the Interior and spraying it with lizard skin for heat and sound deadening. I also just swapped a 4 speed (4l80e) into it so I can get to highway speeds.
I use it around the house as my knock around truck and we will be camping out of it in the fall. Short term mods are new steering components. The pittman and idler are shot.
I am completely rewiring the truck (the 12v) to add some lights and air compressor. I am going to use a ram console out of a cop car and gather all my electrical terminations there. I am tossing the idea around of adding a 3rd battery that’s exclusively 12v.
Lastly are some civi tires and 17 inch wheels. The military ones are cheap but they weigh a ton (165 lbs) for a tire, wheel and runflat. They also ride like a dump truck.
I am going to trailer it to Colorado next year and spend a week in Moab breaking it.
Attachments
Chetta58
Rank V
Enthusiast III
This is my 2000 Miata before it was hit and totaled last Summer. We packed our gear in it and basically went from Canada border to Mexico border on hiway 101 and hiway 1 but yes, we did forest roads (tiny Little Rock’s), and explored all over with it. Proof that it’s the adventure and not the rig that’s important.
Attachments
Member III
- 2,827
- First Name
- Jim
- Last Name
- covey sr
- Member #
16986
- Ham/GMRS Callsign
- none - BREAKER BREAKER HAND HELD CB AND WALKIE TALKIE
I didn't know you could buy Hummv's. I was told awhile back that the government would only sell them to foreign country's. I'm always searching Government liquidation web site for surplus stuff. Can you license it for the street ? What you have looks great the way it is but your mods sound like it needs them. Those military tire /wheel combo are a bear but they get you there and back . You don't have to worry about flats for sure.
Thanks for sharing the pic's.
Member III
- 2,827
- First Name
- Jim
- Last Name
- covey sr
- Member #
16986
- Ham/GMRS Callsign
- none - BREAKER BREAKER HAND HELD CB AND WALKIE TALKIE
Problem with the Miata (or any car) is getting too the real back country to have a real adventure , not a picnic in someone's back pasture. Been there , done that , that's cool, but there is a world of difference in a highway trip somewhere and an Overland experience. Hope you replaced the Miata with something 4 wheel drive with gnarly big tires for you next adventure into the wild.
