Preferred Vehicle for busy Freelance DPs

Everts said:
that's a Lada right ?
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Yep, Lada Niva, the very first compact crossover in the world, circa 1977. The second one, if you count the Range Rover as the first one. The AMC Eagle came out in 1979.

They still make them, these old-fashioned 4x4 Ladas.
 
Brings back memories, my father had one for a few years. You dont see them here anymore.
His was a beige color.
 
I work in Russia and the roads are bad or non-existent, so drive a local car (the Niva). Parts are cheap and plentiful, and every conceivable repair can be made with simple hand tools. It's not flash, but very durable and dependable -- just the thing when you're a day away from the nearest town.

It's too small now though (despite the massive roof-rack which doubles as a shooting platform), so I'm looking at getting this local 4x4 van that holds 1 tonne plus 6 passengers. A 5-inch lift and M/S tires and nothing will stop it.

automobile-gazelle-27057-3.jpg
 
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pmark23 said:
It's too small now though (despite the massive roof-rack which doubles as a shooting platform), so I'm looking at getting this local 4x4 van that holds 1 tonne plus 6 passengers. A 5-inch lift and M/S tires and nothing will stop it.
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The one on your photo is 2x4. If you want 4WD they have a better one:

gaz-23107-sobol01.jpg


Still, a Ford Transit or a MB Sprinter (sold in the U.S. as Dodge Sprinter) would be a much better choice. Reliability-wise, you know.
 
We use Sprinters and the occasional Transit in the city, but they wouldn't hold up out in the country, and they would be impossible to fix or get parts (we had a Sprinter blow an injector in the middle of the steppe -- not fun!)

I was thinking of something more like this (but with a window for passengers and maybe a roof-mounted air-conditioner):

1252750974.jpg


:beer:
 
whats sick is that once you get into the "country" you need thats stuff....

awesome. i want a lada here in NY....
 
Nivas are cool little machines. Like a Harley but more hardcore yet nerdy. I'll always own one, even when I head back. They're also (bizarrely) a lot cheaper used in the West than over here. There's a US-based forum if you want to look into it.
 
I've got a Subaru Outback (wagon) as well and it hauls plenty of gear and is more than enough to handle Alaska winters.
 
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