I owned a Lada Signet wagon back in 1987 and sold it once I got married... biggest mistakes I ever did (yes, get married and sell the Lada).
Anyhow, here are a few pics of me back then, cleaning the car a few days after buying it.
Pardon the weird pics... I essentially laid the pictures flat and took pics of them with the macro setting on my new camera.
No comments about the short shorts please... this was the eighties.
And here are some recent pics of an earlier version of the car, but in diecast form.
I recently missed out on buying 3 Signet wagons for $200. By the time I found the ad the cars had already been srapped. There was one 1990 (running) and two 1986 (one running, one for parts). I was sick to my stomach for days afterwards every time I thought about how close I had come to buying so many for so cheap. Oh well, c'est la vie!
However, I finally struck gold in July '08 when I found this in Calgary, Canada !!!
1991 lada signet 1.6 carbed 5spd, in good condition in the process of getting it mobile, windsheild cracked shows 75,000 km
Determined NOT to let this one get away, I emailed the seller, asking for a status report on this vehicle.
I finally called the number listed and spoke to Carmine at the dealership. Ansel Motors was a Lada dealership and they still service local Ladas and Nivas. Needless to say it is comforting to find out they have so much Lada knowledge. They might even become a regular source of parts.
We spoke very candidly about the Signet and Carmine gave me the good and the bad.
The good:
-Interior in great shape
-Exterior in great shape except for a bondo crack in the right rear quarter panel
-Undercarriage very clean and rust free
-Tranny shifts great
-Tires in great shape. The front tires are still the original ones, with tubes !!!
The bad:
-Engine smokes (could be rings or valves)
-Carb is cantankerous (he will try to resolve that)
-Crack in the windshield (but he has a spare)
I have a very busy July and August and I asked if he would be willing to store the Signet for me until I pick it up in September. He is open to the idea. He will post better pictures on kijiji.
I then made arrangements to have my cousin's husband (they live in Calgary) stop by the dealership and look over the car for me.
As promised, Carmine posted better pics.
Barring anything really negative from my cousin, I decided to get the car when I saw the above pics.
Well, so far the seller (Carmine) has agreed to do the Alberta govt. inspection for the same price as a Manitoba safety, i.e. $45 + GST (goods and services tax).
He has also agreed to replace the windshield for $150 (parts & labour).
He has also figured out why the cars smokes so much (carb) and will swap in a better one.
My cousin's husband finally called and gave me some good news. The car is solid and there is very little surface rust. He feels it's a good deal at $1,500.
So, I fly out to Calgary on Sept. 22 at 7:15 am and, due to the times zones, I arrive at 8:20 am, even though it,s a 2-hour trip. This gives me a full day to go through the car before I attempt the drive back. It's about 1,300 kms from Calgary to Winnipeg but I can cover that in a day, provided the car cooperates.
Cheers !!
Anyhow, here are a few pics of me back then, cleaning the car a few days after buying it.
Pardon the weird pics... I essentially laid the pictures flat and took pics of them with the macro setting on my new camera.
No comments about the short shorts please... this was the eighties.
And here are some recent pics of an earlier version of the car, but in diecast form.
I recently missed out on buying 3 Signet wagons for $200. By the time I found the ad the cars had already been srapped. There was one 1990 (running) and two 1986 (one running, one for parts). I was sick to my stomach for days afterwards every time I thought about how close I had come to buying so many for so cheap. Oh well, c'est la vie!
However, I finally struck gold in July '08 when I found this in Calgary, Canada !!!
1991 lada signet 1.6 carbed 5spd, in good condition in the process of getting it mobile, windsheild cracked shows 75,000 km
Determined NOT to let this one get away, I emailed the seller, asking for a status report on this vehicle.
I finally called the number listed and spoke to Carmine at the dealership. Ansel Motors was a Lada dealership and they still service local Ladas and Nivas. Needless to say it is comforting to find out they have so much Lada knowledge. They might even become a regular source of parts.
We spoke very candidly about the Signet and Carmine gave me the good and the bad.
The good:
-Interior in great shape
-Exterior in great shape except for a bondo crack in the right rear quarter panel
-Undercarriage very clean and rust free
-Tranny shifts great
-Tires in great shape. The front tires are still the original ones, with tubes !!!
The bad:
-Engine smokes (could be rings or valves)
-Carb is cantankerous (he will try to resolve that)
-Crack in the windshield (but he has a spare)
I have a very busy July and August and I asked if he would be willing to store the Signet for me until I pick it up in September. He is open to the idea. He will post better pictures on kijiji.
I then made arrangements to have my cousin's husband (they live in Calgary) stop by the dealership and look over the car for me.
As promised, Carmine posted better pics.
Barring anything really negative from my cousin, I decided to get the car when I saw the above pics.
Well, so far the seller (Carmine) has agreed to do the Alberta govt. inspection for the same price as a Manitoba safety, i.e. $45 + GST (goods and services tax).
He has also agreed to replace the windshield for $150 (parts & labour).
He has also figured out why the cars smokes so much (carb) and will swap in a better one.
My cousin's husband finally called and gave me some good news. The car is solid and there is very little surface rust. He feels it's a good deal at $1,500.
So, I fly out to Calgary on Sept. 22 at 7:15 am and, due to the times zones, I arrive at 8:20 am, even though it,s a 2-hour trip. This gives me a full day to go through the car before I attempt the drive back. It's about 1,300 kms from Calgary to Winnipeg but I can cover that in a day, provided the car cooperates.
Cheers !!