Kamaz First Place in Paris Dakar 2021

 Kamaz First Place in Paris Dakar 2021

 

 

Soviet American Iron

 Here is something Soviet American side by side.

A Volga GAZ-24 and some Dodge van.

The aesthetics has some commonality, wouldn't you say so?

Volga GAZ-3102

 Here is a Volga GAZ-3102.

Amazingly it's only the first Volga 3102 on the blog.

The Volga GAZ-3102 was in production from 1982 to 2010.

Later period door handles - after 2005.

Peugeot 508

 First sighting of a Peugeot 508 recorded on this blog.

BAW Fenix

For completion's sake, and also to continue exploration of China car and truck, here is a BAW Fenix truck which is I believe is the first recorded sighting on this blog.

The Fenix aka Qiling is apparently based on the Isuzu N series.

405334 km LADA 110

Moskvitch-402

 Here is a Moskvitch-402 with a very early grille that never made it into mass production.

As you can see, it's not a proper sighting but rather some copy photography of exhibits at an art installation dedicated to the car at Moscow's North River Terminal that was visited last month.

The time is the early 1950s and the venue is in front of the North River Terminal in Moscow; and here is what it looks like today after a recent renovation.

The early and quite menacing grille that was not seen when mass production of the car started in earnest in the late 1950s through 1960s.

In fact, in some ways it is similar to that of the Opel Olympia Rekord.

And here is the art installation in question titled the Dream of the Moskvitch.

After the jump, there is a bonus: photo travel at the location in question.

 

Small and Red

 Here is a small fire service vehicle of some kind.

The brand remains unidentified for now.

Oka # 5

 Here is the number 5 Oka since start of blog.

Serving as a stationary ad board advertising some Georgian cuisine restaurant.

The logo points to its being a SeAZ-1111 rather than a VAZ-1111

Moscow Monorail at Night

 Moscow Monorail at Night

 

 

Grand Entrance in a Grand Cherokee

Chevrolet Tracker

 A Chevrolet Tracker, second gen.

A first time sighting on the blog, I get to make a wish or something.

Volga GAZ-21 Walkaround

Pontiac Fiero in Ferrari Red

 And now for something in red...

 

 ...and no it's not a Ferrari but what I think is a 1984 Pontiac Fiero (initially misidentified as an early Toyota MR2) bedecked as one in a kind of tribute to same. The correct ID'ing was done thanks to one of the blog readers (see comments).

By the way, from what I gather, a 1984 Fiero is a collectible car in its own right although not the most sought after model or year.

Ponty.

Actually, it is said the Fiero was/is very popular among the creators of replicars, as a base for converting into copies of mid-engined supercars, and the subject is one of those conversions.

And in fact, the wikipedia entry on the Fiero says the same thing:

Currently the Fiero has a cult following of owners and customizers. While all Fiero models are considered to be collectible, the 1988 model year is particularly sought after by collectors due to its limited production numbers and vastly improved underpinnings. Because of an abundance of replacement parts available from other General Motors vehicles, there are many upgrades that can be done to improve performance and reliability of the cars. Additionally, a multitude of different General Motors engines have been installed by enthusiasts, from the Quad-4 engine to the Chevrolet small-block V8 to the Cadillac 4.9 L and Northstar V8s. The GM 3800 Supercharged is also a very popular choice, as well as the 3.4 L found in the 1993, 1994, and 1995 Camaro/Firebird. One shop in particular that pioneered and now specializes in V8 installations has even gone so far as to install the famed Z06 Corvette powerplant, the 505 horsepower LS7, into a Fiero. Installation of the 4.9 L V8 or smaller engines is possible with few modifications to the car itself, because Fiero prototypes were tested with a similar small aluminum V8 prior to production. As a result, the engine bay is large enough to accommodate engines of that size. 

The Fiero is also popular for being modified into Lamborghini and Ferrari replicas along with other custom kit car modifications.

A tribute to the Ferrari F355 ?

 

ZiL-131 Truck with a KUNG Body

 And here is another ZiL-131 truck with a KUNG body.

The ZiL-131 is an all-terrain 6x6 AWD truck.

On the chassis is what is known as a KUNG body.

KUNG is the English transcription of the Cyrillic initialism КУНГ for Russian: кузов унифицированный нулевого (нормального) габарита (unified body of zero [standard] dimension). The KUNG is a Soviet then Russian term for a standardized military vehicle module/trailer system.

The most widespread standard frame-metal body-van is assembled from steel angles and angle bars, steering aluminum sheets outside, but inside - impregnated varnished plywood. The voids between the sheathing panels are filled with insulating foam. All bodies, regardless of specialization are supplied with heating, ventilation, lighting and ceiling light household equipment. KUNGs are manufactured for installation on the chassis of GAZ-63, ZIL-157, GAZ-66, ZIL-131, KAMAZ-4310, Ural-375, Ural-4320. Versions for different vehicles are standardized with the same type of items and equipment.

KUNG body type: wood and metal, insulated, sealed, heated and are designed for placement of personnel, repair shops, electronic systems, health centers, etc.