I shake my head!

[old man emu]

See what it costs to send a letter/small parcel by courier.

 

International postal rates are incredibly high. I want to buy a voltage regulator for my bike. It is about the size of a tin of Eclipse mints, but the cheapest postage is $US30.

[Flightrite]

I bought a used Narco radio a little while back from the States, packaged weight 4lbs, shipping cost $A125!! Took 10 days which I thought was pretty fast compared to Aussie post stand alone!

[danny_galaga]

International postal rates are incredibly high. I want to buy a voltage regulator for my bike. It is about the size of a tin of Eclipse mints, but the cheapest postage is $US30.

[ATTACH type=full]54045[/ATTACH]

 

Yes US post is very expensive.

[onetrack]

Years ago you could put a parcel on interstate coach ( bus ) for transport to major centres

 

Yes, that was a good system - until cheap airfares drove the coach companies out of business.

[Blueadventures]

Just received an order from Aircraft Spruce in 8 days via UPS Express cost $46US so happy with that. Paying for some parts from UK soon so will be interesting to see their delivery time.

[Marty_d]

During the steam train era my home town received mail from Sydney within two days. Now it's at least five.

In the 1980s I could ring Triggs of Toronto at lunchtime to order a part for my Lada Niva and it would be at our local train station next morning.

Yeah but with other cars you don't need to order parts every month...

[facthunter]

C'mon It's a Russian built Fiat derived purpose built vehicle tested in Siberia with a radiator like a forklifts.. Real quality for a lifetime. . Better than a Suzuki Mighty Boy. (Isn't anything?) Nev

[Old Koreelah]

Yeah but with other cars you don't need to order parts every month...

No more often than a Toyota required; parts were always available and very reasonably priced, mostly because the design didn't change from year to year.

[kgwilson]

I was loaned a Lada Niva back in their day when i was a meet director at at Hang Gliding competition. The fittings were not too good as both plastic interior door handles broke but it was the most capable 4WD I'd ever driven at that time.

[onetrack]

How many Ladas are still running around, and how many older Toyotas are still going? That about says it all. Even the Americans have a major size group who love FJ45's and rebuild them wholesale.

 

They bring huge money in the U.S. in restored condition. The Americans even copy our Australian-style trays in their restorations.

 

https://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/cars-for-sale/toyota/fj45

 

I haven't seen a Lada Niva for years, although I know they have their followers - particularly in areas where they love their cheap and rough runabouts. They certainly were very capable off-road.

The Russian farm tractors arrived in numbers here in the late 1970's, but by the early 1990's nearly everyone who owned one was sick of the poor parts backup, the poor build quality - and of course, the poor resale value that went with it.

 

I think the final nail in the coffin was many people finding out that much of Russian industry in that era, employed slave or forced labour. The Vietnamese sent a lot of their people for "re-education" to Russia, after they won the American War.

[facthunter]

I think a LADA Niva is pretty honestly designed and built and a lot of the competing equivalents are poser cute Toorak tractors with no paint or rustproofing at all underneath. and suspensions that couldn't clip a curb. Mummy's shopping trolley. Nev

[kgwilson]

The Russians have built some incredible stuff over the years but customer care, comfort and safety have never been the strong points. They seem to accept that to get the best out of something it must always be practical and building in safety, comfort etc in will lessen this and there is an acceptance of risk that in the West we will not accept. They managed to steal jet engine technology from the British & the Migs ran rings around the Sabres in the Korean war. Their rocket technology has always been superior to the rest of the world and in WW2 they had the best Tanks in the T34 & KV1. Their biggest problems have been political. If Stalin had not got rid of all of the experts the German invasion would have failed spectacularly & WW2 would have been over by 1943. Their business models in the Communist era were abysmal but they continue to amaze the world with things like Sukhoi Su range of fighter jets & massive Antonov (Ukranian originally) cargo aircraft. The Lada Niva was superb at its job but the poor support & parts supply meant they were doomed from the beginning.

[Old Koreelah]

The Niva was in some ways far ahead of Japanese 4WDs when it hit our market, but the Russians seemed to have no mechanism for ironing out its many faults. They kept churning out the same design for years, warts and all. I wish I'd kept mine for work around the paddock.

[Old Koreelah]

...The Lada Niva was superb at its job but the poor support & parts supply meant they were doomed from the beginning.

Never had a problem getting parts and they were always affordable.

[facthunter]

A lot of modern jiggers have no parts after about 5 years on some critical items. They don't want you driving old stuff. Not good for business.. Nev

[onetrack]

The problem with so much of our high-tech equipment today is the inability to repair any component. Mechanics today no longer have any basic diagnostic ability, they're taught to simply hook up the big diagnostic computer and replace the major component that is causing the problem.

In the old days, that component would be repairable - in todays world, very little is repairable, it's all sealed, with the classic "no user-serviceable components inside", decal attached.

[Old Koreelah]

... it's all sealed, with the classic "no user-serviceable components inside", decal attached.

Modern cars are so reliable and have such long periods between scheduled service, that I'm surprised the bonnet isn't bolted shut, to protect the engine from the owner. I'm sure the next generation electric cars will.

[onetrack]

Old K - I can recall a mate and myself discussing the future design of vehicles around 1980. The mate predicted that cars in the future would have a totally sealed front end, with just a flap for checking oil and water.

He reckoned any failure under the bonnet would result in your car being scrapped - or they'd just slice off the front end, and stitch on a complete new power unit, just like sealed units in a fridge.

I don't think he was too far wrong in many respects. There is a lot to be said for having power units sealed, eliminating the problems of wear-and-corrosion-inducing dust and moisture.

[facthunter]

People are more disconnected from reality in modern societies. They wouldn't last a week if a catastrophe came upon them where some initiative and rapid adjustment was necessary and the "government" is not expected to do everything. They'd probably hoard unnecessary stuff and not do what's best till forced to do it and then spend most of the energy they have left, whinging.

CARS used to have to be greased and oil changed every 1000 miles (1600kms) and a tyre cost a weeks wages and lasted 8,000 miles The engine needed recoing at about 50,000 miles on average and a few decokes in between A lot couldn't EVEN afford a car. They went on a Bus or pushbike or walked. Appreciate what you have., like hot running clean water, public transport and a medical service. Most people in the world still don't have those things. One day we might have Phones that work, too. Nev

[spacesailor]

AND An inside flushing dunny.

When you have lived without your own dunny and without even a water tap in the house,

You certainly do apreciate All our Civilized bits.

spacesailor

[pmccarthy]

I ordered a new Bendix drive for my 1932 starter motor on line recently. Plenty of stock available.

[skippydiesel]

.........................................................They managed to steal jet engine technology from the British & the Migs ran rings around the Sabres in the Korean war. ................................

 

Hi Nev - I think you will find that the USSR (as it was back then) purchased the jet engines from the Poms, much to the displeasure of the Americans. The Yanks were, rightly, concerned that Boris would use the engines in military applications and put a lot of pressure on the Poms not to sell - I always felt that the Poms sold the engines out of spite/reaction to the heavy hand of the Yanks.

[old man emu]

If you ever get the chance take a look inside a Yak 18T or 52. Those things look like they came out of a Peoples Co-operative Tractor factory.

[kgwilson]

Hi Nev - I think you will find that the USSR (as it was back then) purchased the jet engines from the Poms, much to the displeasure of the Americans. The Yanks were, rightly, concerned that Boris would use the engines in military applications and put a lot of pressure on the Poms not to sell - I always felt that the Poms sold the engines out of spite/reaction to the heavy hand of the Yanks.

Dunno where I got the 'steal' bit from. On checking, the Rolls Royce Nene engine was the most powerful jet engine in existence at the time & the British were basically bankrupt after the war. The licence to produce the Nene was given to the USA, Canada, France & Australia but the Russians wanted to buy some, however they had no hard currency so they were bought with Gold Bullion. No one ever thought the Russians would reverse engineer them & the Poms figured the upcoming RR Avon would run rings around the Nene anyway. In the meantime though the Korean war broke out & the Mig 15s with the reverse engineered engines were the clear winners.

[Old Koreelah]

...No one ever thought the Russians would reverse engineer them & the Poms figured the upcoming RR Avon would run rings around the Nene anyway. In the meantime though the Korean war broke out & the Mig 15s with the reverse engineered engines were the clear winners.

The Soviets built some great aircraft of their own design and managed to totally dismantle a B-29 and reverse engineer several of them in time for a victory parade. The sight of four Superfortresses in Soviet livery sure toughened up the yanks.