Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2003/03/14

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Which Leica ?, M5, (now hand crank)
From: John Collier <jbcollier@shaw.ca>
Date: Fri, 14 Mar 2003 09:31:57 -0700

Yes the Russians bought the complete Fiat 127 production line. The Lada 
was not a bad car by sixties standards; poor materials and poorly 
finished mind you. Brand new Russian bearings sounded like ones I would 
throw away. Lots of sharp unfinished edges so my hands and arms would 
get all lacerated like Kyle's friend (Emily?) of a few years back. Lada 
gave the term sample variation a whole new meaning. The casting and 
machining of the manifolds varied by such a great a amount that 
sometimes an intake port would be half blocked! It took us a while to 
figure out why some cars went like Vamps out of Stalingrad and others 
plodded along like the disenchanted proletariat. Good samples would 
easily spin up to 7000+ rpm and absolutely NO other car had as good a 
heater. -30F and you had to turn it right down to keep from boiling you 
out of the car.

John Collier

On Friday, March 14, 2003, at 08:34 AM, SonC (Sonny Carter) wrote:

> I've only had the pleasure of riding in a Lada taxi in Cuba.  They
> looked very much like a Fiat 127 to me, is that the case?

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