It's been a while since I registered here on the website. A lot of life changing stuff happen in the mean time... but now I want slowly to pick up traveling again etc.
Uazzz what? UAZ is actually a Soviet car manufacture that mainly produces off-road vehicles for the red army. Like the 469 which looks kinda similar to a Jeep and the 452 vans (nickname: Buhanka) which is probably based on the Ford forward control back in the day. Funny enough Russia still produces 452 van under a different name today with some minor updates.
Ironically the first time I saw a Buhanka was like 15 years ago in place called Lviv in Ukraine when I was there on holiday. There it was standing in the streets of the old town. I had never seen such a vehicle before and I loved the looks of it (if I can find a picture I made back then I will place it here). Since there is no brand name on the car and just a logo I had no clue what it was. Later I found it what it was and back then there was not such vehicle for sale in the Netherlands. Fast forward 10 years later my previous girlfriend wanted to have a small van as a camper to travel around. She sended me some different pictures from campers but they all look boring plastic boxes. Until she send me a picture of an UAZ.. and I fondly remembered the one I've seen back in Ukraine and decided to hunt one down.
Surprisingly while searching for one I found out that in the mean time were some UAZ's driving around in the Netherlands already. And even one dealership that sells them new! And some other people who imported old ones from post-Soviet countries and sell them here. I've did a test drive in two old Buhankas and my god they drove horrible.... I've got some experience with old cars but this is something else! I was not happy how I found out how they drive and slowly trying trying to forget the Buhanka.
Then I found a very old UAZ in Austria on the internet for sale. If I wanted a Buhanka then it should be very old since this has a lot of tax and rules benefits here in the Netherlands. So we drove to Austria and did have a look at the UAZ. Then we drove the UAZ on a ski slope during summer time. The seller was driving in front a steep hill, stopped, put in 4x4 and low-gear and there she goes! It is such an awkward feeling and sight when you see a van go up such an angle (especially when you are from the Netherlands and everything is flat.. LOL). I WAS SOLD!
We shipped the van over to the Netherlands. After it arrived back home and got it registered then I actually found out that the engine was totally rubbish.. We decided that the van needed some serious upgrades. And after that we send it to Poland to a company who is specialized in soviet cars. I could do the stuff all by myself but did not have the time or space to do it.
Upgrades they did:
- brand new 2.7L engine with injection 110HP ( old one was a 2.4L carburetor with 60ish HP)
- 5 speed gearbox
- disc brakes around
- painted it in bed liner RAL 7010
- new wheels and tires
- small repairs overall
It took a cruel 2 years for them to finish the van...
During that time it wasn't that great at all. All the waiting, we had the pandemic and the horrible Russian invasion in Ukraine (and it also sucks for spare parts for the van).
But previous summer we could pick it up.. At last! Some positive stuff right? Nope.. my relationship shortly after we got the van back stranded and it was a major roller coaster in every way.
I decided to keep the van anyway and trying to enjoy some small trips around.
At a cars and coffee meet
part 2 comes soon ;)
Uazzz what? UAZ is actually a Soviet car manufacture that mainly produces off-road vehicles for the red army. Like the 469 which looks kinda similar to a Jeep and the 452 vans (nickname: Buhanka) which is probably based on the Ford forward control back in the day. Funny enough Russia still produces 452 van under a different name today with some minor updates.
Ironically the first time I saw a Buhanka was like 15 years ago in place called Lviv in Ukraine when I was there on holiday. There it was standing in the streets of the old town. I had never seen such a vehicle before and I loved the looks of it (if I can find a picture I made back then I will place it here). Since there is no brand name on the car and just a logo I had no clue what it was. Later I found it what it was and back then there was not such vehicle for sale in the Netherlands. Fast forward 10 years later my previous girlfriend wanted to have a small van as a camper to travel around. She sended me some different pictures from campers but they all look boring plastic boxes. Until she send me a picture of an UAZ.. and I fondly remembered the one I've seen back in Ukraine and decided to hunt one down.
Surprisingly while searching for one I found out that in the mean time were some UAZ's driving around in the Netherlands already. And even one dealership that sells them new! And some other people who imported old ones from post-Soviet countries and sell them here. I've did a test drive in two old Buhankas and my god they drove horrible.... I've got some experience with old cars but this is something else! I was not happy how I found out how they drive and slowly trying trying to forget the Buhanka.
Then I found a very old UAZ in Austria on the internet for sale. If I wanted a Buhanka then it should be very old since this has a lot of tax and rules benefits here in the Netherlands. So we drove to Austria and did have a look at the UAZ. Then we drove the UAZ on a ski slope during summer time. The seller was driving in front a steep hill, stopped, put in 4x4 and low-gear and there she goes! It is such an awkward feeling and sight when you see a van go up such an angle (especially when you are from the Netherlands and everything is flat.. LOL). I WAS SOLD!
We shipped the van over to the Netherlands. After it arrived back home and got it registered then I actually found out that the engine was totally rubbish.. We decided that the van needed some serious upgrades. And after that we send it to Poland to a company who is specialized in soviet cars. I could do the stuff all by myself but did not have the time or space to do it.
Upgrades they did:
- brand new 2.7L engine with injection 110HP ( old one was a 2.4L carburetor with 60ish HP)
- 5 speed gearbox
- disc brakes around
- painted it in bed liner RAL 7010
- new wheels and tires
- small repairs overall
It took a cruel 2 years for them to finish the van...
During that time it wasn't that great at all. All the waiting, we had the pandemic and the horrible Russian invasion in Ukraine (and it also sucks for spare parts for the van).
But previous summer we could pick it up.. At last! Some positive stuff right? Nope.. my relationship shortly after we got the van back stranded and it was a major roller coaster in every way.
I decided to keep the van anyway and trying to enjoy some small trips around.
At a cars and coffee meet
part 2 comes soon ;)
