Engine and Tranny out!

The engine and transmission are out of the car. We've also removed the brake calipers, wheel cylinders, and all the brake and clutch hydraulic cylinders. We'll be tearing these down and cleaning them up over the next couple weeks and let me tell you comrades, they need a cleaning.

We also found some troubling rust damage once we got the car in the air. Right behind both front wheel wells are soft spots so bad I was able to push through them and into the passenger compartment with my bare hands.

Comrade Davin also brought out a huge wing from his
dirt track car that looked totally sweet on the Lada.
However, we're concerned that it would lift the front
wheels off the ground at speed.

Natasha on the move

After an hour's worth of glorious, heart-friendly shoveling to free it from my snowed-over driveway we pulled the Lada out of my garage today. One of the tires has been gradually deflating, which I was able to rectify using the original equipment manual pump in the tool kit. It was still wrapped in paper from the factory and had apparently never been used. It worked perfectly!

In the pictures, the car is perched atop a large snow bank in our parking lot at work. It was the only way to park the trailer in our lot (or maybe the most dramatic way to display the full majesty of our steed.)

It's headed to a teammate's shop just south of town for some work tomorrow night including removal of the brakes, suspension and driveline. (teammate has a lift and a much larger space)Then it's off to receive it's roll cage.

I was hoping for a nice bracing chill to remind our comrades of the struggle faced in the long, and ultimately successful Battle of Stalingrad, but though it was -5 this morning, it warmed to 18 by the afternoon.

Sponsors!

While we haven't sold a single part off the car yet, we have secured another excellent beverage sponsor. Rob Sass of Overdrive Consulting has contributed to the effort in a big way. Rob is a hell of a guy and a fine writer. Over the last few years, he's built quite a resume. I'd trust him with my life.