Dunno about the Niva - nearly bulletproof those things!

My Daughter bought a 1962 850 (with an 100 engine) about a year ago.
I drove it home from Orange and it ran out of fuel in the lower blue mountains. It picked up some dirt from the fuel tank and held the needle and seat open in the float bowl (I was sitting on 60mph all the way). I cleaned it when we got home.
It broke down again the other day with the same problem 12 months later. This time we fitted a fuel filter just before the carby.
About 6 months ago it started running rough. Checked the point, almost closed. Reset them and away it went. Started running rough again last weekend. Replaced the points this time.

Moral. If you have to fix it, do it properly and reliability will get better and better.

phil

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Find a job you love and you will never have to go to work !

All I do is tip a pint of the good stuff (oil) now and again and this alone for four years, driven daily.
Disc brakes obviously.

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It's easy once you know how.

I drive my 77 clubby 30 mins to work every weekend, and every so often during the week (trams are much easier into the city!)
but knock on wood, so far so good!
Im also with you guys on the motorbike theory! i always drive with my lights on, otherwise no ones sees you! Even if you are bright green! hahaha

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1977 Clubby!

Actually, my daewoo is probably the most reliable car I know of. 375000kms and the only things replaced are the battery, 2 wheel bearings and service items.

Mine was reliable until I started making it faster!

Realistically, it's getting rewired with new gauges and a new fuel system and should be pretty much bulletproof after that. However my '88 MR2 is modified up the beejesus, driven very quickly, and in 12 years I've had one failed clutch master cylinder and one loose exhaust bolt. No Mini could ever achieve that.

New gauges make everything more reliable

Had a Renault Megane and the transmission went, sold it for a NZ$8,500 loss over 12 months. The Volvo's had a new transmission, alternator and throttle body at the cost of many thousands of dollars.

Dropped a 1275 lump from a NZ$600 Metro into the Estate, nothing wrong with the 1100 but fancied a change. Rust will stop 'em, not much else will.

We'll, my fuel gauge doesn't work, so yes they will!

Fuel gauges are over rated, keep the tanks near full, especially when sitting around.
esp boats, I try and use the same fuel station, I have for 20 or more years and usually ok.
fuel these days aint wat it was though.

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It's easy once you know how.

I've heard a lot bout how fuel degrades quickly these days, but I've never experienced it. My brother had a full talk of fuel in his AP5 Valiant, and it broke down and sat for about 6 years. Started up first time. Same goes for the mini - I've left it 6 months with no noticeable difference. Maybe it's not the fuel but that the fuel systems in newer cars are used to the finer things.

Fuel only has a shelf life of six to eight weeks these days before the vapours start to seperate and the octane rating reduces. Not normally a problem for starting old carby cars but it used to cause me problems with the Solexes on my Corona GT.

Old school leadeed fuel lasted years, no problems.

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Brett Nicholson
Greendale (near Ballan) VIC.
1971 Morris Mini Moke
1966 Austin Mini
1965 Morris Mini Traveller
1973 LR Series 3 88
2007 LR Freelander 2