VAZ-2329 "Niva" pickup truck - what is such a car good for

Cars in pickup-type bodies did not take root in Russia. In Soviet times, they were not released, and then somehow it did not grow together. There are not enough farmers in our country, and in the city, driving a pickup truck is so-so fun.


However, cars of this type are sometimes found, but they are expensive. Therefore, they are often used as toys for off-road rides.

Do you know that AvtoVAZ also produced pickup trucks, only budget ones? More precisely, there was a private company working with a well-known Russian manufacturer. She was engaged in the production of the VAZ-2329 model. More precisely, the transformation of the standard three-door Niv into pickup trucks.


However, let's go in order. But it is worth mentioning that about three dozen VAZ-2329s are now on sale on the used market and they are asking for them from 140 thousand to 1,65 million rubles.

The story of

When the Soviet Union collapsed, AvtoVAZ found itself in a difficult position, like other large and small plants and factories in a once united, now divided country. At first, cars were in high demand, according to old memory. But the flow of used foreign cars that poured through open borders turned out to be many times better and cheaper.

Drivers began to buy what was previously unavailable to them. Demand for VAZ cars fell sharply. Cars that had been dismantled straight from the assembly line now began to pile up in warehouses.


I had to experiment somehow. But third-party firms cooperating with AvtoVAZ were engaged in this. By the way, some of these companies were organized by former employees of the parent company, who do not want to work within a strict framework, dreaming of creating modern Russian models.

The VAZ-2329 pickup truck was assembled by specialists from the Super-Avto company. In addition to the farm SUV, they are remembered for a number of other projects. These were:

✅ Sixteen-valve "Samara"
✅ Lada Priory with engines of 1,8 liters per 130 hp. with.
✅ Elongated "Tens" called "Premier"

Perhaps, of all of the above, the Niva in the back of a pickup truck was the most interesting in appearance. She would still have a 1,8-liter engine with 130 hp. with.

But alas - you need to understand the specifics of the domestic automotive industry of those years. I had to release something interesting, unusual, but at the same time, the most budgetary.


Thanks to friendly relations with the leadership of AvtoVAZ, Super-Auto specialists were even allocated a conveyor line, where prototypes were previously assembled. There they made a little-known pickup truck in Russia. It should be noted right away that the model was produced in small batches.

Although, for Super-Auto, the car was commercially profitable - in the most successful years it was possible to sell up to 2 cars. However, Russian drivers were still wary of the model. Most of the cars were bought by public utilities, small lots "left" even to the army.

VAZ-2329 was produced in several versions:

✅ Open
✅ Tent with arches
✅ KUNG

The first pickup trucks rolled off the assembly line back in 1995. The fact that the model is successful is evidenced by sales statistics. Production is believed to have been completed in 2018. But the last cars were completed for another 12-18 months. If the Super-Auto company had not closed, who knows, maybe the VAZ-2329 would have been produced now.

Appearance and body

"Niva" pickup is the longest representative of the family. Due to the presence of a cargo platform, the car surpasses even the VAZ-2131 in this parameter. But a model was created on the chassis of the "short man". But if it looks like a typical compact "jeep", then the long VAZ-2329 is more like a station wagon, especially if it has a plastic KUNG, and most of these cars are on sale.


The cargo compartment here is typical for pickups - it is separated from the passenger compartment. This pleases - you can transport something dirty and smelly. On the other hand, it is not so easy to get something that rolls closer to the cabin.

The plastic KUNG itself is an ode to the “handicraft-basement” production of the 90s. If you try to explain the quality of performance in words, you get something like: "they made it look like the Japanese, and it's good, there is still no other."

The plastic here is typical for the cooperation of the late 80s, early 90s, such, with the effect of shagreen. You should not expect special strength from it, that is, it is undesirable to leave valuable things inside. KUNG fasteners are also implemented frankly handicraft - ordinary rivets and self-tapping screws.

Don't expect tightness. But the children of the owner of this car will be delighted when, after a week of rains, they find a pool of water in the back.

Salon

Inside, the VAZ-2329 pickup truck is basically no different from the standard Niva. And the point is not that the manufacturer could not change something - it would simply increase the cost of the final result.


The VAZ-2329 has power windows. They are not found on all pickups, because this is an option for an additional fee.

Access to the rear sofa is implemented in the same way as on the short Niva. To get there, you have to recline the backs of the front seats. But there is definitely more space here - this was achieved due to the stretched base, the absence of wheel arches under the seat, which was pushed back.


There is one feature of the VAZ-2329 - this is a secret niche under the back seat. Many things will not fit there, but you can hide valuables.

Technical features

The engine of the VAZ-2329 is typical for the Niva - this is a power unit with a working volume of 1,7 liters. Standard carburetor engines were installed on cars of the first years of production, then they became injection engines, as in the whole family.


Engine power is clearly not enough for a pickup truck. However, the same can be said about the short Niva. Although, on rural and broken roads, where it still won’t be possible to accelerate, the car drives well even when loaded.

Since 2329, power steering has appeared on the VAZ-2009. Fans of modern cars will appreciate it, especially when maneuvering in tight spaces.

The transmission of the pickup truck is the same as that of the standard VAZ-2121 - permanent four-wheel drive. Interestingly, about 25% of Russian drivers who do not have experience in owning any Niva are sure that the front axle is forcibly connected to the car - it’s not for nothing that there are two more levers besides the manual transmission!


Structurally, the VAZ-2329 is as simple and reliable as the classic Niva. Breakdowns are associated, as a rule, with operation in the mud, constant overloads and inadequate quality of spare parts. Unfortunately, the last point is the scourge of domestic cars of the classic series.

Like any Niva, the VAZ-2329 has a couple of flaws in the chassis - these are the buzzing bridge and razdatka. But this is more of a design feature.


Is it worth taking a VAZ-2329 pickup truck? Depending on what it is supposed to be used for. As the only car for a family, it is unlikely to fit. In the city, moving around in a pickup truck is even more difficult than in a standard Niva. In addition to a weak engine, a long-wheelbase car is also not very maneuverable.

On the highway, the pickup rides better than the short Niva, it doesn’t “goat”, but the cruising speed is just as low. But in the countryside, the car shows itself only on the positive side.

But for hunting and fishing, the VAZ-2329 is suitable. In the back of a pickup truck will fit not only all the uniforms, but also production. Just keeping a few cars in the family is expensive, even if it is as simple as the Niva.