hello and welcome to my page! :)

this is my Volga for 1967, Model 21R.

Thanks to user Volgafan24, I'll renew the history, as I did some ridiculous mistakes in it.

Produced since 1956 'til 1970, the GAZ-21 Volga car commonly used to be a chaffeur-driven personal vehicle for those who had a priviledge. Being a successor from a progressive (in 1948) flathead I4-powered fastback sedan "Pobeda", it featured a lot of innovations in the Soviet car industry: such as all-aluminum I4 block, central oiling system, automatic gearbox etc. It was planned to produce I4-powered and a V8-powered versions, mated with a 3-speed auto 'box, which was adapted from a Ford-o-Matic transmission. Also, the three-on-the-tree was planned for a weaker motor,

However, the USSR has lacked the ATF and quality fuel - so the automatic and the V8 were gone very soon (there was a special KGB escort package though that used a 340cu.in V8 with a 3-speed auto). Also, this 'box has lacked durability and was built quite roughly - you could hear a sledgehammer hitting something inside to put it into the next gear, and the fine 195hp V8 from a Chaika limousine needed good fuel to make it put all its muscle on the road. So good in fact, that they had to import it from Finland (not a big deal though, esp. in the 1970s). This gas was also used to feed V8 luxo-barges like Chaika or ZiL.

Styling of the car is quite rock'n'roll and comes from the early 1950s era - as it was based on the contemporary American cars - such as a '53 Ford Mainline or the Mercury Monterey of the same year. It wasn't the copy though, but in many ways it's very similar to the Ford. Inside you get a big '50s steering wheel and the control knobs all made from some sort of organic plastic, coloured as an elephant's bone - it looks fabulous! No stupid bucket seats here, but the soft and comfy bench seat, allowing to seat three. Column shifter is another feature of the '50s motor trend, as is nicely chrome-decorated AM-radio. All controls are done by hands easily - the layout reminds an American car, you can easily reach the parking brake handle, lights, wipers, etc. You can also switch the light beam mode by your foot by pressing the little foot pedal at the bottom.

Overall, GAZ M21 Volga was built in three variations:

1. 1956-1958 with little over 30.000 built

2. 1958-1961 with about 170.000 built

3. 1962-1970 with over 470.000 built

Volgas of this model are very well known in Russia and in the countries of ex-USSR, being oftenly customized into a hot rod or a kustom kruizer, often equipped with a Japanese, American, or bigger Russian engines - commonly the V8s. 

This particular machine is a 1967 GAZ-21R, the base model. There wasn't a Chevy options list for this car - when you bought an ultra-luxury S or the export US trims (US not for the United States!), it would simply add a ridicuolus chrome moulds of the windscreen (like you may see on the convertible Audis of today) and chromed door lines, going just under the side windows. I would like to say sorry to those who like this feature :) Also you would get fancier colors and in some cases the famous mascot figure of a reindeer on the bonnet (it's nice up 'til the moment it tears a pedestrian apart while one's being ran over). No power steering, no aircon, no electric toys, no self-seeking radio, no TV, no satnav, and the AK-47 doesn't go with it. However, the windscreen and the interior are nicely heated, the window cranking handles never squeak and make funny plastic noises, and there is a nice radio! An interesting feature - if you open any of the rear doors, or a driver's door - the interior light with switch on for you. If you open the passenger door - ERRR! No light for you, mate!

The car comes with its original engine, what makes it an "all numbers matching" vehicle. It's an I4, ZMZ-21A, rated at 75 horsepower, fed by a single-barrel carb K-131 (I thought it was factory installed - wrong!).

Overall, it looks the same as on these pictures, as no mods or restos are done yet, as I only got it a week ago, but all the works are yet to come, so do come back and do check my page out :)

thanks for your attention!

 UPDATE! From 10.09.08

Out she comes to get the clutch done! the old clutch disc was terribly used out and in desperate need of replacement. The cars you can see on the background are VAZ-21213 Niva and VAZ-21063 Zhiguli - both good ol' soviet cars produced in this version since the late 70s, both with 1,6 liter I4 and 4-speed manual

 Another interior shot. I'm absolutely in love with that bench seat up front and a column shifter - makes it so comfy and cosy inside! Unusual as well!

 Removed the driveshaft. That was the very first time of me discovering the parking brake - it's on the driveshaft! I think it's genuine idea, makes it so simple to fix (parking brakes are the eternal problem of all russian-built vehicles) and durable. basically, it's nothing but a fifth drum brake. It was half-operational, as the brake shoe spring wasn't in it's place, so it didn't keep the system working well enough.

 Removed the shifter

 3-speed manual 'box and the dog clutch itself. It lacked the cover for some reason

 the disc - all worn out

 Sadly, we didn't manage to finish before dark, so..

 she stayed there overight with half-assembled drivetrain :)

When we finished it, the car has really woken up! here is another shot of it, a Christine-style picture outside the garage

 Later on, I've re-done the ignition, as the original one was rubbish, and all worn out - so it's well alive again. Right now the car sits in a garage, waits for the next summer to come - a feature of the place where I live in - it's minus 47C right now, and I'm thousand miles away from it - so it's not really the time for an update. However, I do have some pictures of it - just those pretty ones, nothing hard-core mechanic stuff.

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 Here we are, cruising around with my second half :) 

 and some more:

Luckily my neighborhood looks perfect for those nostalgic shots - it has hardly changed since its hallo-days of the 1970s. The car is really in its home turf.

Suck it, Land Cruiser! A 41-year old banger is the same size as you

That's how these cars looked in the 1980s - already secondhand, in the hands of ordinary people, used oftely to commute to their summer houses - the Dachas (if you read some Russian literature - you know what I'm on about)

That's the view I want to see every day! The speedo is laid out in kph, and the steering wheel is completely rotten, it should be absolutely different.

Yep, well down in the mud. Although this car has an offroad pedigree - the slick worn-out tyres don't help the case. The antenna proudly is up!

That's it for now, I'm not sure I'll renew the page 'til the summer '09 when I get back home to put some work into it. Thanks for your attention, and have a great holiday!