“So what?” I say. And he molested: "Let's go, see." Well, let's go. And by that time, I had been driving the 99th for a little over five years and was, in general, quite happy with it. I will not say that I did not pay attention to other cars at all, but I tried on only rare ones on myself. But “off-road” and “off-road vehicles” were not included in their number.
When we arrived at the appointed time, the owner was absent. We went down to the car site in the courtyard and among a small herd of cars standing here we immediately saw the object of our excursion. He stood in a corner, reminiscent of a lone American bull, wary of a orange turn signal. We went around the machine several times around, looked into the salon, and I suddenly caught myself that I like the "goby"! The owner approached said that the Cherokee was in its 98th year of production, its mileage was 30, 000 miles (it’s a very junior age) and its condition is perfect. It was a three-door model with a gasoline injection engine (in-line "four" with a volume of 2.5 liters and a power of 122 hp), in the minimum configuration: except for the air conditioning, airbags and radio with acoustics - no miracles. The car was delivered from the States by ferry to Finland, and from there - on its own to Kazan.
The owner turned out to be an experienced tempter. He told the whole story of how his agents in the States hunted for this model for two years - such, they say, were produced in small batches only for the US domestic market. And he took it, of course, for himself, but - alas: in connection with the wedding of his daughter, who lives all in the same States, he urgently needed money to travel to visit and, naturally, a gift. And the fact that the Cherokee’s drive was only rear, he presented to me as a merit: consumption in the city cycle is only 12 liters, on the highway at all 10. Well, if you don’t really show off, you can drive everywhere with rear-wheel drive where you wish.
The rest of the day and the next day passed in intense thought and calculation. The calculator showed that if you attract the resources of relatives and friends, then you can collect the necessary amount. So, quite unexpectedly, I became a "jeepar".
First of all, I decided to change all the oils and antifreeze, as well as the timing belt, on which the cracks were visible. Then, on the recommendation of the “servicemen”, he replaced the front brake pads along with the brake cylinders. All expenses, together with the cost of the car, totaled $ 12, 000. That's all. Since then, for two years now, the American UAZ has been running around briskly, without requiring extra investment, except for the replacement of oils and filters. Most of the spare parts, as I found out, are quite affordable, and the headlights fit from … our "Oka"!
Gasoline consumption really turned out to be at the level indicated by the seller. The “receiver” is, at least, no worse than that of the “nine”, it keeps the road perfectly, practically does not notice the snow on the road (with studded tires), it takes up the raises effortlessly, and brakes confidently. In short, the ride is very nice and comfortable. To this we can add that the car was clearly made for those who would drive it, and not for those who assemble it. One thing confuses me: I considered my 99th a good car. What to say now?
I did not note that the machine has power steering, power mirrors, central locking, height adjustment of all seat belts. As far as I know, without these things, the American guys do not even make horse-drawn carts. And the engine starts only when the clutch is depressed, which eliminates accidental starting when the gear is engaged.
