The Lada Legend: It’s Official

The Crucial Key Exchange

 

In a few short hours, barring a blizzard or some other catastrophe, the Lada will officially be in my possession. First order of business: an oil change. Let’s see, I remember helping my Dad change the oil once or twice. Did I actually have to get under the car? No. It seems the only thing I remember from that experience was not to lie directly beneath where the oil comes out when you’re about to start the draining process. Perhaps I should’ve been more attentive.

I think it’s about time to befriend a local mechanic. He, the worldly Lada guru, will surely be able to teach us everything there is to know about oil changes, brake pads, and what to do if you get locked in the trunk. Hopefully he’ll let us keep the car in his yard while transition of knowledge is taking place. If not, passersby are going to wonder why two foreigners are: 1. underneath a Lada trying to figure out what’s going on, and 2. underneath a Lada.

To get to this point, a few steps had to be taken. Here they are in brief:

1. Find the car (it was conveniently parked along my route to work)


2. Negotiate terms (the woman in the above picture drove a hard bargain)


3. Find investors (we ended up with four)


4. Determine the registration process (there were many possibilities)


5. Pay half as a gesture of goodwill (and so no one else would buy the car)


6. Get the ownership rights to the car transferred to my name (I can do whatever I want with the car for 30 years)


7. Pay the final half (important)


8. Buy mandatory third party liability insurance (it’s only 12 US, so not too bad)

Aside from the oil change, I have to give permission to other people so they can drive the thing. Interestingly, this happens at a notary instead of an insurance company or DMV.

“The Lada Legend” should be a fairly consistent blogment in the coming months. Who knows what kinds of mischief we will get ourselves into.