UK based Russian Vehicle Dealer

[dmetalmiki]

forieghn trucks

Re- the warning and M35s post. I again urge potential purchasers to follow the advices given.((in WARNING" post)) and also go look at the forums/reports/comments! at zil131.com and..(please) remain AWARE!..(and very very carefull!)

 

[frankie]

I bought a filtration unit from Ecotrax in the UK and had a similar experiance. They sent me email pics and specs from a new unit and when i paid thousends shipped a used heap of junk that was worth nothing. They changed my whole outlook on buying used machinery as i will no longer buy without visiting the premises and watch the gear been loaded. Crooks they are and i just wonder how they stay in buissness.

 

[vtunimog]

How about these Leviathans?

The MAZ trucks are killer, but not road legal sadly. The MKZT 3 I think is a super heavy hauler and I had tried to get info for a Northern Canada field services company (sortof like Ice Road trucks I think). It took three months to get a response out of the factory sales unit then they told me they would sell it disassembled? Good times. They are mean trucks but from what I hear the top road speed is more or less under 35 mph.

 

[vtunimog]

While alot of that russian stuff looks neat, and you can't deny they build BIG trucks... and after my next big Lotto win I will have my own platoon of T-72's, remember the Soviet maxim "Quantity has a Quality all its' own"... most of the russian stuff I have seen close up is pretty poorly made, and that is being kind... now a Tatrapan... THAT would be cool!!

I definately would agree in many respects but the Russians were pretty good at building trucks that could handle their so called "roads". I have the Ural and have been really happy with the overall quality , fit and finish sucks but then again it's a monster miltary beast. I would rate comfort somewhere along the lines of a same era Duece. Where they lack is quality of materials such as seals and linings. I find the brake linings mostly useless (but easy to replace with modern replacements here in the US). What I like is that you can go out and slog through mud, snow, sand, and come home rinse off and the truck is none the worse for wear.

The Tatrapan is or was produced in Czechoslovakia (Slovakia now) and as I learned a few years ago when I made the mistake of telling a former Tatra engineer that the truck was a great design but seemed to suffer from the usual Eastern Bloc/Soviet/Russian issues. That was a mistake , I got a 30 minute lecture on how Czech engineering was not Russian engineering and how in many ways it exceeded even German and Western Euorpean standards. I got a history lesson how Dr. Porsche worked in the CZ and stole the air cooled boxer engine and Beetle concept so on and so forth. Quite an education.

 

[max_truck]

I have seen the post concerning the UK based russiantrucks.co.uk. and i have a friend that purchased a russian truck from them, he paid a very high price due to him being impressed by their website and flashy claims of their vehicles being fully serviced and checked 'being put through their workshop' . Apart from a small problem with no oil pressure and a knocking noise from the engine (which to be fair was rectified at little cost but a long time) he was happy with the truck until he came to get its yearly road tax: which was claimed by russiantrucks.co.uk to be old enough to be road tax free! which he found that when he went to get it road taxed this was not the case! at which point the official at the licensing agency confiscated his vehicle registration form/documents and said that his vehicle had been registered incorrectly by the importer.. and the importer is already under investigation by the UK (I.R.S)..
So i guess that it pays to research the forums regarding these types of purchases and since this has happened he has bought many other parts and vehicles from reputable European/UK dealers who are more enthusiasts than flashy website promotors etc..