Anybody using Kamaz?

[Shurik]

I'm new here, so just though I'd say hey! HEY!
Does anyone know how to go about getting parts for a Kamaz?
I spend a lot of time in Russia, and went in with my brother-in-law there to get a Kamaz 4326
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-429591676558499722&q=kamaz&hl=en
(the 4X4)
We've used it quite a bit there, (St. Petersburg to Vladivostok and back, and one trip up the Lena River from Yakutsk) and want to bring it here. I've figured out all the customs business, and just want to see how to get parts here.
Thanks for any info!

[mountainpete]

Visions of the Road of Bones to Magadan dancing in my head... impressive machines, but I have never seen one in person.

[mountainpete]

And also... Welcome to ExPo! :beer:

[Robthebrit]

Those are simply awesome vehicles, they make a mog look like dinky toy. In all my time around euro trucks I have never come across a Kamaz parts supplier, I have come across odds and ends but never a proper supplier.

To ease the pain of importing things from Russia, you are probably better off finding a parts supplier in Europe and buying from them. The shipping will make the parts more expensive and big stuff may get tangled up in customs.

I'll ask around to see if anybody I know in the mog and euro truck groups has any ideas.

Welcome to Expo.

Rob

[Joaquin Suave]

Welcome Shurik.

It's nice to get more BIG expedition vehicle people here.

Though I don't have a Kama3...I do have an American knock-off. It was a prototype that was developed by BMY and General Motors. From all that I could find about the Kamaz (not easy!) The geometry is near identical,but it only has a 260HP motor compaired to the 750HP motors found in the "full-race" Kamaz Dakar trucks.

If you've got the importing of the truck squared away...Why don't you just get your parts from Russia also???

What port is it coming into to? I'd travel to ant port in California to check it out.

Here is Libelula

http://www.overlandhardware.com/images/libby-images/Libby.jpg

[Ursidae69]

Damn, that video was wild, especially at the very end! :yikes:

[Shurik]

Sorry, but it's comming in through Baltimore (from St. Pete) so not going to be in California anytime soon. As to parts, I know I can get them shipped from Russia, but getting anything here is a royal pain in the #$%! (by the way, it took me it took me 6 months just to track down someone who knew how to get it OUT of Russia). Haven't actually got it on the boat yet, I'm trying to figure out some more details first; i.e. part supply. So, I'm just looking to find a source here (or Canada, or Western Europe), rather than having to wait a month and a half just to change the glow plugs or fix a cracked windshield. I'll have to get my brother to send some pics for you all.

[flyingwil]

PIctures would be awesome! The Vid was way cool:bowdown:

[Shurik]

Ok, here's the story, I talked to my brother to get some pics. Evidently, he was goofing of downloading some music (totaly legal of course;) ) and gets a virus. Good bye photos (and everything else). But he still had some from before we built it up on an old CD. Now, how do I post them?

[Shurik]

All right! We've found some pics! He had some left on the camera. I got them attached, so take a look! The box is actually an old refrigerated unit, so the insulation is great (very nice for the Yakutsk-Arctic trip!)! I had the windows put in cause it felt like being inside a safe. After this pic, we put a cargo basket on the cab roof, and my brother found some Finnish ex-military winch he want's to put on the front. As to parts, I reciently found, Kamaz made a deal with Cummins to get engines for the same motor mounts! Give me a couple months to round up the $4000 and US, here we come!

[Shurik]

Yet some more reasons I went with a Kamaz
http://youtube.com/watch?v=lUj6VQTVndU
Sure, that was the massively overpowered race version, but here's the standard 260 hp. military/civilian version.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=-oL3mpM5lzY&mode=related&search=

[jeff@work]

:drool: That is one sweet looking vehicle, I can't wait to see what you do with it once you get it over here in the states.

[Shurik]

I don't know if anyone is interested, but we got that one (the chassis) for about $9000 new back in '94. I've pretty well got it figured out how to get them here, so if anyone is would like...
Word of warning, diesel is a lot cheaper in Russia than it is here, and the 4326only get about 13 mpg, (on a good day!). Convert it to run on fast food oil though...
(www.greasecar.com)

[Scott Brady]

:smileeek: Great video!

[mountainpete]

That last jump in the youtube video was just awesome :victory:

[devinsixtyseven]

:smileeek:
the dakar video was like watching a stampeding blue elephant.

...and whodathunk you could huck a...what, five ton truck? :D

-sean

[Joaquin Suave]

...and whodathunk you could huck a...what, five ton truck?


They are actually more like 8 to 9 tons!

Here is what a Kamaz "yardsale" looks like.

[viter]

Privet Shurik!
That is one crazy idea - improting Kamaz all the way here, but I hope it all works out and someday I'll get to see it!
I assume you speak russian cause of your forum nickname and it is cool to see somebody else speaking my language (well, one of them) on this forum!

Sorry, can't help you on the parts supplier, but you might want to search for one in Canada, considering there are people there driving russian Niva's.

I hope that Kamaz will last, even though what I have heard about these trucks in general is that reliability can be an issue (like with majority of russian made vehicles).

And just so you guys know, due to new (2005 or something) rules for Dakar race all big trucks racing have to be commercial models - that is at least a small number of them have to be produced and sold commercially. Due to this Kamaz had made a small run (I think about 15) of trucks almost equivalent (730 hp engine, off/road suspensio, seats, etc.) to their race trucks, but they are obviously damn expansive. you can see some pics here (scroll down) - http://trucks.autoreview.ru/new_site/trucks/archives/2003/n05/Kamaz/1.htm
http://trucks.autoreview.ru/new_site/trucks/archives/2003/n05/Kamaz/800/06.jpg
http://trucks.autoreview.ru/new_site/trucks/archives/2003/n05/Kamaz/800/07.jpg

[Shurik]

All I can say is krasivi! Da, ya gavaryu paruski, although it tends to be more the Armenian kind. As to the reliability thing, yea, I know (replacing a clutch, in the field, in -75 deg, in 4 ft snow drifts is no fun!). That's why I'm waiting for the Cummins before bringing it here. In Russia and all over East Europe, I can get what ever I need (there're even available in some parts of Africa due both ex-communistic countries i.e. Tanzania, etc. and the the UN using them). I deffinetly want to "upgrade" to something more reliable than the old 740.31-240.
Where are you at? Like I said it's coming through Baltimore (Planning on next summer as we're going to do a trip through Kazakhstan this winter). We're going across the Betpaqdala Desert, along the north shore of Lake Balkhash, through the Saryarqa Highland, to the Altai Mnts., then north, and back through Russia. We've been unanimously voted as the primary fuel carrier (for 2 uazs, a buhanka, and a Defender 130), so I hope she holds out! So long as she makes it, you can stop by and see her.

[4Rescue]

Flat out AWSOME!!!! I personaly think the "support truck" racing is the best part of the Dakar... Congrats on the truck and good luck on the trip. Further more, good on ya for bringing a real neat rig over to the states...

Dave

[gary in ohio]

That 8 ton truck in the video in a power slide is amazing. Not to mention the air under the truck at the end of the video.

[juha_teuvonnen]

I am familiar with Kamaz, it's without a doubt the best truck ever produced in the former USSR. Importing it into the US would be extremely difficult as it was nether built nor certified to comply with numerous US standards.

The "ultimate soviet-built expedition vehicle" would be MAZ-543, especially the command center version:

http://denisovets.narod.ru/maz/mazprototips/MAZ543_MOBD.jpg

I doubt it would be street-legal in the US, probably too wide and too tall to clear highway overpasses and bridges.