In the USSR, there were many legendary cars. Most of them can no longer be found on the streets. And today we will pay attention to the Gorky Automobile Plant. In addition to the Volga and cargo lawns, this plant produced another legendary model. This is a GAZ-14 Chaika car. The car belongs to the executive class. The assembly of the model was carried out manually, in small batches. In total, a little more than a thousand of these machines were produced during the production period (which was 1977-1988). What is a GAZ-14? See photos, specifications and features of the Soviet "Seagull" in our article today.
Design
This is far from the first "Seagull" in the GAZ lineup. GAZ-14 became the successor to the already obsolete model 13, which was produced in the period from 1959 to 1981. One of the main decisions to change this model to a newer one is an outdated design. It's no secret that the 13th “Seagull” was created based on the American fashion of the 50s. But time does not stand still, and by the 70s, the appearance of American cars had changed significantly. Something had to be done with Seagull. Therefore, in the early 70s, the plant decided to develop a completely new model, which will become the standard of quality and design. What does the GAZ-14 Seagull look like? A photo of this machine is presented in our article.
Fans of American retro cars will immediately emphasize that the design of the new 14th “Seagull” was also created according to the canons of automobile fashion in the USA. Outwardly, the Soviet GAZ was very similar to the Chevrolet Impala. True, the latter was produced only in a coupe. Speaking directly about the "Seagull", her appearance has become more rigorous. The car lacks the old, puffy shapes, a smooth windshield, massive wings and an abundance of chrome. By the way, this car was often produced in one color - gloss black. The car was equipped with chrome discs with side flippers. Front - four-eyed optics and a massive radiator grille that stretches across the entire width of the body. The front bumper has yellow fog lights. Through the entire length of the body stretches a strip of chrome molding.
The placement of side mirrors looks very unusual. So, on the driver's side, the mirror is fixed in the usual place. And the right side is placed on the wing. Thus, the driver has to turn his head less to control the situation that occurs behind on the road.
The Soviet car GAZ-14 is rarely seen on the roads. These are mainly museum exhibits. But when leaving the street, such a machine will definitely attract the attention of everyone: pedestrians and drivers. Note that most GAZ-14 Chaika cars are in good condition. Over the years, body metal does not take corrosion. The car is painted pretty high quality. True, on some copies the varnish fades over time.
Sizes, clearance
According to the Soviet classification, this car model belongs to a large class. The length of the body is 6.11 meters, width - 2.02, height - 1.53 meters. The car has insane dimensions and is close to a limousine for maneuverability. The wheelbase is 3.45 meters. The curb weight is 2.6 tons. At full load, the mass reaches 3.16 tons. The clearance of the GAZ-14 Chaika car is about 22 centimeters. However, there is no talk of any cross. This car is designed exclusively for traveling on smooth and preferably dry asphalt.
Salon
Boarding the car is convenient - the doors open at a very wide angle. Interior design corresponds to the status of the model. The decoration used high-quality plastic, velor, metal, as well as wood. What is noteworthy, the front panel in its design resembles the Volga model 24-10. Here are the same "wells" with arrow pointers. By the way, the steering wheel from the "Seagull" ideally stood on the "Volga".
Most of the models that have survived to this day have been preserved in good condition. However, this was affected not only by low mileage, but also by the quality of the materials themselves. Salon assembled very well, almost for centuries.
It is worth noting also one feature. GAZ-14 was intended for transportation of senior officials and was given by the state free of charge, with a personal driver. The factory did not bother much about the comfort of the driver himself. Here, even the seat is not equipped with adjustments. And in the summer, drivers died from the heat, because the air conditioner was only brought back and there was an incredible heat from the automatic transmission. Thus, it was comfortable to sit here only behind (however, for this “Seagull” was created).
In terms of equipment, "The Seagull" was not inferior to the older ZIL. So, in GAZ there is:
- The ventilation system of the seats (of course, the rear).
- Power windows.
- Separate heater.
- Air conditioning.
- Automated damper drive.
- Stereo radio "Blaupunkt" produced by the GDR. The Seagull was also equipped with Vilma Vilnius radio with a cassette prefix. In both cases, the receivers came with a remote control. This remote control is located in the armrest of the rear sofa.
- Central locking system for doors.
- Ashtrays with a cigarette lighter in a total of 4 pieces.
- Radio telephone “Altai” or satellite “Caucasus”.
- Athermal curved side windows that do not transmit ultraviolet radiation into the interior.
- Heated rear window.
As you can see, the level of equipment of this model is very extensive. For the operation of all additional systems, 17 electric motors of different powers were installed in the cabin. What is noteworthy, all the electronics were Soviet-made (with the exception of the Gedeer radio). GAZ-14 is one of the few Soviet cars that were equipped with music regularly in those years.
Among the positive aspects, it is worth noting the excellent sound insulation. According to the press of those years, the noise level in the cabin was up to 73 dB when traveling at a speed of 80 kilometers per hour. Much attention was also paid to the issue of security. The car has three-point belts and power belts in the doors. However, there are no airbags here. After all, the car was developed in the early 70s. Then not every car was equipped even with belts.
The rear row of seats is designed for two people. The sofa is quite soft and equipped with headrests. In the center of the back there is a retractable armrest. Also, the rear and side windows are equipped with manual curtains. And for the guests a sliding chair was provided, which was advanced from the driver’s partition. Due to the long base in the car a lot of free space.
GAZ-14 "Seagull": technical specifications
A Soviet eight-cylinder ZMZ gasoline engine with a carburetor power system was installed on this car. Two carburetors of the K-114B brand are installed in the motor. On some models, K-114V mechanisms were installed. The working volume of this unit is 5526 cubic centimeters. The location of the valves is top. Maximum engine power - 220 horsepower. Torque - 452 Nm at 2.8 thousand revolutions. The GAZ-14 engine has an aluminum cylinder block with an aluminum head. The location of the engine is longitudinal. The timing system is a 16-valve, chain-driven system.
What are the characteristics of the GAZ-14 "Seagull" dynamics? With a high curb weight, this car accelerates to hundreds in 15 seconds. The maximum speed of the car is 175 kilometers per hour. Fuel consumption, according to passport data, is 29 liters per 100 kilometers in the city. In a combined cycle, the car consumes at least 24 liters. When driving on the highway, the car consumes 22 liters according to passport data. Recommended gasoline - A-95 Extra.
Design Features
It is worth noting that this power unit has the same basis as the GAZ-13. However, the valve timing was changed in the design. Among the changes, it is necessary to note the presence of a new discharge and intake manifold, as well as an upgraded power system (previously, only one carburetor was used in the design). Thanks to these changes, the technical characteristics of the GAZ-14 have increased significantly. Power increased by 25 horsepower with the same displacement.
An interesting fact: this power unit is equipped with hydraulic compensators for thermal valve clearances. The presence of these mechanisms allowed to reduce the complexity of maintenance work and increase the stability of the internal combustion engine.
The crankshaft pulley is equipped with a torsional vibration damper. This property allowed to reduce unnecessary vibrations during operation of the power unit. Sealing cuffs were also replaced and a closed crankcase ventilation system was installed.
Transmission
Compared with the previous model, the GAZ-14 power characteristics and curb weight itself increased significantly. All this required the strengthening of transmission nodes. So, on the GAZ-14 an automatic transmission with a tri-band torque converter is installed. The rear axle became a crankcase. The final drive ratio is 3.58. By the way, the rear axle on the GAZ-14 is not directly related to the bridge installed on the Volga since 1990, which is popularly called the "Tchaikovsky" bridge.
The new gearbox received longer speeds. So, the first and second has a gear ratio of 2.64 and 1.55, respectively. The third is direct. Its gear ratio is 1.0. But the rear axle is shortened from 1.72 to 2.0. The short main pair was offset by wide wheels. So, tires of 9.35-15 "were installed on the new Seagull.
The design of the automatic transmission itself was similar to the hydromechanical transmission GAZ-13, which, in turn, was a copy of the American Cruise-Matic, which was put on the Fords of those years. The selector on the transmission tunnel casing has changed. The sequence of mode selection was international:
- "Parking".
- "Reverse".
- "Neutral."
- "Drive".
There were also modes that allowed you to go only in first or second gear. Gear shifting was carried out very smoothly, without jerking. However, on surviving instances of the box can kick. This is due to overheating, which is very susceptible to automatic transmission data.
The basis of the automatic transmission is a Ravinier-type gearbox, consisting of two sun gears. They were engaged with two groups of satellites that are on a common carriage. The so-called long satellites are meshed with the ring, outer gear. It also forms the secondary shaft. Two clutches were used in the construction of the box, each of which worked from the turbine wheel of the torque converter.
With weak gas, switching to the second speed occurred at a speed of 10-15 kilometers per hour. At full, the engine was spinning to the maximum, and the second gear was engaged only at 52 kilometers per hour. The automatic transmission GAZ-14 provided for kickdown. So, with a sharp click on the accelerator box automatically switched to a lower gear. This feature was provided for the performance of sharp overtaking.
Chassis
In this part, the GAZ-14 has become a modernized version of the previous "Seagull". Thanks to improvements, the center of gravity of the car decreased by 95 millimeters and stability at high speeds increased. The frame itself is an X-shaped design with a spinal tunnel.
The front suspension consists of double wishbones. However, instead of the beam, as on the GAZ-13, the successor appeared ball bearings and rubber-metal hinges. The rear suspension has also undergone changes. A bridge with leaf springs is used here. The cushioning was significantly improved, which increased the ride and the comfort of the car.
How does this car behave on the go?
Owner reviews say the car has a very soft suspension. She literally floats on bumps, swallowing all the large and small pits. Despite the presence of springs, sitting back is quite comfortable. Due to the long wheelbase, the car stands well on the road at high speed. However, due to its weight, it is slow. Banks are felt noticeably. This car is not designed for aggressive driving at all, although the 220-horsepower engine is quite disposed to this.
Price
At the moment, this machine can be purchased in the secondary market. However, there are very few ads on the sale of the GAZ-14 in Russia. The cost varies from 2.5 to 3 million rubles. There are also copies for 1 million rubles, but they are far from in perfect condition.
But what is noteworthy, the quality of the metal is quite high - there are no rusty "Seagulls" on sale. Also note that the runs of "Seagulls" are low and they are not twisted. Cars really roll a little, and many just stand for years.
Conclusion
So, we found out what the GAZ-14 “Seagull” car is. In Russia, these models are very few. Should I buy such a car? It’s worth thinking about buying such a car only with special fanaticism and love for rare rare Soviet cars. Of course, such a vehicle is not suitable for everyday driving with all its driving characteristics. Therefore, the "Seagull" GAZ-14 is often acquired only as a museum exhibit.