The hero of today's article is the KavZ-685 bus. These cars have been manufactured at the Kurgan Bus Plant since 1971. This bus is rather of a small class than medium. He did not have a specific purpose, this general-purpose machine. This transport was calculated for work in rural areas, mainly on dirt roads. For this, he was well equipped technically, had the necessary safety margins and had a high cross. Let's take a closer look at this vehicle. Old buses are very interesting. They have a special story, now, probably, almost no one goes to them.
Model history
The history of this bus begins with the opening of the plant. That was in 1958. The first thing that was done at the Kurgan plant were the 651st models. Work on the development of these machines began in the 40s of the last century. The model was built on the chassis and the main components of the GAZ-51. So, when in the 60s GAZ started producing new GAZ-53A, the Kurgan plant was preparing to create new buses on this chassis.
In the late 60s, the first prototypes of the KavZ-685 began to appear. These first cars had a slightly different design, not the same as on the GAZ-53A base for them. There was another radiator cladding. Lighting was presented as a four-factor system. A little later, the designers decided to abandon this design. And the buses with the traditional front of the base GAZ went into the series.
To start mass production of bus equipment, the plant management carried out a complete reconstruction of the enterprise. So, production areas have expanded significantly.
The reconstruction was successful, and in 1971 the first KavZ-685 came off the assembly lines. Serial models had a standard hood, but still slightly different from the main series in the design of the windshields. Full-fledged serial production was launched in 1973. In 1974, the 100,000th prototype descended from the assembly line. Over the entire production period, the model has changed several times both in design and in technical equipment.
KavZ-685: technical specifications
This model has replaced the 651st bus. However, the design has not changed much. Here we can see a car with a hood layout and not too large capacity. The bus was distinguished by a very simple service, and, as we already know, was intended to work in unpaved roads.
Although the chassis of the old and new models still had differences, and the old Kurgan bus was also very different from the new one, we see large dimensions in the new model , modern, given that we have USSR buses, design. The new vehicle could accommodate 28 people, had good technical, dynamic and traction characteristics. The characteristics of this ancestor of modern buses are fully consistent with the requirements that were presented at that time.
Engine
The first KavZ-685 models were equipped with four-stroke carbureted eight-cylinder engines. These were ZMZ 53A. The cylinders in these power units were V-shaped.
The power of this motor is 120 liters. from. The rotational speed was 3200 rpm. The engine had a good torque at that time - 245 N / m. Engine displacement was 4.25 liters. The car needed 24 liters of fuel per 100 km. The bus tank had a capacity of 105 liters. The maximum speed on this motor was 90 km / h.
Transmission
Everything is the same here as in GAZ. KavZ-685 was equipped with a four-speed gearbox. It is known that the box was a slightly modified model of the GAZ-5312 gearbox. The transmission, after refinement, received synchronizers in third and third gear.
The clutch on these machines used dry, single-plate. The mechanism was spring, peripheral. Clutch engaged by hydraulic drive.
Brake system
The brakes were implemented as a dual-circuit system. The brakes themselves were drum, which worked on all wheels. To turn on the brake, the engineers also applied a hydraulic drive, which was also equipped with a vacuum booster.
Geometry
The body had a length of 6.6 m, a width of 2.55 meters, the height of the bus was 3.03 m. The wheelbase is 3.7 m, and the clearance is 265 mm.
The curb weight of this vehicle is 4.08 tons. Gross weight is 6.5 tons. The chassis wheel formula is 4 x 2. The smallest turning radius of this vehicle was 8 m.
Body
Nothing new can be said here. Like all other buses of the USSR, the body of this bus was also made of solid metal. The body was made in the hood layout. The hood made it possible to greatly simplify the access of drivers and car mechanics to the internal components and power unit. Thanks to this, you can quickly and efficiently carry out service and repair work.
Inside
The interior of the bus made it possible to comfortably knead 28 passengers. There were 21. There were 21 seats. For the passengers to sit down, the designers provided them with only one side door. Another salon had an emergency exit through the back door. There is also nothing special to say about the interior, but it had an excellent heating system. Even in extreme cold, she warmed up the interior inside perfectly. The ventilation system is natural. For this, engineers and designers have provided side windows, as well as hatches.
To make it more comfortable for passengers to use this vehicle, soft seats were provided for them in the cabin. Separately, I want to say about the fabric trim seats. She was very wear-resistant and could easily serve more than one or two seasons before being replaced. The driver did not separate from the passengers. Thus, safety standards did not provide for partitions. The driver got to his workplace with a separate door.
Driver's seat
The workplace had all the conditions so that the driver did not get tired on regular flights. The chair could be adjusted away from the dashboard, and there were also adjustments for the angle of inclination.
Old buses were not equipped with power steering, but the steering wheel of this car had a large diameter, which simplified management. All the necessary knobs and switches were in convenient places.
On the dashboard was only the most necessary. So, designers and engineers made sure that the driver’s attention was not scattered.
Mirrors were unrealistically large. They advocated for the dimensions of the body. It so happened to significantly improve the overview of the road. The windshield had a partition. Each part was equipped with a wiper. This made it possible to keep the glass clean and did not interfere with driving.
About repair and service
It is worth saying that these models practically did not cause problems for either drivers or auto mechanics. The car was based on the GAZ-53A base, which, before using it to build a bus, underwent many tests. The chassis at the Kurgan plant was well prepared for work in the absence of paved roads.
Since the engineers at the time, creating a new model, tried to build the car so as to unify the main components with the old models as much as possible, then at that time they got the necessary spare parts without problems. The KavZ-685 bus and its design allowed mechanics to easily detect malfunctions in the event of a breakdown and work on elimination as quickly.
Modifications
On the basis of this model came out various modifications. They were created for use in parts of the country with different climates. Model 685C was developed for driving in the northern regions. Very low air temperatures prevailed there, so the car was equipped with warmer cladding, double-glazed windows and engine heating.
There were also other models. For example, 685G was intended for mountainous areas. So that the car could more safely overcome the serpentines of mountain roads, the bus was equipped with special additional brakes and moderators, and seat belts were installed in the passenger compartment .
In conclusion
For its time it was a great bus. Engineers did a good job. Sometimes these cars can still be seen somewhere on rural roads. They still work somewhere - that is what Soviet quality means.