Fast and maneuverable RAF-2203
RAF model 2203 was produced in Riga from 1976 to 1987. It was intended for a variety of purposes. Most often, this vehicle was used as a minibus, ambulance, and simply as a civilian and official vehicle.
The layout of the RAF-2203 minibus is wagon. Its salon consists of 2 departments:
- The front compartment contains the driver's seat and one passenger seat.
- The rear compartment is equipped with nine passenger seats, behind which there is luggage space.
I must say that the reviews about the RAF-2203 minibus are extremely positive. People who have had the opportunity to work on this “Rafika” do not hide their admiration for the named vehicle. According to them, the car is magnificent, fast, durable and economical. In addition, the good assembly, excellent maneuverability and agility when turning and turning this easy-to-drive car are highly appreciated.
The engine is the heart of any car
The RAF-2203 engine with carburetor fuel supply, which the minibus was equipped with, ran on gasoline. For this model, an engine from GAZ-24 was used. It was located in front and drove the rear wheels. The engine had an in-line layout, 4 cylinders and 8 valves. Actually, it must be said that this model was equipped with two types of engines:
- ZMZ 2401;
- ZMZ 402-10.
The fact that the second engine was more powerful was the only difference between them. However, there was one more distinctive nuance - the first engine ran on AI-76 gasoline, and the second - on AI-93.
The manual 4-speed transmission of the minibus has synchronizers in all forward gears, which increased the service life of the Rafika gearbox.
The car could reach a speed of one hundred twenty to one hundred thirty kilometers per hour.
How to choose a used second-generation Toyota RAV 4
The 2nd generation Toyota RAV 4 is popular in the Russian secondary market because of its reliability. You can operate the car on city streets and on light off-road conditions, but the latter will require special skills.
Before buying, you need to study the “stuffing” of the car. Some trim levels do not have an ESP system, but this is a good bonus for a reliable Japanese crossover, so it is better to consider options with it. When purchasing, you should also pay attention to the body. Sometimes it begins to rot, it is important to monitor the most vulnerable places: the trunk lid, wheel arches, sills. It is best to inspect the car on a lift.
Power units rarely need to be repaired, but you can still get into such a car, because the condition of the engine, like the gearbox, depends on operating conditions.
If the previous owner is ready to provide work orders for car repairs, then this option should be a priority during the purchase, since you can understand what has been replaced in the car and will not cause problems.
The average price for a fifteen-year-old crossover is 550-600 thousand rubles.
Minibus body and suspension
The body of the RAF-2203 is load-bearing, all-metal. The car has 4 single doors:
- 2 of them - on the right - are intended for boarding passengers;
- the door on the left is for the driver;
- the rear door provides access to the luggage space.
The minibus has sprung suspension with shock absorbers, and as for the Rafika braking system, it is made using a drum brake system installed on all four wheels of the vehicle. If necessary, the RAF-2203 could be repaired at many domestic service stations.
Launch of model 2203
At the end of the 60s, the Latvian automobile industry experienced a catastrophic shortage of production space. Because of this, it was almost impossible to satisfy the needs of a large country for minibuses. And therefore, in 1969, they began construction of a new plant, which was located 25 km from Riga in the city of Jelgava.
Actually, this gigantic plant was originally designed and built for the production of a new minibus model and was equipped with the most modern equipment at that time. Production officially began in 1976. It was in the same year that serial production of a minibus with the index 2203 began.
Reviews about "Rafika"
Let's look at what people say about the RAF-2203. Owner reviews, as mentioned above, are very good. There are only some small details that can be considered a minus, but they are not so significant for the overall state of affairs. Representatives of companies, as well as those who purchased RAF for business, claim that given the low price of the machine, its payback is simply excellent. This is firstly, and secondly, an important fact is the absence of problems with spare parts. Almost everything you need comes from a Volga car, except for the body hardware.
A small, reliable “tank”—that’s what some car enthusiasts call the RAF-2203. Reviews from owners are mostly imbued with respect for this hard worker. Some noted the comfortable fit in the car, thanks to which it is possible to get used to it literally in one day. And although the instrument panel was not rated with the highest score, most found it quite convenient. The high ground clearance of the minibus makes driving on a dirt road accessible.
On the negative side, it is said that in winter the handling is a little worse, but again this requires habit. A little training for the driver, and skill will come. Another downside is that the engine is positioned in the front, which is why the weight of the minibus is shifted to the front. And, of course, the disadvantage is the high fuel consumption of the RAF-2203.
The characteristics of the minibus (as all those who spoke out agreed on) make it perfectly suitable for small businesses, since this car is inexpensive and very practical.
Some technical characteristics of the car
The technical data and dimensions of the RAF-2203 are as follows:
- The length of the car reaches 4 m 980 cm, the width is 2 m 035 cm, and the height of the car is 1 m 970 cm.
- The track of the front wheels of the Rafik is 1 m 474 cm, the track of the rear wheels is 1 m 420 cm.
- The weight of the minibus with equipment is 1670 kg.
- Its total weight is 2710 kg.
- Engine carburetor, 4-cylinder, ZMZ 2203/2.445 l.
- Number of seats - 11, plus driver's seat.
- The braking distance at a speed of 60 km/h is 25.8 m.
- The front overhang is 1 m 200 cm.
- The rear overhang is only 1 m 120 cm.
- The height of the car step above the road level is 40 cm.
- Dry single disc clutch.
- Manual Transmission.
- Hydraulic shock absorbers.
- Spring front suspension, independent on wishbones.
- Dependent rear suspension on longitudinal semi-elliptic springs.
Discontinuation of production
After the collapse of the USSR, the RAF plant, like many other similar Baltic industrial giants, turned out to be doomed. The break with Russia did not benefit production. Because the plant’s production cycle required supplies from Russia, and this applied to almost all components. At the same time, still due to the severance of ties with Russia, the sales market declined sharply, which is why production had to be reduced to 4-5 thousand cars per year.
Trying to survive and stay afloat, the plant management made attempts to expand the range of products. A number of new utility vehicles and special-purpose minibuses based on the RAF-2203 were launched into production. Small batches of RAF-2920 vans, RAF-3311 cargo-passenger pickup trucks and other vehicles were produced. But, unfortunately, such measures did not bring success to production, because, in fact, the basic model of the Rafika-2203 itself was by this time completely hopelessly outdated.
