The KAvZ-3976 is the bonneted bus that the Kurgan Bus Plant built from 1989 until January 2008 on GAZ-3307 and GAZ-3309 lorry chassis. It appeared as a 20-seat base bus, grew into a 28-seat medium class model, gained a diesel engine in the 1990s and a school version in 2001, and left the line after about 450,000 examples.
KAvZ-3976 at a glance
| Maker | Kurgan Bus Plant (KAvZ) |
|---|---|
| Production | 1989–18 January 2008 |
| Chassis | GAZ-33074, GAZ-3307, GAZ-3309, GAZ-3308 |
| Body | all-metal, steel frame with steel sheet cladding |
| Base bus | KAvZ-397620, 20 seats, ZMZ-513 V8, 120–125 hp |
| Medium bus | KAvZ-39765, 28 seats, wheelbase 4.55 m |
| Diesel | MMZ D-245.7, 122 hp, Euro 2 |
| Brakes | pneumohydraulic |
| Suspension | leaf springs on all wheels |
| Top speed | 90 km/h petrol, 95 km/h diesel |
| Total built | about 450,000 |
The English Wikipedia has no article on the KAvZ-3976; this page uses the Russian article. Based on one source.
History of the KAvZ-3976
In 1989 the plant introduced the base 20-seat KAvZ-397620 on the GAZ-33074 bus chassis with the carburettor V8 ZMZ-513 of the ZMZ-53 family, rated at 120 hp and later at 125 hp. The second digit of the base model’s index changed from 2, the class of buses, to 9, the class of special vehicles, to make certification of the special versions simpler. A range of mixed passenger and cargo bodies and special vehicles followed on the same base, among them ambulances, hearses and service buses.
From 1993 a medium class bus, the KAvZ-39765, was built on a chassis lengthened from 3.7 m to 4.55 m, with 28 seats. A longer 32-seat version, the KAvZ-39769 with a 5.4 m wheelbase and room for 34 in the school variant, never entered series production because the chassis was not rigid enough in torsion. Between 1995 and 1997 the plant also built the KAvZ-39763 on the GAZ-3309 chassis with the air-cooled four-cylinder turbo diesel GAZ-5441 of 116 hp.
The 2000s brought the school bus and more diesel versions. From 2001 the KAvZ-397653 school bus was built in series on the 39765 base to the Russian standard GOST R 51160 for buses carrying children, and in the same year the lengthened diesel KAvZ-39767 with the MMZ D-245.7 engine joined the range. In 2004–2005 a batch of KAvZ-39766 shift buses was built on the four-wheel-drive GAZ-3308 Sadko chassis, and from 2005 the diesel KAvZ-397630 with the D-245.7E2 Euro 2 engine returned to the base model. Production ended on 18 January 2008 after about 450,000 buses.
Design and features
- All-metal body: a steel frame clad in steel sheet, with anti-corrosion treatment added in the later years.
- Bonneted layout: the engine sat ahead of the driver, as on the GAZ lorries the bus was built from.
- Simple running gear: leaf springs on all wheels, pneumohydraulic brakes and a manually opened door.
- Two engines: the 4.25-litre ZMZ-513.10 petrol V8 of 125 hp and 294 N·m, or the 4.75-litre MMZ D-245.7E2 diesel of 122 hp and 422 N·m.
- Utilitarian cabin: seating in leatherette, velour or artificial leather depending on the version.
KAvZ-3976 versions
- KAvZ-397620 (from 1989): the base 20-seat bus on the GAZ-33074 chassis.
- KAvZ-39765 (from 1993): the medium class bus, 28 seats, 4.55 m wheelbase.
- KAvZ-39763 (1995–1997): the GAZ-3309 chassis with the air-cooled GAZ-5441 turbo diesel, recognisable by its shorter right-hand bonnet snorkel.
- KAvZ-397653 (from 2001): the school bus to GOST R 51160, built on the 39765 base.
- KAvZ-39767 (from 2001): the lengthened diesel version with the MMZ D-245.7 engine.
- KAvZ-39766 (2004–2005): shift buses on the four-wheel-drive GAZ-3308 Sadko chassis.
The KAvZ-3976 succeeded the KAvZ-685 family, whose Kurgan story began with the KAvZ-651. More buses are in the KAvZ collection.
Sources
- КАвЗ-3976, Russian Wikipedia: production history, versions, construction, engines, production total
