That beige Polonez: EUROTRIP 2014

[Rusty_Rocket]

That is great  I vote the shot of the door handle floating in a void of rust as contender for the calendar!

Mrs R_R is Polish.. next time I drive over to her family's place, I'm quite tempted to take the Disco and trailer and bring one of these beauties* home with me.  My most desired prize would be a Zuk truck  but I think they're getting a little harder to find.  There is currently an FSM Syrena on ebay.

[SambaS]

By Christ I didn't know they made them still in 1983!!

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1983-FSM-Syrena-105L-/321152260113?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item4ac62a9811

[SambaS]

On the way back we went and gutted this.

 

The guy there Rob, was extremely helpful, he's let me pay over the last month or so for the interior which is mint, and I bought a pair of mint matching wing mirrors and a parcel shelf, Steve and Ritchie got all the RHD gear and the carpets and various other bits.

 

It was always going to be a toss up between rarity of parts in UK and cost of importing from Poland.

 

Some parts they wanted too much money for when we could easily import them cheaper.

 

 

 

 

This car will be going very soon, I hope to go up in the next 2 weeks with a Stihl saw and cut the top A pillars off for Ritchie and the front end and sills up to the B pillars, and bulkhead.

 

Even then this front end will need some work, the chassis legs are starting to go, on a 10,000 mile garaged all it's life car! Guess Scotland is harsh on cars!

[RedSparrow]

By Christ I didn't know they made them still in 1983!!

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1983-FSM-Syrena-105L-/321152260113?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item4ac62a9811

 

57 to 83 according to wikipedia. Pretty ancient eben by eastern europe standards.

Interesting that for several years they were producing the Syrena, 125p  and Polonez all at the same time!

[ShiteRider]

By Christ I didn't know they made them still in 1983!! http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1983-FSM-Syrena-105L-/321152260113?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item4ac62a9811

Am i right in thinking these used the cut down front wings off a much bigger limo?

Either way it's an awesome looking little thing.

[explosive-cabbage]

That is great I vote the shot of the door handle floating in a void of rust as contender for the calendar!

 

You should try opening it! The handle is useless, so you have to prize it open with your fingertips. Most worryingly, the hinges are shagged so the whole of the bottom of the A pillar rotates when you pull the door open!

 

On seeing this car today I came to the conclusion that when the bumpers, wheels, engine and ancillaries come off the whole thing will fall to bits. The wiring loom is holding up the whole of the front passenger wing, as all the seams, chassis rails and turrets are rotten.

I think Ed will decide to scrap it once he removes the bumpers, windows, engine, interior and drivetrain as he will come to realise those are the only things that define it as a car rather than a pile of scrap.

[SambaS]

Quote my man for the job:

 

"Anything is possible when you put your mind to it pal... giz a bell or pop see me at some point and we'll make a plan. But as far as welding goes then I'm your man." 

[SambaS]

That was after seeing this:

 

[SambaS]

Hey if that panel fit is good enough for Johnny Cash...........

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWHniL8MyMM

[CortinaDave]

What a crying shame about that white one. A more pliable yard owner would have sold you the shell minus tags and you could have used it for reshelling the green one. Green one by the way is "not found" on DVLA site and also not recognised on mycarcheck... Any idea when it went off the road or what the story is behind it?

[Lacquer Peel]

I found it okay, it's listed as a Polonez.

 

The vehicle details for YFS 818W are:

Date of Liability 01 03 1988 Date of First Registration 01 01 1981 Year of Manufacture 1981 Cylinder Capacity (cc) 1481cc CO2 Emissions Not Available Fuel Type PETROL Export Marker N Vehicle Status Unlicensed Vehicle Colour GREEN Vehicle Type Approval Not Available

[SambaS]

It was bought at Kinross Motor Auctions on the 6th of February 1987 for £100 plus £8 Purchase Indemnity with 57408 miles on the clock.

 

It had tax until 31st May 1987, so the DVLA records would suggest Douglas re-taxed it and used it until the MOT ran out.

 

It was MOTed until 26th January 1988.

 

It then lived in the field for 25 years. Current mileage 62669

[SambaS]

Next question is will the front end of a Polonez fit in the boot of a Polonez

[RedSparrow]

Do please keep the pictures coming.

[KruJoe]

Will the front end of a Polonez fit in the boot of a Polonez?

 

It will once you've brushed it into a dust-pan.

[phil_lihp]

You know, given that it's been sat in a scottish field for 25 years, it looks more solid than it has any right to.  I had strong expectations of it breaking into several pieces just being dragged on to the trailer - as it survived that and didn't even snap in half when lifted by a tractor, maybe there really is hope!  Good luck!

[Junkman]

57 to 83 according to wikipedia. Pretty ancient eben by eastern europe standards.

Interesting that for several years they were producing the Syrena, 125p  and Polonez all at the same time!

And they kept telling us the Easterners aren't spoiled for choice.

[Split_Pin]

Great thread. I can't help thinking it would be a shame not to do *something* with it though. Otherwise it would have been best left to rust in peace in the field It's been the subject of an epic Flickr thread and provided a lot of joy to spotters and those who have viewed the pictures. Now this landmark has gone it deserves a good ending of some sort.

 

Best of luck, I do love FSO Cars.

[Junkman]

Be honest, how are those Polonaises actually to drive?

[SambaS]

My first ever proper drive of mine was sheer horror but it grows on you!

[Junkman]

Sounds most appealing. Better or worse than a Riva?

[dollywobbler]

Be honest, how are those Polonaises actually to drive?

 

I drove the yellow one at Shitefest last year. I was very pleasantly surprised - or rather very pleasantly unhorrified. Just drove like an old car really, even if it wasn't running too well at the time. Does feel older than its age, but that's pretty natural given the ancient underpinnings.

[SambaS]

Well, it is a very comfortable cruiser... I will give it that, parking wise the steering is unimaginably heavy. But after 12 months of using it as a daily I definitely got used to it.

 

The trouble I have now with my cars is a drive modern vans either a Transit Connect of an 08 Fiesta and when I get back into the Samba it really shows up how bad they actually are, which is sad really. But I wouldn't want to rag the Samba about like I do the vans.

[SambaS]

Recently I vowed to get some of the car parts out of my flat once and for all, I've so many I cant move for stuff. Some I took to the barn at Malham, some other stuff is going on the cars this week.

 

Making the most of an extremely mild December I started with the Polonez interior. If you remember the Dumfries COD Polonez they wouldn't sell whole, well the interior from that is now in my car and it looks superb!

 

 

 

 

 

I will probably swap out the nice new gray carpet for my old brown one just so it matches.

 

 

 

 

I ran out of time due to work commitments but have a few more bits to add, new wing mirrors, sun visors, boot seal and other trim bits.

[RedSparrow]

  Those seats actually look quite comfortable!

[SambaS]

The 3 original ones I took out were the nicest softest seats going, possibly only beaten by those in a Lada Riva, as they were well and properly worn in.

 

These new ones are still as firm as the day they left the factory, as the car had only covered 9,000 miles.

[carlo]

I remember when my dad was a trader in the eighties he had a brown 'W' reg Polonez, only a couple of years old.  I always remember it being incredibly plush at the time, especially the seats.  I was too young to drive at the time but I do remember him saying it was the only car he ever made a loss on, was virtually unsaleable!  He reckoned it was an old pig to drive though.

[vulgalour]

I liked the Working Men's Club aesthetic of the old seats, I expected the interior to smell of depression, bitter, Woodbines and impotent working class anger.  The new interior is much smarter looking, but not as characterful.

[michael t]

Brilliant progress being made, I can't believe I missed this 1st time around

[SambaS]

This is also booked in for MOT tomorrow, just hope it passes as funds absolutely non existent at the minute!