Mega shite...Trabant 601

[triumph1300]

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[autofive]

i would be surprised if it could make a 300 mile trip when new, let alone now

 

[barrett]

You can drive as far as you want to a pre-booked MOT, nothing plod can do about that so I wouldn't worry too much. Whether it will actually get you there is another matter.

 

Oh, just FYI, these have a unique stud pattern so you wont get any other wheels to fit - not even Dolly Sprint alloys

 

Looking forward to pics

[triumph1300]

.

[idiotboy]

Hi Trumph 1300

 

Having used a 601 for a daily driver I think you could be pushing it to drive that distance on an unknown 2 stroke motor.

 

Trabi's are great but slow and quite low geared, you don't want to be going faster than 100kph even when new, this is outlined in the owners handbook that speeds above this for longer than 15 mins can cause serious damage.

 

My advice is trailer it until you can get it checked out, the brakes also have a habit of seizing on if its been sat for a while, and if its been sat you'll need to whip the engine out and give it a once over. The fan belt is quite important as it does just that drive the fan so if it snaps its countdown to seizure.

 

There aren't many good solid parts to tow from either at the front end just so you know.

 

Hope that helps.

 

Matt

[Wilko220]

Hi Trumph 1300

 

Having used a 601 for a daily driver I think you could be pushing it to drive that distance on an unknown 2 stroke motor.

 

Trabi's are great but slow and quite low geared, you don't want to be going faster than 100kph even when new, this is outlined in the owners handbook that speeds above this for longer than 15 mins can cause serious damage.

 

My advice is trailer it until you can get it checked out, the brakes also have a habit of seizing on if its been sat for a while, and if its been sat you'll need to whip the engine out and give it a once over. The fan belt is quite important as it does just that drive the fan so if it snaps its countdown to seizure.

 

There aren't many good solid parts to tow from either at the front end just so you know.

 

Hope that helps.

 

Matt

 

Sounds like that's going to be a barrell of laughs to get home then!

[warren t claim]

Breakdown cover excludes cars without t&t IIRC.

 

Drive it back on the A and B roads and you should be fine.

[triumph1300]

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[warren t claim]

Thank you, that's very helpful. I'm taking tools too, I will whip off the brakes etc and give the car a once over. My friend lives in Leicester, so I could infact drive to his house. Sort any teething problems, then carry on the next day..

This is because I don't have a trailer, and to pay someone else will be astronomical so I'm doing a bit of budget car recovery

Apparently it has sat, but it starts, runs well, drives and stops. It wouldn't be a proper road trip without it being eventful!

And yes I know what your saying about the breakdown cover...but I will be on my way to an MOT station pmsl

 

Just tow it back. A trabbie weighs about 5kilos and after you've freed off the brakes it'll be about as difficult to pull as a sunbed shop assistant after half a bottle of Lambrini.

[HillmanImp]

I got the Fulvia from Kent to Leeds on Shiply for £150. Not a lot really. That would be the most sensible option. How much fuel will you use getting up here and then driving back etc, especially if its 2 cars. Plus you are possibly going to break down, run the risk of getting into bother with the authorities etc etc.

 

If the seller can wait a couple of weeks and you can book it well in advance the Shiply price is likely to be much lower too. Maybe as low as £100. Mine was a last minute 'must pick up this weekend' job which pushes up the price in my experience.

[idiotboy]

Thank you, that's very helpful. I'm taking tools too, I will whip off the brakes etc and give the car a once over. My friend lives in Leicester, so I could infact drive to his house. Sort any teething problems, then carry on the next day..

This is because I don't have a trailer, and to pay someone else will be astronomical so I'm doing a bit of budget car recovery

Apparently it has sat, but it starts, runs well, drives and stops. It wouldn't be a proper road trip without it being eventful!

And yes I know what your saying about the breakdown cover...but I will be on my way to an MOT station pmsl

 

There's a cool chap called Simon who lives just North of Leicester who's into Wartburgs and Trabi's, if you get stuck he might be a good contact.

[nigel bickle]

I used to bring shed loads of these back from Germany just after the Wall came down. Mate living out there advertised, 5 of us would go out in an old Peugeot 405 -drive 4 ,A frame the 5th. Twice a month for nearly a year. We had a ball, and made good profits. Would I do it now? Probably...

 

They all broke down -but it usually something relatively minor. Points was a fav -in the wheel arch -or sticking brakes (early ones need a specific puller). Despite their duraplast body -the frame is steel & rusts badly if ignored. Wheels -as stated, are peculiar, so spares can be an issue if the cz barum explodes (1 a trip).

 

If you dont know these- borrow an Aframe or trailer, please. Then you've better than 50% odds of getting back.Trying to drive it? Substantially lower-and the Breakdown services really wont come out to help.

 

If you really insist on driving, a slightly higher level of 2 stroke (mix it directly in the tank) for the journey (-so it smokes a little) will keep the engine free, and keep your speed right down. Initially 40, max 60 (for very short distances). When I did it -spare engines were 10 a penny -and we'd ''do'' 1 a month at the roadside. 5 bolts- 20 mins. You wont have that luxury.

 

They are suprisingly nippy -and good fun to drive. But, over a long distance- boring.

 

Good luck -whichever method you choose.

[scruff]

I would love a Trab. Please offer it here first if it isn't to your liking.

 

Any pics from those days Nigel??

[nigel bickle]

Loads someplace- -pre internet. i'll have a rummage- see what I can find

[Shep Shepherd]

I would love a Trab. Please offer it here first if it isn't to your liking.

 

Seconded. Although I'd prefer a Wartburg 353/Knight, a Trabi has been on my 'weird old cars to own at some point' list for years

[Mr Lobster]

Good luck although there does sound like the potential for an absolute world of pain to be opened up just getting it home.

[Des]

This ones 2 quid cheaper, any nearer?

 

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1974-Trabant-601S-12Volt-Running-Spares-Repair-/290752039891?_trksid=p4340.m1850&_trkparms=aid%3D222001%26algo%3DSIC.CURRENT%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D11%26meid%3D975955800884498460%26pid%3D100011%26prg%3D1005%26rk%3D5%26

[nigel bickle]

Mr Scruff -found a few old pics

 

 

 

 

 

The border halts were to prove we had 'Personally Imported' each of them (hence the individual lining up with the border posts!) -a DVLA requirement in those days. Caused a few wry smiles in the Brighton LVLO office! |

The Belgium 'Old Bill' in Bruges didnt like thier town filled with very smoky old 2 strokes- always giving us a hard time. Documents used to flummox them and we'd always end up with the occasional ticket for transgressing some rule. As the number plates were all 'interchangeable' -nothing was ever followed up.

 

Happy days

[trigger]

You really have lived a great life Nigel!, As for the driving home for a mot thing, surely the car still needs to be taxed whether it has a mot or not, You might get away with taking it to a mot station but i can't see the coppers being so happy about a car with no tax being on the road, especially with the ANPR cameras mounted to their cars now and cameras on the side of the road.

 

Your cheap Trabant could soon be a expensive time bomb.

[Mr Lobster]

If you are on your way to a prebooked MOT then you can drive an untaxed car on the road so in theory it'd be ok.

 

Trouble is though its an unusual car that will stand out and it's untaxedness will flag up on the ANPR cameras meaning a reasonable chance of a pull. If that happends towards the end of the journey then you're probably ok but if it happens with 200 miles to go then you could end up with plod crawling all over it just looking for a reason to get it off the road.

 

Personally, I'd bang it on a trailer / Shiply.

[triumph1300]

I think you lot are all right. Could end up being a right headache. The cheapest quote on shiply so far is 290 squids! I may have to let this one go

[dollywobbler]

I think you lot are all right. Could end up being a right headache. The cheapest quote on shiply so far is 290 squids! I may have to let this one go

 

That doesn't seem very nice for the poor Ebay seller. Give it some time. Took a few days for a decent quote to come in to ship my BX all the way from furthest Kent to here in West Wales. That was £200 in the end, though the poor bloke realised he'd made a mistake by the time he dropped it off! Welsh miles are HUGE.

[HillmanImp]

I think you lot are all right. Could end up being a right headache. The cheapest quote on shiply so far is 290 squids! I may have to let this one go

 

It does take a few days for them to come through. As I said, have you agreed a date quite over a week ahead with the seller? If so there is a much better chance of getting a lower quote. You will get one for not much over £100 as they were the prices I was getting. Its simply a jolly up the A1 or M1. There will literally be loads of people doing that journey with a bit of room on the back of their truck. If you are planning on moving soon you will be looking at £150 - £180 which is about how much I paid as I had a row with the Shiply people I originally booked and had to get a last minute one. I can give you the guys contact details if you want. I will have them somewhere and he was really good.

[triumph1300]

I know, wales is a nightmarep to drive through! I came from Kent in my ldv pilot to collect an engine, the roads I ended up on were pretty scary, sheer drops with nothing but sheep to cushion my fall!

To be honest, if I do cancel the ebay transaction, i will offer to pay him his fees etc as I know what its like to be messed about on there.

[scruff]

Nigel - effin fab. Brilliant. More tales if you can, please (in their own thread?)

 

Triumph dude, not being funny and we've all bought stuff drunk/without thinking etc, but if the pair of you can't afford to get it home safely, maybe a 1980s East German car with a weird engine isn't quite what you need? I mean, it's a cheap car but it's still going to want money spent on it. Can you afford that or will it just end up parked up somewhere?

I would bite the bullet, get it transported home and then save for any work it needs. That or be labelled a dreaming messer...

[nigel bickle]

Loads more tales mate, been doing silly stuff all my life.

 

That Trab will be 'A' typical. Broken hinge, or 2, scabby cills, bit of body rust and the brakes will 'need attention'. The engine will almost certainly start to give trouble after a few hundred miles (its a 2 stroke Sir -they all do that). When its running right- they're great, but compared to 4 strokes; they're a pain in the a**e.

 

Why do you think there are so many out there- laid up, just needing minor attention. I've 3 -all in the barn!

[warren t claim]

If it's still on COMECON plates I reckon you'd get away with no plod attention, they can't be arsed to check up on cars registered overseas.

[240gl]

How about hiring a self drive recovery truck? I think it cost me about a ton to hire one last year for 24 hours.

[RedSparrow]

Great. Join the list of ebay timewasters. Words fail me once again.

[Captain Mainwaring]

Great. Join the list of ebay timewasters. Words fail me once again.

 

I'm sure you've gone through life without having made a single mistake.