Would I die in this?

[Honey Badger]

The panels are made of phenolic resin, which will probably never catch fire.

 

You however are very flammable, but at least if there is a fire you won't need to replace any of the body panels, just body parts.

 

When are you picking it up then?

[Matt]

I'm really really sorry to create a whole thread for this, but I really really want it, mainly because INTERIOR. Also 2 STROKE. 

 

The bodywork is made from highly combustible cardboard isn't it? The fuel tank is above the engine ready to explode. The brakes, according to legend, don't work. The heaters don't work at city speeds. 

 

WILL I DIE? DOES IT MATTER? WHAT IS LIFE? 

 

 

 

 

WILL I DIE?: Eventually, yes.

DOES IT MATTER?: To your immediate friends and family, yes.

WHAT IS LIFE?: BABY DON'T HURT MEEE.

[purplebargeken]

Driven one. Loved it.

 

Buy this or else.

 

Column shift is fine too.

 

Tons of parts available as well.

[somewhatfoolish]

Can you lob in a 3 cylinder out of a Wartburg or is the gearbox made of cheese and will die if given more power to handle?

[Cavcraft]

If you're going to lob a triple in it, then your only answer/s is a GT750 'kettle' or an H2 engine.

 

When do you pick the car up?

[garethj]

I think these came out better in a crash test than the VW Polo when they were tested in the early 1990s.  Probably also safer than an Austin Mini and I don't remember the British roads littered with corpses back in the '70s and '80s.

[The Moog]

You could turn it into a del boy copy for £££.

 

When do you pick it up?

[xkjagnz]

I think these came out better in a crash test than the VW Polo when they were tested in the early 1990s.  Probably also safer than an Austin Mini and I don't remember the British roads littered with corpses back in the '70s and '80s.

Well not from road accidents - only from the 3 day week and strikes

[xkjagnz]

FFS it's up for only 1500 quid I'd have it in a heartbeat if I wasn't in NZ*

*I'm not in NZ at the mo I'm stuck on a mighty grey war ferry in Australia

[nigel bickle]

I used to import Trabs in bulk back in the 90's. I still have a few..

 

Ignore the outer panels. They come off in seconds, can't rot so only get changed after accident damage or an Eastern bloc ' refresh'.

Do check the steel skeleton underneath. Most obvious pointers on general condition is the battery tray in the engine bay ( lift out battery, look for holes or severe rust) and rear tailgate hinges. They can break and the top of the frame degenerate. Front floors if it's bad - but they are all saveable if so minded.

 

If it hasn't been used regularly, treat it very gently to loosen it back up- or you will seize it.

Slightly over egg the 2 stroke ( it won't smoke, after startup as western oil is so much better) for the first two tankfuls. Should be ok thereafter if used often, but you will need to get used to the freewheel.

They are peppy and fun, pretty quick for a 600, and they do go/ like to rev when in good order. Frugal, too.

 

Obvious immediate upgrade is a Warburg triple that can be swopped straight in ( one mount, fabricate exhaust, add coil etc) and gives a healthy 50% power increase. Biggest problem now will be finding one.

Engine needs one 13 MM spanner, a pair pliers and can be out complete in 30 mins. Light enough to pick up, one hand so don't be put off by duff clutches etc. Do be put off by a sickly engine as replacements are expensive now. Pennies in my day!

 

Early version brakes were difficult to access without the correct puller - plenty on EBay.de. Don't try without, you'll break something - which is why they nearly all have seized brakes. Inaccessible. Latter ones are better, don't need the puller.

 

Parts are simple Eastern bloc cross compatible, IIe: the fuel tsp (by your left foot ) is an Mz 250 petrol tank tap.

 

They are fun to drive, cheap and reliable and parts are sensible . If used.......

 

Or they are a dead money pit that will drive you mad, cost you fortunes and never run properly. If laid up....

 

 

U.K. Registration is straightforward, Mot simple. Get out there and enjoy!

[oldcars]

I drive a Reliant Rialto so no, that is a step up in safety. When do you collect it?

[oldcars]

WILL I DIE: Yes, one day.

DOES IT MATTER: Probably. A bit.

 

Is it really made of cardboard, or is that some Top Gear-esque spaff made up on Facebook? Not sure, can't be arsed to google it. Either way, you'd probably die if you crashed it properly. So the trick is to not to crash. Or not to drive at all.

 

Do what makes you happy. If driving a yellow car made out of cardboard by tankies is what will make you happy, go for it.

I think its called duroplast or something.

[barefoot]

I had mine for six years as a daily. Bought it and sold it for £400.

It was fun at first, didn't smoke as I expected, but it became a pain in the arse with everything needing greasing every month or so

Under-bonnet fuel ups & measuring two stroke & dropping the fucking dip-stick fuel gauge into the tank...

 

I was glad to see the back of it in the end, it's one of the few cars I've owned that I wouldn't have another.

 

Only ever managed 35 mpg too!

[carlo]

I would have thought as the fuel tank holds oil in it as well as fuel it was slightly less combustible.

 

My first car was a Wartburg Knight, absolutely loved it.  Never had a car with more character (or worse brakes).

[carlo]

I would have thought as the fuel tank holds oil in it as well as fuel it was slightly less combustible.

 

My first car was a Wartburg Knight, absolutely loved it.  Never had a car with more character (or worse brakes).

 

Actually scrub that.  I had a Datsun 120Y not long afterwards and that did have worse brakes.

[SiC]

You'll be fine. I bet you're far more likely to survive than most rusty "classics" on the roads today.

 

 

Just buy it.

[John F]

Will you die in it?

 

YES. It will last that long.

 

Get it bought!

 

EDIT: According to that article above, experts were amazed at how tough the passenger cell of a Trabi proved to be in a 30-degree frontal impact... also, the ignition point of Duroplast is the same as the melting point of aluminium.

[Fabergé Greggs]

I would have thought as the fuel tank holds oil in it as well as fuel it was slightly less combustible.

I guess if it did turn into a fireball it would smell of my beloved two stroke. Not sure I love the smell that much..

[Schaefft]

My parents had one for many years. As far as I know I still exist, in case that helps.

[Matt]

Can you lob in a 3 cylinder out of a Wartburg or is the gearbox made of cheese and will die if given more power to handle?

 

Did they not have a MK2 VW Polo engine for the last year or two of production?

 

Edit: Yes. 1989-1991 they had the 1.0 MK2 Polo engine. I can't see what gearbox it has though.

 

[SiC]

Did they not have a MK2 VW Polo engine for the last year or two of production?

A 4-stroke VW in one looses the charm of them for me.

[Matt]

A 4-stroke VW in one looses the charm of them for me.

 

Oh absolutely, a proper oddity though. Does mean you could possibly fit a 1994-2003 Polo 1.6 16v as some people have done with MK2 Polos.

[plasticvandan]

top secret info,he will take £1100 for it was going to buy this but mrs said no.

[Dick Cheeseburger]

Surely asking 'will I die if I buy this car?' is a little like asking, 'will I get run over if I run blindfolded across a quiet country road on a daily basis for a year?' You'll probably be ok, but there is a small chance you'll be getting a one-way ride in a shiny black estate car.

I remember when looking at Morris Minors, I test drove a proper scruffy late model owned by a fella who worked at the local motor factors. He used to play around with old bangers and previously bought his daughter a sixties Beetle as she shared his enthusiasm. Unfortunately, she had recently been killed in a relatively low-speed frontal in her bug - mainly due to the fact there is feck-all protection up front in Beetles I guess. He was selling the Moggie as he wanted to get rid of any old motors which reminded him of his daughter. I did buy a better Minor a few weeks later, and I remember thinking that, if I were in a smack with my car, it had a damn sight more protection up front when compared to the Beetle.

So, basically, buy the Trabant. Because its probably safer than a Peugeot 106.

[SiC]

A very good reason to not own a Beetle:

[nigel bickle]

On the Trabant Tramp ( the military soft top) the heater is essentially a small Bunsen burner with its own neat tiny petrol tank hidden at the front on the inner wing.

Once commissioned, it roars like a jet, rendering conversation even inside the cabin impossible, but does heat the open top up quite well.

 

Downside? Well it does get quite hot, and it's bolted directly to the cars own undergo net fuel tank via a small sheet of asbestos.

I have run it, for a few minutes, but heating the petrol tank really didn't appeal.

[Skut]

One of my best mates was born into the DDR and his family had a pale blue estate. I thought he'd find my interest in it strange but it turns out Ostalgie is quite well established in Germany. Have a clip from the Czech film Kolya.https://youtu.be/Hq2MtIUIerk

[Inspector Morose]

Obvious immediate upgrade is a Warburg triple that can be swopped straight in ( one mount, fabricate exhaust, add coil etc) and gives a healthy 50% power increase. Biggest problem now will be finding one.

 

And don't forget to add a water based cooling system!

 

Trabbis are great. I also used to import these and other eastern block oddities in my youth often driving out mob handed and scouring the classifieds then convoying them back home.

 

As Nigel said, forget about the body panels, they are just glued and screwed on to a steel structure - it's that that you should inspect carefully as repairs to this can get a bit involved.

 

If it is an '87/'88 car it should be a coil sprung 12v. Earlier cars (was it pre 83?) were transverse leaf and 6v.

Points are also shared with eastern block motorbikes of the era, my local motorbike dealer (Criterion in Dudley) used to play guess the car from the no of sets of points people used to ask for (two was a trabbi owner, three was a Wartburg) listen to the engine as a definite rattle spells the last rights for the crank bearings. They do go on for a while like that but the end is in sight. The crank has to be split to remove the roller bearings and that isn't a five minute job if you don't have a tank of liquid nitrogen (or a million and one old fire extinguishers)

 

Erm, basically everything that Nigel said is spot on really so I won't repeat it. If you like it and it isn't too fucked, buy it and enjoy. There's a healthy group of followers in this country and its legendary status in Germany means most, if not all parts are readily available. You can also play "guess if it's a bitsa or not" as all components are date stamped. The toolkit that should be with it carries all the tools needed (apart from the bloody hub puller for the brakes) and the individual price for each spanner was actually cast into the metal. Now that's price fixing!

 

The Polo engined Trabant used a IFA built copy of the 1.1 engine with IFA cast into the block and parts instead of VW. This was mounted to a copy of the 1.1 Polo gearbox. They are very good everyday cars and pretty sought after as there were not that many built. At the same time as the 1.1 Trabbis, the Wartburg 353 was re-engineered with a 1.3 Polo engine copy but this was mated to the Polo 1.1 box making the car terribly under geared.

 

Love em. I'd have a tramp again if one came to me for the right money, they're ace!

[They_all_do_that_sir]

So why has there been no collection thread??

 

Sent from my SM-A510F using Tapatalk

[Bren]

Have you bought it yet? I expect you to grow a moustache, wear a cheap leather jacket and drive with bootleg U2 cd's on the back seat.When people approach you ask if their papers are in order.