Everyone getting new daily rides, me too :D

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sven360
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Post by sven360 » 13 Sep 2008 12:22 pm

Duvel78 wrote: Here is an interesting link: http://www.vialle.nl/bedrijfsprofiel/al ... e.html?L=1
It is an intresting link,thanks.
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trabitom99
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Post by trabitom99 » 13 Sep 2008 07:56 pm

Everyone posting their daily rides? OK, these are what I use to get to work every day. Both in a different league to Sven's "Yank tanks" ;-)

Good weather:
Image

Bad weather:
Image

Tom
343 GL Touring B14.1E CVT (155) 98000kms 1980 (sold)
343 L Junior B14.3E MT4 (155) 229000kms 1981 (scrapped)
343 DLS B19A MT4 (155) 167900kms 1982
360 GL Injection B200F MT5 (231) 348598kms 1988 (scrapped)
360 GLT B200F MT5 (302) 230000kms 1988

sven360
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Post by sven360 » 16 Sep 2008 07:40 pm

trabitom99 wrote:Everyone posting their daily rides? OK, these are what I use to get to work every day. Both in a different league to Sven's "Yank tanks" ;-)

Good weather:
Image

Bad weather:
Image

Tom
Not quite sure whether you pray for rain or not from those photos :?
Enlighten me on your trusty white steed.Wartburg?????
Keeper of The Knights' of Bushido-lest we forget

Write it in your heart.
Stand by the code and it will stand by you.

Ask no more and give no less than honesty,courage,loyalty,generosity and fairness.

The code of the West.

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trabitom99
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Post by trabitom99 » 16 Sep 2008 08:21 pm

sven360 wrote:Not quite sure whether you pray for rain or not from those photos :?
sm97

It doesn't make much difference, the "white steed" is pretty leaky when it pours, so I get wet either way :?

It's a Trabant 601 S (S for Sport). 26 bhp, two stroke, top speed 50 mph :o

(trabi)Tom
343 GL Touring B14.1E CVT (155) 98000kms 1980 (sold)
343 L Junior B14.3E MT4 (155) 229000kms 1981 (scrapped)
343 DLS B19A MT4 (155) 167900kms 1982
360 GL Injection B200F MT5 (231) 348598kms 1988 (scrapped)
360 GLT B200F MT5 (302) 230000kms 1988

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jtbo
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Post by jtbo » 16 Sep 2008 08:23 pm

sven360 wrote: Not quite sure whether you pray for rain or not from those photos :?
Enlighten me on your trusty white steed.Wartburg?????
Looks like a Trabi

Trabant, car that is made from cardboard, legend says they upped speedlimit of german roads so that woodpecker could not catch Trabi :lol:

Car is a true legend, here is video showing how they did add personality to each car at factory:
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=8GlIuJlfR2Y ;)

It is not perhaps quality of Merc S500, but car had lot of spirit, also I think it was only affordable car for working class of east germany when germany was still two countries, waiting line was years to get one.

Only cars with some character will get million songs, films and jokes made up from them, that is something big manufacturers with big production numbers and automated lines will never have.

From some reason I have soft spot of cars like this, they are something special, looks like it is in very good condition too! :D

edit: ah trabitom was quicker to reply, hmm how his nickname does sound different now sm14 :lol:

I guess woodpecker could fly 40mph and joke comes from that Trabi could do 50mph :)

There is Trabi museum in Germany too I believe, visitors can drive Trabis there, sometime I hope to visit there. Also I remember at least one movie that was family adventure with trabi, or perhaps it was series of movies? Anyway it is big thing this Trabi :)
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sven360
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Post by sven360 » 16 Sep 2008 08:48 pm

trabitom99 wrote:
It doesn't make much difference, the "white steed" is pretty leaky when it pours, so I get wet either way :?

It's a Trabant 601 S (S for Sport). 26 bhp, two stroke, top speed 50 mph :o

(trabi)Tom
Top answer-excuse my ignorance on the Trabi.

Are you anything to do with this place..........http://www.trabant.org.uk/

Like the bit about trading up to a LADA.Classic :lol:

How do you feel about "coming out " so to speak,cleansed or just spiritually uplifted???

I have never seen one before but with a small block shoe horned in could be real street sleeper 8)
Keeper of The Knights' of Bushido-lest we forget

Write it in your heart.
Stand by the code and it will stand by you.

Ask no more and give no less than honesty,courage,loyalty,generosity and fairness.

The code of the West.

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jtbo
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Post by jtbo » 16 Sep 2008 08:53 pm

But you can't put small block into Trabi, it would tear apart as it is made from cardboard :lol:

Shame really as looks and size would be perfect for monstrous sleeper :)

However, 2 stroke engines are often very tune up friendly, also installing engine from powerful 2 stroke motorbike would be good and respectful way to make it monstrous sleeper car.

But it is quite nice car in stock form too, not powerful, also not for high speeds or long trips, but for scenic routes at slow pace, enjoying life, there it is perhaps best suited.
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trabitom99
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Post by trabitom99 » 16 Sep 2008 08:53 pm

Oh, and it's also very environmentally friendly and has a throaty exhaust note:

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

Not a car to drive if you're worried about looking cool. The nightmare is stopping at the lights next to a bus stop packed with school children - sometimes I feel like putting a bag over my head :oops:

Jani, the quality is appalling (all the knobs fall out of the dash when you drive over a pothole), and unfortunately there is enough steel on the car to make welding necessary every MOT.

But it's very versatile. You can do this with it:
http://tinyurl.com/6dhl3l
and this:
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/141/3526 ... f21c_b.jpg
and this:
http://tinyurl.com/6qgvt5

It takes it all in its stride ...

Tom
343 GL Touring B14.1E CVT (155) 98000kms 1980 (sold)
343 L Junior B14.3E MT4 (155) 229000kms 1981 (scrapped)
343 DLS B19A MT4 (155) 167900kms 1982
360 GL Injection B200F MT5 (231) 348598kms 1988 (scrapped)
360 GLT B200F MT5 (302) 230000kms 1988

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jtbo
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Post by jtbo » 16 Sep 2008 09:21 pm

Oh yes, I do remember finnish car magazine doing review of car at dark ages of 80's or early 90's, one comment was that it shaked at idle so bad that passengers felt sick, but if driver reached to ashtray and hold his hand against it shaking virtually stopped, well that is how I remember it being, but it is long time ago I did read it (when magazine was new and fresh) so some details might be wrong.

Quality was indeed big problem and I doubt that car had not many good points, but still it become a legend, much more than let's say Porsche 944 and that is something :D

Awww, how cute car looks in one of photos 8)

BTW, this is movie I saw once when lot younger http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0101960/ There is also sequel to that :)

To my eye, older Daf and Trabi share lot of similarities in looks, but I guess Daf has better quality, however rust might be problem to both makes.

I think Trabi comes close to VW beetle in character aspect, you should not be ashamed at all when you drive something with such big, sure kids may laugh and people will shake their heads, but if they would knew how important that car has been in history they certainly would not :)
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sven360
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Post by sven360 » 16 Sep 2008 09:22 pm

Well I'm converted-I'll have one before I shuffle off this planet.
Who's for a group buy???????
Keeper of The Knights' of Bushido-lest we forget

Write it in your heart.
Stand by the code and it will stand by you.

Ask no more and give no less than honesty,courage,loyalty,generosity and fairness.

The code of the West.

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trabitom99
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Post by trabitom99 » 16 Sep 2008 09:30 pm

sven360 wrote:Are you anything to do with this place..........http://www.trabant.org.uk/
Ummm, no! But I agree with everything he says.
sven360 wrote:How do you feel about "coming out " so to speak,cleansed or just spiritually uplifted???
Reborn, is the word.
sven360 wrote:but with a small block shoe horned in could be real street sleeper 8)
jtbo wrote:But you can't put small block into Trabi, it would tear apart as it is made from cardboard :lol:
I saw a pic of one at the Gaydon Retro Rides meet, looked a bit like this:

Image
Ford V8 engine, SVO 5-litre rated at 345bhp
http://www.oddrods.co.uk/portfolio/cars/v8_trabant.php
jtbo wrote:But it is quite nice car in stock form too, not powerful, also not for high speeds or long trips, but for scenic routes at slow pace, enjoying life, there it is perhaps best suited.
The gearing is very low, so around town it actually feels quite fast. But above 30mph you start looking for another gear, highest pleasant cruising speed is 45mph ... Steep hills on Autobahns with a lorry breathing down your neck - no fun.

Tom
343 GL Touring B14.1E CVT (155) 98000kms 1980 (sold)
343 L Junior B14.3E MT4 (155) 229000kms 1981 (scrapped)
343 DLS B19A MT4 (155) 167900kms 1982
360 GL Injection B200F MT5 (231) 348598kms 1988 (scrapped)
360 GLT B200F MT5 (302) 230000kms 1988

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jtbo
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Post by jtbo » 16 Sep 2008 09:49 pm

That blue car has tube frame?

Anyway, that must be sick machine to drive with all that power :D

If engine would rev 10 000 that car might be tad faster, but certainly ton less comfy. Ehm, well I guess comfy is bit too much to say? :D

But if we think 300, it is not very rust proof either, also noise level is something quite high on longer trips, sure it is better than Trabi almost in every area, but if we compare 300 to more modern cars it is hardly holding up with any aspect.

In practise Trabi is late 50's car, they did not change too much until 1989 or so, I guess some late models got VW engine, but it is really old design, however I believe that at some stage time was stopped at eastern germany after WW2 to collapse of Berlin wall and in there it was very usable car during that time.

No wonder it is not quite holding up at today's standards, at around same time with Trabi Fiat 500 was designed and launched, it had 13hp in first version, when compared these two against each other Fiat of course has more quality but differences are not quite so high as with some modern car :P
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MJ
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Post by MJ » 16 Sep 2008 10:47 pm

Nice video of the assembly line, lots of love and care :lol: It's pretty unbelievable, just like the second guys hair :?
Image

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jtbo
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Post by jtbo » 16 Sep 2008 11:19 pm

MJ wrote:Nice video of the assembly line, lots of love and care :lol: It's pretty unbelievable, just like the second guys hair :?
He must been at barber shop just before filming, Funky late 70's I believe :lol:

Remind a bit from film Naked Gun, where one character had huge hair at one scene, he had to go sideways from doors :D
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Chris_C
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Post by Chris_C » 17 Sep 2008 12:15 am

I took some pics of the hot trabi at RR this year, I'll have put them, somewhere safe... Steve may have too
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