Rich: A note on the Trabant's quality of assembly.
You'll note, in my photo, that in order to get the top of the door lined up,
the bottom of the door does not match the bottom of the body panels!
Typical!
David.
G'Mornin' Rich!
It's true, drivers had to get special permission to drive a Trabant in
what was
West Germany, as the cars did not meet West German emissions standards
and
polluted the air at four times the European average.
After "the Wall" fell, they fell to obscurity, with many Trabi's sold
for just
a few Marks, or even given away.
And, yes, assembly was as bad as you saw in the show you watched. All
of which
explains my surprise to see some still on the road.
Glad you enjoyed my post. :-)
David.
David,
I remember some years ago seeing a story about the Trabant on a U.S.
network Sunday magazine news show. It showed them being assembled. I
remember one scene showed this
rather burly worker with a mallet and a 2x4 type board trying to make
the driver's door fit so it
could be shut. Also, when they came off the assembly line most of them
failed to start. I don't know
how true this is but when East Germany fell the former East Germans
weren't allowed to bring them in
to what was West Germany.
Thanks for this fun post.
Best.
Rich Palmer
On Monday, January 13, 2020, 1:11:34 AM EST, David Young
<dsy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Good Evening, Peter!
I'd read about Trabi's for decades, but had never, ever expected to see
one. Yet I first found one in Budapest, simply parked on the street in
a residential neighbourhood. Then to see several marked as taxis just
amazed me.
Note, in the photo, both the number of people and the rrmarkably
cramped
quarters they find themselves in!
Apparently, for all their drawbacks, the plastic panels make them
durable, if not high performance. So, many survive, to this day. Even
though the newest of them are some 30 years old.
As for convoys, I doubt catching fire is a big risk, but having one
"pull up lame" is a distinct possibility!
Thanks for looking, and taking the time to comment.
David.
Third time's the charm, eh? :)------
What a fun image, David. Ya got to love folks who have the enterprise
to give the little cars a fresh paint job and put 'em into service. I
had thought that you were going to allude to the probably fact that
they also travel in a convoy for dubious safety reasons in case one
of
them "pulls up lame" or catches fire... :)
Best regards,
Peter S.
On Jan 12, 2020, at 9:42 PM, David Young <dsy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Produced for over 30 years, the Trabant was a small, East German
car, known for it's dull colour scheme and cramped, uncomfortable
ride.
Powered by a 25hp, 600cc (37 cu in) two-stroke engine, it took 21
seconds to accelerate from zero to its top speed of 100 km/h (62
mph). It had no tachometer, no indicators for either headlights nor
turn signals, no fuel gauge (a dipstick was inserted into the tank
to determine the fuel level) and no rear seat belts. Drivers had to
pour a mix of gasoline and oil directly into the fuel tank, which
was located above the engine so the fuel would flow to the engine
by
gravity, thus eliminating any need for a fuel pump. Of course,
this
arrangement greatly increased the risk of a fire, in the event of a
front-end collision.
The Trabant had a steel frame, with the roof, trunk lid, hood (boot
lid & bonnet, if you prefer), fenders and doors made of duroplast,
a
hard plastic made from recycled cotton waste from the Soviet Union
and phenol resins from the East German dye industry. The material
was durable, giving the car an average lifespan of 28 years. The
average worker had to wait ten to thirteen years for a Trabi. Or,
if
available, pay more than double for a second hand model!
In short, the Trabant was loud, uncomfortable, slow, poorly
designed, and badly built - with atrocious reliability. It's only
saving grace was that it was designed to be repaired by it's owner
with only simple hand tools.
So you can imagine our surprise to see several Trabi's shuttling
about Budapest as taxis!
Further investigation showed that they were "fake" taxis, which can
be rented for touring the town. They travel in convoys, with a
guide in the lead car, who can be heard in the other cars via
radio.
And it seems that the firm is doing a thriving trade!
https://www.flickr.com/photos/155735425@N05/49376963012/in/dateposted- publ
ic/
David.
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