"thought I wanted to BUY the Trabbie (not sure it would fit in checked baggage for the return flight). It could almost BE checked baggage. :) Tom Jennings wrote: > On Wed, 28 Mar 2007, Keleigh Hardie wrote: > > >> That orange Trabant is interesting. I didn't know cardboard could rust... >> > > Most? All? of them are made of that composite gunk. > > I know little of them. I made a very serious effort to locate > anyone I was around that had access to one to lift the hood > so I could photo it. At a big flea market (where I got a nice > Tesla (Czechoslovakian) (Czech Repulic these days) car radio) > a vendor was offloadin his wares from one, I tried to locate > someone who spoke english to be intermediary, but they guy > thought I wanted to BUY the Trabbie (not sure it would fit in > checked baggage for the return flight). > > This is what I know of them technically: > > 600cc twin air-cooled premix ported two-stroke motor up front, > front wheel drive, single transverse leaf in front. The motor > looks pretty decent design, in the cutaway drawing poster I > bought at said flea market. (One of those high-quality things > from a dealer showroom, circa 1968.) > > Has dual point distributor, possibly one contact/coil per > cylinder; my drawing doesn't show what the two points are doing > or the coil(s). A little RTFM would probably find me a TSM. > > Interior looks generic 60's low-end-euro (think Volvo). Basic > gauges, plain seats. Good use of space, didn't get to sit in > one but looks roomy enough. This car was made for Russians, > not Japanese, remember. > > I never saw a crumpled one. Possibly impact takes them off the > road, but there must be a non-fatal failure mode, but I never > saw one. > > Laugh all you want (while you keep in mind how Gremlins get > laughed at) there are many of these 20 - 30 years old still in > regular use. They are by no means rare; they are very common. > This is not Cuba; there are plenty of cars around. > > In that list of photos are two or three that I took by sticking > my camera under the front of the car while walkin down the > street, from the front bumper back. Hard to decipher. > > There's even a wagon, which is really great. > > > This is what I know of them culturally: > > They are very well respected, considered very reliable, well made > and repairable as hell. There is no love for the ex-USSR here, > this isn't some displaced paternal fuzzies for the old days. > > They're all old now and I guess that owning one is out of love, > habit or necessity for an old cheap car. Hungary is not rich, > but it's no 3rd-world country. > > _______________________________________________ > Amc-list mailing list > Amc-list@xxxxxxxxxxxx > http://www.amc-list.com/mailman/listinfo/amc-list > > _______________________________________________ Amc-list mailing list Amc-list@xxxxxxxxxxxx http://www.amc-list.com/mailman/listinfo/amc-list