Trabant Kombi from Deutschland

[notabmw1]

Really digging this! Is this an East German trabant? Keep it up comrade!

Is there any Trabant other than a East German one? Yes it is from East Germany, however it did come from a Hungarian used car lot about 2-3 years ago. Cheers.

[notabmw1]

Well, putting some work in it, and about to order up a boat load of parts to get this thing back on the road. I have 1 month exactly to order, get the parts, and install.... and hope that it all goes relatively smoothly.


Push around to the garage.


Started stripping down the engine bay.


Former glory.

[hinrichs]

I don't know how I missed this, but its so awesome. When is the meet usually? would love to come check these out in person.

[notabmw1]

Well, really it's a once a year meet in November at the Spy Museum in Wash, D.C. They host every year the "Trabant Parade". It's a great location, lots of foot traffic, cool museum,and obviously cars. There is usually mainly Trabi's with a few Wartburgs, Kubel. So I try and make it a point to make it every year. This year will be the hardest to make it under the time constraint I put on myself, and what I want to accomplish. The car has been a back burner car since I bought it for my wife, but I want to have fun with it now. I would like to make it so I feel comfortable just hoping in it and heading out where ever. So gonna lower it some more, electronic ignition, strip engine bay, repaint engine, fabricate expansion exhaust, mod carb, fully rebuild entire brake system, reupholster interior, and some other odds and ends.

Here is a link to the "Parade"

http://www.spymuseum.org/calendar/de...ts/2014-11-08/

[lower99]

Your "Trabi" is lookin' really awesome with those red/silver rims!

[notabmw1]

Well, I got my Mini back on the road for this weekends adventure. Now it's time to get the Trabant ready for NEXT WEEKEND's air cooled show, and then for the Parade in November. So goal is to get it back on the road... running, driving, stopping for next weekend, then for November the rest of the more cosmetic stuff. I placed a fairly substantial order from Trabantwelt, and it just arrived yesterday. Looks like it took a solid 2.5 weeks to get here via DHL then passed off to USPS. I ordered everything I ever wanted to the last 2 years, mostly. So I got a new carb, all braking components from master down to brake cylinders, electronic igntion, 100mm lowering kit, all window seals, door seals, etc. Gaskets for everything. Everything came accept for the suspension, that is delayed, oh well. I also received yesterday finally my custom seat covers. That took around a month. I'll snap some pics as I go, but I am gonna try and focus to get it done so I can enjoy it next weekend. Can't believe it's been off the road 10 months now. Brakes go to the floor, had a leaky fuel line, gummed up carb, etc. Anyway, here are a few pics:







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[notabmw1]

So I got a few parts from Trabantwelt, like I said minus the leafs. Not all is pictured cause I was in a rush to get stuff on so I have a chance of making it to the air cooled show this weekend. Going to be a busy week.



So I replaced the manifold gasket and did a quick clean and paint. Started degreasing the motor, and popped on the fuel saver carb. Replaced the fuel line as well.






A bit cleaner than pictured here after degreasing the engine...

Got the new seat covers installed, and they actually are quiet nice. While not period correct, I like black seats. I already dyed the rest of my interior black sometime ago.




Also decided to try some mowog green on the wheels and engine cover swapped from the cherry metallic to give it a little more... utilitarian look.

[Mehowski]

This is amazing man! These were everywhere in Poland when I was growing up, even in the early 2000s, and if I get lucky I'll still see a couple of them when I occasionally visit home haha, lovely job so far! I'd be very tempted to go crazy with it and see how low it can go, but it's nice to see one in such a good condition. Great job so far, looking forward to more pictures

[Dr.AK]

That is completely awesome. I went through a phase when I was around, oh 16 or so, where I desperately wanted a Trabant as my first car haha. It didn't happen, but I ocassionally still lust after them. I was in Chemnitz in the dephts of eastern Germany about two months ago, and actually watched a street race between a really lowered brown Trabant and a old VW Polo by pure chance. Awesome.

Carry on with the good work!

[notabmw1]

I'd be very tempted to go crazy with it and see how low it can go

Honestly I wanted to go for the 180mm/7inch drop.... but I did buy this car "for" my wife. So she really wants it do be stock, I have pushed about as far as I can for customizing it without losing what really makes it special for her. Otherwise I would have went for swapping in a Wartburg engine, but it's the sounds, and smell of the 2 stroke, the super positive camber on the rear (which I got rid of). I did however compromise and will be sneaking in a 120mm/4.7 lowering kit with camber kit up front. Rear I have already cambered a fair amount. I just want to have fun with the car.

[notabmw1]

actually watched a street race between a really lowered brown Trabant and a old VW Polo by pure chance. Awesome.

Did the Polo win? Haha, I mean, these cars probably have the lightness factor, but the 26hp to back it up...ehhhh. I am hoping to further enhance it with a expansion chamber, and some other trickery.

[TheSavoy]

did you pick this up from a dude named Mike? there is a dude down in Maryland I heard of who use to go to Germany and ship a few trabbies back from over there to the states on occassion.

I nearly bought an '83 601 sedan from him 3 years ago.

Either way an awesome ride. Think you'll try to make it down to Helen Georgia one year in it? would look rad with all the alpine backgrounds.

[notabmw1]

did you pick this up from a dude named Mike? t

I picked it up from Mike back in early/mid 2012 for my wife. I showed her the add, and at that point I had been looking for 5 years. I was looking for a Kombi, low and behold there it was, 45 minutes or so from my house. He had just brought in 4 from Hungaria (I had to pay to get the title translated from Hungarian). I spent the next 2 months getting it on the road and doing a quick resto before surprising her with it. IE, pulled her over with the car with the siren blaring and blue light spinning. The rest is history...

[notabmw1]

Ok, so I got 2 more nights to get this thing back on the road. New brake master cylinder installed (the piston seal was leaking), hopefully that is the culprit, 1 brake line was slightly leaking at the 4 way split as well. I also installed new coils, new carb is in, new fuel line, gaskets, rebuilt fuel petcock, new coils, wrapped wiring with braided loom, painted a bunch of stuff. Now mind you this is not a show car, but I wanted it to make it somewhat presentable when I pop the hood. I think it cleaned up nice. Unfortunately the 5" lowering leafs still have not showed up and will probably have to wait till the November event.









YES BRITISH MOWOG GREEN! It's so wrong, but so right. Had a few cans left over from the Mini, and I was trying to give it that more utilitarian look without being to "bright".

[notabmw1]

I dug into it some more last night, and wrapped up doing the wiring, bled the brakes (probably easiest car I have ever done). Found that I had one bad brake line which I replaced, and the copper washer in the split was weeping, all buttoned up now. I made up a set of spark plug wires I had from my old motorcycle that are a brown/orange braided line. Anyway, filled up the tank with gas and oil... and it just cranks. Tonight I will have to check for spark, I replaced the coils with I believe the Bosch ones that came with the electronic kit, but have not fitted that in the distributor yet, still running on points currently.



She wants to come out and play, dammit!