Witaj jak to miło jest zobaczyć w stanach ''Malucha '' kiedyś zdawałem na takim prawo jazdy co to były za czasy łezka się w oku kreci mój ''Maluch'' jest właśnie remontowany nie długo też pojedzie pozdrawiam serdecznie
Ahhh, sweet memories! They were so popular in Italy! lovely little car. we would drive everywhere in them - with no complaints! And it's actually a fun car to drive!
My first car, bought it new in 1989 in Eastern Europe (with the updated interior) for $1200, so your research is a bit off:). It was a lot of fun and easy to fix yourself. Still my all time favorite after owning 20 cars of all makes. Thanks for the video, it deserves it !
You're wrong. That was cheapest car for young peoples. And we love them! No one car was better for learning "how to drive". MALUCH was my first own car in '91. Brand new. For teenager that was amazing! And yes - nostalgia works.
@@whisperluxe yest people waited for several years to get this car. Or any other car. It was communism - any car was a luxury and you had to wait in queues forever. Still it sucked and people knew it. I spend half my youth at the back seat of this car and I was already 180-186 cm tall :) Not very good for you.
During the 90' I had a 1983 model. In Poland it was really really something great to have a Maluch (126p). Most of people didn't even have a car, except of tractors and light motorbikes. Now I bought a maluch again to see smile of the people when I'm driving it in Poland, because Maluch was a good friend to polish people during communist reign - it was very very easy and cheap to repair.
There was a custom in Poland those days to add another pulley wheel so You could start the engine with a string like a chainsaw or lawnmower. It was because spare starters were so hard to get. The Maluch is a totally awesome car. It's a kurwa apotheosis of Polish car industry.
I very much liked your way and approach to the car, not only as a machine but as a part of history, a wider and deeper approach. I owned it in my mid 20ties and it never let me down. I felt like a king and drove around in my small world (Croatia, Yugoslavia back than) in those times (still, made around 40 000 before selling it and purchasing another vehicle that made history in western Europe - Renault 4). Again, enjoyed your knowledgeable and smooth approach and openminded comments on a car so much different from the ones being popular in those years in the US 👍❤
My dad had bought one from 1983 in 1991 from a polish guy and I had fun driving it in the city in third gear it could be pulled between 45 and 90 km/h without any problem which is 28 to 56 m/h. When I remember my old Beetle 1302/1300 I believe if the second and third is revved up it is as accelerative up to 50 as the beetle. Above that is empty the 4th speed is only for cruising above 50 miles / 80 kilometers
awesome! in the 80s a Polish family of 4 would also load luggage and drive this car from Poland to the Bulgarian black sea coast for a vacation and back - 1300 miles each way. The always drove with the engine cover open for cooling. I bet if you drive this car into the Polish neighborhoods in Chicago you will meet a lot of fans!
28 year run, yes! But keep in mind it was heavily based on the original late 50s-70s FIAT 500, so by 2000 you were essentially driving a car with a drivetrain that was essentially designed in the 1950s! :)
It's great to see that this car is getting some love. It really deserves it. It literally was a peoples' car. I really enjoyed your video about this polish classic. I myself have 2 Fiat 126p. In fact, I just recently made a TH-cam account and there I am talking about my two cars. Did you meet a few people in the US who recognize this car, without research?
The car was surprisingly versatile and perfect in the city. This said, my family used it to go on trips aroun Poland. The parents up in the front seats, and the four of us kids at the back. Plus we would fit all we needed for a trip in any available recess in the front trunk. For us, this car was a vehicle to living a better and richer life. Thanks, Fiat!
I first came to Poland in 1989. In those days this was about the only car available to polish people at the time. The streets were full of them. In the early 90's when Polish people finally could get a visa to travel abroad they drove in these cars to countries like Norway to find work. Three or four young men would all pile into one and live and sleep in the car while doing any odd job they could get. After a summer of odd job work in Norway, while living in a Fiatski to save money, they could earn them enough western currency to buy a flat in Poland back then. Now they are strange curiosities of another era and rarely seen on Polish streets anymore. Every Pole over the age of 35 grew up with one of these little cars in the family. I borrowed my brother in law's Fiatski a few times. It could go 80 KPH downhill with a tailwind and was noisy and somewhat smelly but it did get you to your destination and it was simple to repair. Every teenage boy learned how to fix his father's Fiatsky.
It's so true what You said. Man, when You first came to Poland, I was like 4 years old :D I never had a 126p, but I had a Żuk, the truck. It had 2120ccm petrol engine with a crank start :D I bought it from firefighters surplus.
My aunt in Berlin drove two of them in the seventies. In Italy they made a poll to find a name for it and in 1977 or so they named it Bambino, little Baby.
In Poland we call him "Maluch".That means "a little". I remember when I and my parents travel in this car from center of country to the Baltic Sea (300 miles one way). Sweet memories :)
Hey it looks like you got yourself a nice ride. Nostalgia I used to own one 20 years ago You know what I am still looking to get one Best regards from Britain
I have 1991 water cooled 126 and it never overheats, even driving on a hot day all day long. Think maybe there were some issues with the thermostats on early cars...
Please be aware that these original Fiat transmissions had weak 1st gear. Normally, I used it only to get the car rolling. Most of the initial acceleration should be done in the second gear. A mechanic repairing these transmissions back in the 1970-80's taught me this. Also, the original valve seats need good quality lead substitute with the unleaded gasoline. As long you baby it as you would any old car it will last you. Hope you have one of the original service books with maintenance schedule and short cuts. I dare to say, these books were the best sellers in Poland in 1980's :)
Yes, it is true, 23 HP :) Some of Poles in mid and lat 80ies drove Fiat with 4 person (2 children) and a trailor, there was only Niewiadów, to Jugoslavia or Bulgary, Hungary... And that 23 HP had enough ;)
Ok so you need bit of clarification regarding some statements. First of all you couldn't buy coupons for the car like you couldn't really buy them for anything else. They were given by government and employers as all the companies in Poland during communism belonged to the country, there was no private companies. Coupons were so valuable that nobody would sell them because most people had money but you still needed coupons to buy any premium product in the shops. When it comes to money and conversion to dollars it really wouldn't be that easy because value of Zloty went up and down compare to American Dollar over the years but the last produced models at the end of last century were sold brand new at around 10.000zl which at that time was equivalent of around 3000$. When it comes to numbers of that car in Poland they are going down all the time but its surprising that only 3.3 million of them were made. In 70's or 80's and even as far as mid 90's there seemed to be more 126p on Polish roads than all other cars combined. Last but not least I love to see you smile while driving this little gem, if you told people in Poland in early 90's that Americans will be enjoying it so much 30 years later nobody would believe you :)
This guy has all the quirky cars that I love: Trabant, Fiat 126, 2CV...
Witaj jak to miło jest zobaczyć w stanach ''Malucha '' kiedyś zdawałem na takim prawo jazdy co to były za czasy łezka się w oku kreci mój ''Maluch'' jest właśnie remontowany nie długo też pojedzie pozdrawiam serdecznie
Ahhh, sweet memories! They were so popular in Italy! lovely little car. we would drive everywhere in them - with no complaints! And it's actually a fun car to drive!
My first car, bought it new in 1989 in Eastern Europe (with the updated interior) for $1200, so your research is a bit off:).
It was a lot of fun and easy to fix yourself. Still my all time favorite after owning 20 cars of all makes.
Thanks for the video, it deserves it !
In 80s and 90s in Poland everybody had one :) And everybody hated them.
Now they are cult classics :)
Yeah that's how nostalgia works ^^
You're wrong. That was cheapest car for young peoples. And we love them! No one car was better for learning "how to drive". MALUCH was my first own car in '91. Brand new. For teenager that was amazing! And yes - nostalgia works.
1:20
@@whisperluxe yest people waited for several years to get this car. Or any other car. It was communism - any car was a luxury and you had to wait in queues forever. Still it sucked and people knew it. I spend half my youth at the back seat of this car and I was already 180-186 cm tall :) Not very good for you.
Great condition and also the sound of the engine is so unique you can't confuse it with no other car (maybe the old Fiat 500) :)
During the 90' I had a 1983 model. In Poland it was really really something great to have a Maluch (126p). Most of people didn't even have a car, except of tractors and light motorbikes. Now I bought a maluch again to see smile of the people when I'm driving it in Poland, because Maluch was a good friend to polish people during communist reign - it was very very easy and cheap to repair.
You pack alot of info and details in a short time, interesting car. Nicely presented too, easy to follow.
It's easy when I'm working with a pro like John. Thanks for your positive comment.
There was a custom in Poland those days to add another pulley wheel so You could start the engine with a string like a chainsaw or lawnmower. It was because spare starters were so hard to get. The Maluch is a totally awesome car. It's a kurwa apotheosis of Polish car industry.
I love those cars!!!
From Canada ... I'm sincerely happy to see that you're still so involved !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks for watching..all the way from Canada!
I very much liked your way and approach to the car, not only as a machine but as a part of history, a wider and deeper approach. I owned it in my mid 20ties and it never let me down. I felt like a king and drove around in my small world (Croatia, Yugoslavia back than) in those times (still, made around 40 000 before selling it and purchasing another vehicle that made history in western Europe - Renault 4). Again, enjoyed your knowledgeable and smooth approach and openminded comments on a car so much different from the ones being popular in those years in the US 👍❤
Cool ride, Chuck. Thanks for taking us along.
It was a pleasure Sir!
Glad to see one of them back on the roads, especially in the US
Nice looking Fiat. I've always liked Fiats of the 70s and early 80s.
Really, what's not to like......
That's a cool little unit...Thanks for the ride Chuck.
Thanks for coming along for the ride!
My dad had bought one from 1983 in 1991 from a polish guy and I had fun driving it in the city in third gear it could be pulled between 45 and 90 km/h without any problem which is 28 to 56 m/h. When I remember my old Beetle 1302/1300 I believe if the second and third is revved up it is as accelerative up to 50 as the beetle. Above that is empty the 4th speed is only for cruising above 50 miles / 80 kilometers
Proudly made in People`s Republic of Poland.
awesome! in the 80s a Polish family of 4 would also load luggage and drive this car from Poland to the Bulgarian black sea coast for a vacation and back - 1300 miles each way. The always drove with the engine cover open for cooling. I bet if you drive this car into the Polish neighborhoods in Chicago you will meet a lot of fans!
28 year run, yes! But keep in mind it was heavily based on the original late 50s-70s FIAT 500, so by 2000 you were essentially driving a car with a drivetrain that was essentially designed in the 1950s! :)
Not quite. The 126 was heavily modernized, and by 1994 it was a very different and much more reliable car.
It's great to see that this car is getting some love. It really deserves it. It literally was a peoples' car. I really enjoyed your video about this polish classic. I myself have 2 Fiat 126p. In fact, I just recently made a TH-cam account and there I am talking about my two cars. Did you meet a few people in the US who recognize this car, without research?
The car was surprisingly versatile and perfect in the city. This said, my family used it to go on trips aroun Poland. The parents up in the front seats, and the four of us kids at the back. Plus we would fit all we needed for a trip in any available recess in the front trunk. For us, this car was a vehicle to living a better and richer life. Thanks, Fiat!
I first came to Poland in 1989. In those days this was about the only car available to polish people at the time. The streets were full of them. In the early 90's when Polish people finally could get a visa to travel abroad they drove in these cars to countries like Norway to find work. Three or four young men would all pile into one and live and sleep in the car while doing any odd job they could get. After a summer of odd job work in Norway, while living in a Fiatski to save money, they could earn them enough western currency to buy a flat in Poland back then. Now they are strange curiosities of another era and rarely seen on Polish streets anymore. Every Pole over the age of 35 grew up with one of these little cars in the family. I borrowed my brother in law's Fiatski a few times. It could go 80 KPH downhill with a tailwind and was noisy and somewhat smelly but it did get you to your destination and it was simple to repair. Every teenage boy learned how to fix his father's Fiatsky.
It's so true what You said. Man, when You first came to Poland, I was like 4 years old :D I never had a 126p, but I had a Żuk, the truck. It had 2120ccm petrol engine with a crank start :D I bought it from firefighters surplus.
Always good to see one of John's car. Nice!
My aunt in Berlin drove two of them in the seventies. In Italy they made a poll to find a name for it and in 1977 or so they named it Bambino, little Baby.
The Bambino is now in it's thirties.
In Poland we call him "Maluch".That means "a little". I remember when I and my parents travel in this car from center of country to the Baltic Sea (300 miles one way). Sweet memories :)
Hey it looks like you got yourself a nice ride.
Nostalgia
I used to own one 20 years ago
You know what
I am still looking to get one
Best regards from Britain
yep, our 5 people family + aunt and her child inside + baggages and 30 degrees of July sun heat. :D
In 2005-2010, in Poland you could buy them for $50-$100 in perfect condition, because nobody wanted it.
that is bs , you could buy a corroded piece of junk for that
Very well presented. Rather have this vs a motorcycle ! Good Job Well done !
Like his story & history about the car and the funds to purchase the car. Cool run sounds.
• Cheers from The Detroit & Mackinac Railway 🚂
Thank you TrainRoomGary!
fun car to own enjoyed it a lot, the water cooled worked ok until they over heat
Did you own it in the US?
no europe I had both air and water cooled the fiat 500 manual said if the engine seizes knock the pistons down and visit a fiat dealer lol
I have 1991 water cooled 126 and it never overheats, even driving on a hot day all day long. Think maybe there were some issues with the thermostats on early cars...
It was also available in the German Democratic Republic. The Problem was it was even smaller than the Trabant and spare parts were hard to get.
And here is John's Trabant.
th-cam.com/video/Rt0bYSVdYDc/w-d-xo.html
I like to buy it !!!
very cool video. Thanks!
Is it for sale?
Please be aware that these original Fiat transmissions had weak 1st gear. Normally, I used it only to get the car rolling. Most of the initial acceleration should be done in the second gear. A mechanic repairing these transmissions back in the 1970-80's taught me this. Also, the original valve seats need good quality lead substitute with the unleaded gasoline. As long you baby it as you would any old car it will last you. Hope you have one of the original service books with maintenance schedule and short cuts. I dare to say, these books were the best sellers in Poland in 1980's :)
Sweet mini car.
It is mini!
If you ever want to sell the car I am looking for one, thanks
Nice car, nice color!
23 hp??? Don't lawn mowers have about that much? But seriously, it it a very nice car. Thanks, Chuck!
Yes, it is true, 23 HP :) Some of Poles in mid and lat 80ies drove Fiat with 4 person (2 children) and a trailor, there was only Niewiadów, to Jugoslavia or Bulgary, Hungary... And that 23 HP had enough ;)
@@LechPremiumClub I have water cooled bis model it have 3hp more than standard 126 :)
"A lot of young people like em too" well he guessed who i am
John sure does have eclectic tastes compared to most.
I haven't featured any of his V8 stuff yet.
I guess he could turn it a bit more, not sure whether lubrification is secured at such low revs.
I had the same color but mine was made in Italy
Ok so you need bit of clarification regarding some statements. First of all you couldn't buy coupons for the car like you couldn't really buy them for anything else. They were given by government and employers as all the companies in Poland during communism belonged to the country, there was no private companies. Coupons were so valuable that nobody would sell them because most people had money but you still needed coupons to buy any premium product in the shops.
When it comes to money and conversion to dollars it really wouldn't be that easy because value of Zloty went up and down compare to American Dollar over the years but the last produced models at the end of last century were sold brand new at around 10.000zl which at that time was equivalent of around 3000$.
When it comes to numbers of that car in Poland they are going down all the time but its surprising that only 3.3 million of them were made. In 70's or 80's and even as far as mid 90's there seemed to be more 126p on Polish roads than all other cars combined.
Last but not least I love to see you smile while driving this little gem, if you told people in Poland in early 90's that Americans will be enjoying it so much 30 years later nobody would believe you :)
super car i have 1998. el blue color in Philadelphia
Polski fiat 126p na drag gnoja!
#KebabyLucka
@8:36 You definitely need more than that if you care about fuel consumption and don't want to guess shifting times.
No passenger's side mirror? 1986 and older no mirror required?
Hi, nice car. As I have one as well, could you please tell me the code of the colour of your car. Thanks, Michael
I'll ask the owner when I see him.
Cool! Less is more!
Its still got a Polish licence plate
Maluch! 😁
I had 7😉
More choke when you start.
69AF ;V