Cool car, was my first one back in 1993. Very cheap that days short after the wall fell, paid only 500 DM but was the only I could afford as an apprentice. Not fast but loads of fun to drive actually. With some maintenance quite reliable. Miss those days!
When you park it from a drive and you will start it up tommorow or when it's cold, pull the choke while switching off the key at the same time. Next time you go ahead to start it up, it starts immediately, because that way you flooded it just a little bit. That is how I daily mine.
Thanks for the great video! That car is in incredible shape!! I have a fascination with Trabants, and even learned a few things. Never knew about the headlight levers or the two-sided rear view mirror. That funky door locking setup was used in 1990s air-cooled Mexican Beetles too.
A joke from the glory era of Trabant : "Q : What's the similarity between a Trabant and a brothel ? A : While you feel ashamed to enter either one, once inside you feel well..." And another one : "Q : Have you ever seen a brokedown Trabant ? A : Nope...because every Trabant owner always have in the car's trunk another Trabant...in spare parts...!!!"
You indicated that the driver's side door can ONLY be locked with a key. I seem to remember that my mother's 1955 Volkswagen Beatle also had this feature and, thus, since she needed the key to lock the door, she could not accidentally lock the key inside of the car.
This was a common feature all the way into the 21st century for cars, at least in Europe, that didn't have central locking you can only lock the drivers door with a key.
The fuel Reserve is slightly over 4 L ~ 1.1 gallons. If you don't floor it, it should be good enough for ~50 km (~30 mi) city driving or ~100 km (~60 mi) outside city. The whole fuel tank is 25-26 L ~ 6.6 gallons. You forgot to mention the "Freilauf" feature on the 4th gear! Interesting feature. There are ONLY TWO other European cars I know of which have such feature, and of course both are 2-stroke, but it needs a bit more explanation. :) A couple of other fun facts: The car does not have ANY PUMP whatsoever: no fuel pump (gravity fed), no water pump (air cooled), no oil pump (oil is pre-mixed into the fuel). There is not a single electrical fan on the car too ! :) The only pump it might have is an electrical washer fluid pump, but only IF one decides to swap the original washer fluid container with one from Wartburg - it fits with very little or no modifications. If you decide to put an el. windshield washer pump, you may use one _very well hidden_ SECRET FEATURE: the knob for the windshield washers is a push button too. It has an UNUSED electrical terminal which can be connected to the washer pump and is activated by pressing the knob. Also funny - it is a FOUR SPEED car and the windshield wipers also have FOUR speeds - low interrupted, high interrupted, low constant, high constant. All four speeds are very well chosen. I actually miss this feature - in every other car I drove ever since ! :) BTW, in the video you didn't quite manage to switch to reverse gear! Reverse is distinguishable from 1st gear by how far it goes down - when "R" is selected the lever goes to a bit lower position compared to 1st gear. 1st gear is more or less in horizontal position, "R" is like an inch lower, something like 30 degrees lower than horizontal.
Hey! I enjoyed listening this video, because these "fun" facts were normal in eastern europe :D I really appreciate that you have a trabant in the states. Drive safe, make videos of it and enjoy the Trabant feeling! Greetings from a brandpartner ( We use this term, I hope I translated properly :D )
Actually, the thing was mass-produced to oblivion... it was a major source of foreign currency for the DDR, so most ended up in the Eastern bloc countries. The DDR citizens had to wait around ten years for the sedan and around 18 for a station wagon.
Dodge Darts from up until the 70s had a foot pump for your windshield washer...worked great lol. I've got a 69 340 Dart but mine has a fancy matorised washer
The infamous "Reserve"-Fear was real. I 've heard that from many owners - especially since you don't have a fuel gauge ;) A friend of mine ran dry at least two times he said. Nice compilation of facts. You can see that it is small by the size of the roadbike in the back ^^
i have a ‘64 MG and the windshield washer setup is the exact same as this, it’s basically just a manual suction pump… works well and is just one less thing that can break
Actually, that reserve possession is so you don’t have to get out and check your gas just run it and run it until it runs out and then instantly reach down and flip it to reserve and pump the accelerator pedal a bit and it should pick up on that little half a gallon or so without you even coming to a stop. That’s a toll purpose since it doesn’t have a gauge to get you to a station and so you don’t have to get out and wear your hood app check in your gas every few seconds.
12:10 In my Trabant I only need to pull that plunger once, it sprays a solid stream for about 1.5 seconds, while the plunger automatically slowly returns. I guess they get sticky with age, plus the one way valve is made of plastic so it must brake
That front transverse leaf spring is also how the early fords (like a model t) sprung the front beam axle. Not quite so high tech as the old vw beetle knee action with torsion bars, lol
These are so esoteric. A buddy of mine brought his 1990 Trabbie over legally and drove it for several years. How did you discover Trabbies?-John in Texas
You can actually remove the front seats by sliding them forward out of the runners. My 1984 deluxe has a electrical isolation key. I generally forget to turn it on and wonder why the car won’t start.
Great car for a uni student to get around in, at the expense of passerby's ears..it did create a lot of employment in East Germany. That is the plus of the car.
Greetings from Germany nice Trabbi i have almost the same car exept the interior but rust is a huge problem first you cant really see the rust because you have this duroplast around the car main spots in the doors the „seitenschweller“ i dont know the englisch Word its like the main frame under the car but if you preserve the car with „Elaskon“ or „Fluid Film“ a trabbi will live for ever
gosh, I had one of these back in east germany. Our saying was that you cover your ears with the knees. Both directed on internal noise and small space. I also owned a Trabant 500 with 18Hp and a non synchronized tranny. Now you try driving this ... BTW you got the most luxurious version S. Interesting how disadvantages now count as "fun facts" .... :)
There was a modification for handicapped people. The shifter lever was also a switch that was applying the clutch mechanically whenever you wanted to shift. And I'm not sure but I think there was also a modification to accelerate by hand if needed...
@@Buledde ha-ha! You have made me remember one day when I tried to teach to steer my wife... I had a Honda Integra 1,6 litres in those days. I still bless the Honda company for their handbrake. She had confused on the brake and gas pedal and pushed it to the ground. Imagine 1,6 litres 16 valve engine at first gear pedal to the ground... :) :) it has passed 20 years from that day, but she never got at the driver's seat
It's not recycled Cotton. It's fresh cotton from parts of Russia that was very cheap because of the bad quality. It was very short fiber so it wasn't suitable for clothing production. Source: 30 minutes on foot and I'm at the production site.
Well, frankly speaking, why can't you install the central lock for the doors and a windshield washer electric pump? The same to the door windows... Keep the original levers at its places, but hide the switches under. This way you enjoy comfort and the original look at the same time
😂 It’s a two door sedan about the width of a cigar box. He can reach by hand and lock the passenger door. The same goes for the windows. It’s not even a stretched reach. Just lean over and roll the window. Don’t be so lazy.
My parents lived in the GDR. They wouldn't even get near that thing, for them, it’s a sign of oppression and just a horrible car. It's probably nice to have as a hobby, but not if you have no other choice.
I completely get it. Although I didn't live in BDR or DDR, I used it to subvert the communist government by smuggling coffee in it. I was only 13 at the time and it felt good sticking it to the commies. That's why my grandpa's Trabbi always has a special place in my heart.
It's not a green vehicle for sure but still a ton of stuff using 2 cycle engine even today! Chain saws, garden equipments (except lawn movers), some dirt bikes and shifter carts, etc... Also, older and modified diesel trucks, buses smoking and pollutes much more then these 600 cc little cars.
@@pawleymediaconsultantsllc5 It's hard to believe but in city it's pretty zippy due the weight and size. We modified them in the garage with basic hand tools for better handling and some more power. With some positive camber, harder shocks, wheel spacers and a size wider/lower profile tires it was pretty stable actually. We took the shock apart turned over a valve inside and filled with thicker oil for example... With some minor engine mods ours topped out at 80 mph. LOL
Cool car, was my first one back in 1993. Very cheap that days short after the wall fell, paid only 500 DM but was the only I could afford as an apprentice. Not fast but loads of fun to drive actually. With some maintenance quite reliable. Miss those days!
When you park it from a drive and you will start it up tommorow or when it's cold, pull the choke while switching off the key at the same time. Next time you go ahead to start it up, it starts immediately, because that way you flooded it just a little bit. That is how I daily mine.
It will start anyway
Thanks for the great video! That car is in incredible shape!! I have a fascination with Trabants, and even learned a few things. Never knew about the headlight levers or the two-sided rear view mirror. That funky door locking setup was used in 1990s air-cooled Mexican Beetles too.
A joke from the glory era of Trabant :
"Q : What's the similarity between a Trabant and a brothel ?
A : While you feel ashamed to enter either one, once inside you feel well..."
And another one :
"Q : Have you ever seen a brokedown Trabant ?
A : Nope...because every Trabant owner always have in the car's trunk another Trabant...in spare parts...!!!"
That's the same Russian about Zaporozhets, just word to word.
That’s pretty cool about the headlight lever haha neat how they thought of it. Also, that engine bay is like none other 😂
I have seen that in a 80’s Renault too. There was a small lever on top of each headlight. Only to be operated from the engine bay.
You indicated that the driver's side door can ONLY be locked with a key. I seem to remember that my mother's 1955 Volkswagen Beatle also had this feature and, thus, since she needed the key to lock the door, she could not accidentally lock the key inside of the car.
This was a common feature all the way into the 21st century for cars, at least in Europe, that didn't have central locking you can only lock the drivers door with a key.
The fuel Reserve is slightly over 4 L ~ 1.1 gallons. If you don't floor it, it should be good enough for ~50 km (~30 mi) city driving or ~100 km (~60 mi) outside city. The whole fuel tank is 25-26 L ~ 6.6 gallons.
You forgot to mention the "Freilauf" feature on the 4th gear! Interesting feature. There are ONLY TWO other European cars I know of which have such feature, and of course both are 2-stroke, but it needs a bit more explanation. :)
A couple of other fun facts: The car does not have ANY PUMP whatsoever: no fuel pump (gravity fed), no water pump (air cooled), no oil pump (oil is pre-mixed into the fuel). There is not a single electrical fan on the car too ! :) The only pump it might have is an electrical washer fluid pump, but only IF one decides to swap the original washer fluid container with one from Wartburg - it fits with very little or no modifications. If you decide to put an el. windshield washer pump, you may use one _very well hidden_ SECRET FEATURE: the knob for the windshield washers is a push button too. It has an UNUSED electrical terminal which can be connected to the washer pump and is activated by pressing the knob. Also funny - it is a FOUR SPEED car and the windshield wipers also have FOUR speeds - low interrupted, high interrupted, low constant, high constant. All four speeds are very well chosen. I actually miss this feature - in every other car I drove ever since ! :)
BTW, in the video you didn't quite manage to switch to reverse gear! Reverse is distinguishable from 1st gear by how far it goes down - when "R" is selected the lever goes to a bit lower position compared to 1st gear. 1st gear is more or less in horizontal position, "R" is like an inch lower, something like 30 degrees lower than horizontal.
Hey! I enjoyed listening this video, because these "fun" facts were normal in eastern europe :D I really appreciate that you have a trabant in the states. Drive safe, make videos of it and enjoy the Trabant feeling! Greetings from a brandpartner ( We use this term, I hope I translated properly :D )
The English term you are looking for is "fellow owner".
Lovely Trabant! Take good care of it!
Such a unique car!
Actually, the thing was mass-produced to oblivion... it was a major source of foreign currency for the DDR, so most ended up in the Eastern bloc countries. The DDR citizens had to wait around ten years for the sedan and around 18 for a station wagon.
There is at least 1 in the USA.
Dodge Darts from up until the 70s had a foot pump for your windshield washer...worked great lol. I've got a 69 340 Dart but mine has a fancy matorised washer
The infamous "Reserve"-Fear was real. I 've heard that from many owners - especially since you don't have a fuel gauge ;) A friend of mine ran dry at least two times he said. Nice compilation of facts. You can see that it is small by the size of the roadbike in the back ^^
The cap of the air filter is placed wrong for warm weather
i have a ‘64 MG and the windshield washer setup is the exact same as this, it’s basically just a manual suction pump… works well and is just one less thing that can break
Actually, that reserve possession is so you don’t have to get out and check your gas just run it and run it until it runs out and then instantly reach down and flip it to reserve and pump the accelerator pedal a bit and it should pick up on that little half a gallon or so without you even coming to a stop. That’s a toll purpose since it doesn’t have a gauge to get you to a station and so you don’t have to get out and wear your hood app check in your gas every few seconds.
Standard pennant of 1960 had this " Reserve " .. was very handy ..
You should turn the fuel off when you turn the engine off otherwise the engine may flood
I love Trabant, nice car !
12:10 In my Trabant I only need to pull that plunger once, it sprays a solid stream for about 1.5 seconds, while the plunger automatically slowly returns. I guess they get sticky with age, plus the one way valve is made of plastic so it must brake
That front transverse leaf spring is also how the early fords (like a model t) sprung the front beam axle. Not quite so high tech as the old vw beetle knee action with torsion bars, lol
These are so esoteric. A buddy of mine brought his 1990 Trabbie over legally and drove it for several years. How did you discover Trabbies?-John in Texas
In fifties that all was normal in midget cars. Better than nothing. Lovely piece of that style was BMW 700 LS, which looks very similar.
Very interesting. Thanks for sharing on this E. German car.
I am always happy to be here, thanks for sharing (" ,)
Nice wheels comrade. You must be loyal party member.
You can actually remove the front seats by sliding them forward out of the runners. My 1984 deluxe has a electrical isolation key. I generally forget to turn it on and wonder why the car won’t start.
Great car for a uni student to get around in, at the expense of passerby's ears..it did create a lot of employment in East Germany. That is the plus of the car.
Greetings from Germany
nice Trabbi i have almost the same car exept the interior
but rust is a huge problem first you cant really see the rust because you have this duroplast around the car main spots in the doors the „seitenschweller“ i dont know the englisch Word its like the main frame under the car but if you preserve the car with „Elaskon“ or „Fluid Film“ a trabbi will live for ever
Seitenschweller is "rocker panel" in English.
gosh, I had one of these back in east germany. Our saying was that you cover your ears with the knees. Both directed on internal noise and small space. I also owned a Trabant 500 with 18Hp and a non synchronized tranny. Now you try driving this ... BTW you got the most luxurious version S. Interesting how disadvantages now count as "fun facts" .... :)
The early models of Volkswagen had no gas gauge and a reserve tank when you rsn out of fuel
How did you find it
Personal i would use it for car shows
Looks very clean
fuel tap were fitted to early vw beetles and they also had a dip stick for fuel checking.......
Seems like my trabant! Didnt you buy this one from europe, Czech republic?
About the duroplast, It's am hibrid between bakelite and rayon
👍
Fun fact the Trabant is also available with an automatic gearbox
When wife is shifting?
@@Buledde what ?
There was a modification for handicapped people. The shifter lever was also a switch that was applying the clutch mechanically whenever you wanted to shift. And I'm not sure but I think there was also a modification to accelerate by hand if needed...
@@Buledde ha-ha! You have made me remember one day when I tried to teach to steer my wife... I had a Honda Integra 1,6 litres in those days. I still bless the Honda company for their handbrake. She had confused on the brake and gas pedal and pushed it to the ground. Imagine 1,6 litres 16 valve engine at first gear pedal to the ground... :) :) it has passed 20 years from that day, but she never got at the driver's seat
Salut! Am 2 Trabanturi de vânzare. La am in Romania. Sunt cu piese originale 1981
4000 euro
Adauga anuntul si in limba Engleza. O sa ai mai multe sanse sa le vinzi. Si eu vand 3 dacii din 1976, 1985 si 1988.
It's not recycled Cotton. It's fresh cotton from parts of Russia that was very cheap because of the bad quality. It was very short fiber so it wasn't suitable for clothing production.
Source: 30 minutes on foot and I'm at the production site.
They say its the worst car in the world, yet i still want one so badly. 😢
Well, frankly speaking, why can't you install the central lock for the doors and a windshield washer electric pump? The same to the door windows... Keep the original levers at its places, but hide the switches under. This way you enjoy comfort and the original look at the same time
😂 It’s a two door sedan about the width of a cigar box. He can reach by hand and lock the passenger door. The same goes for the windows. It’s not even a stretched reach. Just lean over and roll the window.
Don’t be so lazy.
@@kasperkjrsgaard1447 well, there's some sense in what you say, but pressing buttons to roll the windows is much more pleasant
@@michaelboyko5024
If you want pleasent buy a Toyota, not a Trabant
These cars are practically indestructible despite being made of laminated cotton
the shifter is very similar to a Citroen 2CV
Great but as you were talking the music was very distracting from you making your points.
My parents lived in the GDR. They wouldn't even get near that thing, for them, it’s a sign of oppression and just a horrible car. It's probably nice to have as a hobby, but not if you have no other choice.
I completely get it. Although I didn't live in BDR or DDR, I used it to subvert the communist government by smuggling coffee in it. I was only 13 at the time and it felt good sticking it to the commies. That's why my grandpa's Trabbi always has a special place in my heart.
I think that if I have no other choice I would rather have it than not.
I got headache from your camera work. Like video, but you must calm shoots.
The cotton came from the UDSSR and was the 5th quality.
2nd grade Russian wool it was.
@@AnnatarTheMaia 1,5 Grade! You are sooooo right.
The pollution from this must have been out of this world....
It's not a green vehicle for sure but still a ton of stuff using 2 cycle engine even today! Chain saws, garden equipments (except lawn movers), some dirt bikes and shifter carts, etc... Also, older and modified diesel trucks, buses smoking and pollutes much more then these 600 cc little cars.
No, it's still here ...
isard royal 700 copyrigth
Why do you have this car ?
The cuestion is why not if The man likes The car is his choose not yours
@@paufernandezboj5517 Exactly, I was curious why he choose to get this car. I was not disagreeing. It is a really cool car. Why did he get it ?
@@pawleymediaconsultantsllc5 It's hard to believe but in city it's pretty zippy due the weight and size. We modified them in the garage with basic hand tools for better handling and some more power. With some positive camber, harder shocks, wheel spacers and a size wider/lower profile tires it was pretty stable actually. We took the shock apart turned over a valve inside and filled with thicker oil for example... With some minor engine mods ours topped out at 80 mph. LOL
@@peterbalogh3112 I might want to get one some day !!
Because he wants to and can.