Article

2007-09-06 -Short Attention Span Theater-

Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.

Posted by mrp 2007-09-06 08:53|| || Front Page|| [4 views ] Top

#1 Whoopdy doo. Let me know when the Isetta races start.

Posted by Fred 2007-09-06 09:33|| 2007-09-06 09:33|| Front Page Top

#2 At least the body won't rust (or dent) on their journey. The P601 Trabant's body was made of a composite plastic, rubber, fish scales, straw or whatever they could find. Internal parts were difficult to replace as they never seemed to use the same item from week to week at the factory so they were mostly "home repaired". It hosted a whopping 26-HP powerplant that supposedly ran on gasoline, but I'm told could run on just about any combustible fuel.

Posted by Mullah Richard 2007-09-06 11:08|| 2007-09-06 11:08|| Front Page Top

#3 You sure? The underside looks like it comes pre-rusted.

Posted by ed 2007-09-06 11:17|| 2007-09-06 11:17|| Front Page Top

#4 I enjoyed this excerpt:

These [Russian] officers, however, were an exception to the rule. All along the way, the three men encountered an endless parade of welcoming, sometimes surprised, faces gaping back at the garishly decorated car. They watched, took pictures, jumped around, shook their heads, Kozel says. They could not understand that we Europeans would spend so much money to drive this old crappy car to see this part of the world. After turning back at Samarkand, Uzbekistan, the car failed to start on its own power from Ukraine to Prague. The men, undaunted, pushed the car every time they started it. We always tried to park it downhill, Růička says.

Posted by mrp 2007-09-06 11:23|| 2007-09-06 11:23|| Front Page Top

#5 I think I would like to see this film.

Posted by Seafarious">Seafarious 2007-09-06 12:41|| 2007-09-06 12:41|| Front Page Top

#6 When they go to Siberia, tell em to take a Renault. When it burns, it'll make a swell rescue beacon and keep them warm at the same time.

Posted by tu3031 2007-09-06 13:46|| 2007-09-06 13:46|| Front Page Top

#7 Reminds me of what Click and Clack said about the Chevy Vega: it was built out of compressed rust.

Posted by Steve White">Steve White 2007-09-06 14:42|| 2007-09-06 14:42|| Front Page Top

#8 An old Car and Driver article talks about the pain and agony they went through trying to get approval to import a Trabant; seems that that is ( so far) the only car specifically black listed by the Feds. They got an exception when they declared it would go into a museum and rendered non-operational.

Posted by USN, Ret. 2007-09-06 15:02|| 2007-09-06 15:02|| Front Page Top

23:41 Zenster
23:31 JosephMendiola
23:28 Anonymoose
23:11 Zenster
23:04 Zenster
22:56 Barbara Skolaut
22:50 Zenster
22:48 Excalibur
22:48 Red Dawg
22:46 Zenster
22:40 Beau
22:35 Beau
22:31 Jack Hupaick3434
22:08 Free Radical
21:44 Excalibur
21:41 Red Dawg
21:41 Hupinter Fillmore7116
21:34 Gary and the Samoyeds
21:31 trailing wife
21:28 lotp
21:26 Grumenk Philalzabod0723
21:25 Jack Hupaick3434
21:19 McZoid
21:12 McZoid