Trabi/IFA Chat Forum

It just shows that there's people all over the world looking rip you off

What have I been doing with mine? Lots, but comparatively minor stuff, until the weather gets warmer to do touch-up paint for things like stone chips and the like.....

Had the brakes checked by a mechanic in Dec., said they were in great shape, 4mm remaining on the shoe surfaces. He also changed the fluid and bled the lines....haven't driven it too much since, since Mr Road Salt never goes away until spring. Snow is still on the ground here, and it is raining, too..

What I have recently done:

1) Lubed all the grease points
2) Checked and adjusted the fan belt
3) Gapped and cleaned spark plugs
4) Checked the tire tread- still deep!
5) Adjusted choke and cold/warm idle.
6) Replaced clear rear back up bezel with NOS DDR bezel. The one on the car had grown milky white. Now I can actually see when I back up at night.
7) Set up a "Hella Plug To Triple Cigar Socket Cigarette Lighter Adaptor Converter For Triumph" in the socket under the dash, (that was the title on eBay) to power nav unit, Iphone chargers, old Sony Discman., dash fan, etc..
8) Washed out the wheel wells with a hose and angled spigot, and used a plastic brush, since a lot of grit and crap remains on the inside lip of the fenders, no matter what you do to wash it out. Couldn't believe all the crap that came out.
9) Just cleaned out the car and mats with a vacuum. Again, amazing how much crap gets in there.
10) Put a wide, short wooden dowel on a large fender washer base, then screwed it to the Hutablage (back deck cover?) so that I can put a roll of REAL DDR toilet paper on it, cover it over with a woven DDR national flag roll cover. No more "ersatz", now it's the real thing, so I can tell people what the most precious (and scarce!) thing on East German highways was, and show them!

This spring, I think I will redo the undercoating, and clean, then paint, the surfaces under and behind where the battery and fuel tank sit.

Oh yes, and I also got a MA antique registration with antique plates. Now insured through Hagerty. Only $288 a year!

As long as your floor pan is solid, you should have no problem getting this thing put together by a competent welder. Even the sills can be replaced. The freight cost sounds about right.

Technically I completely agree, but Australian rules and regs are some of the toughest in the world in terms of car modification, so I can't just start cutting and welding without getting some stuff approved first (assuming I ever want to attempt to get this registered)

Just the front bumper to fix back on after repainting it, and bleed the rear brakes, and fit a new lower bush on one of the front shock absorbers, and then Hildegard is ready for the MoT test. All four front bumper retaining bolts sheared off when I removed it. Why oh why use piddling little M6 bolts for that application. So I have had to drill 4 new holes and tap them out for new bolts. Has anyone come across a suitable substitute shock absorber easily obtainable in the UK instead of sourcing one from Germany?

TN Trabo

Just use Imperial fasteners like I do if the hole is not tapped out for a bolt! Then use a metric wrench that comes close.

Imperial bolts are like 5 cents a piece over here but a 13 mm bolt the same length would cost $2.00. Not that they are anymore imported than imperial. No wonder Americans hate the metric system. Having to pay more for a fastener just because it's metric.

I found lots of things secured with a bolt and a nut instead of the part being drilled and tapped. Seat belt anchors, external voltage regulator, etc.

I guess by doing so increased the labor it took to build these cars. You know, Central planning. Create jobs for people instead of giving them a welfare check.

TN Trabi said he used some shocks from a Chevrolet but that's probably of no help since Chevrolets in the UK are like Trabbis in the US.

We have quite a few Chevvy dealers in the UK, and they acquired the now defunct Daewoo brand who made the Matiz[ATTACH=full]4909[/ATTACH]
A nice little runabout, and maybe the shocks on this model would fit. They also sold some other small cars, whose names escape me, so I'll have to make some enquiries. Cheers turbofiat.

if you take one of your old ones to the motor factors they may be able to match it up,they look a bit like old bmc mini ones but you need to put them side by side to be sure,shocks come in different lengths as well as with different fixinngs,ive just swopped some on a jag and they are the same fixings as a trabi but longer

Wonder if you can use shorter coil over shocks and it will lower the car without much fuss. I don't know what effect using coil over shocks in conjunction with leaf springs you have.

I'm surprised Chevrolet entered the UK market. I saw some US spec Chevrolets while in the UK but that was back in 1997-2000.

I figured since GM already had the Vauxhall and Opel brands there wouldn't be a need to sell Chevrolets in the Europe.

We call them McPherson struts here. I don't know offhand any that would fit. They would have to be pretty short, and anyway I would have to get a pair and it's also straying from originality. Any aftermarket alterations I embark on I don't want to be too obvious.

This was what I was talking about. But it uses eye bolts. I don't think it would be a big deal on the bottom but I wouldn't know how to attach it to the wheel well.

Might not be a great idea to have weight of car on inner wings rather than sub frame?

The coil overs would make the suspension to hard best just stick to shocks