Breaking my Trabant for spares ?

[rswift]

It is with a heavy heart I am considering this. I bought a 1985 Trabbie about 3 years ago for £450 on a (red wine fuelled EBay whim)

It needed the floors welding, no problem I can do that. Not pretty, but solid !

I then discovered that it had a knackered engine, my own fault.....on inspection the vendor ran it for about 30 secs, said it was low on fuel and switched it off. I think it had previously been run on straight petrol (it's 2 stroke and needs oil adding).

Anyway fast forward, I bought new engine parts and have partially rebuilt the engine, the rest of the car sits outside looking sorry for itself, and a bit of an eyesore.

Realistically I'll never have the enthusiasm or time/skill to get it done this summer. I reckon it stands me at £700 all in with the price of new parts, the recon engines sell (from dealers for this price alone) I'm wondering if I should cut my loss, get a reasonable amount for the effectively new engine (new crank/barrels/pistons etc etc, and break the rest for bits, hopefully get close to my £700. I"ve never broken a car, not sure which bits are valuable. I'd much prefer to save it....but it won't happen.

I did put it on Ebay last year, got a load of time wasters, but a genuine offer for £600.....which I really should have taken.

I'm not sure what I would do with the remains of a duraplast shell.....do you think the scrap man would pick it up ?

Any thoughts ?

[Mopar440]

I certainly wouldn't break it. You should put an ad up aomewhere....?

[rswift]

I have one running on Car and classic for ages, advertised it for £750 or offers, not a single enquiry (Ive had success with that site in the past).

I checked last nice, 900 views....so certainly been looked at.

I'm reluctant to go back to Ebay due to the cost, and timewasters, but maybe I should invest another £10 !

[TooMany2cvs]

You had an offer of £600, you say? Looking at the blue one in Grimsby (I guess yours is the beige Bedfordshire), that sounds more than fair. Geography apart, the blue one's the one that piques my interest more.

I don't need a Trab.
I want a Trab.
I don't need a Trab.
I want a Trab.
I don't need a Trab.
I want a Trab.
I must have a quiet chat with SWMBO...

[rswift]

I'm the blue one in Beds (it's on http://carandclassic.co.uk) search under Trabant, I know the mods don't like links.

Just been out "fiddling" with it, does seem a shame to break it....

[TooMany2cvs]

rswift said:

I'm the blue one in Beds

<peers again>
Oh, yeh. Faded duck-egg beige... <grin>

A mate used to have a posh one - beige with blue roof and Bungle-fur shag-pile interior.

[tiffx19]

I remember reading somewhere that Duraplast is almost impossible to get rid of, but certain farmyard animals like to eat it.

[rswift]

Yes, I seem to remember photos of piles of old body shells in former Eastern Bloc countries.....have to fine a less knowledgable scrap man, or take the remains cut in bin bags over a period of several years !

[stain]

What condition are the brake drums and shoes in?

[TooMany2cvs]

stain said:

What condition are the brake drums and shoes in?

Please tell me you're not considering second-hand brakes...?

My German's dire, but a two-second google says the bits are dirt cheap new.

[cianha]

Sorry to see you're selling, surely fitting the engine take more than a weekend? Seeing what running cars are making a the moment, seems a shame to break a sound shell for the sake of a couple of day's work.
Even if you outsourced the work, and sold it as a complete car, you would still be quids in?

[AceOfHearts]

So tempting as a fellow Trabant owner in Bedfordshire!

Is it UK registered?

[rswift]

In reply....

The brakes are quite sticky now, but as someone said...the bits are cheap. Fitting looks a pain, but I think a decent puller (and a big hammer) might help .

Its Hungarian registered, but if your local feel free to pop round for a cup of tea and a giggle at my expense !...always nice to meet another PH'er !

Aside from the Trabant, I've got an old Jeep, a Suzuki Cappuccino, a Matra Murena, to fettle, and an everyday Jag. I'm a busy freelancer/self employed, as is my wife....and we have a two year old daughter...oddly the Trabant has slipped down the list of priorities !.

The only reason to contemplate breaking it was the only valuable bit (the rebuilt engine) is already out, and all of the ancillaries are in the boot !

I would much rather sell it as a whole, in reality it probably sit there for another age, and I'll be putting the same post up next year !

[Alfachick]

I could be in the market for some spares. Stand by while I come up with a potential list....

[rswift]

A happy ending to the Trabbie tale.

Sold as is, to someone who is planning on restoration. He already has a Barkas so knows what he's let himself in for. So happy that it'll stay complete.....although when I did a costing, I would have made more money by breaking it.

[Alfachick]

Damn there were a couple of bits I was needing, just needed to drive the car again to remember what was broken... Glad it went to a good home though Its always good to hear about these cars being kept alive

[AceOfHearts]

What is it you need as we have a few bits kicking around?

[Alfachick]

One wiper arm (which I broke yesterday while washing the car) the clip that holds the blade on has totally disintergrated so I think I need a whole new arm, its the drivers side if that makes a difference.
A bonnet and latch and hinges would be good to have as the one that we have is dented due to a poor latching incident....

The trab that we have is a 1989 1.1L if that makes a difference with parts? The bonnet I know is a different shape but I expect that the hinges and latch are the same.

I love this forum for these kinds of things!