FSO Polonez
Author
Discussion

SambaS

Original Poster:

418 posts

208 months

Monday 5th September 2011
quotequote all
Any FSO Polonez owners out there?

Rawwr

22,722 posts

255 months

Monday 5th September 2011
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Nobody that'll admit to it. I do remember a funny story about when Jeremy Clarkson and Quentin Wilson were test driving one and it burst into flames. Apparently they just let it burn at the roadside and walked off.

Negative Creep

25,734 posts

248 months

Monday 5th September 2011
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Virtually non existent in this country now. A guy on Autoste has one rescued from a scrapyard

750turbo

6,164 posts

245 months

Monday 5th September 2011
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SambaS said:
Any FSO Polonez owners out there?
I have driven one.... a long time ago though..... (Red/burgundy/near impossible to steer as no PS/still something makes me remember it)...

SambaS

Original Poster:

418 posts

208 months

Monday 5th September 2011
quotequote all
Have just bought one smile There are 2 left on the road in the UK, I'm trying to track them down. There's a handful more on a SORN. I've tracked down one in an unknown museum, one recently saved from a scrapyard and soon to be renovated, an orange show standard car and mine: a recent Polish import soon to be in season 10 of Spooks...

davepoth

29,395 posts

220 months

Monday 5th September 2011
quotequote all
SambaS said:
Have just bought one smile There are 2 left on the road in the UK, I'm trying to track them down. There's a handful more on a SORN. I've tracked down one in an unknown museum, one recently saved from a scrapyard and soon to be renovated, an orange show standard car and mine: a recent Polish import soon to be in season 10 of Spooks...
I hear later Polonezes ended up with a Rover K-Series under the bonnet, I always wondered whether a VVC or turbo conversion would be sensible...

Leptons

5,479 posts

197 months

Monday 5th September 2011
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Get some pics up!

Silverbullet767

10,981 posts

227 months

Monday 5th September 2011
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I've driven an FSO, no idea what one, didn't want to know really, I worked in a secure car park, and that was the worst car I have ever driven, why someone would want to secure it beggars belief, I do remember it had drum brakes on the front though.

Burn it with fire!

SambaS

Original Poster:

418 posts

208 months

Monday 5th September 2011
quotequote all
The did a 2.0 Turbo version for rallying available in Poland, I believe

Frankthered

1,666 posts

201 months

Monday 5th September 2011
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Remember getting a minicab home one night, many years ago and a Polonez turned up. When I was growing up, my Dad had a couple of Wartburgs, so I wasn't completely anti-east European cars, but I remember the Polonez being pretty awful.

A unique combination of dreadful handling coupled with an appalling ride.

Although I was a little the worse for wear at the time! hehe

wmg100

1,698 posts

235 months

Monday 5th September 2011
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My had an orange FSO camper when I was a nipper; oh the shame.

williamp

20,032 posts

294 months

Monday 5th September 2011
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The Hyundai Stella is a better car in almost every respect.

Blackwedge

291 posts

199 months

Monday 5th September 2011
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This was my response to the 'worst car you have ever driven' thread a few months ago;



Blackwedge said:
FSO Polonez. Given the choice between driving another one and beating myself to death with a mallet I won't be choosing the car
I stand by it!

Anyway here's a picture to remind you how awful they were



SambaS

Original Poster:

418 posts

208 months

Monday 5th September 2011
quotequote all

Negative Creep

25,734 posts

248 months

Monday 5th September 2011
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Was that the one on ebay recently?

SambaS

Original Poster:

418 posts

208 months

Monday 5th September 2011
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yep smile

SlimRick

2,276 posts

186 months

JohneeBoy

518 posts

196 months

Monday 5th September 2011
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I've never understood why people choose to spend a large sum of money on something so poor. There are lots of options when looking for a new car and yet some people did actually say to themselves, "yes, the FSO is the one!".

morgrp

4,128 posts

219 months

Monday 5th September 2011
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Basically a fiat 125 chassis underneath (including it's 4wheel disc brakes!!,) add in a rejected fiat body design and a hopeless engine and et voila you have a polonez - the later uk cars were called caro's and came with either some hopeless petrol engine or the psa non turbo 1.9 diesel lump they also did a weird pickup truck with a tipper back on it iirc

Ozzie Osmond

21,189 posts

267 months

Monday 5th September 2011
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A fine Polish workhorse in its day - but its day was a long time ago. Easily outclassed by more modern cars and the Poles votes with their feet (and wallets) after the collapse of the Soviet Union.