And... I found a Barkas Westfalia!

http://b1000.wz.cz/barkas.jpg

2009/4/22 Chris S <szpejankowski@gmail.com>

> You're probably thinking of Barkas.  It was powered by the same two
> stroke engine as Wartburg and was front wheel drive as well.  I
> remember it as the DDR equivalent of the VW Bus.
>
> It's interesting how Chrysler claims invention of the minivan.  Europe
> had small mikrobus-type vehicles long before Chrysler ever dreamed of
> mass producing a small and efficient people mover.
>
> On 4/22/09, Zolly <zolo@foxinternet.net> wrote:
> > Ah, that's right the DKW.  There were still a few of them in the fifties
> and
> > sixties.  The Wartburg looked better.  There was a two stroke van made in
> > the DDR, I even drove one.  That was about the size of a bus or Vanagon.
>  I
> > don't recall the name of it now, but it's on my lip.  There was no
> culture
> > those days of people owning one and driving around and living in it or
> such,
> > like here with a VW Bus or Westfalia.  Not even gipsies did it.  The
> control
> > of people was way too strong to have anyone running around.  Especially
> the
> > fact that you had to have a full time job.  There were more jobs than
> > people, because three did the job of one.  People had to be occupied to
> be
> > under control.
> > I owned a Russian made bike that used to be a DKW before the war.  They
> took
> > all the factories they could, away to Russia.  German machinery and
> > technology was very advanced those days, compared to the rest of the
> world.
> > Tooling of a vehicle is still today the largest expense to manufacture
> one.
> > Here on this list sometimes we talk about having the whole car made again
> > from scratch.  All the dies of the body cost lots, even if only one
> machine
> > was used to make them.
> > Those dies may still exist in South Africa.  I know a few guys who were
> in
> > the manufacturing there, making the dies for the cars.
> > Well, I'll stop this before I get too deep into it.
> > Zoltan
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Chris S" <szpejankowski@GMAIL.COM>
> > To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> > Sent: Wednesday, April 22, 2009 9:18 AM
> > Subject: Re: Cool Vanagon Paint Job
> >
> >
> >> My dad bought a Wartburg 311 when I was 11.  It is based on an old
> >> DKW/Audi design with a 3 cylinder 1l two stroke engine.  It was a
> >> pretty car, hence no Trabant in our family.
> >>
> >> Gee, that gives me a Vanagon  engine conversion idea. ;-)
> >>
> >> On 4/22/09, Zoltan <thewestyman@gmail.com> wrote:
> >>> Well, I'm not an East German or a one time owner of a Trabant.  It is a
> >>> car
> >>> with two two-stroke cylinders, sounding like a lawn mower, the frame is
> >>> steel the body is some pressed syntetic material or fibre glass, so you
> >>> did
> >>> not see one with a rusted out door.  Not a heavy car, four seater, made
> >>> in
> >>> the DDR.  Ended production after the take over, even had to replace the
> >>> engine with a four stroke one.  It smoked and smelled but those who had
> >>> one
> >>> loved it for being trouble free and running forever.  Front wheel
> drive.
> >>> Sputtering.  Four seater, two door.
> >>> The word Trabant means "travelling mate" or something to that effect.
>  A
> >>> real simbol of the 'good old times' of the communist era.  It was to
> them
> >>>
> >>> as
> >>> the VW Beatle to us.
> >>> The East Germans also had a three cylinder car that was bigger and
> faster
> >>> and nicer, kind of like a 'communist Mercedes', called Wartburg.
> >>> Now, you don't see any of them in Europe.  They are gone just as the
> >>> Citroen
> >>> DS or the Citroen 2CV.
> >>>
> >>> But the communists had a few other cars people here in the US would
> never
> >>> recognize.  One of them was a rear flat engined air-cooled car with
> four
> >>> seats and two doors, made in the Soviet Unio, bearing the name of the
> >>> town
> >>> is made in, Zaporozetz.
> >>>
> >>> Those of us who grew up in those times, remember the times in good
> spirit
> >>> for we were young and playful and healthy and in love, etc.  Otherwise
> it
> >>> was shit.
> >>> Zoltan
> >>>
> >>>   ----- Original Message -----
> >>>   From: Tom Buese
> >>>   To: Zoltan
> >>>   Cc: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> >>>   Sent: Tuesday, April 21, 2009 8:11 PM
> >>>   Subject: Re: Cool Vanagon Paint Job
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>   On Apr 21, 2009, at 6:58 PM, Zoltan wrote:
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>     It would impossible for an American to even guess this car painted
> >>> on.
> >>> It
> >>>     is a Trabant 601, if I'm not mistaken.  And I bet, I'm not.
> >>>     One of the nicest and most fun paint job.
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>   OK, I'll show my ignorance, what is a Trabant-French?
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>   YMMV,
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>   Mr. BZ
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>     Zoltan
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>     ----- Original Message -----
> >>>     From: "Mister Tom" <TomsGroups@SALICOS.COM>
> >>>     To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> >>>     Sent: Tuesday, April 21, 2009 3:50 PM
> >>>     Subject: Cool Vanagon Paint Job
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3384/3334006588_3092a1321d.jpg?v=0
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>   Tom Buese
> >>>   tombuese@comcast.net
> >>>
> >>
> >> --
> >> Sent from my mobile device
> >>
> >> Chris S.
> >> Disclaimer: "Death and serious injury may occur"
> >
> >
> >
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> >
> >
> > No virus found in this incoming message.
> > Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
> > Version: 8.0.238 / Virus Database: 270.12.2/2072 - Release Date: 04/21/09
> > 16:48:00
> >
> >
>
> --
> Sent from my mobile device
>
> Chris S.
> Disclaimer: "Death and serious injury may occur"
>

--
Chris S.
Disclaimer: "Death and serious injury may occur"