Trusty Rusty TREKKA

[John McKechnie]

Zaparozhits - a low grade inferior car made in the city of Zaporozhia in the Ukraine.You think Ladas are bad, try this. Air cooled.Its nickname over there is sobakarozhits-dog face (sobaka is Russian for dog} Yes you could say its a bit of a dog,
Early ones look exactly like a Fiat 600 -bought it off Noel Goodwin in 72
Steve E- this is what happens when you get off the American threads onto the European threads.Why an earth with your Camaro would you want to look at a Trekka thread?
Gerald, they race these cars over there- no not a demolition derby.

[AMCO72]

Exactly........we are having a bit of fun on this thread. Plenty of serious stuff elsewhere. Look at the title.....Trusty Rusty Trekka.
Now a dedicated Motorsport man would not waste his eyes on such drivel........but you never know, you might just learn something.

We have moved away a little bit on the Trekka theme, but not much. As John says, they race these cars over there, so we are still on a motorsport track.........sort-of!!!!!! Anyway, blame Markson for starting it.............No to hell with it, a bit of light humour never did anyone any harm.

By the way John, can you speek Russian?????????

[fullnoise68]

[QUOTE=John McKechnie;24499]Zaparozhits - a low grade inferior car made in the city of Zaporozhia in the Ukraine.You think Ladas are bad, try this. Air cooled.Its nickname over there is sobakarozhits-dog face (sobaka is Russian for dog} Yes you could say its a bit of a dog,
Early ones look exactly like a Fiat 600 -bought it off Noel Goodwin in 72
Steve E- this is what happens when you get off the American threads onto the European threads.Why an earth with your Camaro would you want to look at a Trekka thread?

John, let me enlighten you a little, YOU may learn something....... several years ago, an old guy just down the road from our house died, and unbeknown to us and quite a few of our neighbours, he had one of the most original and immaculate Trekkas in existance tucked away in his back shed. The guy who recently wrote the Trekka book, bought it off him shortly before he died. I incidentally bought his book and read it. My other connection to a Trekka was when I was playing schoolboy rep rugby league my coach had one as his runabout! Don`t get me wrong, I have enjoyed reading this thread, but I think young girls in see through pants is taking your Trekka story a bit off track!:

[John McKechnie]

можит ьит
Now I am out of here, the funs gone.

[fullnoise68]

Exactly.

[stubuchanan]

We seem to have been labouring under a geographical delusion in this thread. Skoda have always been made in Czechoslovakia (now Czech Rebublic). Not Russia! The Czech motor industry probably goes back as far as the 1920's and I don't recall much complaint about the mechanical quality of Skoda engines. If Trekka had used Russian mechanicals that could have been a big problem.

The idea of a barter deal of dairy products for Skoda bits or kits sounds quite likely for the 1960's when we finally realised we needed to get disentangled from UK apron strings!

There was a Czech Grand Prix from about 1930 to 1950 on an incredible road circuit at Brno which started out as 18 miles to the lap and was last used for Euro Saloons in 1986 at a mere 6.8 miles per lap! (then they built a boring Autodrome nearby).

Stu

[Allan]

I note with interest that no one has yet mentioned the Trekka brakes, which is probably because they were non existant. I have always told folks I know that you always give way to a Skoda/Trekka regardless of who has the right of way.
I worked on these things at Town and Country Cars in Auckland back in the early 70s. We had two of them as workshop hacks. I well remember sending a couple of mechanics out to collect a broken down Trekka only to have the W/S model break down. So they repaired the customers car on the side of the road and used it to tow the W/S one back.
We had one customer who over a period had owned three (yes THREE) and swore by them and had those who after less than a week of driving them swore at them.
And while you're on about these things don't be too nasty about the Lada Niva. Have a farmer friend who had two of these and always says they would go places some of the more fancied SUVs of the day would balk at. We also used a 1500cc Niva to tow a heavy FIAT rally car all over the upper parts fo the North Island in the 80s. Had a great heater as I recall.

[fullnoise68]

Allan, about the same time you were at Town and Country Cars, Homai Service Station, which was just down the road from my High School in Manurewa, were also Skoda and Trekka agents in their heyday????. No doubt about these Trekkas......

[John McKechnie]

Allan -you are right about the Niva. They were excellent, Dad had one on his farm out by Bethells and it never had problems on those steep hills. He was told to put slightly bigger wheels on and it was very favourable. Very good balance and power, towing farm equipment. Had a trendy one in the Ukraine, but that may not be for a Trekka thread...

[Rod Grimwood]

Best Lada I saw was one that a hard case (and very good) mechanic did up this way with 125 running gear in it and the people that tried to stay with him or would see him passing and think 'a Lada no way' and boot it to be put right on their backside as he whipped away. The same person cut a Escort 1300 (engine) in half,(750cc) stood it on end, made his own dry sump system and manifold and mounted it on a ride on mower. Humour as it had too much grunt for belts and sounded like a Harley so he replaced with a Johnson 35 outboard with a Subaru radiator with own water pump. This shredded belts also but sounded unreal and turned heads when running.
I would dreed to think what he would have done to Trekkas over the years.

[Shoreboy57]

At the risk of prolonging this thread....more things Russian - but with motorsport pedigree - some may recall Tony Lanfranchi (I think) winning the British Touring Car champs in a Moskvitch? I believe at the time the classes were based on list price and as any communist bloc car was heavily subsidised to sell in the UK you ended up with the 1500cc Moskvitch competing against mainly1 litre cars. One quote I saw suggested that it "wallowed like a rudderless fishing boat but had the grunt to blast past everything else in its class". As with so many rule books you end up eventually with unintended consequences

[John McKechnie]

Its Marksons thread, its up to him to redirect the imput.
I personally like the variation here. A Moskvitch 412 in 1972 winning the BTC, where else would you find that out but here.
See Gerald- they do race their cars. A Mini Cooper could have lost a championship to one of these.
Bet the Brits didnt boast too much about this one.
Aint no substitute for cubic inches

[AMCO72]

Yes John.......I like the variation here too. I doubt there is another forum anywhere in the world discussing these communist country cars, and there are a surprising number of people who remember their Trekka/Lada etc with affection.

We used to talk about a 'monday morning car' with half the bits missing, and some folk used to say that all Trekkas/Ladas were made on monday mornings.......how very unkind of them!!!

And no, we didnt get confused about the origins of the Trekka/ Skoda. We were talking about swapping cars for dairy produce and Ladas got into the mix.

Its funny now though how time has confered happy memories of these vehicles. I will admit that my comments of 'heaps of junk' were intended for the Lada cars rather than the Nivas. I had a neighbour who had a Niva, bought second hand, and he often said that he would sooner drive the Niva than one of the BMW's his father was so fond of. He was a keen fly fisherman, and used to take the Niva all sorts of interesting places, but not into serious FWD country.He kept the car for years, and the thing I remember most was how rusty the wheels got. I think his Father wanted to excommunicate him for parking the Niva next to the BMW.

OK, if they were so good, where are they all now.

And John, I will ignore that last paragraph of yours. I had to go and have a stiff whiskey to calm myself down!!!!

[John McKechnie]

Gerald- ok , youre the only one I can talk to about this.
You wanted to know where they have gone . In the Ukraine they are still plentiful.After all Niva means endless country of tall wheat-so much more romantic name than mini , maxi, sunny, emina.
Had one over there pale blue-yes the same as the XA - with mags.Such a trendy car, go anywhere and a sharp looker.Easy to park.
Have one here I found in Greenlane some years ago and have tucked away.
Obviously as its such as desirable and collectable car, I have my Coupes, and Kawasakis in public view to shelter it.
And no its not rusty like my Jag, Falcon, Monaro . And it does have a very practical heater as well.
They can sometimes be found out there.......
Rod- love your mates ingenuity and imagination in repowers.
Tell us more of his works

[AMCO72]

Getting back to the motorsport theme of this forum. Didnt Paul Radisitch compete in a Moskvitch at a recent Goodwood FOS.
The car looked a bit like an early 50's Studebaker. I think an Austin A95 managed to beat it, so that was one up for BMC.

John Bailey, my mate in the VCC has/had a Skoda Felicia, a convertable Octavia. Now that is a rare bird in NZ. He had it for sale quite recently at a very reasonable figure, but not sure if anyone was tempted to take on it's querky handing.

[Shoreboy57]

[QUOTE=AMCO72;24585]Getting back to the motorsport theme of this forum. Didnt Paul Radisitch compete in a Moskvitch at a recent Goodwood FOS.
The car looked a bit like an early 50's Studebaker. I think an Austin A95 managed to beat it, so that was one up for BMC.

I believe the Rat peddled a Gaz Volga (what a great name). part of Roger Wills' fleet I think.

[AMCO72]

A Vulgar.........ye gods, what next................not a Trabant I hope.

[John McKechnie]

Volga- a river in Russia.

[Bruce302]

Comrade McKechnievich seems to know way too much. I suspect he maybe a double agent.

But I did have a Trekka years ago, a bonus to a particular job.

Bruce

[AMCO72]

Bruce, you are lucky you didnt get a truck load of milk-powder as a bonus.

So, what did you think of the Trekka. Do you, like a number of people, have fond memories of it, or did you trade it in for the latest Cortina at the first opportunity?