Oh dear...

[nudemetalz]

Just tidying the study up this morning (yup a mammoth job !!) and found some old pics.
Find this one of a "car" our family owned back in 1980ish.....
Dad bought this as he could transport his model aircraft around in the back of it.

Should I have should shared the fact that we owned one of these....???

[Laava]

No way! If you ask a mod nicely they can move it to PD!

[Badcat]

isn't that a Trekka?
AFAIK, built in NZ - using russian chassis and driveline - we swapped russion stuff like this for butter in the 70s i think.
bit of NZ history..
think of it as a small hummer!

[nudemetalz]

Certainly is a Trekka.

From "http://www.trekka.co.nz/history.htm"

The Trekka was a locally-produced, steel body with canvas or fibreglass canopies, bolted to the chassis and engine of the Skoda Octavia Combi, which dated form the late 1950's.

It was the ultimate response to the highly regulated import policies pursued by New Zealand Governments since the early 1950's, which made new cars scarce and expensive.

The Trekka concept was first explored by Phil Andrews' Motor Lines firm, which imported Skodas. It was finally produced by Motor Holdings, an independent car assembler largely owned by the Turner family, and masterminded by its "rough diamond" managing director, Noel Turner.

The secret of the Trekka's brief success was the high proportion of its content which was produced in New Zealand. This allowed a more generous allocation of import licence for the Czechoslovakian mechanical kit. The Skoda kit was bought at bargain prices from the then Communist state, helping to make the Trekka almost the cheapest vehicle available in New Zealand.

It was also exported to Australia and Indonesia.

The Trekka for several years was a steady seller, but import restrictions relaxed from 1970 saw it swept aside by more attractive, largely Japanese, vans and utilities.

Progressive lowering of import tariffs saw the end of New Zealand's once highly-protected, booming local vehicle assembly, in 1998.

I remember Dad saying how tricky it was to drive because the gears were back to front. ie H-pattern but first and second were close to you and then third and fourth were away from you !!

[MIXONE]

If you think the gear pattern on a trekka is wierd try a puegoet 404.Absolutely bonkers.I owned one and my favourite trick was getting my mates to drive it.Hilarious if not good for gearbox.And don't get me started on "vacuum assist" brakes.

[Big Dave]

why did you remove your dog's legs?

[Virago]

If you think the gear pattern on a trekka is wierd try a puegoet 404.Absolutely bonkers...

Aarrggghhhhh...!

Column Change:

4 2

R 3 1

(IIRC)

[MIXONE]

why did you remove your dog's legs?

No my dog is an alchy so he's always legless!

Aarrggghhhhh...!

Column Change:

4 2

R 3 1

(IIRC)

You've obviously "been there done that.

[Str8 Jacket]

You might've even been able to put a bike in that!

[Swoop]

we swapped russion stuff like this for butter in the 70s i think.

I think it was the 80's. Remember the warehouses chock-a-block full of Lada's and Neva's?

[homer]

If you think the gear pattern on a trekka is wierd try a puegoet 404.Absolutely bonkers.I owned one and my favourite trick was getting my mates to drive it.Hilarious if not good for gearbox.And don't get me started on "vacuum assist" brakes.

do they have vac wipers to

[crazefox]

F##K that is a cool van,would look good pimped out

[Motu]

The 404 gearchange pattern was weird only on the right hand drive versions,it fucked up on the flip over - I had a left hand drive 404 Coupe and the gearchange was normal.The door lock buttons were really odd though - up to lock,down for unlocked.

Trekka's were hard case,a mate of mine had one and we had some good fun in it.We used to take the roof off in summer and drive around with a convertable.The gears gave us a bit of trouble one night - we were going up Liverpool St,the steepest street in Auckland....we took a big run on in 2nd,and he missed getting it into 1st,we started rolling back....and the twin leading shoe front brakes don't work backwards.It was a real seat pucker moment there man.

It seized the gearbox up at Puhoi,so I went up to town him home with my International truck.After I had dragged it half a mile he gave me a toot and I stopped - the gearbox was free....no 2nd gear,but it went just fine.So he drove around for a couple of months with a 3 speed until we changed the gearbox.Looking inside all the teeth were off 2nd lying in the bottom.

They were crap - but I think the Octavia and the Trekka it was based on were a more rugged vehicle than the rear engined Skoda's that came later.The Trekka lived on as goat shelters long after the mechanicals wore out....good fiberglass on those canopies.

[nudemetalz]

Thanks for sharing the memories, Motu

[scumdog]

NightHawk and I were admiring a couple of Trekkas at Naseby a couple of months ago.

You could drive over a ploughed paddock in them without too much jarring - a LandRover at the same speed would have your fillings out.

Oh, and Humber 80 engines were an easy swap in them when the original bagged-out.