I have a mild obsession with vehicles that were either unavailable in the United States or were available here in extremely limited quantities. Eastern Bloc cars are among that. Trabants, Ladas, and the like are just cool to me. They were designed to be simple, rugged, repairable with almost no tools, and most were the most basic of basic transportation. This is the story of one of those cars, a 1958 Wartburg 311.
Way back in August 2009, the 24 Hours of LeMons crew posted an essay contest where the winner would receive, free of charge, a 1958 Wartburg. With perks such as no title, having to go to Ohio to take delivery, and free entry to a future LeMons race with no penalty laps assessed for cheating, how could one not want to try? Well, I didn’t know about this contest until the car was won by fellow long-time Grassroots Motorsports forum member Jim Thwaite. Jim had a plan – to use the car for 2010 to complete his so-called “Trifecta of Crap” – that is run it in a 24 Hours of LeMons race, the B.A.B.E road rally from New York to New Orleans (Big Apple to Big Easy – BABE – get it?) and the Grassroots Motorsports $2000 Challenge. Check out the article from Grassroots Motorsports about it here
I fell in love with the lines of the car and followed along with Jim and his Misfit Toys Racing team build and adventure. Every step of the way I was excited to see things come along, follow along as they completed each event, and help out with answers as I could. The car finished the final event, the $2000 Challenge, in October and went home to New Jersey to be upgraded for the future. Jim collected a lot of neat stuff. Wide staggered wheels, a Subaru WRX EJ20 turbocharged engine, and then it stalled. From what I remember at the time, it was the thought of building the car a second time. In March 2012 it went up for sale, and I wanted it bad. Unfortunately, I was not in a position to pull the trigger.
Jim sold the car to a shop teacher eager to use it as a teaching tool. I am not sure why a shop teacher thought an East German car that was now rear engine with Subaru power, a VW transaxle, Porsche 944 front suspension, and a lot of custom work was a great thing to teach with over, say, a 2005 Camry, but such is life. The only real updates over the next few years were a picture of the car stripped to nothing on stands. The students did a couple things, made lots of questionable gouges with angle grinders, and then it sat. As it goes, Jim purchased the car back to keep it from getting scrapped but again could not push himself to build it a second time.
After dragging everything back home with him and stuffing the garage, I got an email. I don’t recall exactly what it said but the general vibe was “You wanted this thing bad last time it was for sale, it’s available and I’ll make you a deal you can’t refuse.” I wasn’t in much position to be driving to New Jersey, was pretty strapped for cash because of my own $2000 Challenge endeavors, but when I heard the number for everything I had to make it work. I don’t even remember what I sold to come up with the cash, but I did, and I went to New Jersey at the end of August, 2016 and did this
I Set off back for Ohio and before long it was dark, the truck was loaded from the back seat to the back of the trailer with a car, 4 engines, all the parts in the world, and I was tired. Stay tuned for part two!
-Patrick
