I purchased this car last year from the original builder "Jim". The 1958 Wartburg 311 (FWD 3 cyl., 2 stroke East German wonder car) was reconstructed into a RWD Subaru powered 24 hr. of Lemons car. see: http://wartburg.misfittoysracing.com/ n (Build Process -some picts are missing...I'll see if I can get Jim to tweak them back up on the site) In action: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tBtBgMrEik I've now taken taken the car apart for its rebirth into civilian street clothes. Basically, fixing all the race only, quick fixes and roadside repairs. Inadequate repairs, overkill original designs will all be rethought. But generally, a wonderful redesign job by Jim. Hopefully, I'll wind up with a reliable, fun, custom. When was the last Wartburg you saw at a show? Currently, the car body is removed, cage removed, chassis and suspension being re-engineered. The handling is REALLY needy. The driver was quoted and saying it needs a rudder. For that: R. sway bar, F. sway bar as well as front LCA bump stops will be added.
Hey all (Hi Mike) I built that little nightmare originally. I miss her. I sold her to focus on my other oddball race project (widebody Yugo anyone?) but I should have gone the other way and sold the Yugo and kept the Watburg. Looking forward to following along and I'll try to fix the images on the original build site as soon as I can.
Alan McCrispin, the pro driver who volunteered to try it was a good sport and made that car do some amazing things. After his first run I asked him if I could change anything or make adjustments to help him. He told me to add a rudder because this car didn't just roll, it listed. I corrected the photo links on the build site.
Not weird enough. Should have kept the 3 cylinder 2 stroke, or replaced it with a 200HP 3 cylinder 2 stroke snowmobile engine.
yeah its got a little body roll goin on in that vid!! Is Wartburg related to Borgward ?...kinda looks the same to me
Try to find "wartburg 311 custom" on youtube. Some guys from Hungary chopped it and converted to a 2-door, with 2.9l V6 ford engine. That was cool Anyway - they are as far as i know the most promising cars to modify to look good - from eastern european cars of that era.
Ha ha ha Wartburg and Borgward. No they were two completely different companies, one in East Germany one in West Germany (separated by the Iron Curtain). Wartburg was named after Wartburg Castle. It is probably the least attractive name ever given to an automobile.
hahaha, incredible to see a Wartburg being built in the states. They are not exactly desireable over here, cool to see you´re hot rodding one! Borgward was a company in Bremen, they made luxu´ry cars comparable to early Mercedes´s. Wartburg were the better ones of the east German cars, the Trabant was inferior...
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