My new cab-mover

[level42]

After having run for almost 200000 km's (5 times around the world !) it was about time for a new work-horse:



Yes, another black Skoda Octavia, I don't have a choice but trust me, this is NOT a punishment. Although the car looks very similar to the old one (which I already found to be a great driving car) so much has improved and changed....

I now have a 1.6 TDi engine instead of 1.9. Normally you'd assume this would be less powerful, but on paper they produce the same power ! My first feelings are that it is MORE powerful though. Maybe this is also fueled because of this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYyEUMuZhD0

Yes, I left the manual shift behind. The main reason for me was the incredible amount of times I had to use (and hold !) the clutch in traffic jams. Often my knee would be numb after a drive home from work because of this.

I must say I am extremely impressed by this automatic gear-box. It cannot be compared to a traditional automatic gear-box. In fact, this is a normal gear-box that is operated by a "robot" if you want...it uses a double clutch and though I don't understand completely how it works, it is simply incredible to drive with....

And about this being my new cab-mover......I actually doubt I will move a lot of cabs with it since I decided to not buy anymore cabs until I got all of my current one's in good and working/restored order.....

The only thing I liked better of my older car were the wheels which were 1 inch higher and had lower profile tires. Looks better and drives a little bit better.
But it's just tiny difference.

Hope to make a short video of driving the car soon...

[level42]

O and for the US guys.....the Skoda Octavia has the same platform, engines and other technical stuff as Volkswagen/Audi/Seat as it is 49% owned by Volkswagen. So, you can compare it directly with this:

http://www.vw.ca/en/models/golf_wagon_2012.html

(Strangely not available in the US)

[Etienne MacGyver]

Nice !

Is that the old behind the new ?

[level42]

Yup ! The old one got picked up the next day.

[gyruss]

nice car, congratulations!

[Belike]

Looks nice & huge, congrats.

[SeTTleR]

Yeah Skodas are good cars!

I wonder what arcade stories the old car can tell us and what the new one is going to experience

[Muerto]

Nice! - they have done a great job turning the Skoda name into what it is today! great cars!

[level42]

Exactly. I remember the first one. I sat down behind the wheel and just stared at that logo for like a minute, thinking man.......if you would have told me in the 80s that I would once be driving a Skoda I would have LOL-ed like nuts and pointed at my forehead. 

But I knew I was really sitting in a Volkswagen built in the Chech republic. The funny thing is that they score better in the reliability charts then Volkswagen and Audi.

@Settler:
Indeed my previous car probably did the most of the cab "hauls", unless vans were used of course.
Its featured in most of my roadtrips reports. I don't remember if I had my first or second one with some hauls though....

[Belike]

These were their 2 early models, as there were not too much other type of cars available to buy in Hungary in those days, they were extremly popular.
The 110

The 120S

And the good old Octavia combi

If you ever come to Hungary, you can still see some on the roads.

[Muerto]

The 120S

I remember all the jokes about this car!!!
.. it was supposed to be she strongest car in the world..... - it could pull a queue 30 miles long 
and if you wanted it to go faster you would have to double the elastic band in the engine 
and, how do you accelerate a Skoda from 0-100 in less than 4 sec?? - push it off a cliff 

[level42]

LOL ! Yes the 120s is the one I remember. You did see them occasionally here. We always pittied the people aboard of them. Engine in the back, ancient technology....I think it was ranked _just_ above Lada's.

The funny thing is that Skoda was just another European car maker before the communists took over so it's not their fault...

Love the pic of that old Octavia Combi !!! Looks like it can handle some cabs too !!

The funny thing is that almost everywhere where I showed up with my Octavia to pick up a cab, the seller would look in fear to my car and say it would be impossible to get the cab in that car.....HAHAHAHA!

It even does Centi's and Asteroidses....with all doors closed

The "trick" is the backdoor which is really BULBY and thus gives a lot of extra space....

Let's hope they don't get funny ideas in Chech and turn the next model into a "sports wagon" like thing....but I'm sure they won't, that would completely kill their sales....

[Belike]

In the old Octavia, the front seat row is in one piece, no space in the middle, looks super cool, like in some of the ancient american beasts.

[Muerto]

It even does Centi's and Asteroidses....with all doors closed

That´s pretty amazing! Asteroids, or Lunar Lander as we like to call them are huge mother f$%kers!!
Just a side node - moved my LL around the other day, and used the trolly on the front is much easier than using it behind.... (ahrem... <- cab moving that is!)

[level42]

In the old Octavia, the front seat row is in one piece, no space in the middle, looks super cool, like in some of the ancient american beasts.

Yes but the shifter is still on the floor so it's of little use when you want to "move over a bit"