Car fan converts old Maluch into classy electric motor with 6,000 PLN makeover
A motoring enthusiast from Lower Silesia has proved the old adage of turning water into wine after converting an old Fiat 126p he bought for 1 PLN into a sparkling modern electric car for 6,000 PLN (1,300 EUR).
When Radosław Pawlaczyk heard that the vehicle, once Poland’s most popular car known affectionately as the ‘Maluch’ (‘Tiny one’), was up for a sale at the Museum of Communist Cars under the condition that the new owner must use it, he jumped at the challenge.
Below the bonnet, the car has been fitted with a hydraulic pump engine with a power of 15KM, whilst the batteries which have been fitted in the car, were taken from an electric Volkswagen and take 2.5 hours to charge, with the car able to reach a speed of 70km/h.
Paying only the symbolic amount of 1zł, Pawlaczyk set to work to transform the vehicle into the most efficient version possible, which he planned to use to drive to work.
The final cost of the renovation of the 1999 vehicle came to 6,000 PLN, which compares favourably with 100,000 PLN for a new electric Fiat 500.
The final cost of the renovation of the 1999 vehicle came to 6,000 PLN, which compares favourably with 100,000 PLN for a new electric Fiat 500.
Whilst on the outside, the car still looks like a standard Fiat 126p, it differs substantially from other models and is among only a few known electric Fiat 126ps in Poland.
The car has been given a sheet metal renovation, a solar panel roof and a new layer of paint, but it is on the inside that the most dramatic changes have taken place.
Proud Pawalczyk said: “I was able to source a lot of the components in Poland, which was also the aim of this project. The Maluch has a Polish heart. Many details which later made it more beautiful, also come from Poland, so I’m happy, because we still have a Polish e-maluch.”
Below the bonnet, the car has been fitted with a hydraulic pump engine with a power of 15KM, whilst the batteries which have been fitted in the car, were taken from an electric Volkswagen and take 2.5 hours to charge, with the car able to reach a speed of 70km/h.
Pawlaczyk told Polsat News: “There were highs and lows, like with every project. When it comes to its range, it can drive 150km in all weathers, in optimal conditions even 200km…It’s a very good result when it comes to a city car.”
Pawlaczyk has now started driving his new improved Fiat to work, covering a daily trip of 50km a day in the vehicle.
He added: “I was able to source a lot of the components in Poland, which was also the aim of this project. The Maluch has a Polish heart, the steering. Many details which later made it more beautiful, also come from Poland, so I’m happy, because we still have a Polish e-maluch.”
Pawlaczyk has now started driving his new improved Fiat to work, covering a daily trip of 50km a day in the vehicle.\
Aside from causing a sensation on local streets, the car has also been the star of several car rallies, including the National Fiat 126 rally in Opole where it won the award for the most fine-tuned Fiat 126 and will soon be taking part in a Fiat rally near Warsaw.
