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18880. Macnas - 3/14/2006 3:11:07 PM The early Nissans, or Datsuns, rotted in front of your eyes.
I remember the first Datsun Sunny, and another model called the Cherry (who the hell makes up these model names, Barney the dinosaur?). They were alright to look at but after a few months in Irish weather, it was like driving a colander. 18881. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 3/14/2006 3:13:40 PM I'm with thoughtful. GM has produced crap for decades and they're undeserving of any loyalty. My first car was a '53 Chevy, then a '63 Chevy and a '68 Pontiac Tempest--all great cars. How sad it was to see GM products turn into junk over the years. I know you're a Detroit boy Wonk, but GM died long ago, IMO. 18882. arkymalarky - 3/14/2006 4:45:28 PM I had a Datsun for my second car, which I bought my first year of teaching. Last I kept up, Bob's nephew had it, and it had to have well over 300,000 miles on it, though the odometer had broken years ago. It had the same problem you all describe. By the time we got rid of it you could see the road through the floorboard. 18883. thoughtful - 3/14/2006 4:51:51 PM Hahahah! Ah yes. With our datsun, anyone in the passenger seat rode with an umbrella.
No, not overhead but upside down in the floor area to keep the splashing to a minimum when the car went through a puddle.
It also had this broken speedometer. The needle would spin as you drove along...the faster you drove, the faster it would spin. When you stopped, it would stop somewhere on the dial at random. Kind of a hoot to be at a stoplight and the speedometer reading 60! 18884. Jenerator - 3/14/2006 5:34:54 PM Thoughtful,
I had an Opel GT! 18885. Jenerator - 3/14/2006 5:35:22 PM I think the French drive the world's smallest cars. 18886. Macnas - 3/14/2006 5:48:24 PM Well, the Smart car is pretty small. 18887. thoughtful - 3/14/2006 6:11:03 PM opel gt's were cute.
the mini cooper is about as small as we have them here now, but i remember the very early honda civics that were really wee...one I saw had stenciled in the back window "Tonka"
but for size, you couldn't get much smaller than the mg midget:
 18888. PelleNilsson - 3/14/2006 6:42:13 PM 
The Mini was our second car. What I remember most about it was the long, angled gearstick like in a truck and the imprecise gear positions.
This was our first car (my car actually, we weren't married then).
Colin Powell has a fine collection of them. Ours was memorable for the amount of engine oil it consumed while approching its unglorious end.
18889. Jenerator - 3/14/2006 10:58:25 PM Macnas,
I didn't realize your red car is an Opel?
Remember LeCars?
I saw three wheeled cars last time I was in Paris. 18890. Jenerator - 3/14/2006 10:59:19 PM Wish I still had my Opel GT
Mine was white. 18891. wonkers2 - 3/14/2006 11:46:23 PM GM's improved quality isn't a rumor. I'ts been a fact for several years And the durability is good also as measured by warranty costs, thanks to robust engineering. Sabotage is so rare as to be non-existent. You have a closed mind on the subject and you are paying an unnecessary premium over GM or Ford cars as a result. 18892. anomie - 3/14/2006 11:56:12 PM Jen, there were still a lot of three-wheeled Robin Reliants in England when you were there. Remember seeing any? 18893. anomie - 3/15/2006 12:01:46 AM Wonks, I've rented some GM cars over the past 10 years or so, and they weren't too bad. But I remember when American car manufacturers were cruising on poor quality at the expense of safety and reliability - the 70's - and I've lost any loyalty I may have had to American cars. I grew up thnking front end joints had to be replaced every two years and thinking 80K miles on the odometer was about it. First time I drove a 78 Toyota I was hooked. Even a cheap car like that was a revelation od what a car should be compared with GM. Takes a long time to forget stuff like that. 18894. Jenerator - 3/15/2006 12:02:54 AM I was in Paris a year ago October.
I don't remembers eeing any three-wheeled cars in England.
hmmm.
18895. Jenerator - 3/15/2006 12:03:26 AM How often does Uzzmakk come around? I am curious what his latest book acquistion was/is. 18896. anomie - 3/15/2006 12:05:08 AM My car has two very irritating "features". The stereo raises the volume all by itself as I accelerate. This bugs the hell out of me, especially if I'm trying to talk with someone. And I get an alarm buzz anytime the outdoor temp reaches 37 degrees. Makes me jump. One of these days I'm gonna hit something when that damn buzzer goes off.
Auto climate control is pretty useless too. 18897. anomie - 3/15/2006 12:06:56 AM Google on Robin Reliant and see if you recognize it, Jen. At some angles it looks like both front wheels are missing. 18898. alistairConnor - 3/15/2006 12:15:56 AM Mac, dissing French cars for the electrics is like criticizing Japanese cars for rust... so nineties. They got over those problems.
And parts? any decent garage will get them from the factory in 24 hours, for any Renault or Peugeot/Citroen...
... oh.
So, drive an Irish car then! 18899. alistairConnor - 3/15/2006 12:19:01 AM My Citroen van is far too big for me. Especially for commuting and parking in town. I really should have a little car for that, preferably a hybrid, but I'll have to wait till the van is about 5 years old so I can afford it. Then I'll keep the van, 20 years or so, for its real purpose : holidays.
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