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The other Midget--by Daihatsu

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aeronca65t

aeronca65t

Great Pumpkin
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I find these other Midgets appealing.
Actually it's a"Midget II". Their first version was a three wheeler. They also make a van version of this vehicle as well as electric and even an RV.
Not road legal in the US, but I do see them on my local military base.

1998_Daihatsu_Midget_II.jpg
 
Not road legal, eh?
Windscreen, wipers, looks like three mirrors, two headlight pods (with standard ROUND lamps!) turn signals, rubber bumpers, spare tire/crush zone protection....4 wheels....maybe it doesn't have any brakes?
 
If its cheap and easy on gas and something we could really use then its probably not going to be legal or for sale here. In many parts of the world there are vehicles that we can't get. How many are aware that the same Ford Fiesta that we can buy here is available in Europe with a diesel that gets 67MPG.
In other parts of the world you can still buy the good looking and easy on gas Toyota pickup that we got here 20 years ago. My new Toyota pickup gets lousey gas mileage and is almost as big as the full sized pickups made in the 80's.
I could point a finger at a lot of likely culprits but it wouldn't do any good.

Just my rant!!

Kurt.
 
I fail to see why these type vehicle are not allowed on the roads. I don't see where you would be in any danger in one of these than on a motorcycle or a scooter on the road. I am convinced these laws are made to force us to buy the big heavy detroit cars and trucks. We don't need a nanny state to keep us from any and all risk. This is precisely why all the real high MPG cars can't be imported from Europe.
 
Actually, in order to improve MPG on all cars in the US, all we need to do is import the imperial gallon. :wink:
 
Trevor Jessie said:
Actually, in order to improve MPG on all cars in the US, all we need to do is import the imperial gallon. :wink:
Click to expand...
Yeah, I lived in England for 2 years. It works out real close to our gallon being 4 quarts and theirs being 5 quarts. Even with that , the French have some Citroen diesels with 1000 cc engines that leave the Toyota prius way behind and they are not hybrid, so if they went that route there is no determining what they could get.
 
Well, as I said ,there are likely lots of culprits. You don't suppose the 4 oil companys that control almost all aspects of the motor fuel industy have a interest in not increasing fuel mileage? How about the bureacracy that continues to upgrade crash standards without any thought for other aspects of motoring safty. My new Toyota pickup(sadly couldn't find one any better) has headlights that shine in the trees and are not adjustable(least thats what I was told). Other drivers are blinded by them and theres nothing I can do. Similiarly I am blinded by a lot of new vehicles on the road. How about the DOT going after that. Definetly a safty hazard.

More of my rant!!

Kurt.
 
I'd be happy if they instituted a law mandating all vehicles 5 years old or newer to have the radar crash detection technology installed.
Maybe then the retards out there would stop moving over into my lane while I'm driving there.

It happened again this past week, I'm driving along, it's not yet daylight, my halogen lights are on bright as that's the only way I can compete with all those SUV's on the road and this airheaded bimbo on my right just moves over into my lane about 6 inches in front of me.

That morning I ordered the 140 db STEBEL horn, it should arrive within the next few days.

Have I mentioned I'm a fan of the Alan Dean Foster story <span style="font-weight: bold">"Why Johnny Can't Speed"</span>??
 
Usually it's the manufacturers that choose not to market a particular model in the US, not any legal restriction.

I drove a Ford Fiesta rental car in the UK on my last trip there, this spring. It was a nice car. Got about 60MPG imperial, 50 US. I think it would sell well here.

As for the Daihatsu, as K's G says, it's probably crash safety that prevents its being marketed here, as well as the fact that it probably wouldn't be accepted by Americans anyway. If you had one already, and it had the right equipment (lights, turn signals, and so on), I suspect you could license it in most states. I don't think there'd be a problem here in CA.
 
I'm with you Rick if the radar would keep that teenage girl with the cell phone clamped to her head off my bumper a 75mph.

Steve may be right cause the article I read about the Fiesta diesel said that Ford didn't think the american public would accept the diesel! Seem to have forgotten the late 70's and 80's when there were plenty of diesels on the market.
Had a friend who put hundreds of thousands of miles on Chevette diesels as a traveling salesman. Plenty of VW diesel pickups and rabbits sold and you could get a kit to swap a tractor diesel into your gas hog full size pickup if you wanted.
Apparently Ford hasn't noticed how many full size pickups they sell with diesel's today.

Kurt.
 
nomad said:
I'm with you Rick if the radar would keep that teenage girl with the cell phone clamped to her head off my bumper a 75mph.

Steve may be right cause the article I read about the Fiesta diesel said that Ford didn't think the american public would accept the diesel! Seem to have forgotten the late 70's and 80's when there were plenty of diesels on the market.
Had a friend who put hundreds of thousands of miles on Chevette diesels as a traveling salesman. Plenty of VW diesel pickups and rabbits sold and you could get a kit to swap a tractor diesel into your gas hog full size pickup if you wanted.
Apparently Ford hasn't noticed how many full size pickups they sell with diesel's today.

Kurt.
Click to expand...
They could offer a choice, like they do in Europe for engine, that way people wouldn't have to take the diesel if they didn't want to. Available horsepower is the inverse of fuel economy and not everybody wants the festiva with 115Hp when the 65HP engine would work just fine and gt 20% better fuel economy.
 
RickB said:
That morning I ordered the 140 db STEBEL horn,
Click to expand...


....or, order 140lbs 1/2" STEEL BALLS.

Once you pass them, throw a handfull over your shoulder and let physics do the rest. I have the urge to pound on the side of people's cars w/ my hand when they do that.
 
kellysguy said:
RickB said:
That morning I ordered the 140 db STEBEL horn,
Click to expand...


....or, order 140lbs 1/2" STEEL BALLS.

Once you pass them, throw a handfull over your shoulder and let physics do the rest. I have the urge to pound on the side of people's cars w/ my hand when they do that.
Click to expand...

It's a slippery slope from there to the turret mounted twin 70's with HUD...

:jester:
 
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