Budman Posted January 31, 2009 Report Share Posted January 31, 2009 Does anybody remember this one? The Isetta ---------------- YOUR LINK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakdad Posted January 31, 2009 Report Share Posted January 31, 2009 Yes Bud, My mother had one of those in the late 50s. I used to drive it all over Houston. Pretty cool how you get in and out of the front door. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Definitive Posted February 1, 2009 Report Share Posted February 1, 2009 It is an automobile but,it isn't a CAR. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budman Posted February 1, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 1, 2009 Sure it is D. Actually, on any given day when you were out and about around town, you'd see quite a few of them. Like Jakdad said, they were great little "in town" runabout type cars. I don't remember ever seeing them out on the open road though. But then you wouldn't expect to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Definitive Posted February 1, 2009 Report Share Posted February 1, 2009 I'll stick with my 20 mpg king cab power stroke monster. Just last night I passed someone on 410 that had a dresser tied to the top of some little car.It was about the same size as the car.They were going about 40 mph on the highway and had another car,with flashers on,behind them.As I made it past them I saw,in my mirror,them having to pull over. This is our future. I am praying they come up with a full size,four door,truck that is battery powered and can go 400 miles before a plug in.Maybe they can have extra battery packs you can keep in the bed and just throw a switch for an extra 200 miles. In europe,the big thing to have is a little trailer to pull behind your ugly,unenjoyable,uncomfortable,little automobile.Should we invest in Wells Fargo or Featherlite now? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budman Posted February 1, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 1, 2009 Yes D, you're right about that. Keep your power stroke. Those little Isettas worked well in the San Antonio and Austin traffic of 50 years ago. But NOW, no way. NOW, it probably wouldn't be any time at all before you encountered some moron behind the wheel who would bounce you around an intersection in one of those like a beach ball, with you inside it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dano36 Posted February 2, 2009 Report Share Posted February 2, 2009 Buddy, my big problem with these type cars is that they don't really last too long. I always refer to them as throwaways. Besides that they are not really all that safe either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakdad Posted February 2, 2009 Report Share Posted February 2, 2009 Bud the Isetta wouldn't last in a parking lot now days.................................. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1-Crew Posted February 2, 2009 Report Share Posted February 2, 2009 Hmmmm, not safe? The "new" smart car is certified for crash worthiness in 50 states. The Toyota Tercel I drive everyday has 322,000 miles with no oil use (throwaway??). I keep an F250 crew cab in the driveway for those special trips that require a bed or towing ability but I'll take the 30+ MPG of the Tercel any day (BTW it does go 85+ if required). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Definitive Posted February 2, 2009 Report Share Posted February 2, 2009 lmao....he was talking about those old 50s and 60s European jobs.Look at the wheels on those things....some of those cars were stated to only go about 50mph tops.The small cars of today are alot different and a whole lot better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tps48 Posted February 2, 2009 Report Share Posted February 2, 2009 On a recent trip to europe I saw several of the old Isettas. With the popularity of the mini and the new fiat 500 there was talk that BMW was thinking of a new version of the Isetta. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocketdog15 Posted February 3, 2009 Report Share Posted February 3, 2009 Hey D, The other day I drove my 92 Corolla, (37 mpg) home from our storage yard, with the new fenders for my Street Stock, strapped on topof the car. I had no problems passing up all of those Powerstroke monsters stopped at the gas pumps. With what you pay in payments, diesel fuel, insurance, and oil changes, I can race my street stock all season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dano36 Posted February 3, 2009 Report Share Posted February 3, 2009 Hmmmm, not safe? The "new" smart car is certified for crash worthiness in 50 states. The Toyota Tercel I drive everyday has 322,000 miles with no oil use (throwaway??). I keep an F250 crew cab in the driveway for those special trips that require a bed or towing ability but I'll take the 30+ MPG of the Tercel any day (BTW it does go 85+ if required). The throwaways I was referring to were the ones that came out in the early 70s when gas crunch number one hit and the big three started making the small cars to get the better mileage. Toyota had been in the smaller car market from the get go so they have made them durable for a longer time. The ones I speak of are mostly American made. Foreigh manufacturers are experts at the small auto market because they sell tons of them overseas. Up until the early 70s the only mini American I recall was the Crosley and they did well to turn 50K. The 70s minis were not much better. As for crash worthiness, I recall the VW Bug was certified in all states too and we all knew a head on in that spelled doom. Lets wait and see the survivability of a new small smart cars because I for one say any vehicle where the driver sits out in front with nothing between him and the road is merely a windshield, just what chance does he have with a headon lets say with a Ford 150, or Chevy S10. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1-Crew Posted February 3, 2009 Report Share Posted February 3, 2009 The VW is built with an interesting design. My brother in law works for an accident reconstruction company (they do professional testimony for accident lawsuits, etc..). One of the training videos they use came from a reconstructed accident involving a VW bus and a 70's vintage Dodge. The VW T-boned the Dodge and the family of the VW driver was suing VW for wrongful death due to intrusion (structural failure of the cab). As part of the investigation, they reproduced the accident using a remote control VW bus and a 70's vintage Ford Fairlane (same basic size and weight unibody car). At impact, the bus literally drove through the Ford, essentially cutting the car in half. The bus was still drivable, the wishbone floorpan structure is so rigid it transmitted the collision force straight through the center of the strongest part of the structure. In the original accident, the VW driver died from the sudden stop, not structural failure. VW successfully defended against the lawsuit. The big three did indeed produce pretty poor examples of economy cars. I remember the 1980 Honda Accord my dad bought and how amazed I was at the attention to detail in the interior. Imagine who would have thought it was good idea to have a coin holder, certainly not the big three.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HiTech Posted February 4, 2009 Report Share Posted February 4, 2009 l old friend of mine was in germany way back in the 60's when he was hit . driveing a vw bug .the car that hit him while sitting still was in upwards of a 100 mph ... large car .... he walked away with some scratches ...reason .he was hit so hard in the rear that little bug's doors popped open at impact and popped him out ..........he has pic's nothing left of his bug ..in fact could not tell what it was .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dano36 Posted February 5, 2009 Report Share Posted February 5, 2009 OT. That accident was probably the one in a thousand that the guy walks away from. Rare in any type vehicle at 100 mph. But I served in Germany and saw many a small car over there rolled up into a ball of crushed metal and the folks were still inside. Their death rate in auto accidents at that time was higher than in this country, per capita that is, and much of it was due to poor construction of "Some" cars. Ever see that Citeron that had a canvas roof that ran from the windshield to the rear? It had two metal sides supported by a few metal bars across the top and any side impact spelled doom. Then there was the Messerschmidt that looked like the cockpit of the old fighter plane. Had two front wheels and one drive wheel. They didn't hold out well either in fender benders. But I am really not talking about survivability in accidents I started out referring to those throwaways the big three made back in the early 70s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HiTech Posted February 5, 2009 Report Share Posted February 5, 2009 SOMETHING LIKE PINTO .. VEGA ..CHEVETTE ..MUSTANG 11...SUNFIRE ..MANZA ... THE PINTO IS THE ONLY ONE THAT STILL LIVES ..WE HAVE FOUR OF EM ..LOL ..AND SOME HOW THEY KEEP SHOWING UP ...... bottom line is this great old country cant servive and live without our beloved trucks ..period .small cars are ok ..for one or two poeple .. but try pulling a loaded racecar trailor with jacks little car .or heck a little toyoty truck .ford ranger ..or any small trucks ... heck i cant pull a racecar trailor with my jeep without burning up the brakes and trans ..how many teams out there do you know can pull their rig to the track with a little car and or truck ....very few .why . cuz the truck cant handle it ..small cars cant handle it either ..dano i agree he was lucky .was not implying the little cars are safe .they are safer we should agree ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Definitive Posted February 5, 2009 Report Share Posted February 5, 2009 Hey D, The other day I drove my 92 Corolla, (37 mpg) home from our storage yard, with the new fenders for my Street Stock, strapped on topof the car. I had no problems passing up all of those Powerstroke monsters stopped at the gas pumps. With what you pay in payments, diesel fuel, insurance, and oil changes, I can race my street stock all season. 92 Carolla with 37 mpg...dude call a news crew... 02 f250...18-20 mpg...45 bucks to go 480 miles may not be as cheap as you are getting ....but it isn't exactly expensive. oil change is 74 bucks twice a year...again more than you pay I'm sure but not exactly expensive Full coverage is still running me under 90 bucks a month....granted no wrecks all my life.... Truck is paid for and at 130k on mileage is only a third of the way through it's life(old diesel) haul anything anywhere big...above the butt scraper's view...smooth ride...with all the amenities seats 7 of us when needed...2 baby seats now...and room for the grocieries in the back seat When gas gets back to 5 bucks a gallon,I will realistically have to move to a car that I "have" to have and not one that I "want". I'm just hoping for a truck like mine that has batteries enough to go 400+ miles per charge lol...crossing fingers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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