You'll be surprised! You'll be amazed! It’s not a Ferrari. It’s not a BMW. It’s not even the 1984 Nissan Pulsar (right), though I did quite like that car. It’s not big or fast but it is beautiful in a minimalist way and I haven't seen one for years. I wish I had bought one as soon as I had a driver’s licence when there were still some left. I present, my favorite car.
Cars – General principles
My favorite car
I came to like this car more and more as I fixed more and more. It was a really nice car by the time it was sold with 225,000 km.
What it really needed was a modern fuel-injected engine. I used to find that on cold mornings I needed to start the car and then go back inside to brush my teeth before heading to work as it wouldn't make it up the driveway when completely cold.
General comments
I am interested in going from one place to another with minimal impact on the planet. We have nowhere else to go if we ruin this one.
An average person weighs say 75 kg (165 lbs) and even a small car like our Hyundai weighs about 900 kg (2000 lbs). Since most cars normally have just a single occupant, that gives a metal to flesh ratio of 12:1. Even with four people in the car, the ratio is still 3:1. In other words, a lot of metal is required to move around a small payload.
For a "normal" car like a Toyota Camry which weighs around 1400 kg (2998 lbs) the metal to flesh ratio increases to 18.5:1 for a single occupant.
The overkill in the big "sport utility" vehicles and pickup trucks becomes absurd when you look at it this way. For example, the Expedition/Navigator is by far Ford’s most profitable vehicle (300,000 made in 1998 at an average $12,000 profit) and it weighs in at 2180 kg (4805 lbs) so the ratio rises to 29:1 (!) and that’s for the 2WD model - the 4WD is 180 kg (400 lbs) heavier. Just think of it - more than 2 tons of metal to move a person around. In theory it can carry 9, tow huge trailers and go off-road. However, it is clear that most of these big vehicles are used for much the same thing as ordinary cars - going to work, picking up groceries from the supermarket and children from school. Of course the price is high gasoline consumption which, amongst other things, means more greenhouse gas emissions.
I believe we need a better balance between our needs for personal transportation and the means we use to achieve it.
I was impressed how well the traffic moved in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam when we visited in 1991. At that time there were virtually no cars at all with most people getting around by bicycle or small motorbike. Road requirements are so much less and fuel consumption almost nothing. Garages are unnecessary since most families park their bikes on their front verandah/porch. I'll admit that most of the motorbikes have noisy 2-stroke engines that produce excessive smoke but that problem would go away if 4-stroke or fuel injected 2-stroke engines were used, or better still electric motors.
However, I recognize that in Australian and American cities, riding a small motorbike is just too dangerous. Also, you get cold and wet if the weather is unfavorable. I've caught trains or buses to work at some of my jobs including here in Denver, but especially in most American cities, it is not practical to get around that way so it seems we are stuck with the car.
The models shown on the next page indicate where we may be headed. Each has some special features and I'd like one of each. It also needs updating since the world has moved since I originally did this in 1999.
Austin/British Leyland Mini Moke
I looked at a few of these when I was about to buy my first car. It would have been heaps of fun even if not practical for taking groups on church camps. I ended up getting a Ford Telstar (Maxda 626) that had been owned by the company I worked for. I was taken for a ride in one and have to say it was very windy and noisy but when you are young, it is possible to overlook these points. Canvas tops were fitted as standard but a lockable fiberglass top was also available.
(Information originally from http://4wdonline.com/ClassicCars/Moke.html but they seemed to have moved on.)
The Mini Moke was motoring at its most basic - a box-sided tray on wheels with a windscreen and the simplest of seats. In a warm climate it was great fun for taking down to the beach, a sort of four wheeled motorbike, but it was very draughty in the cold and wet with the "rag top" up and it did not offer much protection when mixing it with semi-trailers on the freeway.
The Moke was born in response to the British Army's search for air-transportable vehicles. It was certainly light and compact, particularly with the windscreen down, but the front wheel drive, small wheels and low ground clearance cannot have given sufficient mobility, although experimental four-wheel-drive mokes were built - with two engines and transmissions, power at each end!
The big military orders fell through but the Moke went on to become a cult, a real classic car. If buying a Moke: Mechanical parts are shared with the Mini and are quite readily available. The body will probably suffer from rust because of the limited weather proofing, and the vehicle may have been used on or near the beach, but it is of simple slab-sided construction and easy to work on.
1960
Austin investigate a light weight minimalist vehicle suitable for air transport for the British Army.
1963
Mini Moke prototype built but the Army abandons interest.
1964 August
Civilian Mini Moke released, based on the front wheel drive Minicar with an 850cc engine transversely mounted.
1966
Moke production transferred to Australia.
1968
Larger 13" wheels raise ground clearance to 8", 1100c engine fitted.
1972
Californian Mokes produced with 1275cc motor for the US market.
1981
November, Leyland Australia stops building Mokes but production is transferred to Portugal.
1992
Moke production stops in Portugal. Tooling sold to Cagiva of Italy who build 1500 Mokes
More: on Wikipedia