Ugliest, Most Decrepit Or Crooked Rolling, Cm Auto You Have Ridden In?

[OldChinaHam]

Of course Chiang Mai cannot fairly compete with parts of China for providing the chance to ride in a truly decrepit auto of the first magnitude. But maybe this city has come close in recent years.

Once one has ridden in a car which is still able to roll on the road under its own power, but is also almost incapable of doing much more, then this is an experience that even after a lifetime still remains a sharp memory to some of us.

My first recollection of being shocked to the core after riding in one of these was about 35 years ago when I rode in a red taxi manufactured in Japan about 50 years ago. This car was a 2-door and it did not look right even when not moving, it sort of slouched. I got in with a friend from Taiwan and even he could not help but smirk behind his countryman when we began to roll down the road. You could feel the whole body of the car moving and flexing as if it were made of plastic. It did not head straight ahead when going straight but only angled down the road. The driver had rigged up one of those DIY aircon units that never worked back then, and he was smoking of course with the sun beating down in one of the hottest cities I have ever known. I am sorry I did not take any photos because I would gladly post them here. But my point is that one just never forgets such an experience.

So I am wondering if I might be able to see something like this in Chiang Mai.

And I was also curious if others may have some recollections of strange cars owned by locals which we farang have ridden in, not daring to giggle of course, fearing we might cause undue offense.

On the one hand you feel so sorry for the driver.

But on the other hand it becomes uncontrollably hysterical when you cannot help laughing with the tears of joy.

If you are able to post any photos of strange cars of this nature in which you have PERSONALLY ridden, then please post them here.

The make and model and any particulars about the ride would be useful.

Or any description of unforgettable CM decrepit car rides.

I think the decrepit taxi is the best ride you can find, but any old car will do.

Thanks.

Many governments now have regulations designed to keep these cars off the roads,

But some still somehow manage to keep rolling.

[OldChinaHam]

If I was not very clear in my description above regarding what I was riding in, then it was something like this image of a "Myanmar" taxi I found while searching for 'Thai taxi'. This one does not look too bad, and is not too different from the first ride I refused last month, when I was assigned a taxi in BKK, the one where the driver could not allow anyone to open his trunk because he said it was "full". Who drives a taxi around town with a full trunk (boot), (or "dickie" if you are from South Africa)?

These cars are now apparently slowly being replaced with encouragement by government programs to upgrade things in Burma, I guess.

But they are always much fun to ride in if you are not 'dressed to the nines'.

Every country has them though.

[pitchag]

In 1973 my first month in Australia my new employer said he would pick me up for work, he turned up in the worst car I have ever seen an old Holden, there was no floor it rusted out so my feet had to be kept from dragging on the road the gear stick [floor shift] was just a piece of metal rod. As we drove on the highway the bonnet lifted over the windscreen, I shat myself! Lucky for us it broke free and landed in the bushes beside the road My employer looked at me I was as white as a sheet and said f#@k it we will pick it up on the way home. Needless to say I went out and bought a car the next day.

[hellodolly]

My brother had a 1951 Studebaker, One you could not tell if it was coming or going. The engine was next door to dead. In the early 80's he was giving me a ride he went flying around a corner and half way up the hill before he had to turn in to a drive way and back up the rest of the hill as reverse was the only one he could get enough power out of to get to the top of the hill.

[VocalNeal]

Lots of these around?