The average rainfall in Bangkok, Thailand, where taxis like today's Nice Price or No Dice Tuk Tuk roam the streets, is 59 inches per year. This ornate trike is now in Texas, which is thankfully drier, but will the price tag on this cute little machine mean it's all washed up?
Most people like to arrive in style, make an entrance. After all, unless dealing with an amnesiac, you never get a second chance to make a first impression. For owners of Ford Mustangs, however, it's often not the entrance but
the exit that leaves a lasting impression. The Internet is rife with videos of Mustangs peacing out of car meets and ending up ramped over an unfortunate curb or slammed into an unsuspecting passerby. It's seemingly the nature of the beast. With its Coyote V8 and Performance Package 2 enhancements, the 2019 Mustang GT that passed our way yesterday has what it takes to make either a good impression or a bad decision. It all depends on the driver's talent. It also depends on the $31,995 asking price. That shouldn't matter too highly, though, since you all voted it a 52% Nice Price win.
Read more: Call Me A Luddite, But These Modern Features Only Seem To Make Cars Worse
Tuk, Tuk, Goose
The 1967 Daihatsu Tuk Tuk taxi we're considering today was once a common sight in cities across much of Southeast Asia. Originally introduced a decade earlier in soft top, open bed form, as the Daihatsu DKA Midget, the model evolved over time into a more weather-tight commercial vehicle and, like this example, an open shared jitney cab style. Daihatsu built the Midget in various forms until 1972, only cancelling it after seeing the market for three-wheelers falter. The Tuk Tuk models, however, are still being produced in Thailand under the Chinnaraje Midget name, and can still be seen—and ridden about in—in and around Bangkok.
Classified as Autorickshaws, these are more familiarly known as Tuk Tuks, which is an onomatopoeic taken from the sound made by their 2-stroke engines. They traditionally have three wheels and are steered using a motorcycle-like handlebar. The driver sits astride the engine, and there is room for two adults or multiple kids on the passenger seat in the back. The little 356 cc two-cylinder motor is mated to a manual gearbox, and that does offer reverse along with its forward gears.
Texas Tuk Tuk
While popular in places like Thailand, this is, as the seller rightfully points out, incredibly rare in places like Texas, where it is presently located and, surprisingly, was once registered for the road. It was last tagged in 2015, but it comes with a clear title and motorcycle license plate.
These have a top speed of around 50 miles per hour, so highway driving is certainly out of the question for anyone but the most foolhardy. Around town, though, which was what this little taxi was designed for, it should be a lot of fun. According to the ad, it "runs, rides, and operates as it should." The seller claims the clutch to be good and the brakes to be fair, but says it should be fine for putting around the neighborhood. They also state that it has a three-speed manual; however, the gear lever has a pattern for a four-speed, so maybe they just haven't gotten it up to speed fully to use that top gear, if it's actually available.
Call Me A Cab
Naturally, this is set up for taxi duty, right down to the colorful paint scheme and TAXI sign on the fabric roof. Unlike an American taxi, however, there's no meter, so fares will have to be bartered on the fly. Everything on the Tuk Tuk appears to be in decent shape, and the back bench even has a plastic cover like the couches at grandma's house.
As noted, the driver sits atop the drivetrain and the gear shift sprouts centrally, so guys piloting this trike might consider wearing a cup. Clutch action is by a foot pedal, which is matched on the other side of the engine hump by the mechanical brake. The throttle is on the right-hand handlebar grip in standard motorcycle fashion. All the lights, the horn, and the single wiper work, and the taxi will come with a workshop manual for the L36 engine since we can't all be Mustie1.
What's Your Tuk Tuk Take?
This is one weird offering here in the States, and especially in Texas, where everything from hats and belt buckles to pick-em-up trucks is bigger than average. The seller seems to realize this discrepancy, suggesting that it rightfully should be in a museum or on display at a Thai restaurant. Regardless of the final disposition, the asking price to get it there is $6,999.
What do we think about this Thai taxi and the seller's take on its valuation? Does that seem like a deal to impress the neighbors? Or is that too, too much for this Tuk Tuk?
You decide!
Nice Price or No Dice:
Austin, Texas, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.
Help me out with NPOND. Contact me at robemslie@gmail.com and send a fixed-price tip. Remember to include your commenter handle.
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