So why do you think there are no cheap basic cars being sold new?

[Nissandriver]

Originally Posted by JSH

100 hp, no airbags or ABS let alone stability control. No screen for carplay or android auto.

That reads like my Toyota Pickup.

I think a new 2017 Nissan Tsuru (B13) in Mexico cost more that $5000. That car could never be sold in the US due to regulations. That car probably couldn´t be sold in the US in 1991 when it was a new design.

[JSH]

Originally Posted by Nissandriver

That reads like my Toyota Pickup.

I think a new 2017 Nissan Tsuru (B13) in Mexico cost more that $5000. That car could never be sold in the US due to regulations. That car probably couldn´t be sold in the US in 1991 when it was a new design.

2017 was the last year the Tsuru was sold in Mexico and it cost $7,000 then. In the USA the Tsuru was sold as the Nissan Sentra from 1991 to 1994 before being replaced by the B14 Sentra.

At my previous employer we had to cross from El Paso to Ciudad Juarez daily because we were not allowed drive in Mexico, to stay in Mexico, or venture outside of approved routes to and from the factory. We would ride with Mexican co-workers that lived in El Paso and I normally rode with an engineer that had a Tsuru. It looked just like the Sentras I remember from the 90's. I was way more comfortable riding to and from the factory in that car with tinted windows than any of the car service vehicles which were generally late model SUVs that attracted attention. Nobody looks twice at a Tzuru in Mexico.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Last time I saw a Tsuru in my hometown was in 2017, and it was registered in Uruguay. It might seem "outdated", but I'm not totally unfavorable to allowing some older designs to remain on production, as long as a few improvements such as ABS brakes can be fitted. Just look at motorcycles, which obviously are not the safest rides at all, yet some features such as ABS brakes improve the safety quite reasonably under certain conditions.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

35y.o. Fiat Elba, still roomier than many brand-new cars within a similar size bracket. Small, yet fully functional, station-wagons like that used to be favored as a family car, yet nowadays it's more tempting for automakers to make SUV-looking hatchbacks and putting a higher price tag on them. When it comes to addressing the lack of cargo capacity of a so-called compact SUV compared to a more old-school station-wagon, it's also worth to remind all the revenue from the sales of accessories such as roof racks or receiver hitches...

[Nissandriver]

That Fiat reminds me of Toyota Tercel that I thought about buying back in the 1980s. They had the same basic shape.

I had hoped I might be able to get inexpensive Tsuru parts or a parts car from Mexico to refurbish my Sentra. So far I haven´t had much luck finding a way to do that. Tsuru parts sold on Ebay are somewhat expensive. I need to learn Spanish so I might be able to use Mexican websites to buy Tsuru parts.

From what I´ve read the Tsuru weighs 300-400 lbs. less than the similar Sentra sold in the US. The Mexican car didn´t have the beams in the doors to help survive a crash and Tsurus shipped to the Middle East didn´t have a catalytic converter. I don´t know if the cars sold in Mexico had a converter. It´s also been called the deadliest car in Mexico, but I think that´s due to the large number of them sold over 25 years and the huge number of miles driven. It would be interesting to know the number of injuries and deaths per miles driven to get a better idea of how dangerous they really are. There was an offset head-on collision test done in 2017 with a Versa versus the Tsuru and it´s scary how the Tsuru is destroyed in that test.

I´d guess the Tsuru was probably one of the lowest priced new cars in the world in 2017. But I would think you could get a cheaper car made and sold in India or China.

Here´s my ¨Tsuru¨.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by Nissandriver

From what I´ve read the Tsuru weighs 300-400 lbs. less than the similar Sentra sold in the US. The Mexican car didn´t have the beams in the doors to help survive a crash

It's also often said the Tsuru pressed-steel panels were made out of sheets with a smaller gauge. Possibly it has fewer sound-deadening material too.

Tsurus shipped to the Middle East didn´t have a catalytic converter. I don´t know if the cars sold in Mexico had a converter.

Even the Beetle had a catalytic converter in Mexico. Emission regulations for Mexican cars AFAIK follow the same standards as in the United States and Canada, even though bilateral trading agreements between Mexico and other countries allow the sales of vehicles which would never make their way to the north of the border. The last Tsurus even resorted to a 1.6L Renault K-Series engine instead of the previous Nissan engine, as the Renault engine was more up-to-date with emission standards.

It´s also been called the deadliest car in Mexico, but I think that´s due to the large number of them sold over 25 years and the huge number of miles driven. It would be interesting to know the number of injuries and deaths per miles driven to get a better idea of how dangerous they really are. There was an offset head-on collision test done in 2017 with a Versa versus the Tsuru and it´s scary how the Tsuru is destroyed in that test.

Sure being an ancient project with an extended production run in Mexico charges its toll when it comes to safety standards, which are much lower than a newer model also bound for export to countries with stricter safety regulations. However, as you mentioned, the large amount of Tsurus sold in Mexico during its extended production run and total miles driven might also be worth taking a look before saying it's inherently dangerous.

I´d guess the Tsuru was probably one of the lowest priced new cars in the world in 2017. But I would think you could get a cheaper car made and sold in India or China.

Of course you could get something cheaper from India or China, but it would most likely be smaller and less capable to address the needs of someone who effectively needed a small sedan instead of a hatchback.

[freebeard]

So why do you think there are no cheap basic cars being sold new?

I think a better world is possible. Following on from the WWII Jeep, the VW dune buggies and Arcimoto just takes a little deep-in-one-corner-of-the-box thinking.

Open wheels? Open cockpit? Steel tube roll cage? Wood dash with stab-you-in-the-eye toggle switches? Grille teeth like a 1948 Buick? Check, check, check, check and double-check. https://kilow.com/

One of 12 AMAZING INVENTIONS YOU SHOULD SEE

An Inexpensive Little EV For Rural Use

While it might have more limited use in the USA, you won’t be paying a fortune for this. Providing you do get a lot of use out of it, you could pick up the La Bagnole for just Euros 9,990 or $9,800. So, it probably isn’t going to break the bank by any means. What’s more, you can drive around in it knowing you are in quite a cute and wonderful little vehicle. Plus, it's one that seems to be quite practical as well, something micro cars can sometimes struggle to be.

www.hotcars.com/kilow-la-bagnole-jeep-micro-ev/

If those grille teeth are coper tubing heat pipes for cooling the electrics, then --- I want this pretty bad.

[Xist]

I had read that 3d-printed metal wasn't as strong as forged, people responded "That is stupid, metal is metal," but everything I see now says that 3d printed metal is stronger.

Weird.

You can buy a Prusa i3 MK3S+ with enclosure for $1,500, which can print metal objects 21cm*21cm*25cm (8.27"x8.27"x9.84").

Daox talked about designing his plastic products as jigsaws that snapped together, but I would think that for a car you would want to weld them.

Will there be a point when we can 3d print cars?

Years ago I attended some event south of Phoenix and mentioned a 3d-printed buggy, but it's body was plastic.

Will that be feasible for metal?

[redpoint5]

Originally Posted by Xist

I had read that 3d-printed metal wasn't as strong as forged, people responded "That is stupid, metal is metal," but everything I see now says that 3d printed metal is stronger.

My only source of info so far on this is from here;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kz165f1g8-E

[freebeard]

Will there be a point when we can 3d print cars?

Local Motors in 2016.

https://3dprint.com/126604/how-local...-3d-print-car/

https://3dprint.com › 126604 › how-local-motors-3d-print-car
3D Printing 101—How to Make a Car: Local Motors Gives Us a Sneak Peek
The material used to 3D print the vehicles is composed of pellets made up of a blend that is 80 percent ABS and 20 percent carbon fiber. The extruder prints at a temperature of 410 ° F. Parts...

Local Motors in 2020

https://3dprint.com › 288238 › 3d-printed-car-company-local-motors-shuts-down
3D Printed Car Company Local Motors Shuts Down
17 Jan 20223D Printed Car Company Local Motors Shuts Down January 17, 2022 by Michael Molitch-Hou Automotive 3D Printing Business Featured Stories Transportation Multiple automotive and tech news...