Wilko220 Posted September 11, 2019 Share Posted September 11, 2019 https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2019/sep/11/ethiopias-vintage-taxis-near-the-end-of-the-road loserone, Angrydicky, shedenvy and 13 others 15 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hpi_matrix Posted September 11, 2019 Share Posted September 11, 2019 Nice little article with some great pictures, surprised the cars are still using the original engines! LightBulbFun 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan_Green Posted September 13, 2019 Share Posted September 13, 2019 Reading this thread while in Ethiopia. Anyway, carry on... Wilko220, BorniteIdentity, garethj and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Split_Pin Posted September 13, 2019 Share Posted September 13, 2019 I didn't know that there were still 404s in service in parts of Africa, must be the last place to see them in any number. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shedenvy Posted September 13, 2019 Share Posted September 13, 2019 Thanks for this link, it really made me smile. We all know that even ancient crap can't be kept on the road with baler twine and pop rivets. I'd really like to see what happens to our salvage cast offs which are 'ideal for export'. I can imagine stick welding up some old merc vitos is probably doable but as highlighted above there must be some old school engine rebuilders out there re-grinding cranks and cast iron stitching blocks back together. I'm sure this takes more ingenuity and technical prowess than your local kwik-fit. I think we need a man on the ground to give us an in depth report. Perhaps we could collectively post DW there?? Wilko220 and BlankFrank 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angle Posted September 13, 2019 Share Posted September 13, 2019 22 minutes ago, Split_Pin said: I didn't know that there were still 404s in service in parts of Africa, must be the last place to see them in any number. Cuba... I didn't bother taking photos after a while, there's still loads over there. Datsuncog, Wilko220 and BorniteIdentity 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timolloyd Posted September 13, 2019 Share Posted September 13, 2019 Still a few of these, plus 505s, knocking around Hurghada in Egypt when I was there earlier this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sierraman Posted September 13, 2019 Share Posted September 13, 2019 What are the plans to replace them with? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angle Posted September 13, 2019 Share Posted September 13, 2019 When I was there most taxis were Ladas or Hiaces, but I imagine anything new will be Chinese or a Japanese import. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martc Posted September 13, 2019 Share Posted September 13, 2019 I know a chap from Kenya and he reckons the smart money is on (almost any*) Toyota replacing Peugeot as the tough car of choice in Africa. * he did mention that the locals choice of Toyota very much depended on which factory it was built in. tooSavvy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reb Posted September 13, 2019 Share Posted September 13, 2019 5 hours ago, angle said: Cuba... I didn't bother taking photos after a while, there's still loads over there. A car YouTube channel went to Cuba, I think possibly Mighty Car Mods, it seemed exactly my sort of place car wise. They showed quite a few old American cars that had long since lost their V8s and such for big old diesel engines, largely from tractors and stuff I think. They were still building 405s in Africa until quite recently, I wonder how well they sold. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angle Posted September 13, 2019 Share Posted September 13, 2019 Aye, there's some interesting stuff there, admittedly mostly with Moskvich engines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan_Green Posted September 23, 2019 Share Posted September 23, 2019 Live from Ethiopia. Old corollas seem to be the no. 1 choice in Addis Ababa. Plus a few Ladas. And donkeys. angle, eddyramrod and Wilko220 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tamworthbay Posted September 23, 2019 Share Posted September 23, 2019 1 hour ago, Alan_Green said: Live from Ethiopia. Old corollas seem to be the no. 1 choice in Addis Ababa. Plus a few Ladas. And donkeys. Work or holiday? Guessing work...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan_Green Posted September 23, 2019 Share Posted September 23, 2019 Found one old Pug. Might be a pickup. Private cars are mostly Toyota Vitz or old Corollas. Minibuses are all Hiaces. Taxis are corollas or Ladas. Chatted to the Lada taxi driver. He said he'd sell it to me for £7,500, best price! LightBulbFun, Datsuncog, BorniteIdentity and 2 others 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Datsuncog Posted September 23, 2019 Share Posted September 23, 2019 I can well understand why the Mk1 Yaris/Vitz is so popular - they're surprisingly tough little things. Still a common sight on UK roads despite the youngest being 14 - while rivals at the time such as the Mk5 Fiesta and Corsa C seem to have virtually disappeared. Wonder what the chances are of the plug-ugly but roomy Yaris/Vitz Verso taking over from the venerable 404s in Addis Ababa? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tayne Posted September 23, 2019 Share Posted September 23, 2019 There were plenty of 404s in Chile when I was there 10 years ago, at the time the newest 404 would have been 35 years old, one or two were being taxied. In Cuba 5 years ago and a taxi was organised for us by our hosts, “it’s a Peugeot, they’re very good cars” he told me. It was a cut n shut 306! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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