I want a London Taxi

rev_henry

bigjl wrote: »

The test in London, no longer performed by PCO and now done by a private company, is little more than an MOT.

As the Fairway's are no longer able to be replated due to the 15 yr limit they are being run into the ground for the last year.

This can be up to 40k in the last year and London's roads are rough to say the least.

A lot of the last Fairway's to come off the road are held together by their adverts and a lot of chickenwire and blob.

£1500 will buy you a shed, if you go to a dealer it will be a shed with a quick blowover and some new chrome wheels trims.

You may find a one owner gem, but these days it is unlikely.

There are plenty of places to buy the parts to rebuild the suspension etc.

But remember that these vehicles are different to normal cars, they are designed to have the majority of ball joints and bushes replaced every year in an annual overhaul.

When they stopped being inspected by PCO and came under TFL the test was less strict, as mentioned, and as such most will need constant upkeep and also the reversal of decades of shoestring maintenance.

Big tickets repairs that are common include coolant in th autobox fluid and rust, lots of rust, the body was barely waterproof when new, especially round the windscreen where it leaks into the fusebox area, and also your feet.

And don't forget they do about 25/8 mpg, that is if the overdrive works.

And if you get 70mph out of one you are a lucky man.

My advice would be to buy a TX1, better in everyway, but with same engine.

Or find a Metrocab, mostly fibreglass and better all round if you avoid the series 1, best where the series 3 or the TTT which had Toyota engine and (I think) auto gearbox.

Very interesting thanks for that.

rev_henry

dacouch wrote: »

When people stand on the pavement and shout "Taxi" did you lean out of the window and shout back "Pedestrian"

CORRECT! The profile picture of one of the cabbies I follow on twitter is actually a cartoon of that exact thing.

Well I had a good chat with a taxi insurance broker earlier, who said that the main thing worrying insurance companies is that I will be tempted to just ply for hire. He said he sees it a bit differently and in principle would be able offer cover, but not at all until I was 25 - he has no one under 25 on his books, not even his own daughter. He was interested to hear how I got on though!