Jump to content

Claim's Cabbies Corner. UPDATE SOON


warren t claim

Recommended Posts

I don't know if the 505 running out of Bournemouth Station is still working. I saw it last in about 2008 and the most recent reference to it anywhere online seems to be 2011, allegedly done half a million miles at that stage.

It had a really short reg as well , as in 2 or 3 letters and one number, of course I can't remember what it was!post-17414-0-39347100-1508400213_thumb.jpeg

Not my picture, but the only one I can find .

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Anyway, here's a few of the many I've had the pleasure of owning or driving over the last few years.

 

post-3910-0-53517600-1508443520_thumb.png

 

This is the ex Leicestershire Police Focus I was forced to drive on my return. Lasted well beyond my useage and only died a few months ago.

 

post-3910-0-20026500-1508443790_thumb.png

 

Ex Swansea Police. Comprehensively fucked. I weighed it in about six months ago.

 

post-3910-0-24616400-1508443967_thumb.png

 

1.8 five speed. Not a bad car really.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

post-3910-0-72415100-1508444498_thumb.png

 

This was a great car. Pity it was cursed with blowing turbo pipes and the local animal population was determined to commit suicide under its wheels.

 

post-3910-0-99714700-1508444624_thumb.png

 

Vectra SRi 150. Surprisingly swift and super economical with the DPF removed and EGR blanked off. Smoked more than even I do though.

 

post-3910-0-08100500-1508444726_thumb.png

 

Now this Passat was a fucking nightmare. Are you superstitious? Well it was plate number 1313 and totally shit it's gearbox is a way that it couldn't even be pushed with 13.0 miles on the trip meter. To add insult to injury it suffered HGF on the day of my mums funeral. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 months later...

attachicon.giftaxi7.PNG

 

NOT MINE!!!

 

Get a load of this driveway ornament. Shat it's box early in life and was off the road for years. Probably scrapped now.

 

This got its first MOT in 3 and a half years, about 4 months before you posted this photo, and has mot until 20th June 2018

 

Im going to assume it had its gearbox failure in between its MOT in between its MOT in December 2013 and its next one due December 2014, where it had 74,747 miles, latest test in June 2017 it had done 114,014 miles, so assuming it wasnt on the road without an MOT at any point and also assuming this was the first time it shat its gearbox, 114k on a diesel Insignia gearbox before failing is actual pretty good going considering how bad a rep these have for box failure at much lower mileages. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

lolz at gearbox failure. One would think that Vauxhall, a firm making cars for well over 100 years, would have had it licked by now. They seem to produce good models for a while and then revert to being incredibly shit.

 

With the Insignia I think they got the styling right, and the interiors are a nice place to be, feel quite well screwed together, its everything else thats the problem, theyre unreliable, poor to drive, the economy isnt great, not that cheap to run, the seats are despite looking good, very uncomfortable, they are poorly equipped compared to other cars in the class, the diesel engines are rough and coarse and performance isnt great despite them being 130 and 160 bhp. Then you have Vauxhall stinginess and cost cutting thrown into the mix, which makes them mediocre. 

 

A shame really because they couldve had a very good car on their hands if theyd done it right, because like I say I think they are well styled and the interiors are quite smart. 

 

The mk4 Mondeo is a far far superior car, hence most Insignias were sold very cheaply to companies, hire drive/daily rental and fleets, not that the Mondeos werent but you see far more of them in private hands, bought privately from new and less 2nd hand ones that were ex rental. So the Insignia falls into the same category as modern French stuff like 407/408, Citroen C5s, and the like, only these are much better to drive. 

 

Vectras werent great, but at least they were for the most part reliable and could handle big mileages if you chose the right engines like the 1.8 petrols and the 2.0 DTIs. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 5 years later...
35 minutes ago, warren t claim said:

Enjoying the read @LightBulbFun?

indeed! especially your bit at the start

On 07/01/2014 at 22:32, warren t claim said:

The last time I drove a licensed vehicle was in 2006 so I thought I'd entertain you with a thread about the taxi shite I drove from 2000 to 2006.

 

The taxi trade and its associated vehicles fascinated me as a small child, a ride in a hack was always seen as a treat and the pleasure of sitting on an FX4 jump seat and watching the driver take us to our destination was always a joy to my nine year old self, watching him either stir the wand like gear lever and seeing the notices on the dash and their dire warnings about the dangers of not pulling off in first or on a double bonus trip the cab would be a column shift auto and have the Dyna tape notice on the instruments about never exceeding 40mph. The private hire trade were a totally different fascination though, they drove Mk3 Cortinas like there was no tomorrow and never ever washed

which very much reminds me of my own childhood :) 

 

 

although I am bit confused/feeling a bit out of context

 I always thought you had been a taxi/hackney carriage driver since the 1990's at least if not earlier

I know you mentioned in the past driving FX4's and Metro cabs, as well as having an either new, or almost brand new TX1 at one point (and its very brief stint as a vigilante police pursuit vehicle) 

but I dont see any mention of those in this thread? so I have to ask whats the story of those? :) 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, LightBulbFun said:

indeed! especially your bit at the start

which very much reminds me of my own childhood :) 

 

 

although I am bit confused/feeling a bit out of context

 I always thought you had been a taxi/hackney carriage driver since the 1990's at least if not earlier

I know you mentioned in the past driving FX4's and Metro cabs, as well as having an either new, or almost brand new TX1 at one point (and its very brief stint as a vigilante police pursuit vehicle) 

but I dont see any mention of those in this thread? so I have to ask whats the story of those? :) 

Nope. Started 24 years ago.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've enjoyed reading it, thanks for linking it in the other thread. I really first became aware of the Private Hire trade when working in the parts department of a Jag Rover Triumph dealer, early 1980s. Opposite our garage was a PH firm, most of the drivers had Ovlov 144's. Victor was different though, he had a Triumph 2000 and was a regular customer of mine. A couple of years later a good friend of mine started doing PH, first in a Renner 12 and ending up with a Ford Consul, which was a very nice drive.

I started PH driving in 1987, after taking a practical test where I had to demonstrate that a) I could drive responsibly and b) that I had a good knowledge of the town - these days it's just a theory test and most newer drivers seem to rely on satnav. The firm I was paying subs to had a good rep, an office in town and a 'rank' at an out of town shopping centre, but they (not the council) insisted on white cars, which restricted my options. I got a Mk2 Cavalier 1.3 hatch which served well for a time. Belmonts were very popular on the circuit then, especially the 1.7 dizzle. The above-mentioned friend then started a new firm, and asked me to join at a very preferential introductory rate. The Cav soon lunched it's gearbox soon after that, and I splashed out on a brand-new 2.0d Bluebird. When his business folded, owing me account money, I did about 6 months Hackney licensed, sharing a Mk3 Cavalier which I hated for some reason. I packed it in late 1990 when my Dad died, to take over his launderette business.

Eastbourne has had a limit of 7 years at first plating with a 9 year maximum age since I started, though there is a provision for exceptionally maintained vehicles. Skodas have been very popular, as are Priuses and Avensis estates, but there's a fair assortment of others including Mercs, TX and LEVC.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...