1997 Fairway Taxi

[aldo135]

Love it looking forward to pictures!

[HMC]

Sounds interesting! I had a fairway last year, just retired from london service, was a lovely old thing, despite having gone round the clock it still drove really well, for what it was, great for moving a friend to a new flat too!

[purplebargeken]

Sorry VA, it's black as a black cab, in a blackout, with a black cloth over it. Not too shonky but it does have ridiculously huuuge bumpers. They are quite possibly BMW X5-proof. Perfect for parking by feel. 

 

I've driven £76 Triumphs that have been pretty good. I'm good with a £200 Taxi, even if it lasts less time than a politicians promise, I'm happy 'cos it is another automotive itch well and truly scratched. I couldn't give a rats left nut if it has a bit of rust here and there (I've have had Triumph Dolomite's that have shown daylight through them without being too bothered.  It doesn't smell of fish, kebab or old people and digestive biscuits, so it's a total winnah. The engine is good, the gearbox is good and the brakes work. that'll do for me. 

 

Now, can we move on from how buggered, shit, about to bring the end of the world, let's kill some kittens bad it might be and celebrate a teensy little bits perhaps in the sheer AS'ness of it all? 

 

Oh fuck! It needs a new indicator bulb. That's it. It's getting weighed in. Anyone need some black cab parts?

 

 

 

Literally the last car I'd buy for that sort of money would be a Fairway London Cab. It'll be shot.

Good job you didn't then eh?

[trigger]

Regardless of all that I can't imagine you losing any money at that price, It's worth 200 rubs if only to reenact this photo.

 

Fairway 2.7 Silver Black Cab Road Test 1989 3 by Trigger's Retro Road Tests!, on Flickr 

[purplebargeken]

Thanks for the article Trigger, a good read.

 

Much appreciated 

[Ghosty]

What's that on the roof, a Webasto?! Looks weirdly like a sunroof.

 

(insert token comment about Bez from the Happy Mondays here)

[Partridge]

If I were you, I’d make sure the first thing I did was clean it with an inch of it’s life if I got it! It’s an old joke, but there’s quite a high chance that at some point the back has been decorated with carrot chunks.

[warren t claim]

If it's a 1997 and had the celerbration plaque on the door it may have rarity value.

[purplebargeken]

Is actually a P plater but still 1997. I couldn't see any plaques sadly. 

 

No odour d'chunk immediately obvious but I will clean irrespective

[cms206]

Both of my best purchases have been under £200 - Garbaldy's Cavalier Classic (now an SRi replica in Perthshire IIRC) and the evergreen Council Estate 740 which just keeps going despite countless attempts to kill it by half the folk on here. Personally I don't like FX4s but I'd be all over a £200 Metrocab if one came up.

 

Good luck, we're all counting on you!

[Partridge]

Is actually a P plater but still 1997. I couldn't see any plaques sadly. 

 

No odour d'chunk immediately obvious but I will clean irrespective

Here’s a top tip: I’m not sure if you can take the seats out in one of them in the same way you can a normal car, but if you can, do that and clean them-and the inside of the car separately. It’s what the professional valeters do, I’ve done it myself and was amazed at how fresh it made the car.

[Sean]

You need to get yourself down the market and buy a big thick overcoat and flat cap and drive everywhere with your window open - even in a thunderstorm.

 

These are a piece of piss to work on, the floor is just panels that lift up.

 

Absolute bargain IMHO. Infact if you decide it's not for you I will double your money.

[Vince70]

Serious bargain I would say its a win win situation at that price even if you scrapped it the following day, you could even have a change of career,

My cousin is a black cab driver and he rents his I'm sure he pays more than that for a few days rent on the cab he uses.

[vulgalour]

picturespicturespictures *stamps his feet impatiently*

[wuvvum]

That is a serious bargain, even with the short T&T.  I've had a few Metrocabs, but would like to try an FX4 at some point.  I suppose now is the time to pick up a cheap one, what with them all having been kicked out of active service in London...

[Rocket88]

I had one for a while, they do like to rot, but it's all box girder stuff, and not difficult to sort out. I seem to remember that if the alternator packs up, it has serious consequences if you carry on driving it.........[Can't remember exactly what though]

EDIT; Apparently brake servo / oil pump is driven from the alternator [this may be bollocks though!]

[purplebargeken]

Am stunned with the overwhelming love for the taxi. I sorted the insurance out today with Peter Best. Less that £145 for fully comp as they put it on the classic insurance side. Adrian F wanted around £550 as it was a 'specialist vehicle'. 

 

Piccies to follow, honest.

[Sean]

Pictures please!!!!!

[purplebargeken]

Right then, the new camera has arrived, as soon as I figure it out I will risk the torrential downpours and take some bloody pictures, anything to stop you lot bleeding well hounding me to death       

 

Nag, nag, nag, nag         

[Sean]

Right then, the new camera has arrived, as soon as I figure it out I will risk the torrential downpours and take some bloody pictures, anything to stop you lot bleeding well hounding me to death

 

Nag, nag, nag, nag

So . . . .

 

Any pictures yet?

[Partridge]

Pictures! Pictures! Pictures! Pictures! Pictures! Pictures! Pictures! Pictures! Pictures!

[Sean]

Interesting bit of trivia whilst you upload pictures.

 

FX4 shares the same rear lights as Austin 1100

[purplebargeken]

Ha. Chappie has put Taxi away until Saturday. Pictures on Saturday I guess. Sorry everyone.

[Sigmund Fraud]

Interesting bit of trivia whilst you upload pictures.

 

FX4 shares the same rear lights as Austin 1100

 

Aren't they more or less a parts bin special, with the exception of the front suspension ?

[Sean]

The rear lights were put on as the previous design had indicators on the roof referred to as 'cat ears' (I think) that weren't liked at all an I would imagine its easier to design a new rear wing around an existing rear light than design new light and new wing.

 

Various bits of dashboard are interchangeable with other Austins of the time. Early FX4's had metal toggle switches for all the instruments - which is cool!! But when these got broken or stopped working (on an Austin? - never!) they were usually replaced with the plastic rocker switches - which isn't so cool.

 

 

[vulgalour]

I am very disappointed in the lack of taxi pictures and I'm going to write to my MP, the local paper and the Daily Mail... just as soon as I can figure out Royal Mail's posting rules on letters.

[barefoot]

I am very disappointed in the lack of taxi pictures and I'm going to write to my MP, the local paper and the Daily Mail... 

 

Sod that, I'm off to find a better forum.

[Sean]

My local MP said he doesn't give a fuck.

 

Clearly not an autoshiter.

[purplebargeken]

Clearly not. I don't think Boris is a fan either.

 

I could draw you a taxi picture if that would help?

[Sean]

I think you should go down to mateys house, drag that shit out of the garage, take some pictures and then post the bastards on here.

 

You've only got like a thousand people waiting. . .