Claim's Cabbies Corner. UPDATE! Warren gets an official complaint and bollocking!

[Negative Creep]

Since I work near the station I see plenty of cabs - there is one old Mer SEL but otherwise a fairly standard mix of Mondeos, Vectras and 407s. Only Hackney Carriages are allowed to wait in the rank (and annoyingly all up the road on the double yellows, making one of the side entrances completely blind) and they don't take kindly to private hire ones trying to ply their trade there. Apparently one of the bylaws means they can only stop in the designated waiting area to pick up a pre paid fare. Supply does seem to rather outstrip demand since they sit around for hours before reaching the front of the queue. Can't imagine there's much money in it beyond the late night pisshead runs

[Ghosty]

I happen to know a couple of councils' taxi liveries if anyone's interested:

• Leeds: white, with black bonnet and bootlid.
• York: black with city crest on front doors.
• Brighton/Hove: white with turquoise bonnet and boot.
• Manchester only seems to allow LTIs for hackney cabs, and private hire cars are plastered with yellow council-issue stickers and look awful.

Also, were East Berlin/East German taxis sky blue?

[vulgalour]

You can add Chesterfield to that list who had black with white bonnet and bootlid in direct opposite to Leeds.  I believe this livery is still used too.  All private hire cars in Sheffield seem to be silver, but I never figured out if that's just coincidence or some sort of livery thing.

[bub2006]

All amber valley were red with white boot and bonnet but seems to be more of one colour now. Ash field district were blue with white bonnet and boot but yet again that seems to have stopped now

[warren t claim]

Right, I've not updated this for ages so here goes. Last week I had to attend my NVQ training course that the local council have insisted I pass before I'm allowed my badge back, they've also insisted on a new CRB check which the lazy twats didn't bother to send until yesterday. The current waiting time is anything between 2 and 12 weeks...

 

To add insult to injury, "my" 08 plate silver Focus estate has been pressed into service due to the clutch in his well ragged 07 plate example fucking up, this probably means it'll get bodged and I'll end up with it. Now,according to the drivers I've spoken to 46 mpg seems to be normal taxi economy for the Focus dizzlers which doesn't seem that fantastic to be honest, barely better than the petrol equivalents. 

 

Now I'm thinking of splashing out a car myself so I'm open to suggestions as what to get for about £1500. Are Vectra C's really a bag of shit as they're really cheap or should I be brave a go for a Laguna/Mondeo or chance my arm with an Octavia? Shiters suggestions of alternatives within budget and less than 7 years old welcome!

[phil_lihp]

Good thread this.  What about a Mazda 6? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2005-MAZDA-6-TS2-DIESEL-BLUE-IN-EXCELLENT-CONDITION-/271369208852?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item3f2edd8414

 

Kia Sedonas and 806/Ulysses'/Synergies are cheap too, no idea how good they are as taxis though.  Or you could go really left-field and find a Fiat Croma or a 2007ish 9-3 or 9-5 diesel.  One of the cabbies in my area has a late nineties 9-3 which seems to be surviving daily service quite well.

[Hendry]

My old man ran a 54 plate Vectra C 2.0 DTI from 7 months old/12K miles to 7.5 years old/232,000 miles and it was alright to be honest. No idea what mpg he was really getting but the onboard trip computer in the dash was saying the average over the 220K he had it was 42.9mpg. While not brilliant my 1.8 petrol Astra used to do sub 30mpg around town so I'd imagine a petrol Vectra would be even worse. Was relatively reliable, only broke down and left him stranded once in all that time and that's when the clutch finally went at 145K miles (good innings I'd say) the steering racks were an issue, the original lasted 2 years from date of first reg by which times the car was on 75K, that got replaced by the dealer with Vauxhall paying 80% of the cost but we reckon they fitted a recon rack as it lasted less than a month, Vauxhall replaced that and it lasted 10months before it went again, they replaced it FOC under the 12months parts warranty and that one lasted at least 4.5years/120K and was still ok when the car got punted so could've just been a dodgy batch.

 

Other than that it was typical taxi wear and tear issues like tyres, discs and pads, ball joints, bushes, drop links and track rod ends, its only real weaknesses were front suspension springs and suspension arms on the back, it would sometimes randomly throw on warning lights which didnt affect running so my dad wouldnt bother and theyd disappear a couple of days later and not resurface for months, it finally had to go in August 12 as the camshaft was goosed and the body pretty battle scarred and wouldn't have passed another test without more being spent on it than it was worth.

 

My cousin had an 05 plate 1.9 cdti from new until last year and his was pretty problem free too despite the bad rep the 1.9 gets for swirl flaps, DMFs, EGR valves, etc but I'd deffo go for the 2.0 DTI to avoid completely any of these issues

[Ghosty]

A quick search of Auto Trader shows a lot of low mileage petrol Chevrolet/Daewoo Tacumas, but i wouldn't say they're wallet friendly for minicabbing - fuel costs etc.

 

There are a couple of Mondeo estate diesels showing up on 07 plates, with about 170k on them, for £1500.

 

Astra estate perhaps?

[nacho man]

My ex's dad was a cabbie, he only worked daytimes taking old grannies shopping etc etc.

 

He had a xantia 1.8 pez, he didnt rack up mega miles and he had it a few good years but in the end the headgasket went and he carried on driving as he was on a job till it was propely goosed.

 

Got a vectra dizzler 07 plate as a replacement, a service was me changing the oil for him, not the filter it didnt need it according to this plonker, I tried my hardest to convince him to spend a little more to look after it but he just wouldnt.

 

Glad I dont have to deal with him no more, he used to brag about women offering to pay for fares in "other ways"

 

Used to make me laugh as he was a old fat git with heart probs, and some old bint offering to sort him out would deffo ended with him in A and E with health complications.

[dugong]

Octavias. 

Although Felly Magic doesn't like them. 

[dollywobbler]

I've driven a 200,000 miles Octavia diesel. Drove well, though the driver's seat was hideously uncomfortable. That was an ex-taxi as it happens.

[Felly Magic]

New Octys are pish, mk1's are in plentiful supply, but most of em have already been minicabbed to within an inch of their lives. You must be lucky, as most areas are introducing age limits for cabs, but laughably round here there is a Volvo 940 still plying it's trade as a Hackney, and there are at least 2 High and Dry Matrixes as hackneys! It's getting cut-throat around here on the minicabs too, with all of em cutting fares in a tit for tat war, so drivers can't be making that much 'scratch' at the end of a shift, and it's the same at the station, cabs sat around all day doing bog all, then just a brief flurry at peak

[purplebargeken]

 

 

I'd have had a lot of time for a pissed up bird trying to get into my car in the mid Eighties. In fact, I always did.

Umm, not with the then girlfriend in the car.

[warren t claim]

Octavias. 

 

Although Felly Magic doesn't like them. 

 

New Octys are pish, mk1's are in plentiful supply, but most of em have already been minicabbed to within an inch of their lives. You must be lucky, as most areas are introducing age limits for cabs, but laughably round here there is a Volvo 940 still plying it's trade as a Hackney, and there are at least 2 High and Dry Matrixes as hackneys! It's getting cut-throat around here on the minicabs too, with all of em cutting fares in a tit for tat war, so drivers can't be making that much 'scratch' at the end of a shift, and it's the same at the station, cabs sat around all day doing bog all, then just a brief flurry at peak

I'm talking about the early Octavia that they kept making until the 08 plate for taxi drivers. I'm only planning to run it for 18 months or so and I understand that it'll have between 150-250,000 miles on the clock already but for anything from a grand upwards it doesn't have to last long to maintain a profit. It's just a shame that the SDI non turbo version was discontinued.

[dugong]

310k on odo!

Stain on back seat!

Strange clunking noise from back axle!

[dangerousdave]

in Sheffield private hire tends to be any colour mostly Japanese or skoda  and the ltis seem to be most colours even seen pink ones or wrapped in an indian restraunts advert the majority of drivers are Asian

going back to car ages I was told by someone who was a cabby that they've got to be newish or if its over a certain age it can be used as its a classic he said I could use my mk3 Cortina if I wanted to

[Doctormop]

Chevrolet Lacetti?

 A few 59 reg's work around here and they seem to be pretty much worthless from the resale point of view, fuel economy may not be brilliant but if your self employed I think you can claim it back from HMRC?

 Failing that a Kia Magentis  may be worth a look if  a suitably priced example can be found, they are by all accounts quite comfortable.

[AndyW201]

Loving this thread also. I did time as a cabbie in Middlesbrough between 1994 and 2007. Driving both full and part time, hackney and private hire, employed and hirer/driver.

 

Some of the stuff I remember, (I'm getting old ...)

 

I started the way most of the drivers round our way... without a badge and in an unplated car. Back then there was an extremely grey area that most companies exploited where you could do account work, staff runs, etc in an unplated car, as long as no cash changed hands. Most drivers learned their craft that way, before going 'legal'. TBH the company I was with was on it's last legs. Its 2 unplated cars were a now rare early mk2 Bluebird petrol, nice but thirsty. And my steed was E490 DCN, a horrible 1.6 diesel Orion. It had spent 5 of its 6 years as a p.h cab under 2 other companies. It had started off quite nice in Rosso Red with an RS spoiler kit. By the time I got to it, it had nearly 300k under it's belt, the engine and box were about fucked, and had a horrible flat, white paintjob (but was still red inside the doors and the boot), and the RS kit was long gone. There was a heavily damaged H reg Sapphire in the yard (had t-boned a car pulling out of a junction in front of it), and the only functioning plated cars were a G plate Montego LX, a G plate Sapphire LX and a horrible G plate Sierra LX hatch which had damage in every panel including the roof and four different styles of Ford 13" steel wheel fitted.

 

A short time later, the company, predictably, was bought out by the bigger company next door. TBH it was just for the phone number and clientele, because Peter the owner wasn't impressed by the collection of cars he inherited! He took me on, provided I got licenced, so at the tender age of 19, I was a proper cabbie. Peter had a better selection of cars, which was nice. A mk 3 Cavalier dizzler was the grottiest, Most interesting feature on that was the doors locking when the mike was keyed. GR-11 when you had a lone female passenger in! Next was a 1.7d Astra Belmont which went like the clappers and had SXi Recaros, I liked that one. There was a Pug 405 1.9 d, which felt light years ahead of the Cavaliers, Sierras, etc. Fleet highlight was the F plate Hyundai Stellar, which was in its last year of service under the six-year rule. Peter had a soft spot for that car as it was the first car he started the business up with. The other drivers wouldn't go near it, but I used it quite a few times, for a laugh, its 80's Lombard RAC rally sunstrip and front driving lights inviting lots of sideways wet roundabout action (but never with passengers in m'lud...) After a while I worked my way up to the pride of the fleet, a late Sapphire GLX turbo diesel. Peter had taken the Mercedes 190e from the old company as his own car, so the Saph got plated and put on the fleet.

Soon the grottiest of the fleet were replaced. The Montego hackney was replaced with a lovely Cavalier CDX TD, the Sierra LX hatch from the old company was given a lot of bodywork, and the better front seats and pepperpot alloys from the crashed Sapphire... and was writen off a month later. The shite Cavalier, Belmont and Stellar were out of plate and were replaced with another Pug 405 1.9d, a 405 td (nice!), and a Cavalier 1.8 petrol, which went well.

Sadly, my employment there ended prematurely while driving one of the 405s back to the yard at the end of a shift, and having one of our other 405s shooting out of a side turning in front of me. Scrreeeeeech! BANG! P45 time.

 

Wasn't out of work long though, I went round the corner to one of the rival companies. A smaller fleet, and Derek liked his Fords, with a 1.6 pinto Sapphire, a 1.8 CVH Sapphire, a 1.8 td Sapphire, and a recently bought 1.8d Escort mk5 estate. I liked the Sierras but the Escort was a hopeless heap of toss. Slow, noisy, shit spec, door bottoms were already starting to rust at 3 years old. It got a mid service refresh with a respray, Ghia interior and Orion Ghia alloys. Still shit to drive. A Sapphire Azura arrived later, from another company. A rare one with an injected 1.6 CVH. Nice car. Eventually the olest Sierras were replaced by Mondeos, we were the first company in the town to use them. I soon bagged M765 FEG, a Tourmallard green LX td and it was my pride and joy, though the all beige interior took some effort to keep nice, being a taxi and all.

All was well for a good couple of years, before the company seriously went down the pan. The owners lost interest, the cars stopped being looked after, the big customers started to desert. Despite this, I have many happy memories working for that company. The drivers were all good lads, and with the office being right in the middle of the local red light district, there was never a dull moment... Oh and I met Mrs_W201 while driving for them as well...

But I left once things went downhill. Worked for a bit at Peter's firm again (Vectra 1.7 tds all round by then), until he fell ill, and one of the local big companies bought him out. I didn't want anything to do with them, so back on the job hunt again

 

This is where I moved from private hire to Hackney driving. Got my badge changed and drove for a guy who owned a couple of hackney saloons. He had a Pug 406 td, which I really liked. One of my favourite taxis of all time. He also had a Rover 600 td, which went like hot shit, but the interior was surprisingly small for taxi use. He later bought a Peugeot Eurotaxi, a converted van with 7 seats and wheelchair access. I got my badge upgraded and drove that for a while. I could make decent coin with that car on local runs, as it just ran on a standard meter, but you'd always get seven people in asking "quid each mate?", a decent tip on a £2.80 fare. After a while, old Bob retired and the cabs were sold to a local firm.

 

Next, I worked with my brother. He was already renting a Vectra 1.7td hackney. I took over half of it with him doing days and me doing nights. Despite the Vectra being a good 4 years in service (cabs in Middlesbrough have to be retired at 6 years old and can't be initally plated if its older than 3), and quite up on the miles, it drove nicely and was totally reliable. The guy we rented it off was unusally decent, and kept his cars well maintained. Unlike many owners he would also knock off a days rent if the car was in for service or repair. Unheard of in our town! Then my brother got a job van driving, so I was on my own for a while. Then he got me a job at the same place (where I still work now), so I handed the Vectra back.

 

That wasn't the end of me and taxis though. I got a few phone calls not long after, and was offered a bit of weekend work. Thought might as well, the Mrs worked weekends and Friday was my night on the piss.

 

Started off with a guy with a brand spanking new mk1 Octavia Sdi. Glacially slow, but I soon learned how to row it along at a fair speed. It was also so reliable because there wasn't much to go wrong, and great on fuel. This particular Octy actually managed 9 years of service, the council granting an extension three times. Not often that happens!

 

Next came a mk2 Octy, an all singing and dancing one with 2.0 130 BHP Tdi, leather retrim, facory Satnav, etc. A very pleasant place to be. Not as reliable though.

 

And that was the last taxi I drove. Mainly beacause in my main job, I got given the overnight truck run to Scotland, which brought more money in, making the taxi shifts redundant. And I rather fancied having my weekends to myself for the first time in 13 years! What also made me want to pack in was a meeting one day with council and the hackney association about attacks on drivers. The council line was 'if you get robbed, let them have it, don't even think of giving chase and try to get the cash back that you've worked all night for' and 'if you get attacked, just happily sit there and let the shit be kicked out of you. On no account try to protect yourself' Yeah, right FRO, you're not getting badge fees off me any more. Cunts.

[warren t claim]

Not sure whether this should be in the grumpy thread but as it's taxi related I thought I'd slot it in here.

 

The place I'm off to work belongs to someone I've driven for years ago, he's always treated me well and when MUTHA_CLAIM was driving for him and she was taken ill and couldn't work he went out of his way to help her, in short although he's a bit of a local rogue he's also a friend of the family.

 

He wants me to rent a car from him at £80 a week plus insurance and that'll buy me a battered and never serviced Focus estate and as he's had to rent out the newly bought 08 plate example it looks like I'm going to have the white estate that looks like a former police dog patrol car that's an 07 reg and needs a new clutch. It's remarkably tatty in the usual places and doubtless will have 1001 different rattles, squeaks and quirks. It'll probably earn me a living but wont exactly be the nicest place to spend 12 hours a day. On my way home tonight I call into a local taxi rental place out of curiosity and had a chat to the boss and he showed me his fleet. For a mere extra tenner a week I could have an 09 reg Mondeo 2.0 Ghia dizzler estate with 120,000 well maintained miles on the clock that drives superbly, I can even sit my 6'2" frame comfortably behind the wheel and still have more than enough room to sit behind myself. It's the six speed model so it'll probably be much more economical on the airport runs and is an altogether better working environment and well worth £1.30 a day extra. 

 

I really want a nice car but I feel that I'm going to be a bit snidey getting a car from somewhere else. Aaggghhhh!!!

[Mr Livered]

Do you not feel that the gaffer will be understanding, given that as you say, you'll be spending all day in the car? I bet if he was in your position, he'd be trying to get the best car he could find, too

[NorfolkNWeigh]

Can't you just say you didn't realise how small the Focus was and it'd cause problems with an old war wound or something?

You can ease your conscience by telling yourself he moved the goal posts by giving away the 08 car and relegating you to the dogvan.

At the end of the day, you're out there to make a living ,however nice he is ,I bet if someone turned up tomorrow and offered an extra £10 a week ,he'd have some old bollocks story for you ,and no drive.

It's,business and you could always tell him if he gets you a Mondeo you'll go back.

 

I quite like this inspirational justification bollocks, I wish somebody would tell me what I want to here when I feel guilty about something I was going to do anyway.

 

Edit to say I know it's hear!

[Doctormop]

Can only agree with what's been said already, it must be a difficult position to find yourself in given that this bloke has been ok with you in the past but the reason he has the Focus available to rent is presumably because nobody else wants it, I'm bloody sure that for an extra tenner a week I'd rather be comfortable and safe in something that's been properly looked after, or to look at it another way, £80 a week for 12 months is over £4000, you'd end up buying that Focus twice over by this time next year and never actually own it,

[warren t claim]

He knows I've got not intention of renting out a car for very long anyway because I know from experience that it'd dead money and I have always preferred to own my own car anyway. 

[Doctormop]

Yep, reading through my above post it does seem like I'm stating the obvious, am sure you'd worked it out for yourself.

 Hope all goes well.

[warren t claim]

I'm not too much of a snob when it's my car, I'm even thinking of a Focus as a decent car to buy for myself in a couple of months, but if I'm paying good money out I want the best value I can get.

[Pillock]

Question: Will he lose out if you don't drive for him? Has he laid out at all on your agreement that you'll be paying him £80 a month? If he has, I'd go down that route for a few months just so not to annoy him and see him out of pocket. Especially since he's a family friend.

 

If he's not spent the cash yet and he's not out of pocket I'd just be up front with him - he'll understand the intergalactic difference between a knackered 07 Focus and a serviced 09 Mondeo. Ask if that's the best price he can do given the other options available. To be quite honest, the Focus sounds like a £500 snotter on a good day so it's probably paid for itself seventy times over.

[warren t claim]

Just had a gander at the 07 plate Focus of doom and run a check through the DVLA which says it's a 1753cc.

 

Do these have a DPF or DMF and what are they like to drive?,

[Jim Bergerac]

I think the 1.8s avoided DPFs. It's the 1.6 and 2.0 diesels you have to watch out for those on. It's Ford's own design (dating back donkey's of years) whereas the other diesels were bought in from PSA.

[trigger]

The 1.8 is non DPF but not sure about DMF's, I have a 2.0 TDCi and it's a nice thing to drive but I'm not sure I'd want to spend 12 hours a day in it. I'd sooner have the mondeo myself.

[Micrashed]

Could you not buy something like this instead?
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201401151044498/sort/default/usedcars/model/mondeo/radius/1500/fuel-type/diesel/price-to/2000/postcode/pr55jd/make/ford/page/1/onesearchad/used%2Cnearlynew%2Cnew?logcode=p

£400 of Dizzle estate Ghia, and get the DMF thrown away and replaced with a solid flywheel instead?