FX4 or Fairway Taxi as Transport!

[Guest Breadvan72]

I take a London cab at least once and often several times most working days, and talk to lots of cabbies.  Every Metrocab driver I have asked about them says that they are much better than the other taxiheaps they have had.  TX drivers all moan about how shit they are.  

[willswitchengage]

A friend of mine had loads during his twenties, all Nissan other than one with a Rover petrol (!!). Said they were pretty reliable and a practical "novelty car", but ultimately he gave up in the battle against rust and bought a Fiat Multipla.

[vulgalour]

I used to want to own an FX4 but the more I've learned about them the more I've come to the conclusion that what I actually want is a drive of one.  Since the big appeal is the Austin looks, I reckon I'd be better off putting a diesel engine in a Somerset for a similar* experience.

[scruff]

[wuvvum]

I've had three Metrocabs, but never an FX4.  I do quite fancy one and have even bid on a few on the Bay over the years, but not managed to own one yet. 

 

Metrocab isn't as interesting, but probably better to drive (certainly more spacious in the front), less grot issues and easier to get bits for.  Cheaper too.

[beko1987]

I used to want to own an FX4 but the more I've learned about them the more I've come to the conclusion that what I actually want is a drive of one.  Since the big appeal is the Austin looks, I reckon I'd be better off putting a diesel engine in a Somerset for a similar* experience.

I feel the same! I want one because I like the idea of one. I imagine they start to become a pain to live with, especially with the hills round my way, and I'd end up hating it.

 

Drive one for a day and hand they keys back? Then I'd get thinking!

[Squire_Dawson]

So, what might the autoshiter surmise after reading this thread?

 

Answer: get an Austin 12/4.

[Lacquer Peel]

Do late Metrocabs have the Toyota D4D common rail lump or the old IDI TD?

[320touring]

Hunners o stuff!

 

This fella has a love affair for these things. Having driven his I can understand why- they're a hoot to drive and picking the burd up from the station in it is worth its weight in gold:)

 

based on what he wrote I'd say he's covered most everything I've seen him swearing at- they really are simple, especially with the separate chassis.

 

 

I caught myself looking at metrocabs on ebay just to set up a rival firm;-P

[DaveAspley]

Ha!, I sat in the very last Fairway ever built today , R1 PFX, (gettit?) It's utterly mint with 12 miles on the clock.

 

+1 on the manual box, part of my job is to test and evaluate the freshly built TX4 and I love a manual one. That big magic wand gear lever loves a bit of double declutch. Buy one. Now.

[Guest Robin814]

Ha!, I sat in the very last Fairway ever built today , R1 PFX, (gettit?) It's utterly mint with 12 miles on the clock.

+1 on the manual box, part of my job is to test and evaluate the freshly built TX4 and I love a manual one. That big magic wand gear lever loves a bit of double declutch. Buy one. Now.

Wow! Would love to see R1 PFX. Its just that other fairway that ended up on eBay a couple of years ago with a tx1 in the same listing, mint with only 12 miles on both. They both still had the original plastic on the seats! I think they went for £60,000! I understand R1 PFX had a small handle malfunction when it turned up at the cabalcade last year. Oop!

 

I do like the TX4s new interior and the very cool wooden gear stick better than the huge transit tx2 one!

 

This fella has a love affair for these things. Having driven his I can understand why- they're a hoot to drive and picking the burd up from the station in it is worth its weight in gold:)

 

based on what he wrote I'd say he's covered most everything I've seen him swearing at- they really are simple, especially with the separate chassis.

 

 

I caught myself looking at metrocabs on ebay just to set up a rival firm;-P

 

Buy a metro mate. You know you want to!! Join the anorak side!

 

By the way plenty more swearing to come!

[garethj]

This one is giving me the wink, it's got a manual gearbox and no sunroof which seems a good bet.  How rusty do you think it is?  And how odd that the rear seat belts have been taken out?  Probably because there's rust within 30cm of it, and it's the king-bodge way of getting around that?

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/271594999308?_trksid=p2060778.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

[andy18s]

Does anyone have a spare bellhousing from a 2.7 Nissan Manual lying about?