Oldest Working Taxi

[martc]

This Opel Ascona taxi is working in Napoli. The photo is not dated, but the beaten up Partner type MPV to the right suggests it could be around 2000 or later, making this an old taxi still in service.

[warren t claim]

2 hours ago, martc said:

This Opel Ascona taxi is working in Napoli. The photo is not dated, but the beaten up Partner type MPV to the right suggests it could be around 2000 or later, making this an old taxi still in service.

In my area we never had an Ascona plated but we did have plenty of Mk1 Cavaliers. They all seemed to be 1600L models with the aftermarket manual choke conversion. I'm pretty sure they didn't come with a trip meter so remembering what tenths the odo was on would be essential.

[High Jetter]

36 minutes ago, warren t claim said:

In my area we never had an Ascona plated but we did have plenty of Mk1 Cavaliers. They all seemed to be 1600L models with the aftermarket manual choke conversion. I'm pretty sure they didn't come with a trip meter so remembering what tenths the odo was on would be essential.

My first ph car was a white 1.3 Mk 1 cav. Lasted well, until the gearbox disintegrated.

[warren t claim]

Just now, High Jetter said:

My first ph car was a white 1.3 Mk 1 cav. Lasted well, until the gearbox disintegrated.

Hang on a minute I'm not letting you fuck off without elaborating further!

You honestly worked a 1256 Viva engined Mk1 Cav as a PH car???? 

Why? Did you own or rent it?

[High Jetter]

Bought it, was the wife's company car of a fixings co, TR fastenings. Well maintained & looked after. £1,300, IICR, 1987.

[warren t claim]

1 minute ago, High Jetter said:

Bought it, was the wife's company car of a fixings co, TR fastenings. Well maintained & looked after. £1,300, IICR, 1987.

The only sub 1600cc mid sized saloons ever considered up to the job were the 1.3 Mk2 Cav and the 1.4 Mk3 Cav. You'd have to have rocks in your head/pipe to taxi a 1.3 Cortina, Sierra, Marina/Ital, Alpine/Solara.

[High Jetter]

Mate ph'd a R12. I shared a hack plate on a mk2 cav dizzzle for a while, hated it. 2.0 E reg Bluebird (K72?) was solid class for the job. Earlier locals loved ovlovs, tho.

[warren t claim]

1 minute ago, High Jetter said:

Mate ph'd a R12. I shared a hack plate on a mk2 cav dizzzle for a while, hated it. 2.0 E reg Bluebird (K72?) was solid class for the job. Earlier locals loved ovlovs, tho.

Was the Bluebird pez or a dizzler?

[warren t claim]

I'm trying to remember the various shite that used to ply for hire in my area.

Fiat. 131. Strada. Croma CHT.

Renault. 18. 20. Both petrol and diesel.

BL/ARG. 1.7/1.8 Marina/Ital. 1.3 Maestro. Rover 820. Several 1.6/2.0/2.0 diesel Montegos.

Back then and until about 2003 there were several drivers who fitted into the unique category of "just been made redundant and got to keep my company car as part of my payoff". As well as the usual rep spec Sierras and Cavs there were a few oddballs.

2.9 Sierra XR 4X4. Orion Ghia Injections. Mk2 Cav SRi 130s. MG Montego Turbo. Mk3 Granada 2.0i Ghias. Volvo 460. Saab 9000.

[Popsicle]

23 minutes ago, warren t claim said:

I'm trying to remember the various shite that used to ply for hire in my area.

Fiat. 131.

Father Popsicle PH'd a yellow automatic S reg Fiat 131 Mirafiori Estate in the 80's, it always seemed a bit needy but seemed to go pretty well.

[High Jetter]

6 hours ago, warren t claim said:

Was the Bluebird pez or a dizzler?

2.0D Executive, don't cha know. Manual 5 dr in red. Sold it when my Dad died in 1990 as I was needed to take over the family business - it went on to work the mean streets of Seaford for a few years.

[cms206]

September 21st in Clydebank...

[SunnySouth]

On 26/09/2024 at 22:03, cms206 said:

September 21st in Clydebank...

Has he made that number plate in his shed?!

[timolloyd]

Looks like a piece of pys

[warren t claim]

Those truly hateful pieces of shit did acquire a bit of a following in Scotland due to not rotting like every Fairway/TX.

[Lord Sterling]

There are places in world where old vehicles ply thier trade long after they would have expired in the UK/Western Europe.

My father is Syrian and I remember when we last visited around 20 years ago, most taxis were either Mk1 Golfs,  early 80s Mitsubishi Lancers/Colts, Ladas etc.... mostly early 80s stuff.

There was the occasional old 1960s Mercedes 190Bs & Cs, there was also the triangular cross border taxis that went from Damascus to Beirut to Amman, these were done either by late 70s Dodge saloon cars (for their power and comfort of cruising) or stretch W123 Mercs.

Cross border taxis:

Not a lot had changed. Most of the taxis I've seen are most probably still plying thier trade (despite how it is there).

The (presumably government-run) taxi company have been trying to foist a vehicle called a Saba Saipa upon taxi drivers. They are an impossibly small saloon car, but then, these cars are really going to be doing small journeys from local streets to the market. 

There are still bigger cars going around such Hyundai Lantras etc...

[cms206]

Six years old maybe isn't much but this is still minicabbing as of yesterday at least.

 

[cms206]

Still at work last night in Glasgow city centre