Oldest Working Taxi

[cms206]

If you're going to lie, you need to make sure you do it right.

Was the downfall of one local bus operator in these parts who got his MOT buses mixed up and sent a 21 seat Fiat Daily for test with the plates off a 25 seater...

[twosmoke300]

On 04/12/2023 at 15:11, LightBulbFun said:

Oh I have no doubt shenanigans like that happened, I have heard it happening on the Bus shite thread, the one good bus kept to one side to get all the others "through" their tests,

and even with Model 70's, I know of a good few that had mixed up identities, usually when a user wrote a machine off or it was Beyond economic repair, rather then properly replace it with another one and register the replacement machine to the user in question, some of the less by the book repair shops would just, slap the written off machines number plates on a decommissioned car around back and send it back out with the written off machines plates on it! never mind the logbook and chassis plate no longer matched up or anything like that LOL

and going back to passing tests, in Northern Ireland funnily enough, exactly what you describe, was done to a was barn find Model 70, which had its identity stuck on clean and roadworthy Model 70 as to get it through an inspection , so whoever back in 2008 could rob the barn find car of its number plate, (and then it was used as a number plate mule for sometime), eventually I was able to track down both the original barn find and the roadworthy car, and sort the whole mess out (and thats when I found about the whole mess and finally figured out why I had 2 stories/histories for the same car, because the "same" car "existed" in 2 locations for about 15 years LOL)

so I have no doubt similar shenanigans would of happened to black cabs, these sorts of shenanigans just seem to happen to all fleet vehicles in one form or another

 

and its well known that one of the biggest fleet operators of all, London Transport made it its modus operandi when it came to RT's and RM's  

 

Good to see the pastime of shoehorning invacars into every thread is still alive and well 😂

[SunnySouth]

On 05/12/2023 at 01:41, warren t claim said:

If I'm being totally honest, I had one good Pepper Red Mk 2 Mondeo 2.0LX  that went for plenty of taxi inspections...

Don’t they check the VIN? Would’ve assumed that’d be standard, to weed out the sort of iffy shyster who sends the same motor back in all the time….😂

[horriblemercedes]

4 hours ago, SunnySouth said:

Don’t they check the VIN? Would’ve assumed that’d be standard, to weed out the sort of iffy shyster who sends the same motor back in all the time….😂

Might be easy to pass that test if you're matey enough with the tester

[SunnySouth]

2 hours ago, horriblemercedes said:

Might be easy to pass that test if you're matey enough with the tester

Yes, obviously - I didn’t think of that! Doh! Although I guess these are council employees rather than Dodgy Dave’s MOT Shack?

[MorrisItalSLX]

This one popped up on Facebook in Cardiff.

Must be utter misery driving a 2009 Hyundai Marix for more than 5 minutes at a time.

[warren t claim]

On 11/01/2024 at 09:46, SunnySouth said:

Don’t they check the VIN? Would’ve assumed that’d be standard, to weed out the sort of iffy shyster who sends the same motor back in all the time….😂

 

On 11/01/2024 at 16:05, SunnySouth said:

Yes, obviously - I didn’t think of that! Doh! Although I guess these are council employees rather than Dodgy Dave’s MOT Shack?

Nope. Just one of a few nominated local MOT testing stations.

[Datsuncog]

Clocked that tidemarked S-reg TX1 in Central Belfast again on Thursday lunchtime.

Parked in a coach bay, rather than a hackney rank, and I'm pretty sure it's badged as a private hire cab these days (it's wearing a white badge, which I believe is for minicabs - public hires display green badges).

It's quite rough, body-wise, but I've seen much worse idling at the rank.

There was definitely an R-reg cab still knocking about a while back; I haven't given up hope of finding that...

[LightBulbFun]

28 minutes ago, Datsuncog said:

Clocked that tidemarked S-reg TX1 in Central Belfast again on Thursday lunchtime.

Parked in a coach bay, rather than a hackney rank, and I'm pretty sure it's badged as a private hire cab these days (it's wearing a white badge, which I believe is for minicabs - public hires display green badges).

It's quite rough, body-wise, but I've seen much worse idling at the rank.

There was definitely an R-reg cab still knocking about a while back; I haven't given up hope of finding that...

I wonder what the story is behind that TX1 I mean, for a couple grand one could pickup a much newer TX4 for example, I mean not that I am complaining but I do find it interesting

perhaps the driver just prefers the simplicity? of the TX1 and its robust Nissan engine

 

are there any FX4's still about over there?

 

 

but funny you should post about it again I was just thinking about it with the MG6 how many left post, I thought I would check the status on TX's 

and only 2 1997's are showing as licensed and 25 1998's so an R prefix one will be quite the find! 

 

[Datsuncog]

25 minutes ago, LightBulbFun said:

are there any FX4's still about over there?

There was one Fairway in dark green on an M-reg regularly parked on the Donegall Square East rank, but I haven't seen it since the Pandemic.

Seems a lot of cab drivers decided to retire around that time; there's nowhere near the same amount of hackneys visible as there used to be.

For the TX1, it's probably a simple enough old beast and there's maybe not much of an incentive for the driver to upgrade while it's still functional - no vehicle age barriers here.

There's plenty of TX1s still operating from the ranks in Belfast - they're generally on X or Y plates, so I don't tend to bother photograph them unless they're spectacularly hanging...

[brownnova]

Saw this on Facebook earlier and thought of this thread… 

[cms206]

No picture sadly as Stagecoach frown upon phones in the cab, but there's a boy in Barkingside minicabbing a diesel 53-plate Rover 75 saloon, GP53 SBU.

[LightBulbFun]

https://www.facebook.com/groups/carsyoudontseeanymore/posts/3869950543326482/

@warren t claim ya gotta know the driver surely?  (G965EHC if the reg is hard to make out in the photo)

I always wonder what the story is with vehicles like this, because its fairly likely the owner-driver would of bought the cab when it was new or fairly current, so what made them decide suddenly not to upgrade, but to stick with a particular cab? or is this the cabbies first and only cab? he started his first day in it and just never felt the need to upgrade?

 

what I find most impressive is that not only is there a an FX4 still plying for trade, but that its *just* a Fairway, its not a Fairway driver, (note the silver disc wheels) so its still got Drums all round and front suspension dating back to the original 1958 design I think

 

 

[High Jetter]

3 hours ago, LightBulbFun said:

G965EHC if the reg is hard to make out in the photo

If that's right, it was registered down here, a long way from L'pool! Am only looking on my phone atm, but it looks more like EVC to me.

Edit: Am now on my desktop, and it is EHC, confirmed on other sites. How come though - HC is Eastbourne and we've had very few LTI's round this way.

[warren t claim]

On 01/03/2024 at 15:36, LightBulbFun said:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/carsyoudontseeanymore/posts/3869950543326482/

@warren t claim ya gotta know the driver surely?  (G965EHC if the reg is hard to make out in the photo)

I always wonder what the story is with vehicles like this, because its fairly likely the owner-driver would of bought the cab when it was new or fairly current, so what made them decide suddenly not to upgrade, but to stick with a particular cab? or is this the cabbies first and only cab? he started his first day in it and just never felt the need to upgrade?

 

what I find most impressive is that not only is there a an FX4 still plying for trade, but that its *just* a Fairway, its not a Fairway driver, (note the silver disc wheels) so its still got Drums all round and front suspension dating back to the original 1958 design I think

 

 

Yes it has drums front and rear. It also has a Taxifix grille fitted meaning that it has spent most of its life on Merseyside.

[D.E]

I thought they were all gone by now, but no...

[SunnySouth]

On 01/03/2024 at 15:36, LightBulbFun said:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/carsyoudontseeanymore/posts/3869950543326482/

@warren t claim ya gotta know the driver surely?  (G965EHC if the reg is hard to make out in the photo)

I always wonder what the story is with vehicles like this, because its fairly likely the owner-driver would of bought the cab when it was new or fairly current, so what made them decide suddenly not to upgrade, but to stick with a particular cab? or is this the cabbies first and only cab? he started his first day in it and just never felt the need to upgrade?

 

what I find most impressive is that not only is there a an FX4 still plying for trade, but that its *just* a Fairway, its not a Fairway driver, (note the silver disc wheels) so its still got Drums all round and front suspension dating back to the original 1958 design I think

 

 

That is fucking superb!!

[Missy Charm]

6 hours ago, SunnySouth said:

That is fucking superb!!

It's not a Skoda... 

[warren t claim]

26 minutes ago, Missy Charm said:

It's not a Skoda... 

And I can assure you that it's not very Rapid either.

[timolloyd]

That G reg cab is a great find. Imagine in 89/90, when this was new, still being able to catch a cab from the mid 50s?

[warren t claim]

Back in 2016 I was offered the last plated Fairway in my area for £2500. M reg IIRC.

[The Vicar]

I was in a Mk1 Laguna taxi in Cagliari a few months ago. 1.6 pez with 800k km on the clock

[Lord Sterling]

On 06/04/2023 at 22:22, Pat Earrings said:

Thread revival…

this shocked me and my mate last night around Rowley. Fully plated up Carina E still going as a mini cab..

Hard to tell from that angle but up around the Sandwell area there was a white Carina E plated up still plying trade that me and my mates used to call the 'Desi Taxi'. However, I'm pretty sure that was a hatchback rather than a saloon.

[greengartside]

On 13/01/2024 at 09:12, Datsuncog said:

Clocked that tidemarked S-reg TX1 in Central Belfast again on Thursday lunchtime.

Parked in a coach bay, rather than a hackney rank, and I'm pretty sure it's badged as a private hire cab these days (it's wearing a white badge, which I believe is for minicabs - public hires display green badges).

It's quite rough, body-wise, but I've seen much worse idling at the rank.

There was definitely an R-reg cab still knocking about a while back; I haven't given up hope of finding that...

Back when it was still working the rounds in Lahhndahn…

[Adrian_pt]

Recently been in but no photos sadly: an absolutely vile and totally shagged diesel 605 in Malta (which overcharged but I was so excited I didn't really care) and a pretty decent W124 estate in Tenerife, one of a few still doing the rounds. Long may they live. 

[Datsuncog]

16 hours ago, greengartside said:

Back when it was still working the rounds in Lahhndahn…

I'm pleased to report that S770 KGO is still going, since my last spot back in January - it nearly ran me over at a junction behind the City Hall last Tuesday.

What a way to go...

The blue rattlecan paint now extends well above the wheelarches fore and aft, suggesting the corrosion is now getting to rampant levels and that multiple layers of Plastic Padding may soon prove insufficient.

In time-honoured Belfast Cab tradition, that just means that it can at last elevate to its final form - a full body advertising wrap, with the added benefit of providing some much-needed structural integrity.

[LightBulbFun]

50 minutes ago, Datsuncog said:

I'm pleased to report that S770 KGO is still going, since my last spot back in January - it nearly ran me over at a junction behind the City Hall last Tuesday.

What a way to go...

The blue rattlecan paint now extends well above the wheelarches fore and aft, suggesting the corrosion is now getting to rampant levels and that multiple layers of Plastic Padding may soon prove insufficient.

In time-honoured Belfast Cab tradition, that just means that it can at last elevate to its final form - a full body advertising wrap, with the added benefit of providing some much-needed structural integrity.

so what your saying is I should buy it and bring it back to London for one last hurrah before my ULEZ exemption runs out in 2027?

[bezzabsa]

22 hours ago, Lord Sterling said:

Hard to tell from that angle but up around the Sandwell area there was a white Carina E plated up still plying trade that me and my mates used to call the 'Desi Taxi'. However, I'm pretty sure that was a hatchback rather than a saloon.

spotted that a few times down Merry Hell, did make me look twice..

[LightBulbFun]

is that a Taxi sign on the roof of the Volvo?!

https://youtu.be/_VwlbQWGZp4?t=79

[Imhotep]

On 15/07/2024 at 19:45, Lord Sterling said:

Hard to tell from that angle but up around the Sandwell area there was a white Carina E plated up still plying trade that me and my mates used to call the 'Desi Taxi'. However, I'm pretty sure that was a hatchback rather than a saloon.

Was about to type up about that M reg Carina and tag you to see if you’d seen it. Used to see it every day on the way into Cradley Heath for work when I worked over that way. Haven’t seen it for ages though, glad it’s still going!