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forwardlook taxis...
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   Forward Look NON-Technical Discussions -> 1955-1961 Forward Look MoPar General DiscussionMessage format
 
suburban61
Posted 2009-05-26 5:47 AM (#175440)
Subject: forwardlook taxis...



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there seems to be a great following for emergency vehicles like cop cars and hearses... but what about taxi's?
my taxi brochure is one of my favourite '61 plymouth items and it makes me wonder what happened to the old taxi's?
was there a policy that they get scrapped or unsigned? where are they all?

does anyone here own a taxi or know anyone who owns a forwardlook taxi?

i would love to see pics and also any info that i might not be aware of about the taxi vehicles...

cheers adriana
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Nathan D. Manning
Posted 2009-05-26 6:09 AM (#175442 - in reply to #175440)
Subject: Re: forwardlook taxis...


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Adriana...
Funny you should mention this.

Just two weeks ago, my wife and I took a short road trip over into Marshall, NC (which is about 90 minutes from our home).
Once we got there, I was shocked to see a '56 Dodge MAYFAIR Taxi cab. Green & Yellow with signs, lights, meter, and radio in-tact.

The car was sitting underneath an old service station awning... and looked to be in great shape.

Unfortunately, it was a Sunday afternoon... so there was practically NOBODY around to ask about the car. Perhaps I'll make the trip again sometime soon and get some photos next time. I didn't have my camera with me that day, either.

-NM

Edited by Nathan D. Manning 2009-05-26 6:10 AM
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crvsir
Posted 2009-05-26 6:57 AM (#175444 - in reply to #175440)
Subject: RE: forwardlook taxis...


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I think the movie is called a "Mad, Mad World" really cool taxi chase with 2 forwardlook cabs...
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Doctor DeSoto
Posted 2009-05-26 10:50 AM (#175458 - in reply to #175444)
Subject: RE: forwardlook taxis...



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Location: Parts Unknown
Taxi cabs were almost always bare bones strippers that were driven around the clock, racking up a lifetime of miles and wear and tear in just a few short years. Since we already know how well these Forward Look cars help up when not shielded from the ravages of the road, you can imagine how quickly taxi service took these cars down in most venues. Remember also that fins fell DEEPLY out of favor with the public by the early 60's, and as an extension of that, taxi services most likely phased out their finned fleet as soon as they needed major maintenance.

I have found old FL taxis in wrecking yards back in the old days. I remember thinking "Hey, cool .... a taxi!", but that was about it. There was nothing special on them for parts and they were always trashed.
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firedome
Posted 2009-05-27 10:19 AM (#175624 - in reply to #175440)
Subject: Re: forwardlook taxis...



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Adriana - I remember seeing a '61 Savoy taxi in blue at Jimmy's Cab (still in business) in the Baltimore suburbs when I was growing up - Mopar cabs were pretty popular fleet picks becuase of their durable and economical Slant Six engine that was new in '60.
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58 DESOTOS RULE
Posted 2009-05-27 3:37 PM (#175657 - in reply to #175440)
Subject: RE: forwardlook taxis...



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In the summer of 1972 I took a job with United Transportation to drive a taxi in Columbus, OH. They were a major player in the Columbus area at the time and operated three fleets: Yellow, Hills, and Radio. United favored MoPar for their fleet. Just before I started working for them they had just replaced the entire fleet of Yellow and Hills cabs with 1972 Plymouth Fury I cars and offered the old cars for sale - 1968 Plymouth Fury I cars. The 1968 cars were bare bones with rubber mat floor coverings, bus seat upholstery on the cushions and a Slant 6 with a Torqueflite as motive power. The cars had each done over 100,000 miles apiece in 4 years and they were pretty tired. The bodies were usually marked by dings and dents too. The company was offering them at fire sale prices just to get rid of them. The company drivers were allowed to pick through the fleet before they were offered to the general public and they bought the few good cars and left the rest. The rest were little better than scrap metal in my opinion. Taxi service is very hard on a car. If the 1968 Plymouths were not fit for much except scrap after 4 years, it's likely that the 1958 models didn't fare any better - and there is the fact that fins were unpopular in the early 60s. I don't remember seeing any FL cabs after 1964 in general service if you want to know.
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suburban61
Posted 2009-05-27 7:03 PM (#175670 - in reply to #175440)
Subject: RE: forwardlook taxis...



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great stories... i guess my dreams of owning a '61 plymouth taxi will probably not be realized then, i just thought it would be something different than a cop car... here are a couple of pics... cheers adriana
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suburban61
Posted 2009-05-27 7:03 PM (#175671 - in reply to #175440)
Subject: RE: forwardlook taxis...



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Location: Australia
great stories... i guess my dreams of owning a '61 plymouth taxi will probably not be realized then, i just thought it would be something different than a cop car... here are a couple of pics... cheers adriana



(taxi.jpg)



(102_4763.jpg)



(102_4768.jpg)



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(102_4774.jpg)



(102_4776.jpg)



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Attachments taxi.jpg (60KB - 228 downloads)
Attachments 102_4763.jpg (92KB - 224 downloads)
Attachments 102_4768.jpg (120KB - 218 downloads)
Attachments 102_4772.jpg (89KB - 234 downloads)
Attachments 102_4774.jpg (129KB - 224 downloads)
Attachments 102_4776.jpg (108KB - 235 downloads)
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Fanbladeus
Posted 2009-05-27 7:59 PM (#175678 - in reply to #175440)
Subject: Re: forwardlook taxis...



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Aren't there some forward look plymouth taxi's in "That Thing You Do"?
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slimwhitman
Posted 2009-05-27 10:57 PM (#175713 - in reply to #175440)
Subject: Re: forwardlook taxis...



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I am pretty sure that Matt (aka:58 300D) found and bought a '59 Plymouth Taxi a few years ago.
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Doctor DeSoto
Posted 2009-05-28 12:26 AM (#175722 - in reply to #175713)
Subject: Re: forwardlook taxis...



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You don't need to find a used up, worn out former taxi in order to have one. Chances are that anything special on an old taxi was removed before it was retired. Sheesh ! How many dumpy, low-line FL sedans go begging for someone to do anything but part them out ?

Find yourself a decent Savoy sedan and just add paint and a few taxi parts and you are off to the rodeo.
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58 DESOTOS RULE
Posted 2009-05-28 1:06 AM (#175728 - in reply to #175722)
Subject: Re: forwardlook taxis...



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Doctor DeSoto - 2009-05-27 11:26 PM You don't need to find a used up, worn out former taxi in order to have one. Chances are that anything special on an old taxi was removed before it was retired. Sheesh ! How many dumpy, low-line FL sedans go begging for someone to do anything but part them out ? Find yourself a decent Savoy sedan and just add paint and a few taxi parts and you are off to the rodeo.

That's not a bad idea if you're hankering for a 1961 Plymouth cab. I've seen that even today 1961 Plymouths are not that hard to find if you know where to look. Hell, I've even seen one at Jefferson (WI) at the spring car show this year. A four door being offered for $3500 with a six and automatic. 

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suburban61
Posted 2009-05-28 2:16 AM (#175735 - in reply to #175440)
Subject: Re: forwardlook taxis...



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i certainly do know where to look (there are plenty of four doors around in the states)... but i dont want some made up thing, i want the real deal... so thankyou, but no thanks... cheers adriana
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Doctor DeSoto
Posted 2009-05-28 10:47 AM (#175760 - in reply to #175735)
Subject: Re: forwardlook taxis...



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Location: Parts Unknown
suburban61 - 2009-05-28 11:16 PM

... but i dont want some made up thing, i want the real deal...


***************************************

Define "real deal". This isn't like making a pick up truck out of a sedan ! Cabs got a couple special small items like HD generator and really crappy "bus seat" upholstery, and that was it. The cab company painted them company colors and installed a meter and they were out picking up fares ! Just that simple.

That's like saying that wagon of yours isn't the real deal because it didn't haul a troop of boy scouts to Yellowstone.
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suburban61
Posted 2009-05-29 2:15 AM (#175875 - in reply to #175440)
Subject: Re: forwardlook taxis...



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how do you know my wagon has never been to yellowstone? no i am just saying that i would rather wait and get an authentic example... than fabricate my own, theres no fun in that and also no history... i guess i am just a little stubborn... cheers adriana
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Doctor DeSoto
Posted 2009-05-29 11:11 AM (#175920 - in reply to #175875)
Subject: Re: forwardlook taxis...



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Didn't your mother have eyes in the back of her head so she always knew what you were up to when you were a kid ?

I know all. (insert evil laugh here)

Actually, if your car HAD been to Yellowstone, it would have the obligitory window decal that ALL station wagons got when going through there back then, .... and using my advanced mental powers, I feel safe to say that you could not possibly have NOT shown us a detail like this, had you car had such a sticker !

As for the taxi, .... let's revisit this subject AFTER you have finished Oscar. You may have a moment of enlightenment about monumental jobs after going through all that work. Then again, maybe not.
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Bart_59_Dodge
Posted 2009-05-29 4:27 PM (#175950 - in reply to #175678)
Subject: Re: forwardlook taxis...



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Fanbladeus - 2009-05-27 6:59 PM Aren't there some forward look plymouth taxi's in "That Thing You Do"?

 

Yep !

 

http://www.imcdb.org/vehicle_86710-Plymouth-Fury-1960.html?PHPSESSID=27311d22a94e19a03b1ed24f38750887

 

http://www.imcdb.org/vehicle_86712-Plymouth-Savoy-1957.html

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Kenny J.
Posted 2009-05-29 8:57 PM (#175997 - in reply to #175760)
Subject: Re: forwardlook taxis...



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According to the company literature I have, the taxi package included a complete heavy duty suspension, some body strengthening, heavier duty cooling system, sometimes a different carburetor, wiring to the roof for the light, heavy-duty transmission, brackets and/or dash mounts for the meter, the mentioned heavy duty generator, thicker upholstery, different trunk mats, different rims, etc.

I'm sure some small town companies made taxis out of ordinary sedans, but a defined taxi package was available, with many of the same features the police packages offered.

K.
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Rob
Posted 2009-05-29 9:47 PM (#176003 - in reply to #175440)
Subject: RE: forwardlook taxis...


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Yes, most cabs went into the ground in a few years.

Cannot believe any are still around. If you see one, it's probably a four door that was made in to cab clone.

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suburban61
Posted 2009-05-30 8:18 AM (#176043 - in reply to #175440)
Subject: Re: forwardlook taxis...



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they chime up as taxi/ fleet cars when you decode them... yeah sorry doc, i did have that sticker on my car and i thought it was ugly so i tore it off and screw it up... lol... i already do not like restoring cars, it is stressful, sending me up the wall and broke and i cant find a bloody painter that will paint my car this year at a reasonable and sane price... there are also far too many decisions to make... i want to drive my car already! adriana
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Kenny J.
Posted 2009-05-30 10:37 AM (#176066 - in reply to #176003)
Subject: RE: forwardlook taxis...



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Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
Here's one:

http://59sportfury.net/showcase/menges.html
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Kenny J.
Posted 2009-05-30 10:51 AM (#176067 - in reply to #176066)
Subject: RE: forwardlook taxis...



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Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
I do remember there was a veteran's co-op group who ran a taxi service in Milwaukee. They pressed any available full size car or station wagon into taxi service. They would be repainted dark blue with a white and red "Veterans Cab" emblem on the front doors. Few, if any, were purpose built cabs. Some were retired police cars. The drivers owned their own cabs.

There was also Apex Cab Service, a very early example of a new company being launched by a government grant for minority business owners. All the drivers were African-American and all were Vietnam veterans. The company started with a fleet of new, lime green Plymouth C body taxis. Apex ran like well oiled watch. The cabs were always clean, the drivers polite and I never saw a damaged Apex cab on the streets.

K.
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Doctor DeSoto
Posted 2009-05-31 1:57 AM (#176161 - in reply to #176043)
Subject: Re: forwardlook taxis...



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Location: Parts Unknown
suburban61 - 2009-05-31 5:18 AM

... i already do not like restoring cars, it is stressful, sending me up the wall and broke and i cant find a bloody painter that will paint my car this year at a reasonable and sane price... there are also far too many decisions to make... i want to drive my car already! adriana


***********************************

If you feel you got the "itchies" to get behind the wheel of a finished car, consider mine took from 1983 to 1992 to morph from a pile of sh-t delevered on a pallet to a car, then, after selling the project to buy the current car and going through it (1995) some dumbass slammed into the back of me while I waited for a red light.

Here it is 2009 and the wheels are finally turning to put it back together.

I am with you !!!! I just want to get in it and go !
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56D500boy
Posted 2018-08-07 9:40 PM (#568027 - in reply to #175440)
Subject: Taxi! Taxi! 56 Dodge Sept. 1955 Taxi Brochure



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Some interesting bits hidden in there. I bought it because I was interested in what the taxis got for heavy duty equipment that might have translated to the Cop cars and the D500s.

First interesting bit is the car is designated as a "Dodge" on the rear quarter panels, not Coronet, etc. I just got a set of the hub caps today. Maybe I'll go into the taxi business (uber).



Edited by 56D500boy 2018-08-07 9:45 PM




(56DodgeTaxiBrochure_1_small.jpg)



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Attachments 56DodgeTaxiBrochure_1_small.jpg (154KB - 203 downloads)
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Attachments 56DodgeTaxiBrochure_9_small.jpg (169KB - 214 downloads)
Attachments 56DodgeTaxiBrochure_10_small.jpg (215KB - 209 downloads)
Attachments 56DodgeTaxiBrochure_11_small.jpg (186KB - 210 downloads)
Attachments 56DodgeTaxiBrochure_12_small.jpg (129KB - 219 downloads)
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drosera88
Posted 2018-08-09 5:48 PM (#568149 - in reply to #175440)
Subject: RE: forwardlook taxis...



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http://www.forwardlook.net/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=55982&posts=44&highlight=diesel%20plymouth%20taxi&highlightmode=1#M551647

Plymouth Diesel Taxi

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58 DESOTOS RULE
Posted 2018-08-31 12:05 PM (#569315 - in reply to #568027)
Subject: RE: Taxi! Taxi! 56 Dodge Sept. 1955 Taxi Brochure



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56D500boy - 2018-08-07 8:40 PM Some interesting bits hidden in there. I bought it because I was interested in what the taxis got for heavy duty equipment that might have translated to the Cop cars and the D500s. First interesting bit is the car is designated as a "Dodge" on the rear quarter panels, not Coronet, etc. I just got a set of the hub caps today. Maybe I'll go into the taxi business (uber).

Thanks for that. The old taxi brouchures are really interesting. I know you're probably kidding about going into the taxi business by signing up with Uber, but dosen't the company have strict guidelines on the type of car one must have? 

 

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