Reliable AU's

AWD Chaser · 10-05-2006, 04:23 AM

Talking to a few taxi owners in Canberra today, and alot of them are thinking seriously about gettting more AU series 3's because of their proven reliability and great lights for night vision, well it's more like day vision at night. They are also looking at getting towbars fitted to most of their taxi's to stop rear end damage....

Rob · 10-05-2006, 06:11 AM

My uncle is a cabbie, and he said the same thing, most guys would rather use AU3's than BA's. Apparently the taxi fleets have been suffering a few hiccups with the BA.

Casper · 10-05-2006, 07:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BLC

My uncle is a cabbie, and he said the same thing, most guys would rather use AU3's than BA's. Apparently the taxi fleets have been suffering a few hiccups with the BA.

I take taxi's many, many times a week for work and I can tell you the BA is not popular. In fact, for the silvertop guys and hire car drivers they have all gone from AU Fairlanes and LTD's to Caprices. Very few BA Fairlanes out there. The Caprice is cheaper and the back seats dont suck eggs like the BA.

Fords have dominated the Taxi ranks since the XD in 1979.. untill now. The Avalon, Commy and even some minivans are now invading.

AWD Chaser · 10-05-2006, 07:16 AM

Avalon and commie are just a few.... technically, Fords have prven time and time again with reliability.... Fords aparently are MUCH better with the heat and running 24/7...

Casper · 10-05-2006, 07:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by au3 chaser

Avalon and commie are just a few.... technically, Fords have prven time and time again with reliability.... Fords aparently are MUCH better with the heat and running 24/7...

In sydney and Melb Avalons are starting to appear everywhere
In Adelaid there is a huge amount of Commy's too.

Start looking for BA's, they are there but not in the same numbers as AU's

AWD Chaser · 10-05-2006, 07:22 AM

Thats right. BA's just aren't in the numbers....yet.... bare in mind too, that the falcons are one of very few vehicles that will run gas 100%... even the commy isn't 100% perfect on LPG...

**Stav** · 10-05-2006, 07:52 AM

There are stacks of au's on the street as cabs. One cabby told me that his cab had travelled 1 million kilometres and the engine is untouched.The commys are rare. There are quite a few ba's coming though.

**Mechan1k** · 10-05-2006, 07:56 AM

BAs are starting to pick up in Sdney now ... but for the majority of the silver service taxis .. it's still the AU Fairlane/LTD out there that is king ... I don't see many others ... only one Statesman I have seen ... the rest are AUs.

Ford got it right with the LPG in this model ... not just taxis though ... but work utes ... I see more AU LPG utes out there that tradesmen use more than anything ... cheap to run ... can handle large loads ... and comfortable as well.

Any AU can be reliable ...as long as you keep your regular maintenance up to the vehicle ... you really shouldn't have too many problems at all.

Fairlane · 10-05-2006, 10:16 AM

Well the local Cab companies around here love the AU's and there are hardly any BA's. A lot of the fleet are still EL's though.

Being NSW, they dont have the 6 year rule, so i expect to see even more AU's as the Avalon never took off here.

JC · 10-05-2006, 10:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by au3 chaser

Talking to a few taxi owners in Canberra today, and alot of them are thinking seriously about gettting more AU series 3's because of their proven reliability and great lights for night vision, well it's more like day vision at night. They are also looking at getting towbars fitted to most of their taxi's to stop rear end damage....

The AU (especially series 3) seems to kill the BA for reliability, and the AU engine seems to like gas better too.

As for the towbars - if cabbies actually drove properly, people wouldn't rear end them all the time. They are the worst for sticking in the right lane when they could be in the left, and when they do change lanes, I guess their indicators must be broken. And what's with doing 70 in 80 zones? I realise this is a generalisation...but it's what I have found!

EA2BA · 10-05-2006, 10:31 AM

I thought there was an age limit on taxis, making au3's not a viable go forward plan.

StAndArdAU · 10-05-2006, 03:17 PM

The best part is i get to joke at the destination "that'll be $14.50" everytime i am asked to drop someone off.

the worst part is people referring to my car as "the Taxi". or (pointing at the stereo)"is that the song elapsed time or how much i owe you?....

I6corp · 10-05-2006, 04:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by au3 chaser

Avalon and commie are just a few.... technically, Fords have prven time and time again with reliability.... Fords aparently are MUCH better with the heat and running 24/7...

Yeah, in canberra (As u know) They basically all fords (90% AU's) and a few mini vans.

I havnt come across the commy's or similar tho.

TheSneakiness · 10-05-2006, 04:04 PM

Here, I've seen Camrys being used as taxis. They're mainly AUs.

I have seen one BF as well...

Fairlane · 10-05-2006, 04:29 PM

Quote:

I thought there was an age limit on taxis, making au3's not a viable go forward plan.

Depends on the state and correct me if im wrong but in most VIC and QLD, taxi's can only be six years old, but in NSW you can now keep them forever as long as they pass the roadworthy.

I know 100% this is the case with Hired cars, in NSW you can now use them forever thats why i still see DC LTD's and NF Fairlanes, whereas in QLD you can only keep a Fairlane for six years or an LTD for 7.

xd5.8l · 10-05-2006, 06:36 PM

There is bugger all difference between an AU and BA when driven normaly as a daily commuter. Ok BA is a bit quieter but on the flip side the AU is more communicative through the tiller and doesn't feel like a well worn bed mattress in the front end.

A cabbie with 150,000 km on a BA told me that he had gone through 2 transmissions and one engine. The proof is in the pudding.

The ty fly-by-wire system they use for the acceleratator is POX! The manafacturers can go themselves. It's all just a cheap ploy to reduce the amount of warranty claims they get from spirited drivers like myself. If the driveshafts, gearboxes and diffs were strong to begin with non of these torque reduction methods would have to be used. I WANT TO ABUSE MY CAR WHEN I SEE FIT AND NOT BE RESTRICTED BY THE MANAFACTURERS INABILITY TO PRODUCE A TOUGH INTEGRATED PACKAGE!!!!!!!

LUXO_8 · 10-05-2006, 06:46 PM

ive heard one of the reasons the cabbies arent liking the BA is the IRS.....
with the kms they are racking up the rear end needs overhauling far too often over the live axle AU...

im noticeing more BA wagons than sedans as cabs....

460cixy · 10-05-2006, 07:36 PM

the rear ends in the ba are a pos. we do one a day maybe 2 diffs a day. autos seem to last not too bad maybe one a week havent seen a rooted ba engine yet or a rooted fly by wire. and the handbrake adjustment every service its the same as the au and we hardly ever have to touch those.

maybe its just ba driver leave it on. i write intstructions on how to operate the park brake on the repair orders of some because thay clearly dont know how to release it. but here in canberra the cabbies recon the ba is a real pos

AWD Chaser · 10-05-2006, 08:25 PM

In canberra, excluding maxi-taxis, nearly all cabs are falcons, except for 2 commodores (i think it's 2), and about 2 avalons (again, i think 2). There was also a Nissan Maxima at one stage... but that didn't last too long..... I'm not too sure of the figures of AU vs BA/F but I know that I actually see a hell of alot more AU 2/3's then AU1's and BA/F's

chief · 10-05-2006, 08:39 PM

Yep, a friend of mine owns 8 cabs, ranging from EL to BA1 Said the AU is the greatest. Series 2 with 800,000km plus, refurbished diff and gearbox and suspension. Everything else is stock from factory. Goes through a set of tyres a month, changes the oil each week and filter every secong week.

Dark Horse · 10-05-2006, 09:07 PM

I've noticed quite a few more Avalons running around, in fact caught a ride in one not so long ago.

Most of the time I've come across are AUIII's.

One of the hire car drivers I got to be mates with is a Ford nut and runs around in style with an NUII V8 with sports exhaust and Tickford XR mags. He was my regular driver for a bit too, on the late night finishes from work.

f4ir-mont · 10-05-2006, 09:26 PM

me uncle is a cabbie and he too said the gearboxes in the auIII just tends to last a whole lot longer. his idea is the "by wire system which has flaws in it

12 · 10-05-2006, 11:17 PM

Here's a quote of mine I posted a while back.

Quote:

Originally Posted by 012 - 26-03-06, 12:27 AM

Have been catching a few taxi's in the last 2 months or so for work reasons. Been in Avalons', AU's, Camry's and BA's. Chatting to the drivers, I asked for their opinion on the late model taxis. The AU was highly regarded as the best. One driver in a Avalon absolutely loved the AU he had. He had AU-AU2-BA and now Camry. Hated the BA, and not impressed with the Camry. Every taxi driver I spoke to said the AU had been THE best taxi they've driven/owned. One BA driver said to me that his boss is so not impressed/mad with the BA, he wants to sell the lot of 'em and buy back the AU2 fleet he had prior. Never in my conversations did I mention to them I was a Ford man and a AU owner. Just smirked and nodded my head when they talked about the AU.