May be dumb question - Regarding Melb/VIC Taxis

[RedHotGT]

How do the Melbourne/Victorian FORD Taxi's get ordered?

As in, paint code, options etc?

Do they get a special 'Taxi Pack' with the vinyl trim, bench seats front seat of some wagons/sedans?

What about the paint? Are they ordered as 'factory' Yellow cars, or do they just buy a cheap 'demo' model car, and spray them?

In fact, if this is the case, do they rub back the original paint? Or do they just simply paint over it?

Reason I ask, is a friend of mine is looking at an ex-cab as a cheap car (I advised to give it a miss, its a BA with 515,000km... But its on Gas, and they do somehow keep driving forever (not the most beautiful chariot i've seen).

Anyways, if anyone can shed some light, that would be great...

Cheers - Loftie

[XR6_661]

they come as a 'Taxi-Pack' as far as I am aware...i.e. they come factory with that colour and a few other little extras I think?

Don't quote me on that.

As long as the cab has been serviced all the time, which it should have been being a cab, then it should be ok...at 515,000km most parts that stuff up would have been replaced once or twice...

At least that's the way I see it....I've seen BA taxis with tons more k's than that.

[imugli]

Do FoA still do a taxi pack? I thought they got out of the market when they started on their margin, not marketshare kick.

I thought most of the taxis from BA onward were purchased second hand and converted...

[g220ba]

Ford haven't offered a taxi pack since the BA days. It's a market and image they no longer wish to pursue. Therefore generally taxis are bought second hand and modified as required.

[The Monty]

I know in Brisbane they are sprayed that colour, Open up the doors or bonnet, and it could be blue or black or white inside, lol.

[Mr Hardware]

84ltd and the monty are correct.

Most cabs are purchased as ex-cop or ex-fleet cars, due to the fact that they're so cheap. Then they spray them yellow/orange/whatever. They often get sprayed back to their original colour at the end of their working lives, it's usually only the really really terrible ones that don't get resprayed, hence giving ex-cabs a really bad name.

[smoo]

I haven't been to Australia for nearly 3 years but last time I was in NSW, and every cab I saw was a Falcon, maybe a handful of Holdens. Are the Falcons still the no. 1 choice these days, or has the industry shifted to something (that's percieved) 'greener'?

[Iggypoppin']

still many falcons but toyota camrys, 380, holdens, etc are all about in taxi guise. Fords dominate though

[AdzT3-146]

I've noticed a lot more Prius taxis recently.
Falcon still the overwhelming majority though.

[Kryton]

Mr Hardware is correct - most are ex cop or ex fleet.
Gone are the days when Taxi's were just Povo Packs, these days anything from a Povo pack through to Ghias are being used - if they can be bought cheaply enough.

Here in Warrny, we have a couple of Skoda Wagons (Diesel) which look like very nice comfy economical cars, a couple of Avalons and the rest are Falcon.
Might have missed a couple but thats the variety of the taxi fleet these days.

I dont use Taxis, but im keen to take a ride in the Skoda though just to see what it would be like with 400000km on it.

[smoo]

Originally Posted by davway

Mr Hardware is correct - most are ex cop or ex fleet.
Gone are the days when Taxi's were just Povo Packs, these days anything from a Povo pack through to Ghias are being used - if they can be bought cheaply enough.

Here in Warrny, we have a couple of Skoda Wagons (Diesel) which look like very nice comfy economical cars, a couple of Avalons and the rest are Falcon.
Might have missed a couple but thats the variety of the taxi fleet these days.

I dont use Taxis, but im keen to take a ride in the Skoda though just to see what it would be like with 400000km on it.

Yeah, my old man has a couple of cabs he leases out, the company the cars are under limits the range, diesel, dedicated LPG or hybrid. We looked at Skoda Suberb 2.0TD, very nice cars but too nice (and expensive) for a cab, not to mention the DSG giving problems that the trusty BTR wont. Also looked at 1.9TD Jetta manual, too small. He didn't want anything from the nips thank god, ended up ordering Mondeo diesels (three month waiting list) but later changed that to dedicated FGs. Only been back for a recall after 80k on warped front rotors, pretty good.

[LTDHO]

It's a great plan.
By exfleet Falcon with 50,000.
Paint yellow, put on LPG, put in old trim.
Do over a 1,010,000.
Paint original colour, original trim installed
Resell with 60,000 klms on odometer.

[Quicklier]

Originally Posted by smoo

He didn't want anything from the nips thank god

Wow, just wow.

[just_pazz]

get over it...

[XR6_661]

There is a new FG G6 cruising around up here as a cab!

[jamesson1980]

I spotted a prius taxi the other day, i thought it was so strange i wanted to take a photo in case no one believed me, but as i read above, it's starting to become common. BF is the latest falcon taxi i've seen, no FG's. But seen plenty of XR6's, Fairlanes, even the odd V8 fairlane ghia. I always wondered why buy a comparatively expensive and higher model ford only have it hauling vomit around the city. Now i know... ex fleet

[Mr Hardware]

Originally Posted by LTDHO

It's a great plan.
By exfleet Falcon with 50,000.
Paint yellow, put on LPG, put in old trim.
Do over a 1,010,000.
Paint original colour, original trim installed
Resell with 60,000 klms on odometer.

Yeah, you can do a pretty good job of masking everything cab about an ex-cab
4 years ago when I got mine, I did a heap of stuff to it and there was only one way you could 'tell' it was an ex-cab, and that was the kays on the clock
Drove just like and looked just like any other 6 year old falcon
now that it's 10 it's getting a little tired however, i abused it a little too much for work

But Falcon is King of the Ranks, and I can guarantee it will still be king for at least the next 5 years.

[SSVPom]

Originally Posted by davway

Mr Hardware is correct - most are ex cop or ex fleet.
Gone are the days when Taxi's were just Povo Packs, these days anything from a Povo pack through to Ghias are being used - if they can be bought cheaply enough.

Here in Warrny, we have a couple of Skoda Wagons (Diesel) which look like very nice comfy economical cars, a couple of Avalons and the rest are Falcon.
Might have missed a couple but thats the variety of the taxi fleet these days.

I dont use Taxis, but im keen to take a ride in the Skoda though just to see what it would be like with 400000km on it.

THE most popular minicabs are Skoda Octavias from where I'm from (south coast of UK) They also get painted yellow !

[GlennBA]

A couple of weeks ago i went in a new Volkswagen Jetta Diesel yellowcab. It was probably the nicest cab i've been in.. the interior was much like my dads audi A6. I've been in a few prius' as well.

[divine_afg]

Originally Posted by jamesson1980

I spotted a prius taxi the other day, i thought it was so strange i wanted to take a photo in case no one believed me, but as i read above, it's starting to become common. BF is the latest falcon taxi i've seen, no FG's. But seen plenty of XR6's, Fairlanes, even the odd V8 fairlane ghia. I always wondered why buy a comparatively expensive and higher model ford only have it hauling vomit around the city. Now i know... ex fleet

There is also Silver Cabs - generally higher spec cars to transport execs and $$$ valued people. most are owner drivers

[DTFRMONT]

I've seen a few FG's out & about, along with a couple of Territory's as well.

Most of the hybrid ones (Prius & Civic) seem to be green-roofed ones, I think this might be a condition of some of the green-roof licences.

[sd1800]

Saw a VE SS cab the other day on William St.

Why?? :

[redxm]

Up here we mostly have falcons, but there are ssanyongs, camrys and hiaces. think theres a merc van as well

[Poetic Justice]

To put it into perspective, we traded at work the other day a VE SV6 2006 model with 275,000km and as you'd expect we paid about 10k for it as a trade (so add on gst etc to get it on road.)

Would be a good car for something like being a taxi...

[Mr Hardware]

Originally Posted by sd1800

Saw a VE SS cab the other day on William St.

Why?? :

Well, a few different reasons could be at play here. 99% chance it's an owner/driver, and some owner drivers view their cars as their office and like a nice office, and feel 'well if i'm gonna be stuck driving a car all day I may as well drive something i like/puts a smile on my face' and apparently the LS2's are very good on LPG, the drivers report extremely similar consumption to the old gas falcons. Plus better resale, or a nicer car to keep for yourself when it comes off the road.

So all these reasons combined could possibly convince someone to use a 6.0L V8 sports sedan as a traffic basher.

[Brazen]

Im actually suprised at the amount of Statesman limos which are V8. I guess the engine will last at longer and probably report similiar consumption once on LPG.

[mac_man_luke]

No need for taxi packs when the taxies are white (adelaide)

[aussie muscle]

hey melbourne guys, jump in this taxi!!