When I see them on TV like the Sherloc tv series --You can tell they have a little diesel engine----What Kind?

They are kinda neat. Every now and then one pops up on CL or eBay here.
Austin cab, Austin diesel engine.

Pretty impressive run for being relatively unchanged, 1958-1997. (Checker was '61-'82)

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1980 300TD-China Blue/Blue MBTex-2nd Owner, 107K (Alt Blau) OBK #15
'06 Chevy Tahoe Z71 (for the wife & 4 kids, current mule) '03 Honda Odyssey (son #1's ride, reluctantly) '99 GMC Suburban (255K+ miles, semi-retired mule) 21' SeaRay Seville (summer escape pod)

its the 2.5 VM motor like from the diesel liberty

It depends on the age of the taxi.

I think - and only think that the FX4 taxis - had Austin / British Leyland diesel engines. I think these were the same as the ones Land Rover used. These weren't considered to be very good.

Later on most of the Taxis were using Nissan diesels such as the ones in the Terano (I think).

Sorry about the vagueness there must be loads of information on Wikepedia...

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1992 W201 190E 1.8 171,000 km - Daily driver
1981 W123 300D ~ 100,000 miles / 160,000 km - project car stripped to the bone
1965 Land Rover Series 2a Station Wagon CIS recovery therapy!
1961 Volvo PV544 Bare metal rat rod-ish thing

I'm here to chat about cars and to help others - I'm not here "to always be right" like an internet warrior



Don't leave that there - I'll take it to bits!

the TX4 is the latest (2009) incarnation.
UK must have lax-er emmissions than we do --They were axed here in 07 because the would not meet 08 specs

Early ones use Nissan Diesels which are ultra reliable

Next generation use Ford Transit diesel engines....reliable and cheap for parts

Then the last couple of generations have used VM diesel engines...hmm!

If anybody is interested in having a London Taxi, let me know.....I'm in the motor trade and can pick them up for sensible money.

Most will have intergalactic mileage, but thats not a worry as they are well maintained and get very strict safety checks and emission checks

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Current Mercs
R129 1994 300-24SL
W124 320E Turbo Technics Twin Turbo 350bhp

Previous Mercs
W124 1986 Quad Cam AMG Hammer, 45,000 miles
W124 300E Turbo Technics Twin Turbo 320bhp
W124 E500

1937 Checker model Y..every once in a while you will see them in old movies.

I was going to guess the older ones had perkins diesels.

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

Just to clarify....the engines I have mentioned are fitted to the TX1,2, 3, 4 range, not the earlier models.

__________________
Current Mercs
R129 1994 300-24SL
W124 320E Turbo Technics Twin Turbo 350bhp

Previous Mercs
W124 1986 Quad Cam AMG Hammer, 45,000 miles
W124 300E Turbo Technics Twin Turbo 320bhp
W124 E500

You dont seem to be a booster of the VM--the other two -americans are not reallt familiar with.

I almost bought an early one that did, one from the 1960s

__________________
Strelnik
Invest in America: Buy a Congressman!

1950 170SD
1951 Citroen 11BN
1953 Citroen 11BNF limo
1953 220a project
1959 180D
1960 190D
1960 Borgward Isabella TS 2dr
1983 240D daily driver
1983 380SL
1990 350SDL daily driver alt
3 x Citroen DS21M, down from 5
3 x Citroen 2CV, down from 6

Oh man, the Brits are way ahead of us on this one. I drove a few approx. 7 liter cabs back in the 70s, 5 and 6 liters was the norm. One, a Dodge police cruiser with a 440 was just over the top powerful.

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1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

Was it me, or did these things seem to be able to beat anything off the line to 30mph?

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With best regards

Al

If you're talking about a London Taxi then yes the old ones at least were geared to be nippy at speeds below 60mph - they were hopeless at highway speeds.

__________________
1992 W201 190E 1.8 171,000 km - Daily driver
1981 W123 300D ~ 100,000 miles / 160,000 km - project car stripped to the bone
1965 Land Rover Series 2a Station Wagon CIS recovery therapy!
1961 Volvo PV544 Bare metal rat rod-ish thing

I'm here to chat about cars and to help others - I'm not here "to always be right" like an internet warrior



Don't leave that there - I'll take it to bits!

What years and what body styles would you be talking about?

__________________
Strelnik
Invest in America: Buy a Congressman!

1950 170SD
1951 Citroen 11BN
1953 Citroen 11BNF limo
1953 220a project
1959 180D
1960 190D
1960 Borgward Isabella TS 2dr
1983 240D daily driver
1983 380SL
1990 350SDL daily driver alt
3 x Citroen DS21M, down from 5
3 x Citroen 2CV, down from 6