I purchased a London Black Taxi in May at the Mecum auction in Indy. It is for the most part in good condition however I do need to make some what I thought were minor repairs.
The front suspension needs attention ie. new upper and lower A frame bushing, ball joints and tie rod ends. The power steering box also has a leaking seal. Upon trying to find replacement parts it appears that this is going to be a lot more difficult than first thought as I'm not sure what I have or what parts to order.
The taxi was purchased as a1979 FAIRWAY FX4 LONDON TAXI 2664cc, Right Hand Drive. Vin #FX4DR37922X I contacted Kip Motors who is the U S Taxi specialist and source of parts. It appears that the FX4 did not have power steering in 1979. The Fairway wasn't added until the mid 1980's and is different than the standard FX4. I pulled the number off of the engine TD27-111310 which identifies a Nissan 2.7 liter diesel which the FX4 did not have. Also the larger and heavier Nissan engine required disc brakes on the front.
So far, here is what I have been able to ascertain. In order to avoid the import duty, many titles were altered to show a 25yr old or older vehicle by the importer (my title reads 1979). My taxi does appear all original, ie. not a modified or replaced engine. Therefore, what I have is a 198? something taxi that is most likely a Fairway since that is when they upgraded to the Nissan engine.
I figured that would be enough information to order parts but the rep at Kip Motors still seems confused as to what parts to send for the suspension. He asked if I had front dis brakes. I took pictures of the wheels and I cannot tell if they are drum or disc as everything is covered. I have attached the pictures. Can anyone here tell me what brakes these are?
Or better yet, does anyone know of someone I can contact that would be able to decipher what I have and supply parts? The other issue is finding someone to rebuild my power steering pump or sell me a rebuilt one.
Any ideas, thoughts, suggestion or solutions would be greatly appreciated.
The front suspension needs attention ie. new upper and lower A frame bushing, ball joints and tie rod ends. The power steering box also has a leaking seal. Upon trying to find replacement parts it appears that this is going to be a lot more difficult than first thought as I'm not sure what I have or what parts to order.
The taxi was purchased as a1979 FAIRWAY FX4 LONDON TAXI 2664cc, Right Hand Drive. Vin #FX4DR37922X I contacted Kip Motors who is the U S Taxi specialist and source of parts. It appears that the FX4 did not have power steering in 1979. The Fairway wasn't added until the mid 1980's and is different than the standard FX4. I pulled the number off of the engine TD27-111310 which identifies a Nissan 2.7 liter diesel which the FX4 did not have. Also the larger and heavier Nissan engine required disc brakes on the front.
So far, here is what I have been able to ascertain. In order to avoid the import duty, many titles were altered to show a 25yr old or older vehicle by the importer (my title reads 1979). My taxi does appear all original, ie. not a modified or replaced engine. Therefore, what I have is a 198? something taxi that is most likely a Fairway since that is when they upgraded to the Nissan engine.
I figured that would be enough information to order parts but the rep at Kip Motors still seems confused as to what parts to send for the suspension. He asked if I had front dis brakes. I took pictures of the wheels and I cannot tell if they are drum or disc as everything is covered. I have attached the pictures. Can anyone here tell me what brakes these are?
Or better yet, does anyone know of someone I can contact that would be able to decipher what I have and supply parts? The other issue is finding someone to rebuild my power steering pump or sell me a rebuilt one.
Any ideas, thoughts, suggestion or solutions would be greatly appreciated.