I guess I need to do a write-up for the ebay auction so I might as well get it started here.
After I got my Checker and talked to a guy who is a gigantic Checker collector and found out quite a bit about what to expect. First, when I explained to him the things mine needed he said "Any Checker taxi you buy is going to need work." It's just the nature of a commercial vehicle that was driven for hundreds of thousands of miles. Buying a civilian version of a Checker is pretty straight forward and much like any other car but the Taxi version comes with issues unless it has already been restored.
This one is no exception - it will be a project, and owning a checker is not like owning a mustang. You better love this car because it will take a bit more work to find parts and information. Unlike the guy who sold it to me who said "it runs great, needs nothing, and was being used as a daily driver until about 6 months ago". I will tell you what I know about it thus far.
This one is pretty fresh from being a taxi. As best as I can figure it was used full time in North Carolina until the early 2000's and then used at a small airport in Indiana before the guy I got it from bought it. Before I bought mine I read in the checker forum the things to look for and the biggest issue is rust. They didn't use the best metal and they were prone to rust, but they didn't see it as a big deal since they were used for 5-10 years and thrown away. This one being from North Carolina has a very solid frame which is a big plus. The body has had some body work and there are some bubbles on the lower side of the passenger doors. Some of the floor on the driver's side looks to have been replaced too. So, for a checker it is really in good shape, but there is work.
When I bought it I had a mechanic go through and give me a run down of things that needed to be replaced, will need to be replaced, and is not a problem. The front end needed to be rebuilt so pretty much all the steering is new so no problems there. This is really good as these components are unique to checker and priced accordingly. I also had him put on a set of new tires, tune up, and replaced the points with a pertronix system. He said the compression was good but it does blow a bit of smoke when you start it.
The speedometer doesn't work so I have no idea on the miles. It had factory air but they removed the AC parts mounted to the engine but it looks like the other parts are there. .
The good:
Very solid frame with no rust that I could see. The body has some rust and has had some work but looks pretty solid, but there has been work.
Grey interior and seats are in very good condition, probably an 8.
Engine blows some smoke but runs pretty good.
Replaced Alternator, water pump, fuel pump.
Had the front end rebuilt and almost all of the steering parts are new.
New tires
Mechanic said the brakes were in good condition. I haven't had any problems and haven't looked at them since he gave the okay.
I bought new rubber to replace the seals around the rear triangle windows ($175!) and trunk but haven't installed them. I never drive it in the rain so haven't got around to it yet.
The dash is in good shape and not cracked.
Has a newer AM/FM/CD after market radio mounted below the A/C unit. The taxi meter is mounted where the radio would be in the civilian versions so that is why it is under the A/C. Some people would put them in the glove box too.
The bad:
It needs a rear main seal so leaks oil
Needs a transmission pan gasket. Simple repair but not so bad that I have gotten around to it.
Speedometer doesn't work. No cable splitter for the taxi meter so that is not working either. I'm guessing they pulled the parts for spares or just to make sure it would end up as competition, but that is just a guess.
Temp gage is not working.
Drivers side rear window crank is not working.
One of the door locks is not working - door handle works but won't lock.
The interior door panels are in rough shape and will need to be replaced if you want nice vs the authentic taxi worn look.
The headliner must have been pulled down sometime in its life as they just painted it black. The taxi used a pegboard headliner and they were prone to sagging. I have the chrome to hold the pegboard in place but haven't looked at replacing the headliner.
The weird:
They ran a by-pass for the heater core. Where the heater line would connect they just cut it and connected to the line coming out of the heater core, so not sure what condition it is in. The guy I had do the front end work said he has seen this in southern cars with no A/C as it helps to keep heat out of the cab.
The tail lights, parking lights, and taxi light are on a separate switch. Headlights still work off of the headlight switch. I asked on the checker forum about this and they guessed they wanted the guy to be able to sit with the parking and taxi light on but not the headlights.
These used a borg-warner transmission but it only seems to be using two gears. As far as I can tell it should be a three speed but finding exact information is not easy, in particular because Checker changed parts around based on availability, price, etc. Car runs though and I drove it from Olando (where I bought it) and around town for the last year. No slipping or anything else that seems weird in the transmission besides a jolt when shifting into reverse.
So in summary, it has seen a good long life as a cab and will need a bit of love but is a good candidate for restoration, but make no mistake, this is a project. The Checker is a great car but I think it takes a certain kind of person to own one. There actually was a thread about a typical Checker owner on the Checker forum:
www.checkertaxistand.com/index.php?option=com_kunena&func=view&catid=1&id=11940&Itemid=110#11946 
