FC Holden Sedan "Black and White Taxi Service Co-Operative" restoration

[Not Happy Jan]

Just a question.

Are you still married or divorced?

 

[fe350chev]

Ha ha, Im trying hard....but still married 

Having a project car is a bit like being married, except u spend more time with the project 

[fe350chev]

I talked to the owners of the photo and it turns out that this photo was taken (they think) in 1958. Looks like it would have been late or early in the year cos it looks like it was quite warm, with vents open in cars and windows open in the  servo. The people with the picture said they bought the photo off the original owners of the pic, who told them they opened up this Taxi and servo complex and this was a picture of its first day of operation (How exciting for the owners and drivers) in Adelaide city.

This bloke who had my FC bought 2 more taxis in the next 14 years, but this car was kept registered til 1973 and became his daily driver during late 60's to early 70's.

So by all accounts there were only 2 "Black and White Taxi" depots possibly open at the time, within Adelaide city.

So "Stephen Horace Miller" might be in the photo. The later licences he had state "All stands in the Adelaide restricted area". This means that CBD taxis could only go within a 5 mile radius of the city. Cars in the outer suburbs were also restricted somewhat.

I find this all very interesting, but I may be boring others to tears  

[fe350chev]

I have been trawling old newspaper archives and the taxi company appears to have used a specific brand of Shillings/pence or whatever type 50's meter (Argo chain driven jobby). Well, I found one on Ebay and have purchased it. If anyone comes across an original period taxi sign, pls PM me.

[fe350chev]

I will now seek verification of this by researching the family and tracking down a relative to confirm which bloke it is in the picture. That would be kind of cool to know (just to fulfill my weirdnesses). Here's some of the docs. The 1956 must have been from an FJ car hey Ken?

[mcl1959]

Yes engine is from a March 1956 FJ sedan - just before the FE was released

Ken

[fe350chev]

Thanks Ken, jee that was quick  

Pics of what I have uncovered so far. I am very very happy that this car took bugger all to get home, just few kays away too.











My theory is that it was running around in a city, never off road and it was always driven early in its life, so never sat around in some shed or in a yard and probably was drying out all the time. ha ha  

[fe350chev]

The plan with this one is to take the other ek engine I got from the blue FE car cos I know it runs and doesnt need much work, so Ill give it a quick hone and re ring and bearing it with a backyarder crank linish   and will lap valve seats etc and do some work on the head just to get her sounding and running for rego. Give the other 3 speed box a quick once over, take front end out of taxi which is probably sad, but re-do the one out of the blue one until Im ready to slip it in. I will take diff out of blue one and might use it. Then try to get the taxi on the road ASAP with a normal roadworthy, keeping the body as original as possible.

Then once I can cruise with her a bit, I will work slowly on building a warm grey and will port the heads and see what its like in terms of bores etc. It would have done a lot of miles. Will be interesting to see whats inside.

Just 1 question - is it generally ok just to flush the solid brake hoses out with fresh fluid and just replace flexible lines?

[FCRB26]

with your brakes i just did mine un hook flexible ones and replace if stiff blow pipes out with air gun and run new fluid i use a 1 man bleed thingo works great.

I just honed my wheel cylinders out and fitted new cups with grease on the psitons but unless you are going to drive it soon leave the brakes till last.

[fe350chev]

Yeah i thought it would be nice to be able to drive it in and out of shed, so ill do the stop gap engine and front end then i will do the brakes, easier to run on and off trailers and it will give the young ones something to drive around the paddock. That will get them more interested too. Funny how my 8 year old flies around our kart track at 110km/h yet he doesn't like to go on slow show rides. I suppose your not in control of those. At least of the brakes arent up to scratch we will only have sheep to hit.

[fe350chev]

Here are some more bits I found. A sticker-

[Old_Mt_Isa_Boy]

I would hate to owe you money, you would find a bolt of lightning the way you are going

Keep digging mate.

Great stuff.

Regards

Wayne B

[fe350chev]

I found some time today to start on the boot. Looked pretty bad when first started but mainly crows feet thingy's. There's a few dents and rough bodge jobs. At least now I have clean slate to work with. There's a really ripply bit where someone has belted it with a hard long punch or something instead of a flatter dolly  

[FCGos]

You sure were right about someone hitting the boot hard .................. they punched it all the way to the front of the car 

[fe350chev]

Thats the other project being used as an angled platform lol. Hey u should get a job on Letterman with that sort of material  . U oughta see the bumper!

[fe350chev]

Well, I was suppose to be doing this as a quick resto, ya know when u rub and sand something back, see all the little pits and surface rust underneath that is so miniscule that u think, na this is a quick job, then hit it with the undercoat. I used to be able to just pretend not to see that stuff.

[fe350chev]

This is way too sexy for a taxi bonnet, in fact nearly as sexy as Jessica Alba, check out those curves and no filler in the front....... , must have been the most careful taxi driver in Adelaide!

I know.......I have issues...... (missus is never wrong  ) but I am having fun   in my shed   sun is out......, music up...... workin on my FC Holden.  I figure the boot and bonnet are so good, Ill blast them both at the back, but wanted to see what I had first.

[Old_Mt_Isa_Boy]

All progress is good progress

Comparing the bonnet to Jessica Alba might be an issue you may need help for in the future

As you say a good day in the sun. Keep it going.

Regards

Wayne B

[fe350chev]

Well! The guards are pieces of crap.   Ummm, the fe ones on the blue car are really good though, so its just the peaks that need doing on those, but there is more fly wire in the peaks on the FC that I think I could re screen the back door   So i got to work on hacking away at it and got one of the peaks ready to go in. The peak is so old that it too needs a blast. Not sure if the other guards are worth keeping. Can you get the section at the bottom, i know u can with the others?

[fe350chev]

Well, out of winter hibernation, first day of summer is still too cold, but have made some progress. However, I am being too fastidious and my quick rebuild turned to shit again last night as I got carried away and removed all of the quarter windows and doors from the taxi and sent them to the blaster to get inners and channels done. I have also stripped the front suspension and ordered all of the parts needed for a complete front end resto and also had all the salvageable parts blasted and etched. New shocks, king pins, lowered springs and bushes etc are all on the way! Didn't go power coat because its not original so just gunna paint this in black. My other car I'll powder coat it's HR front end. Have a fair few other bits and pieces at blasters now - boot, bonnet, front sections, grille support, hinges etc. Seats are out, interior all stripped. This is now not a "quick get on the road" build, this has turned into a full resto jobby. I am officially a crazy idiot, but why go to all the trouble and not do it properly. Being a taxi which had no prangs and in such good condition, I think I need to do it some justice.