Hello from Bedfordshire!

Mr Taxi · Hello from Bedfordshire!

Hello, I just joined here. I found this site through a contact on flickr (Gary).

My name is Robert, and I live in Bedford, UK. I drive a van delivering parcels for a courier company. I called myself Mr Taxi becuse I'm nuts about London taxis, as well as other cars and buses. I owned a Fairway London taxi until quite recently when I had to sell it because running two cars ain't cheap! I have a Smart Forfour which is a great car and I am very pleased with it. Not sure what to say about my model car interests, I don't collect any particular type of car or any particular scale. I just buy what catches my eye, and I like to do conversions and modifications to models as well. I have some photos of my collection on flickr, here's a link.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ragtag04/sets/72157594516067856/

Mr.Blunden

Welcome to the forum, a taxi enthusiast should fit right in here, there are many forum members very proud of their model taxi's...

Dave Parker

You've certainly come to the right place. You have some really good models there. I particularly like the conversion of the routemaster bus to breakdown vehicle.

scotty

I know who to call when i need a lift now

hope you enjoy your stay with us

MISTER C

Hello

and

hope you enjoy your stay,and yes i like the "Bobs wrecker" good to have you join us AND introduce yourself

Mr Taxi

Thanks for the warm welcome, I feel at home here already!

scotty

ALI-G

in it

stu57

Welcome to this great site...............very informative, looks like you have a great collection, I have the Corgi Austin Taxi thats in for renovation pictures will follow when its finished
I would also like to do a real colourful model.....one for another day perhaps.

enjoy!!!!!

keesie25 · hi

Hi Robert, sorry I replied a bit late, but I was away to a toyfair......
Great to have you here. I am curious about your own makes, and also took a look at the pictures of your collection, some nice, some wierd, some funny!

Duncan

Hello &

to the forum Robert. Great to have you with us - great photos!!!

Gaz

Hi Robert, I'm glad you decided to join us as I think you might just fit in here. I must upload my other taxi's onto my site someday. As you know, I also have a "healthy" love of Taxi's, mainly 1:36 scale. Thank you for introducing yourself as it's always nice to know a little about the person your speaking to. I'll look forward to exchanging posts.

Mark G

Mr Taxi!!

:cool photos:

from a fellow Bedfordshire man! Well done on joining the forum! Best decision to make with your interests! So you must be a regular at Bedford toyfair then!

Loved your photos - many there I've never seen!! I loved all the type 3 VW's I've just restored a Dinky 1600TL, photos of which will be coming soon!

Is that red Rolls Royce a plastic kit?? Never seen that before - What scale is it? Bet those wheels would make the purists toes curl!!

Love your modifcations and the U.S Diner diorama and bus garages!

Something in your collection for everyones tastes!! We have bus fans, and banger racer fans and beach buggy fans on here aswell!

Also what are those U.S cars? Are they 1/24 scale, the Ford Pinto, AMC Gremlin, and others, they look excellent!

Mr Taxi · Thanks!

Thanks again to everyone for the warm welcome!

A few questions there I will try to answer. The Rolls Royce was a kit in 1/25th scale, can't remember what make it was though. I bought a Franklin Mint model of the Bentley which is the same body shape as the Silver Cloud, so I have a very nice model of the standard car and a pimped out custom version parked next to it in the same scale! I have been to the Bedford toyfair a few times, when's it on next? The Gremlin and the Pinto are made by Motormax in 1/25 scale and I got them from the States through ebay. They are very nice models of cars that are often overlooked.

The bus garage is filling up with new additions to the fleet a bit too quickly! I really like it, models seem to come to life when they have some scale scenery behind them. Unfortunately, the American Diner model was demolished during a house move.

Good job I took some photos of it...

My current projects are a convertible version of the London taxi, an EFE Plaxton Panorama coach that's being rebuilt as a racing car transporter, and a Porche 917 conversion of my own design that the purists definitely wouldn't like

Mark G

Don't know yet when the next Bedford toyfair will be but will keep checking!

keesie25 · toyfair

Hey Mr Taxi, I warn you. Don't meet up with certain members here on a toyfair. Avoid mingling with them, they have a bad influence.

Mr Taxi

Thanks for the warning keesie! I guess I'd better be careful

Ken R

Robert (Mr Taxi), not a million miles away from me here in Cambridgeshire, you'll have to try and get over to a Huntingdon fair sometime.

Nile · Mr. Taxi

Welcome to the forum from the U.S. I have a story about taxis.

I was a visitor in the U.K. a few years ago and I was intrigued about the cleanliness and the professionalism of the taxi drivers. I could not wait to get to London to do a taxi. Taxis are a dreaded thing in the states. Mostly foreigners with no direction, knowledge or navigation of the city, dirty, crazy drivers and expensive. I entered a taxi in London and was met with an interior cleaner than my house. The driver was mannerly and knew the city. I got into a conversation with him and I happened to say to him, "Has anyone ever told you that you are driving on the wrong side of the road?" He said, "No, we're not. Our country is older than yours; you're driving on the wrong side of the road!!"

And again welcome, you will have a good time here.

Spenny

MR TAXI, you have a nice cross selection including the tube trains and the tranny ice cream van is good too as is the routemaster recovery.

what chassis did you use for that?

keesie25

Nice little taxi-story Nile, thanks!

kitkatman

Hello and

Robert, sorry its a bit late, been away for the night just got back. Great photo's by the way. Glad you've joined us, hope you enjoy yourself!

james_autos

Robert! I've just been looking at your pics on Flickr, and there's some really nice stuff on there. I particuarly like your Corgi Ice-Cream van conversion. Superb work there

Mr Taxi

Wow, what a welcome from you all!

I think I've come to the right place, it's great to meet so many people with similar interests to mine. Thanks for the taxi story Nile, it's interesting to hear how people who live outside the UK enjoy their visits to London, good to know that the London cabbie still has such a good reputation! I fancied becoming London cabbie for a while, but the studying for years to pass 'the knowledge' put me off. I've taken taxis in New York and I know what you mean about it not being a great experience

Thanks also for the positive comments about my models. I'm really pleased with the Routemaster recovery truck and the ice cream Transit, glad you like them too

I'm fascinated to see the restoration and conversion work done by other people on this forum, lots of very talented people here!

Can't believe I didn't find this place sooner!

bulldog_68

Hay Mr Taxi i like these>

Mr Taxi

Sorry for the delay in my reply, I haven't been back to this post in a while!
Thanks Bulldog, I had great fun building those two. Especially since the truck in the background of the picture came from a car boot sale for 20p

I reckon these two would look at home parked at a remote gas station somewhere in the USA, with tumbleweeds blowing by...

Hello from Bedfordshire!

hi

Thanks!

toyfair

Mr. Taxi