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Face it: From the late 1950s to the early 1980s, American automobiles hardly changed at all. Sure, designs gradually evolved toward sleeker, lower cars; safety equipment came around; a few economy cars shook things up here and there; convertibles disappeared for a little while. But by and large, the slab-sided, carbureted, rear-wheel-drive, perimeter-framed coupes, sedans and station wagons remained just as big, just as chiseled, just as Neanderthal in their design for those three or four decades. The rest of the world called them Yank Tanks and we Americans never once thought of that as an insult.
Checker might as well have taken that phrase as its slogan and worn it proudly. The company took that lack of change during this period seriously, almost to the level of religious zeal. When the hottest trend in automobile design was glitzy chrome and sky-high fins, Checker didn't change. When square headlamps replaced round ones, Checker didn't change. When high horsepower and then lower emissions had the automobile industry in a frenzy, Checker hardly changed. But when the automobile industry began a wholesale change toward unibody, front-wheel-drive, fuel-injected econoboxes, Checker looked at its options and shut down the assembly line.
One would make a mistake, though, by claiming that Checker resisted change entirely from 1959 to 1982. After all, the company built several unsuccessful prototype replacements in the late 1970s, and, while the overall design and architecture of both its civilian and fleet cars remained the same in that period, tweaks to the design, a number of different engines and several derivative models kept the Checker fresh.
Checker did build cars for public consumption alongside taxis during its early years. But the company would focus mainly on taxis for the next 35 years or so, building a reputation for durability, while simultaneously building huge fleets of cars in Chicago, New York City, Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio, that looked an awful lot like GM products starting in 1947. The A8 that Checker introduced in late 1955 brought not only a fresh face, but the concept of competition to the taxi market, as cities across the United States began to allow modified passenger cars from the major manufacturers to operate as taxis.
According to Joe Fay, past president of the Checker Car Club of America, Checker actually began civilian sales as early as 1947, "but all sales were via Factory Zone offices," he said. "The 1956 A8 was also offered to the consumer market in a limited way. Motor Trend did a test drive for 1957 as did Consumer Reports. And 1959 saw limited marketing in the Northeast." But not until the spring of 1960 would Checker finally roll out a nationwide dealer network.
Propane V-6 became available in 1982; joined gas and diesel engines
The year before, the Model A9 debuted Checker's quad-headlamp treatment that made the car look like a stodgy 1958 Chevrolet, but Checker gave the A10 a new name (Superba, then Marathon in 1961) and a station wagon version to accompany the four-door sedan. Sales rose--to a high of 8,173 in 1962--but once again began a slow decline that lasted until the late 1970s. Though civilian sales continued to decline--to 270 in 1979, the last year with published civilian statistics--taxi sales galloped, and Checker started to build subassemblies for General Motors. Former GM president Ed Cole signed on to lead the company in late 1976 or early 1977, but died in a plane crash a few months later.
That seemed to pull all the wind out of Checker's sails in terms of automobile production. Five years after Cole's death, Checker ceased production of its taxis and civilian models, remaining in business in Kalamazoo stamping body panels for other manufacturers.
Checker's insistence on the reliability of its cars has proven a double-edged sword for the cars' fates, according to Ben Merkel, the owner of our featured 1982 Checker A11 and a prominent Checker collector whom we profiled in HCC #7. On one hand, it earned the cars much fame, especially in their taxi guises. On the other, it put the cars in the care of ham-fisted drivers and mechanics who thought the sturdiness of the car would make them last forever, so they beat on the cars--both taxi and civilian versions--mercilessly, leading to a low survival rate. Add in the already low production numbers (Checker averaged about 4,200 cars per year during its last decade) and finding one today becomes that much more difficult.
While fleet use of Checkers has dwindled off to about zero nowadays--and thus the ability to buy a retired taxi straight from its fleet has about dried up as well--civilian Checkers remain in circulation. Ben estimated that about 2,000 Checkers of all types survive today. Buying one, however, requires a bit of understanding to cut through the myths perpetrated about the Checker.
ENGINE
The first A10s sold for civilian use came with 226-cu.in. Continental L-head straight-six engines, similar to the ones that Kaiser-Frazer used, good for about 80hp. The engines used four main bearings, solid valve lifters and a one-barrel Carter downdraft carburetor. By 1960, Checker made an overhead-valve version of that same Continental engine available. It used the same carburetor, same four-main-bearing block, same cubic-inch displacement, but made 42 more horsepower than its L-head sibling. In 1963, Checker added a Rochester 2GC two-barrel carburetor to the overhead-valve six-cylinder, boosting horsepower from 122 to 141. But the Continental six-cylinder engine would not last much longer in the Checker.
In 1963 and 1964, Checker used a Chrysler-supplied 318-cu.in. V-8 to move around all the mass of its recently introduced Aerobus, as well as a few Chrysler slant-six engines in taxis. But by 1965, Checker would switch entire-ly to Chevrolet engines, adopting the seven-main-bearing, one-barrel, 140hp 230-cu.in. straight-six as the base engine and the 195hp, two-barrel 327-cu.in. V-8 as the optional engine. The new base engine shaved 125 pounds from the front of the car, putting it about even with the contemporary six-cylinder Chevrolet Biscayne in terms of weight. A year later, the four-barrel, 250hp, 327-cu.in. V-8 became the top engine option, and the 300hp 350 found its way into Checkers in 1969.
Checker from then on aped Chevrolet's moves with the straight-six and V-8 engines. By 1971, the 250 six-cylinder had become standard, with the 350 the only optional engine. Horsepower ratings and compression ratios fluctuated with the addition of smog equipment and engine tweaks over the next several years. In 1977, Chevrolet's 305-cu.in. V-8 entered the lineup, then in 1979, became the base engine as Chevrolet restricted the six-cylinder to truck applications.
A flurry of engine changes took place in the last few years of Checker automobile production. The 3.8-liter 90-degree Chevrolet V-6 became the base engine in 1980, the same year the gasoline 350-cu.in. small-block V-8 took a powder from Checkers. Also that year, the 120hp, 267-cu.in. V-8 became the base V-8 engine. By 1982, the 267 became the top engine choice.
Yet Checker did become an early adopter of alternative fuels. As early as 1966, Checker began to install Perkins 4.2-liter four-cylinder diesel engines, staking a claim as the first American automobile manufacturer to offer a diesel and allegedly returning 30 miles to the gallon at the time. That Perkins diesel lasted just one year in the domestic market, but in 1979, Checker made optional the Oldsmobile 350-cu.in. diesel V-8--which could return 23 mpg in the city and 28 on the highway. Gaseous fuel was also an option--our feature car uses a liquefied petroleum gas (propane) version of the 3.8-liter V-6, a version that Checker made available from the factory only in 1982, for $275.
Aside from the smog equipment that started to appear in 1968, Ben said the only major engine glitches came late in the production of the cars. "The 1980 and 1981 V-6s were the only application coupled to a Turbo 400, and they used some funky starter brackets that can come loose," he said. "And the 1981-1982 GM computer-controlled carbs are horrible--most people convert to 1980 carbs."
TRANSMISSION
While Checker offered a Warner Gear three-speed manual transmission with non-synchromesh first gear as the standard transmission for several years, it also made an overdrive version of that same transmission available as well as a Borg-Warner two-speed automatic similar to what Ford and AMC used at the time. The automatic became the standard transmission in late 1969, and Ben warns that they can be problematic unless taken to somebody experienced in those specific transmissions.
In about mid-1973, though, Checker substituted the brawny GM-built Turbo Hydra-Matic 400 three-speed automatic transmission for the Borg-Warner unit. The Turbo 400, well regarded among Chevrolet fans for its durability and ease of maintenance, would last as the sole transmission through 1982.
SUSPENSION AND CHASSIS
Knowing its taxis would have to face the nastiest of New York City potholes, Checker stuck with the body-on-frame design throughout the car's life and overbuilt everything under the body pucks.
Checker maintained the 120-inch wheelbase of the standard four-doors and station wagons for the entire life of civilian production. However, long-wheelbase (at 129 inches) versions appeared in 1963 (denoted by an E in the model number, A-11E, A-12E) and lasted through 1982. Frames used double-channel construction and an X-brace to handle the rigors of taxiing.
The Dana 44 rear axle that Checker used from about 1968-on generally has a bulletproof reputation behind anything short of a Hemi. Checker made a variety of axle ratios available, from the standard 2.72:1 to as deep as 3.73:1, and also made limited-slip devices available under the Trac-Lok name. Ben said he generally replaces the Spicer axle that Checker used before 1968 in favor of the stronger Dana axle.
The solid rear axle hung from parallel five-leaf-pack semi-elliptic leaf springs. The independent front suspension consisted of coil springs with double A-arms and an anti-roll bar. The front suspension copies the suspension of a 1954-'56 Ford in nearly every aspect. "It's exactly the same down to the bushings," Ben said. "The lower control arms are slightly different, but you could take the upper control arms off a Checker and bolt them straight to a 1956 Ford."
Power steering, using a Saginaw box, and power brakes came as rather inexpensive options ($64 and $433, respectively) when civilian production started, but in 1965, Checker made both standard on its eight-passenger sedans and extended-wheelbase Town Customs. Power front disc brakes, of the same design as contemporary Chevrolet pickups and vans, would become standard across the model lineup in 1972. Power steering followed in 1973.
Joe Pollard, who supplies Checker parts through his company, CheckerParts.com, said while chassis parts usually had the same dimensions as parts from other manufacturers, Checker specified heavier-duty versions from its suppliers. "Checker actually warned mechanics that while another part might fit and work, it wouldn't last as long as the Checker-supplied part," Joe said. "While the steering box looked the same as a Chevy box from the outside, Checker specified something completely different on the inside."
BODY AND INTERIOR
Checker designed its cars for quick service, thus fenders and bumpers easily bolted on and off and body parts easily interchanged throughout the model years. In fact, a 1980 brochure boasts: "Checkers are built so you can cannibalize 'em when necessary!" Windshields did increase in size around 1968, the same year federally mandated safety equipment appeared on the cars. But wing windows, which went out of vogue in the late 1960s and early 1970s, remained on the Checker through the end.
In addition to the station wagon and the four-door, Checker built a variety of odd bodies for specialty markets, most notably the Aerobuses in both six- and eight-door configuration, which lasted from 1961 to 1977, but were available afterward by special order.
The early 1970s marked a turning point for build quality of the cars. Cheaper steel, thinner glass and aluminum bumpers, rather than chromed steel bumpers, began to show up in the cars around 1973. "They rusted a lot more after changing to lighter steel," Ben said. "I've had some older ones hold together twice as long as some of the newer ones. And any part of the car is likely to rust--there's no one area that's more susceptible than others." He noted that Checker did start to galvanize its steel body panels in late 1980, but the company commonly misapplied or underapplied the galvanization.
Checker would build your civilian car in pretty much any configuration you specified. Buyers could select from a significant palette of paint colors or suggest one of their own. Vinyl tops, opera windows and custom upholstery inhabited the option list. You could even order up your civilian Checker to look like a fleet taxi, as Ben did--simply check off the yellow paint code, then option up the Cab trim code ($20), Checker decals ($45), roof lamp ($26.50), meter ($58.50) and interior divider ($592).
RESTORATION PARTS
Other than fiberglass fenders, windshields and new rubber and weatherstripping, virtually nothing (outside of, of course, the common Chevrolet engine and GM transmission parts) for these cars is available as a reproduction. "An NOS outer fender now costs $1,200--an inner fender $550," Ben told us. "And the insurance companies will gobble all those up soon, so there is essentially no more new sheetmetal available for these cars, and there won't be any more. It's going to be a real headache to own one of these cars when it gets smashed up or rusty."
Used parts still exist in quantities enough to restore a car, with some specific pieces somewhat harder to find than others. "I have a guy coming out here to Ohio from Brooklyn to get a decent used hood for a 1977 model, and they used to be all around him out there," Ben said. "But any restoration shop can do it as long as they get the parts. They're still pretty simple cars."
Specialists
CheckerParts.com
Chatsworth, California
818-999-1485
joe@checkerparts.com
Turnpike Super Service
Middletown, New York
845-343-2224
Twilite Taxi Parts
Middlefield, Ohio
440-632-9624
twilitetaxiinc@nls.net
Wayne Brown Jr.
Paris, Kentucky
859-987-6160
Club Scene
Checker Car Club of America
2616 Kopson Court
Bloomfield Hills, Michigan 48304
248-334-4291
www.checkertaxistand.com
Dues: $25/year; Membership: 550
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Photo: Terry McGean
The revived and revised Hemmings Cruise-Ins entered their third year in downtown Bennington, Vermont, on Thursday, May 17, 2024. Moderate temperatures and mostly sunny skies gave cruisers and spectators a wonderful evening of strolling among the 119 special-interest vehicles in attendance.
Hemmings Cruise Nights are always a fascinating mix of classics, muscle cars, hot rods, trucks, vans, and the downright unusual. Three of last night’s participants also took home a trophy: One for Favorite Car, one for Favorite Truck, and our Harlan Kip Memorial Best in Show award, for the vehicle of any type that makes the best impression overall on our judges. See those winners in the list below.
The season’s next cruise night is scheduled for Thursday, June 20, 2024. Main Street parking for cruisers begins at 5:00 p.m. and the street re-opens to traffic at 8:00p.m. For directions and other information, visit https://www.hemmings.com/event/cruise-ins.
Photo: Terry McGean
When we first spotted the '70 Cutlass SX owned by Alan and Isabelle Hadley, we didn't realize how unusual it was. The SX was an upgrade package intended to add luxury to the Cutlass, and came with a 455 engine, but usually with a two-barrel carb. However, this one—according to the build sheet Alan showed us—was optioned further with the W32 performance version of the 455 along with FE2 Rally Suspension, 3.08 Positraction rear axle, console with Hurst Dual-Gate shifter, extra-cost Rally Red paint, and Super Stock II wheels. The result was essentially a thinly veiled 4-4-2. -Terry McGean
Photo: Dave Conwill
<p>This 1974 Volkswagen Type 2 van belongs to Ken Galo of North Clarendon, Vermont. Ken had a repair shop for years and he is recently retired. He purchased this van from a former customer, and he had done considerable maintenance on it over the ten years before he bought it. That customer was the third owner and had purchased it from Oklahoma. Ken was drawn to it because of its rust-free condition. He says he regularly takes it out for ice cream and local shows. He puts a thousand miles a year on it, and he drove it down from near Rutland. -<em>Dave Conwill </em></p>
Photo: Mark J. McCourt
<p>It was really fun to see the beautifully preserved 1991 Subaru XT6 belonging to West Rutland, Vermont's John Ellis. This wedgy sports coupe, with its colorful upholstery and two-spoke steering wheel, dates from the era before Subaru was a mainstream brand, but it carries two things any modern Subaru owner would recognize: all-wheel drive and a horizontally opposed engine. -<em>Mark J. McCourt </em></p>
Photo: Terry McGean
Victor St. Peter of Shaftsbury, Vermont (right) talks bikes with Hemmings' Junior Nevison while the two look over the 1974 Honda 750 Four Victor recently acquired from its original owner. The Honda has 9,400 original miles and runs great according to Victor, who says he'll be rolling the odometer up a bit further this summer. -Terry McGean
Photo: Dave Conwill
<p>A 1955 Buick Special is an unusual site these days, but particularly interesting. Was this one brought down from Schaghticoke, New York, by owner Tom Plasse. He's owned the Buick for 9 or 10 years now. The paint was already done when he purchased it but he's done all of the other work including custom pinstriping and seat covers in the interior, plus some tweaks to the 264-cu.in. Nailhead V-8 to get it run more to his satisfaction. -<em>Dave Conwill</em></p>
Photo: Dave Conwill
<p>Up from Williamstown Massachusetts was long-time friend of Hemmings Don Rancatti. Don often brings a Nash Ambassador to our shows, but this evening had a 1949 Cadillac fastback which he's owned since the late 1990s. originally sold new in New York City, the car seems to have spent many years in Texas before moving to Illinois and finally to Massachusetts. Don says the Cadillac was not rusted at all but needed paint. He said the bodywork was done extremely well by some unknown previous craftsman. The headliner; 160-hp, 331-cu.in. V-8 engine; and Hydra-Matic transmission all remain original. Don says the car drives nice even though it does not have power steering. -<em>Dave Conwill </em></p>
Photo: Mark J. McCourt
<p>We had a couple of turbocharged Swedish visitors in Bennington, built 30 years apart. The 1978 Saab 99 with the 2.0-liter four and four-speed manual, and the wild wrap covering its Cardinal Red paint, belongs to Boston resident Syd Cummings; the 2008 Saab 9-3 Aero convertible wearing a 2012 Griffin grille, behind which sits a 2.8-liter V-6 and 6-speed automatic, came all the way from Michigan with Case Van Kempen at the wheel. -<em>Mark J. McCourt </em></p>
Photo: Terry McGean
This '55 Chrysler 300 looked great, but concealed a surprise in that it was mounted over a 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat--not just the drivetrain, but then entire chassis. It belongs to Paul White, who also owns the '49 Chevy behind it. Paul (far right) builds hot rods at his shop, Back Bay Customs in Portland, Maine, with help from friends Stanley Stevens (center) and Bill Richards. The Chrysler made the trip to Vermont under its own power—all 707 hp— for our kick-off Cruise Night, and later received Hemmings' Harlan Kip Best in Show award for the night. -Terry McGean
Photo: Dave Conwill
<p>We've yet to meet everyone with a Ford luxury car of the so-called Malaise Era who hasn't absolutely loved it. Jerry Wawrzyniak of Corinth, New York, was no exception. He has had this 1978 Lincoln Continental with Town Car trim for 7 years now. It still sports its original paint, interior and drivetrain but Jerry had the vinyl top and padding restored by a shop in Albany after five other shops had declined to do the work. He says the car 19-foot, 4-inch car rides "unbelievably" since it has a wheelbase "like a Greyhound bus." He says it's easy to maintain because the entire drivetrain is all-Ford. It's a regular at dinner date nights, airport pickups, train station drop offs, proms weddings and other celebrations. Jerry says he drives it every other day in nice weather. -<em>Dave Conwill </em></p>
Photo: Terry McGean
Mark and Lisa Shea of Bennington are regular Cruise Night attendees, each often bringing a vehicle to display. On this night, Mark brought out his '65 GTO, looking sharp with its Tri-Power air cleaners gleaming in the setting sunlight, along with period upgrades like Hurst mags and white-letter Wide Oval tires. -Terry McGean
Photo: Dave Conwill
<p>Does anyone know Gene Charney of Wilmington, Vermont? We missed him, but he's apparently owned this 1974 Ford F-250 Custom Cab Styleside since new. It's got the 375-hp, 460-cu.in. 4-V "regular fuel" V-8 and has racked up a mere 133,000 miles over its lifetime. It's clear Gene takes pride in his truck and we'd love to know more about it. – <em>Dave Conwill </em></p>
Photo: Mark J. McCourt
<p>It was great to see our friend Jerry Mattison's incredibly restored, crowd-pleasing 1956 Dodge C3 Power Wagon, which starred in a <a href="https://www.hemmings.com/stories/restoration-1956-dodge-power-wagon/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">2022 Hemmings Motor News feature</a>. Jerry drove the Dodge (slowly!) to Bennington from his home in nearby Glastenbury. While this truck has gone further afield to win prestigious concours awards since its four-year, ground-up restoration was completed, it has always been local to southwestern Vermont. -<em>Mark J. McCourt</em></p>
Photo: Terry McGean
<p><strong></strong>A few years ago, David Townsend bought a '64 Jaguar XKE online and had it shipped from California to his home in Scotia, New York, with the assurance that it was an very solid car that just had a Chevy drivetrain transplant. However, as soon as it came off the transport truck, it was evident that the Jag had many issues. "All the Jag stuff was gone, so I figured the only way to make it right was to do it over my way," David told us. So, he completely rebuilt the car, building a frame for it and mounting a Toyota 2JZ-GTE inline six. The twin-turbo engine is well known among fans of Japanese performance cars for its power potential, but still makes the right sounds for a vintage E-Type. <em>-Terry McGean</em></p>
Photo: Dave Conwill
<p>The Ford F-series began with the single-digit F's of 1948-'52. This 1950 Ford F1 is a beautiful example of the half-ton model. It's powered by Ford's legendary 239-cu.in. flathead V-8. It belongs to Randall Kavett of Orwell, Vermont. Unfortunately, Randall wasn't around to tell us more about the story of this patinaed beauty, but it appeared to be a great mix of restored surfaces and preserved original. -<em>Dave Conwill </em></p>
Photo: Terry McGean
Ken Townsend has been working on his '49 Ford F1 pickup for the past four years, rebuilding it into an updated cruiser ready to go wherever. To that end, he mounted a Mustang II front suspension, a Ford 9-inch rear axle, and used a GM 4.8-liter Gen III V-8 engine along with its 4L60E four-speed automatic. "I was able to buy the engine for $400—it runs like a top!" Ken said when asked what made him choose the littlest LS. That color is Light Tundra Metallic, from an '03 Lincoln. Ken told us he and his friends finished the Ford project just hours before leaving for our Cruise Night, and on its first outing, the Ford garnered our Editor's Choice: Favorite Truck award for the evening. -Terry McGean
Photo: Mark J. McCourt
<p>Our "Editor's Choice: Favorite Car" award winner of the May 16 Cruise-In is this incredible 1986 Lincoln Mark VII belonging to Elijah Kaznozki, who along with his father, Derek, drove the Mark all the way to Vermont this morning from their home in Martinsburg, West Virginia -a seven-hour trip- to attend this event. The head-turning American luxury coupe has a mere 60,000 miles on the odometer and it's been a father-son refurbishment project since they purchased it in 2020. "It was in good condition, but a bit tired," Elijah says. "We've been working on it, tuning up the 5.0-liter V-8 and troubleshooting any issues that arise. We refinished the alloy wheels, and my dad restored the steering wheel." The Kaznozkis tell us this trip was the first time they've driven the car more than two hours from home, something they've long wanted to do, and it was an entirely pleasurable experience. "It's not an LSC, so it doesn't have a firm suspension... you'll never find anything today that rides so nicely," Elijah says with a smile. -<em>Mark J. McCourt </em></p>
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Photo: Unknown photographer
Help, Readers: Does anyone know the location or backstory here? How about a make and model for the unfortunate sedan? The hanging BankAmericard sign tells us that the overall scene was photographed no earlier than 1958, when Bank of America unleashed the first consumer credit cards (onto Fresno, California, residents, exclusively). A misspelled "morining" and overlapping rear tire are suspicious. Our low-quality 8x10 is a commercial copy print that predates graphics software. Any image trickery would've been performed literally by hand, using physical tools to cut and paste and paint. What do you think?
Date: Unknown, no earlier than 1958
Location: Sorry, don't know that either!
Source: Wallace Family Archive
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