As someone who’s had a thing for Checker Marathons for a long time, this find sent it by expert finder Rocco B. sent my heart beating quickly. Unfortunately, these cars have been in this lot in the same place in Gardena, California for over 30 years. You can find them for $100 each (!) here on craigslist, or as the seller suggests just make them an offer!
It looks like #157 and #61 below came from the same cab company based on the color and numbering scheme. Due to the dips in the front bumpers and the lack of side marker lights, by looking over this guide I can see that they date from 1962-1968. The seller tells us that none of these cars are complete, and I think I’d be looking at picking up all four if I were serious about putting any of them back on the road.
This car and the light blue one below are later models, as best as I can tell they were built between 1974 and the end of Marathon production in 1982. Those massive bumpers are aluminum; I’m surprised they haven’t been recycled by now!
I think I like the look of the earlier bumpers better. What do you think?
Since most Checkers were equipped with GM six or eight-cylinder engines and off-the-shelf automatic transmissions, even if the powertrains are completely shot it wouldn’t be hard to find replacement components. If you were to choose one based on only these pictures to put back on the road, which would be your leading candidate? And no “none of the above” votes allowed!
Make an offer for $350 and take all four. Use all of them to make one good one. I had the opportunity to drive a civilian Checker back in 1985 for a 20 mile spin. Silver with black interior. Very cool cars.
Scrap has been up lately….you could double yer money on one or all….
LS swap!
Prius swap!
Those MASSIVE front bumpers on those later cars look more like a roadway guard rail, than a bumper! The earlier front bumpers definitely had more style, especially with the center dip and the bumperettes.
Those are not 5mph government mandated bumpers. Those are 40mph bumpers.
i liked the wagon U had here earlier…
Theres a british fairways fx4/5 in the top picture (the uininformed call them a london taxi) Wonder how many are stateside
I had an AUSTIN FX4 London Black Cab and I think that’s what the pictured car is, probably BMC diesel powered. At least parts are available.
And it’s a very old one, with bunny ear indicators and small rear lamps, 1969 or earlier.
Hopefully someone can make one out of the four…
When I was a child, a family we knew had a Checker Marathon the mom drove and a 68 Country Squire that was the Dad’s. The Checker got replaced by a ’75 BMW 2002 and the Ford became Moms car until it was traded for a new 77 Suburban. Another family owned one years later and when it rusted out, they offered it to me cheap. A grey tank I seem to remember was extended somehow. Would be nice to see someone make at least one nice car out of these.
Same here. grew up with a kid whose family only drove Checkers…this was the mid to late sixties….they were so big I loved it when his Mom took up places. I loved the jumped seats in the NYC taxis dont recall whether the civilian version had jump seats.
I was a police officer in MA for many years. There was a place right off of route 495 where I used to have to bring cruisers for signal equipment upfitting. The folks that ran the place were obsessed with Checkers and I believe they did “resto rods” with them. There was always one or two pristine cars around their workshop. Should have asked to look at them while I could.
hi, was just going to suggest to make one outrageous rod out of one of them, keep it school bus yellow and have a ball
while I was away, got thinking of course, use the nicer of them all, keep it looking as stock as possible ( a sleeper, duh!) but, have the ” quiet” exhaust on it maybe have hiway gears on it and blow by the performance cars of today ,I can imagine the surprised look on their faces , or of course get into street racin’ . a couple of my friends have these outrageous ideas for these teeny cars, but, bet they never thought of this!
Just get one running and stopping. It can’t rattle anymore than when it was in service. I remember riding in Checkers at army bases in the late 1960’s. They could vibrate like a shaking wet dog. Anything could be replaced with two wrenches and a hammer. These most likely had ac; should be all easily obtainable parts.
Not that Checkers were ever attractive, but those guardrail bumpers on the later ones made them even uglier.
Way back in the day, one of my high school teachers had a maroon civilian one.
I was taxi driver in NYC one summer while I was in college. I made sure to pick a company with Checkers which offered far more leg room than any other taxis. If you think those bumpers were bad we got rubber ones filled with water. That actually came in handy when I fell asleep at a red light, no damage just a big puddle. I decided at that point I’d had enough of driving professionally.
Mechanically Checkers are engineered to go half a million miles. Thing is you have to really hurry to do that because they rust out very quickly. Not Vega quickly but still a short time.
Saw a Checker at a car several years ago, had bee restored as NYC Checker Cab. What impressed me was the amount of room for the passengers in the back seat. Impressive machine….
Gey one up and running and start driving for UBER. They were much like the old fin tail Mercedes, you just couldn’t hurt them. We once had an Anglican assistant priest that drove one that was propane powered. Lot room,to say the least.
My father bought a civilian Marathon because there were five kids. Thing was huge and even had the jump seats. Over bumps it did shake, rattle and roll (twist). He then upgraded to a Checker wagon which was bigger than a pickup but hauled a lot of stuff on vacation. There is a beautiful restored blue Marathon somewhere in Westchester County, NY.
Straight axle gasser with a non chevy eng like a nailhead buick–something way different….
Good luck to the new owner looks like a fun project!!
George- Uber has rules about how old your car can be to drive for them. They don’t want you picking up a customer in a jalopy. I think that the cut off is 5 years.
If that is the case most taxis are absolutely geriatric. And if a car 5 years or less it seems you must have money to be a Uber driver or at least more than I have. My newest car is 21 years old.
Greetings All,
I knew someone who bought not one, but two of these as new cars at different times.
They drove nicely, reminded me of my Fintail Mercedes. One of his was a plain Jane interior with no carpets but it had PS, AC and automatic. It also had jump seats.
The other one went to a trim shop before he picked it up.
These things were built. Sorry to see they went out.
I’d see about saving all four.
500 for all, my parents used to own Checkers back in the 1970’s, 1980’s.
If you can get past rehabbin’ the body, which I think might take more time than money given it’s straight, boxy and bloated. Then why not consider some sort of diesel mill with a turbo on it, with maybe a 6 speed tranny mated to a 2 speed IRS with ahi-lo speed rear end and some other speed equipment to turn it into a true “sleeper,” that’d run damn near forever, and maybe even terrorize the neighborhood.
Great cars from a Great Co! Checker were NYC cabs for almost 50 years. Chevy 250/6 or 350 V8/Turbo 350 trans were workhorses and common to run 300-500k miles on NYC potholed streets. Think 1970s NYC potholes and streets! :0
Easily fits a 454 BB Chevy transplant. They would make cool retro customs.
Just a little clarification, Marathons were civilian cars, the taxis were A- Series A followed by a 2 digit number. I had a 1970 Marathon that i wish i still had. Drove taxi in Manhattan during college when Checkers were a year from extinction.
I’d take a pre cow catcher bumper one with a 6.
My vehicular spirit animal.
Great thing about these, all four fenders are bolt on, rather than just the front ones with the rears welded like other cars. Still a great idea.
We grew up with a “69 Checker Marathon. Great car with a great history.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Checker_Motors_Corporation
http://www.checkermotorcars.com
http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2010/04/an-illustrated-history-of-checker-motors/
They DID make these cars for private sale. You CAN get a nice one somewhere I’m sure, which hasn’t been pounded to bits in taxi service. You could even get power windows I think.