For more than 20 years, Checker Motors supplied major U.S. cities with flocks of taxi cabs. The Checker “Taxi” was produced between 1961 and 1982, and some may still be in service today because they ran forever. The seller’s 1978 edition is nothing like it was during its “Yellow Cab” days, including possession of a new and blueprinted 396 cubic inch V8. Located near Kansas City, Kansas, this powerful box on wheels is available here on craigslist for $37,000. How does T.J. keep finding tips like this for us?
The Checker Taxi and Marathon (the version sold occasionally to John Q. Public) were built like Sherman tanks. They were spacious, simple, and changed little during their two-decade run. Propulsion was usually supplied by Chevrolet, and we’re guessing the seller’s Checker started life with a 305 V8 and a TH-350 automatic transmission. Most of these vehicles saw hundreds of thousands of miles of use before finding their way to the junkyard. Their heavy service is why you don’t run across one of these very often, at least in this condition.
This Taxi/Marathon looks nothing like it did way back when. Instead of bright yellow paint (in most cases), it sports a grey/blue finish, which we’re told is older. There is no rust, so the machine seems to present well. The odometer reads 28,500 miles, but that easily could be 128,000, 228,000, or more. Still using its break-in oil, this Checker’s 396 V8 is a piece of art and probably took a small fortune to build and have blueprinted. The horsepower output isn’t known.
Replacing the original TH-350 is an automatic TH-400, which may be as fresh as the motor. We’re told the beast runs and drives great, and we can’t help but wonder how fast this heavy machine would be able to turn in quarter-mile numbers. This vehicle is likely the most expensive Checker you’re likely to run across, so the question will be “Is it worth it?”
I really like Checkers. These were cars, that were built like trucks!!! The fact that a Joe Average could actually buy one for themselves is something else. I would have to say this is the first one I ever saw with a big block Chevy in it!!! Just picturing a Checker Marathon smoking the tires off the rims at a stop light is kind of hilarious. Love what they did here. And the car looks solid too. I’ve always wanted a Checker. This would be a good possible candidate for sure.
You still haven’t seen one with a big block.
Steve R
That’s no big block.
A local car guy has an even rarer station wagon still in taxi livery that he brings to shows in the area
There is a nice non running 66 Checker Marathon wagon relisted on eBay near me. It has a Chevy 283. Good body but needs interior. It was on Barn Finds before.
On my paper route so long ago, I had a customer that had a beige wagon. I always thought that car was “neat”. It didn’t have the guard rail bumpers, instead a nice chrome piece, and I remember seeing it long after my paperboy days were over.
@Driveinstile
After all the Checkers we’ve seen here on BF, and THIS is the one you pick to consider buying? LOL
Happy New Year, boo!
Happy New Year Angel! I’m glad to see you here again! I have always liked the Checker Wagons also. And to have one with some real horsepower would be a blast to own. But I’m thinking a 500 /472 Caddy engine!
This engine looks to me like a small block not a big block! It even has the old style “rams horn” exhaust manifolds. Now, there are 400 small blocks. But never heard of a 396 small block. Help me out here people am I missing something?
Welllllll. Its not rusted out!! I have to admit, I like the earlier ones from the 60’s a bit better, the chrome bumpers look a little nicer than the 70’s I beam ones ( although they’d probably hold up pretty good if hit). At least in my opinion. Went to school with a guy with a Marathon Limo. Loved that thing!!!
I wonder what the difference was between the Checker “taxi” version and the Marathon – I would imagine that the Marathon had a few creature comforts and an upgraded upholstery.
This has a small block, if the seller got that wrong it calls into question everything else in their description, if they can’t tell a big block from a small block, what are the odds it has a TH400? Even if it had a GM Blueprint engine, what does that mean, did the company Blue Print engines build it or is it the generic version meaning the engine was “blueprinted” by a random machine shop.
It would be hard to see this bringing $37,000 if the description was accurate, there is no way it’s worth that based on what’s action the car.
Steve R
Looks like the valve covers actually say “BluePrint” on them. I definitely agree it looks more like a small block too.
Maybe, but plastic stick on emblems are pretty common on cheap Chinese chrome air cleaners and valve covers, you see several trailers at every large swapmeet selling similarly equipped chrome dress up items.
After seeing how inaccurate the sellers description is, he needs to produce documentation for what is actually in the car.
Steve R
There is a stroker kit available for 350 Chevies that will give you 397 cubic inch displacement. A .030″ or .040″ over-bore and a stroker crank 3.875″ vs 3.480″ (stock stroke) that will put you in the 390+ displacement camp.
Paul: With that kind of stroke, the block would have to be clearanced for the rod bolts, and then going 040 over might not be a good idea with modern blocks. Would the owner spend that on a checker(and then use Ram’s horn cast iron exhaust manifolds)? A 030 over 350 with a 400 crank is about 383ci.
YES, THIS CHECKER HAS A CHEVY SMALL BLOCK, PROBABLY A 350 FROM THE MID 70’s
Distributer location location location..
Good eye Steve R 😎
I could be wrong, but I believe all of Checker’s GM-supplied engines, either six or V8, were balanced and blueprinted at the factory for the express purpose of industrial and rugged use.
I have a 1980 Checker New York taxi and that’s what I was told by a taxi guru. Mine has a 3.8 with a TH400 and it indeed is a TANK !
This car is a rarity but worth only half of what is asked. Very few collectors out there for these. Nobody had these as their first car, it’s appealing to a former taxi driver!
I worked for a large insurance agency back in the mid 70s and early 80s. The owner of the agency and one of the big producers drove Checkers. They loved them. They were certainly roomy and reliable if less than stylish.
It looks like Blueprint Engines does offer a 396 version of the GM small block and at least the Blueprint on valve covers ( not a sticker ) looks correct
I’ve really liked Checker Cars, having only ever ridden in them, never owned one, but I’d like to. I think they are so unique.
There may be a small block 396 cid kit, but the guy says it is a big block. As said above, one would have to wonder what else is incorrect besides the price. $37,000 for an old Taxi? Rare doesn’t always mean expensive.
More info. Checker went to the GM 230 6 cylinder and 283 V8 in 1965. The last few years, they had a Chevy 350 with a 4-barrel. The Checker Superba was produced until 1963 and then became the Checker Marathon in 1964. They were both offered in 1963. A couple of interesting things were that the front and rear bumpers were interchangeable, and all the body panels were bolted on, with nothing welded.
I don’t agree with the “Survivor” comment since it does not have the original motor, paint, or interior.
That’s not a 396. It’s a small block Chevy. The clickbait stuff has to end, like woith the 1974 442 W-30 that isn’t a W-30, but it’s in the title.
BluePrint engines does sell a 396 version of the GM small block and the Blueprint valve covers look correct ( not a stick on emblem ) So it very well might be a ” Blueprint engine ” and a ” 396 ” which at least a Big block displacement number. So if that’s what it is maybe it was an honest misuse of term Big Block
If you look in your rearview mirror and see this coming…GET OUT OF HIS WAY!
BluePrint engines does sell a 396 version of the GM small block and the Blueprint valve covers look correct ( not a stick on emblem ) So it very well might be a ” Blueprint engine ” and a ” 396 ” which at least a Big block displacement number. So if that’s what it is maybe it was an honest misuse of term Big Block
The writeup on this site referred to it as a big block in the title and text, but was later edited out.
No potential buyer should accept a description at face value, there are honest sellers, but many either don’t know what they are talking about or are “fudging” the truth for their benefit. It’s up to buyers to verify the true condition, it’s in their interest to do so and no one else’s. Far too often claims by sellers are taken at face value when it’s obvious through the sellers description is, at a minimum misleading. It’s common for pictures in the ad to clearly contradict how the seller is representing the car, but for whatever reason people ignore what their eyes are telling them.
Steve R
People ignore what their eyes are telling them every day. Just watch the news.
Body work is a little sad on the back door
A family up the hill had one of these in the late 60’s, but I’m pretty sure it had a 6 and a 3 speed manual. What did I, the smart-ass adolescent, do every time I saw it? I’d raise my arm and yell; Taxi, taxi!
Growing up one of our neighbors acquired the wagon version of these. And for a very good reason. The family had ten kids. I was friends with the oldest boy. He always called it the tank. I can’t remember the last time I saw a Checker on the road. Like the VW bug they used to be everywhere. In the eighties they were ubiquitous as taxi cabs and shuttles. One never knows what you’ll find on BF! A modified Checker and a Kubota tractor is a good way to kick off the New Year.
First thought big block 396 until saw pictures
Nice sleeper
I found this car listed on a dealership website: thedealershipkc.com.
Considering it is being sold by a dealer, I’m not surprised that they don’t know what engine is in it. They just see 396 and BB is the only thing they can think about.
Actually Checker began building taxis in 1922. The 1961 model was last update the A12. It continued untill 1982.
This is a small block Chevy engine with ram horn manifolds.
I remember when in the 70s (I think), either Popular Mechanics or Popular Science did a road test on a Checker Marathon. They called it a “Underpowered, gas guzzling troop carrier”. That stuck with me all these years.
They weren’t fast, I can tell you that. The 1970 Marathon my father bought I believe had a Chevy 283. He wasn’t the type to order an optional 327. They were big, heavy cars.
Hated them when I was a kid, but would love to have one now.
Happy New Year Angel 😇! I was
beginning to worry about you and
even asked Wayne if he’d heard from you lately. As for this car, it’s a good start to build a Checkillac– just add a 472 V-8, a T-400 tranny, black wall tires, and a VERY prominant front bumper.
Just think of that poor SOB who sees this car pull up behind him
in traffic. It would scare the crap
out of most everyone on the road.
Especially when equipped with
the Smash & Crash road Rage
Bumper kit by Ronco! Here’s your chance to play bumper cars on the freeway and knock those road raging A-holes into the nearest ditch. The Smash & Crash Road Rage Bumper Kit by
Ronco! Makes a great Christmas 🎁 gift! Order yours today!
Sometimes Ken, I think your blindness has made you screwy. 😅
But what you said is funny. Especially the bumper kit by Ronco. I remember when their commercials were on TV every two minutes on every channel. All 7 of them! LOL
Angel, I’m afraid that Ken has “gone around the bend” and needs 24 hour supervision! (lol)
A great bit Ken! Are you familiar with the Steve Goodman song about a guy that falls asleep late at night with the TV on. It’s called Vegamatic. If you are not, you need to find it and listen. I’m a big Steve Goodman fan. (RIP Steve) He was a Chicago boy like me.
OMG! Vegamatic! Some of the 💩 that man used to hawk. If theyre not broken I bet they are worth a fortune now.
How you been, Wayne? Happy New Year! 🥂🍾🎉
Happy New Year Angel! I have been ok. Still working on the house. “HOPEFULLY BE DONE AT THE END OF JANUARY WITH THE RESIDENCE PORTION”. The next step is the completion of the insulation of the garage. I’m so looking forward to be able to play in my garage.
@Driveinstile
My parents had a 1970 Marathon with the chrome bumpers. Much nicer looking and just as sturdy. They dipped in the center for the license plate. The late 70s with the I-beam bumpers go straight across and I think that makes all the difference in the world, plus being painted gray and not chromed doesn’t help.
When my mother totalled the first 1967 Checker she actually did bend the front bumper. But I guess hitting a rock mountain at 30/40 mph will do that. Even to the I-beams.
@Angel Cadillac Queen Diva:
No dear, my blindness hasn’t made me screwy, I just see things
differently than most of you do. I’ve had to think outside the box for so long that I couldn’t solve a
problem in a conventional way if I
tried. Being disabled makes you
that way. Disabled people must
often kiss convention goodbye and adapt a problem until it can be solved by adapting it to suit
their nerds and abilities. Take the
self charging mobility scooter I’m
still working on. I’ve got most of
theory down already. And like
Wayne has said, I may have to start out using the two bicycle
generators to run just a small
lighting system until I can evolve
it into a total charging system that will send power directly to
the battery pack which hopefully
provide power for both lights and
charging to the battery pack. And with the help of my crazy neighbor, I think we could start
building a working prototype very
soon now. This kid’s as sharp as a tack and a gifted maintaiinance
man to boot. All I have to do now
is buy a used scooter and the parts to make it happen. Talked
to him about it last night while he
changed the front brake pads on my K 5 and he said that he was up for that. And once we get it set up, I’ll test it by riding it to and from my store on the nights and days that I work. And maybe, just
maybe, I’ll start door dashing with it on my off days. So yes dear, I’m still working on my third life!
…And yes Wayne, I know who Steve Goodman was. He wrote
You Never Even Call Me By My
Name, gave it to David Allen Coe,
and the rest is history. Wish I had
s dime for every time I played that song for the last 50 years.
I’d have enough money to be
filthy stinking comfortable!
Hi Ken, he also wrote City of New Orleans and the most perfect country western song. Besides many others. And if you are a Cubs fan (like me) you know the 2 songs he wrote about the Cubs. When he found out that he was going to die from brain cancer. He thought about when he was happiest and it was when he was playing bars in the Chicago neighborhoods. So he would just grab his guitar and walk into a bar and play a concert. NO BODY would say no! He took a recording/sound man with him and recorded several of the concerts. I believe the sales of the concert recordings were donated to charity.
Being a down state boy, (Bloomington) I used to listen to
mostly Chicago stations like WLS, WCFL, WJJD, WMAQ. WGN,
not so much. But yeah,, I’d listen
to them when the Cubbies were
playing– that is until Channel 31 out of Peoria started showing the
games locally. Used to watch the
Sox games on Channel 44 to watch Harry Carey sing Take Me
Out To The Ball Game. Even saw
a Sox game live at Ciomisky Part
in ’78. A week or so later, my ex
wife saw us on TV when they panned the camera across the stands. And yeah, I did find Vegamatic by Steve Goodman and laughed so hard I nearly wet
myself! Reminds me of the song
Junk food Junkie by Larry Grove.
So Wayne, are you gonna play music in your garage or work on
cars there? Too bad we couldn’t
open a Barn Finds bar and grill.
Then, we get all the guys who play an instrument 🎸 to entertain the guests. Of course,
we’ll need to build a throne for Angel 😇 but that’s not a problem
at all. And yes, I know how Steve
Goodman felt when he went back to his true happy place. For me, my store is my happy place. Greeting guests, keeping a tidy shop, that’s what keeps me happy
She’s pretty much all I’ve got these days since I don’t have a lady in my life. Working on that, but it’s scary. But I digress. It sure was exciting to hear about all the places and things to do in
Chicago when I was a kid and listened to the radio.
Hi Ken, I almost wet my pants reading your reply! And yes, I listened to sll the same stations. In the early ’80s in both of our Goodyear stores, we always had on WLS so instead of a coffee break, we all stood around the radio and listened to Larry Lujack and “ANIMAL STORIES” ( for thecrestof you, look up and listen tto the collection of “Animal Stories, but make sure thst you hsve some time set aside) My wife #2 (I’m on #3 now) and I and our best friends Rich and Merideth (RIP Meredith) would listen an FM station on Saturday nights to the Dr. Dementia show out of L.A. That’s where I first heard “Junk Food Junkie, Barns & Barns Weird Al and many other crazy, demented, fun singers. I played trumpet for over 10 years. But too many rock concerts, drag races. Shop noises and firearms firing without ear protection has ruined my hearing to the point that other than working in the shop or out on the tractor I wear hearing aides. I now sing flat all the time. AND it isn’t music or work. It’s always music AND work. Having a piano teacher for a Mom, being in band, orchestra and having a father that only listened to country/western gave me an appreciation for all kinds of music. (Except rap, which is not music.) So my play list on Pandora is extremely vast. From Elvis to Betoven to REO (which was our local band in JR. And SR. High school) to Captain and Tenile (who I knew) to CSN to Bonnie Raitt to John Denver to some Christian music. You never know what kind of music you will hear in my garage!
@Wayne
Are you guys sure you’re not brothers from another mother? 😅
I lived in the boonies outside of Crete on the Illinois/ Indiana border. Our high school was corn fields on 3 sides. John Mellencamp is the same age as me and also in FFA like me.He lived on the Indiana side. He also listened to the radio stations. Being in FFA we were in the same place at the same time many times. Although I don’t believe we ever met back then. I have since met and shook his hand. I’m a big fan of his songs. I will have to tell you the story some time.
Crete you say? We used to play
there at least once a year. I used to play what they called the theater circuit back then with some highschool gymnasium shows on the side. And when we weren’t opening for folks like Bob
Luman or Dave Dudley, we played
something called package shows
where the promoter tried their best to cram as many acts as they could into one show. You
might have acrobats, comedians,
sword swallowers, and a fire eater or two. Anything to wow Mom, Dad, and the kiddies. That’s what you got for your $7.50 ticket (kids were half price)
In shows like this, we were the
main attraction. All those other acts opened for us and got the crowd warmed up and waiting for
us. Why I recall a date we played
in Evansville, Indiana in 1977. For it’s time, that show was almost the last of the big package shows
before the breed died out in 1980.
Well, the show was in an old movie 🎥 house complete with a
very old man who knocked on the
dressing room doors, and letting us know how much time there was left before we were to take the stage. It happened that my
room mate, a young man named
Randy Jackson was gonna open his show with a new skit he thought up called The Nervous Robber. He went on ahead of us
that night and as the old caller passed by, Randy took a gun shaped lighter, stuck it in the old
man’s back and yelled “Okay mother sticker this is f**k up! Get
your ass up over your head before I blow your hands off!”. For those who saw the gag go down,
(Yours truly was in the Men’s room) that poor old man dropped
everything! His glasses, his clipboard, his teeth, and maybe
crapped his pants along the way!
That skit nearly got Randy fired.
The boss said he could stay provided someone could keep him out of trouble and that guy was me. I rode his ass like a rented scooter for the rest of that
tour. And the skit? He must’ve sold it to a bigger comedian because I saw a comic do that in
a comedy show on HBO in ’80 or
’81. That was the last time I worked with Randy. I saw him a
few years later when he called my
house asking for my help to get his Pinto sedan off a very large
snow pile! Seems the damn fool
got pretty effed up and drove it to the top of the pile, opened the door, and landed face first in a snow bank! So now, you know the story of the nervous robber.
You spoke of Dr. Dementia. I seem to recall a fellow named Bob Rivers who did parodies of
what seemed like every song out
there. I’d sing his song “drivers on the phone” 📱 whenever I could and one night I really embarrassed my SIL and niece when I sang “walking round in women’s underwear” and “I’ll Be
Broke By Christmas” you know,
stuff like that. I’d also sing “It’s
Hard to Kiss The Lips at night ( that chew your ass out all day long) by Vince Gill, Rodney Crowell, and the Notorious Cherry
Bombs. I even parodied Frank
Sinatra by doing it sideways. So
yeah, there was a lot of strange and funny stuff out there to give
you audience a good laugh. Boy,
did I have a good time or what?