Checker cabs. Anyone into them?

Apropos nothing at all, what are peoples thoughts on old Checker cabs.  I know they barely changed, at least styling wise from the 50’s until they went out of business in the 80’s, but what are they underneath?  We were watching ‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’ on Amazon the other night and the main character got into, then out of an old (what I assume was) a Checker cab and I was struck by the simple, timeless elegance of the car.  I was also stunned at how long it appeared to be.  Wikigoogle told me they had a 120” wheel base, about the same as Lincoln Town car or longer than an Impala.  What do these things have under the hood?  What’s the suspension and is it based on something else?  It strikes me one of these could be an awesome restomod base.  No intention of ever owning one, but just intrigued.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Checker_Marathon

It would be cool to have a LS powered Checker.  And on the door have it read "Very Fast Cab Co."

Completely overbuilt to handle a nuclear bomb attack.

There was a time, about five years ago, that I really wanted the wagon version.

...and even something a bit longer.  Like this Aerobus that came up for $800 at the time.

I'm trying my best to grow out of that phase.

I love them! I've never had one, though. I did see an 8-door Aerobus driving around town once; that was a treat.

I remember seeing Hotchkis had a Checker in a while ago in for the full suspension and LS3 swap treatment. Don't think I've ever seen the completed car though. 

One quite close to me for sale. I think the seller is one of those guys who just puts a number on the windshield with no price.

He also drives an old ex-radio station Chevy  van so he’s pretty eclectic.

I'm glad I had a chance to take an actual cab ride in an actual Checker cab.  I remember looking at everything thing in it and remarking that it was seriously built tough.  Big and roomy in the back, and the seat material looked to be virtually indestructible.

They were very basic durable cars, I worked for a guy that owned a few late 70s ones. Double a-arms up front, leafs in the back. His were all Chevy powered.

Last week they had a 1950s style deli set up for promoting the show.  I tried to get a 99 cent pastrami sandwich but the line was around the block. 

At one time they were the cockroach of the car world.

https://www.checkermotorcars.com/

this company plans to build new  checkers when they new regulations for low volume and fully assembled replicas are released.

I remember watching a documentary a long time ago that stated the exterior sheet metal was 16ga and that contributed greatly to their 4000lb plus curb weight.

These days that number seems reasonable but at the time it was absolutely shocking. 

Heavy, slow, and huge.

The introvert's Hummer?

The British equivalent 'black cab' has its advocates as well - think I'd rather own one of them.

Around oh... 1995 I found a Checker Marathon wagon for sale locally. I felt it would be the perfect tour rig for our band which was at the time using an A2 jetta and a mid 80's Accord to get around.  I tried my damndest to convince the rest of the guys but one of them did the math and as far as fuel economy went it was still cheaper to take two cars than the single checker.  

We ended up borrowing a vanagon westfalia diesel for the extended tour which was the single scariest thing I have ever driven .  48hp and 2500lbs of people and gear was a disaster.

I think the Marathon was only 1500 dollars.

In reply to wspohn :

We had one at our last car show, time/money thing and all.

You may be one of the few people who ever used the word 'elegance' in describing a Checker.   

Don't get me wrong, I think they're neat cars.  The model that would be really cool to have is their Model A from the 1940s:

I used to know someone that used one to tow his boat.  Worked out great.  The back seat is so big that you could put a ice chest on the floor in front of your feet.

They are huge. 

A high school friend had one, and I spent a lot of time cruising around in it and partying in the back. 

There is actually a third row of rearward facing seating on the back of the front bench seat that folds down and faces the back seat. 

They make me think of an oversized ‘55 Chevy.

IIRC, we could seat about 12 teenagers in it. Quite a few more if we were drunk. 

Far easier to get pregnant in than a station wagon. 

did these share a front suspension with anything that has a good aftermarket? maybe g-body or b-body or something along those lines?

I think that it needs to be put on an Art Morrison chasse and put a lt4 in it. Ya I know that is 30K in parts and I don't have a transmission yet) But it would be cool!!!!  

That would cure the slow part.  

In reply to edizzle89 :

Read the Wiki link  I posted. The front suspension is a hodge-podge of bits from various manufacturers.

I haven't been into them ever since the local cabbies started driving Crown Vics...

Sorry, I'll leave now. 

I keep seeing how people claim it was so heavy, but when I looked into it, my figures say it weighed about 3700lb, which I don't consider heavy at all for a BoF RWD vehicle with a 120" wheelbase.  The 2003 Crown Vic is about 4,000lb.

Cooter said:

I keep seeing how people claim it was so heavy, but when I looked into it, my figures say it weighed about 3700lb, which I don't consider heavy at all for a BoF RWD vehicle with a 120" wheelbase.  The 2003 Crown Vic is about 4,000lb.

Ive read anything from 3200 to 3600ish for a caprice, they must ne lighter than crown vics