March 16, 2012: A big, green Taxi has been spotted around the local beaches of the Corpus Christi for quite some days. This new monster truck inspired taxi is owned by the Green-N-Go Cab Company. Unlike before, this taxi cab makes it possible for the cabdriver to go anywhere in Corpus Christi without worrying about getting stuck in sands etc.
The owner of the company, Dan Steifel said that the idea of having a monster truck inspired taxi cab is the result of numerous calls from the customers expecting to get picked on the beach. Now, due to its high ground clearance as well as good built quality the taxi picks the customers from beaches, whereas earlier the dispatchers have had to ask the callers to come to the nearest paved road to get picked by the taxi. “Otherwise it could get stuck in the sand, or get sand up in the engine,” Mr. Steifel said commenting on the problems that would occur while picking customers on the beach with the normal taxi.
The big green taxi is built after a hard work for four months and spending of $50,000 in improvements. This new Taxi will make its debut this week for spring break and has been dubbed with the caller numbers ’14-by-4’ painted on its flank. The owner of the taxi has been roaming around the area beaches honking the horn and handing about Green-N-Go Koozies for promoting his new creation. “If you’re out at the beach and you need to run to the store or catch a lift home, we can come out and get you,” he added.
Mr. Steifel said that the vehicle is so big that it has been officially registered as a sightseeing vehicle. However, when the idea was struck in Steifel’s mind, his mechanic Mr. Fred Vannoy wasn’t confident about making it possible. “I honestly didn’t think it was going to happen,” said Mr. Vannoy. “I looked at him and said ‘you’re crazy.’”
The duo placed a 2002 Ford Crown Victoria body to the bottom of a 1983 Ford pickup truck to mingle and give the ground clearance of about 35-inch with massive wheels. The mechanic said that he faced problems while extending the Crown Victoria’s steering column to reach into the frame of the truck, but could successfully accomplish the task. He successfully blended the frames of the two different vehicles to make a taxi lift bit higher, especially where the frames of the two vehicles meet. The taxi also got modified brake lines to stretch appropriately through the length of the new vehicle.
The taxi is powered by Ford Stroker engine capable of delivering 500 horsepower and also has the transmission of the Ford Stroker. The taxi can go 20 to 25 miles to the gallon. However, the monster taxi is yet to get strobe lights for the under carriage.
This week, the bystanders took pictures with the vehicle, grabbed a free koozie or inquired about the creation and development of the monster taxi at the J.P. Luby Park.
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