You’ve probably seen him cruising the South Shore from time to time. Big Charlie is a classic Checker Marathon, the same kind of car made famous as New York City taxis and featured in movies like Taxi Driver. Behind the wheel is Dirk, a Shelburne resident with quite a story to tell.
Big Charlie is a 1982 Checker Marathon built by the Checker Motors Corporation in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It wasn’t just any year, either. 1982 was the final year Checker built the iconic cars. Dirk’s was manufactured in February, just months before the last one rolled off the production line in July.
What’s remarkable is that Big Charlie was never supposed to be on the road today.
Dirk told me he and a friend had always wanted an old Checker. They lucked out when they found one online and it even came with a parts car!
That parts car was Big Charlie.
At the time, Dirk was a broke university student. Despite having very little money, he decided buying a car with no engine was somehow a good idea. With help from his friend, who was stationed on Vancouver Island, the pair spent months working late nights in an army base hobby shop, piecing the car back together using whatever they could afford.
“It was string, zip ties, and rattle-can paint,” Dirk laughed.
The body of the car is approaching half a million kilometers. The engine came from an abandoned Chevrolet pickup truck.
Climb inside and you’ll find an interior that’s mostly original. The seats, carpet, door panels and dashboard are all still there. Dirk has added a few practical touches over the years, including extra gauges and a small fan, but otherwise it’s much the way Checker built it.
Unlike many classic car owners, Dirk doesn’t believe in hiding his car away.
Big Charlie is a daily driver for much of the year.
While he avoids Nova Scotia winters because of road salt, the car gets used regularly. Dirk says that’s part of the reason it’s still going strong.
“Every year it gets a coat of paint,” Dirk said. “Sometimes I get creative with the rust repair.”
For him, the imperfections are part of the car’s personality.
The Checker has also travelled far beyond Shelburne. Dirk has driven it across Canada, from Vancouver Island to Halifax. It also has major sentimental value, acting as chariot for Dirk’s wedding along with his brother’s!
The car has become such a familiar sight that Dirk says it gets attention everywhere it goes.
“This car gets more waves than the Pope,” he joked.
Most people stop him to ask one simple question: What is it?
Once he explains it’s a Checker, the famous big yellow taxi from New York City, people immediately recognize it.
After countless repairs and hundreds of thousands of kilometers, it’s become one of the most unique and recognizable classic cars on the South Shore.
Not bad for a vehicle that was only supposed to be a parts car.
And if you happen to see a big yellow Checker cruising the South Shore, give Dirk a wave.
Have a listen to my full interview below!
