Auto News 5

The most famous image of a New York City taxicab is probably the opening of the TV series Taxi, in which, through five seasons and endless cable repeats, Judd Hirsch piloted a yellow cab across the Queensboro Bridge. Drive your cab across that bridge for real and you end up at Dynamic Auto Repair, right off the bridge in Long Island City, where thousands of taxis are repaired and maintained each year. Dynamic was founded a decade ago by three brothers from Corona: William (pictured above), Junior, and Gio Ibanez. The shop stands next to one of the city's largest fleets, whose 300-some taxis mean a steady stream of work. "These cars run twenty-four hours a day, and the shocks and tires take a beating," says William, who directs the place. "You've got to change the oil every two weeks or these cars won't last." At shift changes, the cars gather like cattle in a feed lot. Guys yell at the drivers to hurry up the swap. Wounded cars come in for work. "It gets really crazy and chaotic," William says. The windows of Dynamic's two big garage doors are frosted with grime. Inside are eyeless yellow shells of Ford Crown Victorias up on lifts and car doors tilted against the walls. At one time, almost all taxis were Crown Vics, but today there are also hybrid Ford Escapes, Nissan Altimas, and Toyota Camrys.