He, he! That looks like the rejected version of the Ghostbusters car.
Posted on 01/16/2010 6:15:13 AM PST by DogByte6RER
That would never happen today
I've driven all of them and now drive the Charger. While it's sharp-looking, it's still a Dodge and Dodge has never made a good, dependable police unit.
Just as an aside did you notice that “ To serve and protect “ was stricken from the side of that police car
Where did you get that photo?
Back in the way old days, the Texas DPS drove Dodge Coronet 440s. That was basically a Road Runner or Dukes of Hazzard Charger without the striping. They loved those things and were probably the most intimidating police vehicle I’ve ever seen. They had a Mad Max look to them.
Agreed, but it never rode (i.e., comfort) like the Crown Vic.
Dependable being the word...
Sure, you can buy anything and slap a few stickers on it and a lightbar and call it a “unit” for what its worth...
But when it breaks down, and the costs and downtime associated with getting it back out on the street are tabulated...
Ask yourself why the desk jockeys get in those moods during budget talks with the city or county...hmmmmmm???
Either way, it is a pain in everyones rear end...
He, he! That looks like the rejected version of the Ghostbusters car.
Sources on Chevy Caprice police car claims:
1994-95 Michigan State Police vehicle tests, 1994-5 Los Angeles County Sheriffs Dept. tests. Also, see book Chevrolet Police Cars by Edwin J. Sanow.
The 9C-1 police package contained many heavy duty features not on the civilian models most notably the lack of a speed limiter computer chip. They will run all day at 140 plus mph without flinching. The civilian models had a 108mph speed limiter, but were still quick. I also owened several Caprice wagons of that era and they are great family, recreational and work vehicles. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder...I love them. Getting very hard to find nice ones now.
G - A - Y
When I was a rookie cop in 1978, we still had one 1970’s Dodge Polara kept in the fleet as a spare. It still had its original growler siren. I loved to drive that car.
I still get a nostalgic wish that I could go back in time, when most patrol cars were Chrysler products, with Remington 870 shotguns mounted inside, driven by policemen carrying .357 Magnum revolvers.
The lousy front end on that loser kept it more in the shops than on the highways.
See my post number 109.
I remember those Javelin Trooper cars. Today, the city is going to Impalas, and the county and state are getting Chargers. The Troopers also have unmarked GM SUV's that are getting people left and right. The city, for a while used confiscated cars, we had at least one MB, and a number of Cameros, and 'Stangs, also, mundane stuff.
GM is already diverting the pipeline of Opels and Holdens to Buick. There will be a new Buick Regal for 2011, based upon the new Opel Astra, previoiusly destined to be the Saturn Aura.
Perhaps the former Holden Commodore/Pontiac G8 can be resurrected as a Skylark Grand National? Wouldn’t be a bad move, already crash tested and federalized for pollution controls. Revamp the front and rear fascias, and there you go.
"Stick shifts and safety belts and bucket seats have all got to go..."
- Cake
I dislike GM, but I’m hoping I can get a good deal on a G8 GT in the next year.
For my business, I drove Mercedes Diesels for many years. I had 380,000 on my 1987 300SDL Mercedes in 2002 when the timing chain broke. A broken timing chain takes out the engine. A new engine cost $12,000.
I decided I would buy a new 2003 Ford Crown Victoria to use for a few more years before I retired. I drove far fewer miles at this time but I needed the four doors and large trunk the Ford offered. Ford had a version called LX Sports Sedan. Bucket seats, 17 inch wheels, sports suspension, and a higher power V-8, 26 MPG highway mileage, great tires, and every option known to man at the time.
My plan was to drive it for two years and then dump it. My colleagues joked with me for driving a taxi or police car, which was correct. All I saw my first trip to Dulles Airport to pick someone up were Crown Vic taxis. On the highway other cars would slow or move over until they realized I was the Police.
As it turns out, I still have the car. It has been an amazing car for 145,000 miles. I have the same water pump, same alternator, same sparkplugs, and the second set of tires. I have changed the belt, battery, and the brake pads at 125,000 miles. Items that have broken are the fan motor housing, which requires replacing the entire assembly, and the heater control, which I had rebuilt for $179. I cannot begin to tell you the expense of maintaining a Mercedes for 145,000 miles.
The Ford still gets 24 MPG on the highway, which I attribute more to the ethanol than the car's age and around 18 MPG in town.
I have my eye on a Hyundai Genesis but I have been accustomed to driving cars until they just quit. The Ford Crown Vic is far from quitting.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
