What kind of Cars are Cop Cars?

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Old 02-21-2005, 10:56 AM
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What kind of Cars are Cop Cars?

generally i think it varies from what kinda of car they are but you generally see a typical kinda of car...and i was just wondering what kind of car cops use. and how they go so fast, what kind of upgrades they use etc....
Old 02-21-2005, 11:06 AM
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Generally the cars have to be 4, heavy, and most of the time have a v8 and have the handling of rear wheel drive. The main car of course being the Ford Police Interceptor (Crown Vic). Now they have Chevy Imapala that are lighter, with a V6 and front wheel drive. Though they are lighter, they are not as durable (ie. hopping a curb in pursuit) I know that there are more models coming out such as the charger, and the New Magnum is going to offer police packages. We'll just have to wait and see.

In Interceptors, there are no real upgrades other than stock other than better traction control and a high duty torque converter and beefier springs. I dont know about any others though
Old 02-21-2005, 11:13 AM
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Originally Posted by TSX CSI
The main car of course being the Ford Police Interceptor (Crown Vic).
P71 interceptor... It's a nice package... cop suspension, cop shocks.. I wanted one at one time (in black). COPO (corporate office production options) rule.

If you do a google search for P71 Interceptor you'll find the specs.

The cops I worry about aren't in the typical cop cars. Saw one in a Pontiac something or other with tinted windows the other day.


My Favorite quote about cop cars:

http://www.mrjumbo.com/contents/cali/bluesmobile.html

Jake: This car’s got a lot of pickup.
Elwood: It’s got a cop motor, a four hundred and forty cubic inch plant. It’s got cop tires, cop suspension, cop shocks; it was a model made before catalytic converters, so it’ll run good on regular gas. Whaddya say, is it the new Bluesmobile or what?
Jake: Fix the cigarette lighter.

—The Blues Brothers, 1980
Old 02-22-2005, 08:09 AM
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Around my way they use the new school Impalas..I don't think those cars move out as fast as the old school Caprices. I guess they use the Impalas more in a city atmosphere because its smaller and more nimble but I'm sure if you take it to the highway you can lose it not like the old school caprice..
Old 02-22-2005, 08:28 AM
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Originally Posted by GreenMonster
The cops I worry about aren't in the typical cop cars. Saw one in a Pontiac something or other with tinted windows the other day.
Yeah, in Mass, they're kinda sneaky with some of them.

A couple times I've seen a green Mustang with heavily tinted windows pulling people over.

I've also heard rumors of a red Corvette that cruises 495 on occasion.
Old 02-22-2005, 08:40 AM
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Originally Posted by NFLblitze1
generally i think it varies from what kinda of car they are but you generally see a typical kinda of car...and i was just wondering what kind of car cops use. and how they go so fast, what kind of upgrades they use etc....
In NJ, its pretty easy to spot NJSP vehicles:

Crown Vic (marked & unmarked)
Dodge Durango (marked)
Ford Windstar (very few, marked)

Local munis generally have Crown Vics and with a few having newer Impalas, with a few DARE Mustang GTs, Camaro Z28s, etc,... A few of the "poorer" munis have the old Caprice.

Crown Vic Police Interceptor

GM Police Vehicles
Old 02-22-2005, 09:02 AM
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What kind of engine mods do they do to these cars...they are really fast when they need to be.
Old 02-22-2005, 04:05 PM
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Originally Posted by MADCAT
What kind of engine mods do they do to these cars...they are really fast when they need to be.
Pretty much anything that can go in a Mustang can go into a Crown Vic. Their 4.6L V8 engines are similar. I've seen a few where ppl put Mustang Cobra engines and exhausts into a 2000 Crown Vic police car.

I am thinking about getting a used CVPI one of these days.
Old 02-22-2005, 05:22 PM
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Originally Posted by bigwilliestyle
Yeah, in Mass, they're kinda sneaky with some of them.

A couple times I've seen a green Mustang with heavily tinted windows pulling people over.

I've also heard rumors of a red Corvette that cruises 495 on occasion.
they are using mustangs and vettes now.... hmmm just another car I have to keep an eye out for....personally on 93 and 24 I've seen alot of SUV's and pick-up trucks are being used
Old 02-22-2005, 05:31 PM
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I got pulled over the other day by a mid-ninties Plymouth Voyager Van. The front quarter panel was a different color than the rest of the car and the rear window was covered in a black garbage bag. What I didn't realize was the exempt license tabs nor the red and blue lights under the grill, that ticket sucked.
Old 02-22-2005, 06:55 PM
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Originally Posted by MADCAT
What kind of engine mods do they do to these cars...they are really fast when they need to be.
Most of the standard cop cars like the P71 interceptor are stock. They come from the factory with cop engines, cop suspension, etc., so there are different then the usual Crown Vics...

My 94 Tbird had a 4.6 V8 in it, but it was electronically limited to 110mph. I'd imagine that the P71 Interceptor doesn't have that limitiation
Old 02-22-2005, 08:47 PM
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Yup, we have Crown Vics around here, mostly marked, though there is one unmarked green one (blue plates though, seen it sitting where cops do speed checks, pretty sure its a cop) and a couple durangos too. Nothing too fancy.
Old 02-22-2005, 09:43 PM
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They aren't that quick, but they have a ton of torque
Old 02-22-2005, 09:51 PM
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Cops are driving everything and anything these days. There are cops using BMWs, Z06s, I saw an old school Impala once pulling a guy over, anything they get their hands on from seizures. Its scary I tell you
Old 02-22-2005, 11:45 PM
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Scary over here? Pfft, don't go to Eurupe.

So many undercover Crown Vics and Impalas here. A red unmarked Impala lives in my neighborhood.
Old 02-22-2005, 11:50 PM
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I think it's kinda cool to be chased down by a Corvette cop. Makes it feel like you're playing NFS.
Old 02-23-2005, 12:08 AM
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some are using ford expeditions with DUBS
Old 06-23-2008, 12:12 AM
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i live inmartinsburg, wv and i actually talked to a city cop and they have a SC v6 not much HP maybe 300 most.. its a cevy what u expect.. american cars IMO are usually cheap and inefficientcars and motors...
Old 06-23-2008, 12:17 AM
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Wow! A 3 year old thread.
Old 06-23-2008, 03:00 AM
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I was hanging out in old town Fullerton CA, a few months ago... and noticed their police use Dodge Chargers... and BOY! Did it look intimidating!!
Old 06-23-2008, 03:53 AM
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dodge chargers here very fast and can easily catch most stuff around here
Old 06-23-2008, 04:10 AM
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here, I think they're allowed to use their own personal car if it is on the specified 'list'. Usually it's only the higher ups that use their own car, and I'm not sure if they get some help purchasing the car or if they just get free gas, but they have a blue light mounted on top.

But around here they use: G37, Charger, Mustang, 4runner, Maxima, Camaro, 300C, and probably a lot of other ones.

I think the cops that do routine traffic stops are still the ones in the crown vic & motorcycles though.
Old 06-23-2008, 04:39 AM
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Around here most cruisers are Crown Vics but Beaverton and Portland have a few Chargers. Washington County uses mostly Crown Vics and Expeditions. Portland also has some Explorers.
Old 06-23-2008, 04:45 AM
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Originally Posted by AZuser
Wow! A 3 year old thread.
I didn't even notice....
Old 06-23-2008, 08:57 AM
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I've seen an unmarked Hyundai Sonata and a Ford F150 pulling over traffic once.
Old 06-23-2008, 09:43 AM
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Our city used Dodge Charges and the VA state police are starting to use more "slick top" (no lights on top of car) Chargers.
Old 06-23-2008, 09:55 AM
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This car has actually been seen (not by me) around Ontario handing out tickets...





Old 06-23-2008, 11:04 AM
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When I ran my shop I had the contract for the local Troop of troopers and BCI cars. They were nothing special, after every schedule 1 service(oil change and check a million things) we were required to test drive them to make sure there were no problems, most of my guys were in capable of doing so without screwing around so I did 95% of the test drives on "official vehicles." In addition to learning the capabilities of the cars/trucks I also established a rapport with the local troopers/detectives, they are normal guys just like us and enjoyed having fun. I had a 24v VR6 GTI at the time and the only trooper car that stood a chance off the line was the camaro's, my TSX was faster then the crown vics, not by much but it was by no means a fast car. Answering the question of what vehicles they ran, they had crown vics with police interceptor package, 2wd Tahoes, camaros with some sort of police package, they started getting some chargers when I sold the shop but none needed service before I left so I have no clue what was going on with them. The detectives ran various generic GM sedans, all unmarked the only indication is was a BCI car from the outside is they all had the same antenna installed in the center of the trunk, they had no performance enhancing improvements, just lots of radio equipment.

The advantage the cops have over most all drivers is experience behind the wheel, in addition to training in the academy they log so much time behind the wheel of their cars they know what they are capable of in nearly any situation. Most troopers drive over 100,000 miles a year(at least in a sub-urban area like this) and while they don't want to damage the cars because that impacts their promotions and raises they certainly have no problem beating the shit out of them, but just like beating your wife/gf make sure you don't leave any marks
Old 06-23-2008, 11:23 AM
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Originally Posted by bigwilliestyle
Yeah, in Mass, they're kinda sneaky with some of them.

A couple times I've seen a green Mustang with heavily tinted windows pulling people over.

I've also heard rumors of a red Corvette that cruises 495 on occasion.

I have seen them driving a gold Toyota Camry, last body style with hubcaps... now that is a sleeper...

Watch out for black or dark blue Chrysler Town and Country Mini-vans too, I have seen them pulling people over on 93...

The cops are going soccer mom on us...
Old 06-23-2008, 11:45 AM
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I wonder if the price of fuel and more stringent pursuit policies will make departments eventually switch to smaller, more effecient vehicles. I suppose they need a larger car to carry their equipment and haul around those arrested, but I would imagine that cars more fuel effecient than the V8 models many departments traditionally use may be more commonplace.

Terry
Old 06-23-2008, 12:11 PM
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Back in the day (late 80's) I was driving through one of those little polygamist towns in southwestern Colorado and I saw a cop drive away from a streetcorner at a good clip.

It was a mid-80's Caprice Classic, and it barked the tires real good on the 1-2 shift. Not sure about the engine, but the transmission CLEARLY had an aftermarket shift kit in it. Pretty cool.

Last edited by TheMirror; 06-23-2008 at 12:13 PM.
Old 06-23-2008, 12:13 PM
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Originally Posted by teranfon
I wonder if the price of fuel and more stringent pursuit policies will make departments eventually switch to smaller, more effecient vehicles. I suppose they need a larger car to carry their equipment and haul around those arrested, but I would imagine that cars more fuel effecient than the V8 models many departments traditionally use may be more commonplace.

Terry
Perhaps, and I'll bet a number of departments will look at that in coming years.

That being said, fuel efficiency probably comes in around 9th on the list of requirements for a police cruiser, so its a lower priority at best.

Best,
-Mirror
Old 06-23-2008, 12:40 PM
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I've seen a lot of new Chargers popping up around here.
Old 06-23-2008, 01:58 PM
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Originally Posted by teranfon
I wonder if the price of fuel and more stringent pursuit policies will make departments eventually switch to smaller, more effecient vehicles. I suppose they need a larger car to carry their equipment and haul around those arrested, but I would imagine that cars more fuel effecient than the V8 models many departments traditionally use may be more commonplace.

Terry
No need to switch. They're just going to pass the added cost on to speeders and others.

Speeders to pay extra for police fuel

The surging price of gasoline has come to this: a "fuel surcharge" on your next speeding ticket.

Drivers caught speeding in this north Atlanta suburb soon will have to pay an extra $12 — to cover $4-a-gallon gas costs for the police officers who stop them.

The City Council passed the fee hike, effective July 1, to offset fuel prices that have eaten up nearly 60% of the police department's 2008 fuel budget, Police Chief Ken Ball says.

He expects the fee increase, which applies to all moving violations and can be rescinded if gas prices fall below $3 a gallon, to generate $19,500 to $26,000 a year for the town of 7,700.

Ball says he was seeking ways to maintain patrols despite record high gas prices. "I was hearing that Delta (Air Lines), pizza deliverers, florists were adding fuel charges to their services, and I thought, why not police departments?" he says.

Atlanta might be next. Monday, the City Council approved by a 13-0 vote Councilman C.T. Martin's proposal to add a $10-$15 surcharge for motorists convicted of speeding and other moving violations, Martin says. "I want to recover the cost of the extra gas … without raising property taxes," he says. The legislation awaits Mayor Shirley Franklin's approval.

Other cities could follow. Ball says he's being "inundated" by calls from police chiefs and city managers. "I've heard from at least a dozen police chiefs and half a dozen city managers," he says of the measure passed Monday night. "They want to know how we did it, and could we send them a copy of the ordinance."

Wendy Balazik, spokeswoman for the International Association of Chiefs of Police, says she's not aware of any other cities adding such a surcharge. "But it makes sense," she says. "Law enforcement agencies are already facing a number of financial pressures, and rising fuel costs can't help the situation at all."

The National League of Cities says it is unaware of other cities adding such fees.

The national average cost for a gallon of regular gas was $4.078 Tuesday, according to auto club AAA and the Oil Price Information Service.

Katie Harris, 20, a babysitter and student at Georgia Perimeter College, doesn't like the new fines. "It always seems like government officials are trying to take money from citizens' pockets," she says.

Holly Springs Mayor Tim Downing says: "This is a self-taxing system. If you don't break the law, you don't pay the tax."
Old 06-23-2008, 02:18 PM
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Originally Posted by S A CHO
This car has actually been seen (not by me) around Ontario handing out tickets...





I'm not sure about Ontario but I was in Vancouver and saw a Civic SI police car too, I asked a friend (from Vancouver) about that and she said that Vancouver was on some kind of "donation" program... and was taking donations from various car dealerships... so you'd see police cars from Honda SI's to Jaguar XK's
Old 06-23-2008, 10:14 PM
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Originally Posted by iTimmy
When I ran my shop I had the contract for the local Troop of troopers and BCI cars. They were nothing special, after every schedule 1 service(oil change and check a million things) we were required to test drive them to make sure there were no problems, most of my guys were in capable of doing so without screwing around so I did 95% of the test drives on "official vehicles." In addition to learning the capabilities of the cars/trucks I also established a rapport with the local troopers/detectives, they are normal guys just like us and enjoyed having fun. I had a 24v VR6 GTI at the time and the only trooper car that stood a chance off the line was the camaro's, my TSX was faster then the crown vics, not by much but it was by no means a fast car. Answering the question of what vehicles they ran, they had crown vics with police interceptor package, 2wd Tahoes, camaros with some sort of police package, they started getting some chargers when I sold the shop but none needed service before I left so I have no clue what was going on with them. The detectives ran various generic GM sedans, all unmarked the only indication is was a BCI car from the outside is they all had the same antenna installed in the center of the trunk, they had no performance enhancing improvements, just lots of radio equipment.

The advantage the cops have over most all drivers is experience behind the wheel, in addition to training in the academy they log so much time behind the wheel of their cars they know what they are capable of in nearly any situation. Most troopers drive over 100,000 miles a year(at least in a sub-urban area like this) and while they don't want to damage the cars because that impacts their promotions and raises they certainly have no problem beating the shit out of them, but just like beating your wife/gf make sure you don't leave any marks
Interesting post. I remember during elementary school, we were out in the yard when a Fox-body Stang cop car did a u-turn in the middle of the street. The thing is, the tires were squealing and the engine was screaming and the aftermath was a big cloud of smoke. Maybe it happened to be one of those guys who worked at a shop, heh.

And the Police Interceptor package for the Camaro is B4C IIRC. Just happened to know
Old 06-23-2008, 10:16 PM
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i've seen a corvette police car before and a camaro too
Old 06-23-2008, 10:39 PM
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CA CHP used to have some Camaros for truck violation enforcement as well as Mustang pursuit cars. I've only seen Crown Vics in the last couple of years for CHP and LAPD.
Culver City PD has Crown Vics, Dodge Chargers, a couple of Tahoes and a couple of pickups with light bars, but I've only seen the Chargers and CVs on regular patrol. I think the Tahoes were K-9 units.
Most other LA County and Orange County agencies seem to have Crown Vics.
Old 06-23-2008, 11:19 PM
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The Cops around here are getting Chargers for all their new cars. They're the V6 ones though, not the V8, but they're fast regardless and look mean as hell

I just wish we would see more like this
Old 06-23-2008, 11:27 PM
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oh yeah i remember that


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