Buying a used Cop Car

[zeitgeist57]

https://autos.yahoo.com/blogs/motoramic/an-insider-s-guide-to-buying-used-police-cars-181138567.html

 

Interesting insight. Kaching on that ATL car deal!

[Turbs3000]

He forgot to mention that he owns a buy here pay here on Morse rd and Everyone gets a car!

[Geeto67]

I have to say...I know people want the panther cars because "hey, cheap well maintained RWD car that people move out of the way for on the highway" but what if you want something like a Chevy PPV (otherwise known as the cheap way to get a Chevy SS). In NYC this meant going down to your local taxi depot with cash or financing in hand and buying a "used" one with under 10K miles, but if you don't live in NYC, where can you get a chevy PPV?

 

Also how does one locate and verify some of the old highway patrol 2wd tahoe 9c1 pursuit vehicles?

 

I get it that most people are looking for old police cars because they are just dirt cheap, but what about if you just really dig police cars and want something other than a panther?

[Otis Nice]

Dat CVPI tho.

[Turbs3000]

The same place, they come up from time to time. Govdeals.com

[El Karacho1647545492]

As I say with all used cars, you're buying someone else's problems 99% of the time. Who wants to buy a government problem when you can get a grandma-mobile Grand Marquis with 1/3 of the miles/abuse for a bit more money?

[Rustlestiltskin]

As I say with all used cars, you're buying someone else's problems 99% of the time. Who wants to buy a government problem when you can get a grandma-mobile Grand Marquis with 1/3 of the miles/abuse for a bit more money?

 

Because people want to feel cool by buying an old gov't/police car.

[Otis Nice]

Because people want to feel cool by buying an old gov't/police car.

 

 

For me it was a good reliable car with far less miles than the two I had.

 

I traded:

 

2000 Elantra with 150K, cancer paint, only drivers side window rolled down, slipping clutch, sunroof didn't open, cassette deck, tiny interior and trunk, front end damage from buddy hitting a deer (bent fender and hood and front bumper was tied up onto the car).

 

1997 ExPauldition with 202K I got riddled with what looked like approx. 14 two liters of Coke asploded inside, rusted through brake lines, hazed over headlights, miss in the enigine, destroyed ball joints, etc. Granted, I cleaned up/fixed almost all of the problems, but still...

 

In return I got a 2008 CVPI with 126K and the cleanest engine bay I've ever seen on a used car. Thing runs like a champ and everything works as it should. Have tons more room than the Elantra, my previous DD, and I can roll down the windows if need be.

 

I don't feel "cooler" for having it. I feel safer knowing it'll always run and everything works as it should. I looked at quite a few vehicles both on and off Jordans lot before making the deal. The CVPI made the most sense for me. For the price I couldn't beat it.

[El Karacho1647545492]

Because people want to feel cool by buying an old gov't/police car.

 

Truth.

 

Random question for someone who knows better than I do: about 4 years ago we had a used 2003 Grand Marquis on our lot. What was bizarre about it was that it had a floor-mounted automatic rather than a column shifter and a center console rather than front bench seat. From what I understand, it was the "LSE" model, was that basically a CVPI with Merc badges?

[Chief8one]

Truth.

 

Random question for someone who knows better than I do: about 4 years ago we had a used 2003 Grand Marquis on our lot. What was bizarre about it was that it had a floor-mounted automatic rather than a column shifter and a center console rather than front bench seat. From what I understand, it was the "LSE" model, was that basically a CVPI with Merc badges?

 

Found the nugget

 

The 2002 Mercury Grand Marquis LSE with bucket seats, center console and floor shift along with 4.6 V8 dual exhaust, load leveler suspension are very rare. From the research I was told they were produced due to the delay in 2002 of the Mercury Marauder. The 2003 platform changes so the 2002 Marauder interior would not fit the 2003, so Mercury produced an end of the line 2002 LSE with the center console, buckets seats and floor shift as an upscale LSE. The production for 2002 Grand Marquis ended in June of 2002 and the 2003 Mercury Marauders sat along side the brand new 2002 Marquis in June of 2002. I purchased mine in June of 2002 and test drove the 2002 Marquis LSE and the 2003 Marauder. I fell in love with the 2002 overall design especially since mine is Aspen Green or bullit Mustang Green, plus not a black interior a nice full leather interior in tan. The bucket seats, center console and floor shift is known as the S55 option first used in 1962, so this could have been made a 40th anniversary addition, but once again Ford missed that milestone. A proper Marauder would have been a Mercury Marauder S55, Marauder was Mercurys hi-performance engine package, S55 was the interior package like XL or SS options. At current I have seen them list between $6,000 to $10,000, they are very rare. Of course some people have no idea what they have. Production of the 2002 Mercury Grand Marquis LSE with these options I believe is under 1 month.

[RS69]

Clay, good read thanks for sharing.

[spectragod]

Found the nugget

 

The 2002 Mercury Grand Marquis LSE with bucket seats, center console and floor shift along with 4.6 V8 dual exhaust, load leveler suspension are very rare. From the research I was told they were produced due to the delay in 2002 of the Mercury Marauder. The 2003 platform changes so the 2002 Marauder interior would not fit the 2003, so Mercury produced an end of the line 2002 LSE with the center console, buckets seats and floor shift as an upscale LSE. The production for 2002 Grand Marquis ended in June of 2002 and the 2003 Mercury Marauders sat along side the brand new 2002 Marquis in June of 2002. I purchased mine in June of 2002 and test drove the 2002 Marquis LSE and the 2003 Marauder. I fell in love with the 2002 overall design especially since mine is Aspen Green or bullit Mustang Green, plus not a black interior a nice full leather interior in tan. The bucket seats, center console and floor shift is known as the S55 option first used in 1962, so this could have been made a 40th anniversary addition, but once again Ford missed that milestone. A proper Marauder would have been a Mercury Marauder S55, Marauder was Mercurys hi-performance engine package, S55 was the interior package like XL or SS options. At current I have seen them list between $6,000 to $10,000, they are very rare. Of course some people have no idea what they have. Production of the 2002 Mercury Grand Marquis LSE with these options I believe is under 1 month.

 

There were actually LSE's manufactured into 2004, LX Sport Crown Victoria's were manufactured into the 2006 model year. Even though there were 11,052 Marauders made in 2003-2004, there were far less of the LX sports made from 2002-2006, and LSE Merc's made than the Marauder.

 

I always had a soft spot for a Marauder..... had many Vic's and Marqui's, But the Marauders are just "special"..

[Geeto67]

As I say with all used cars, you're buying someone else's problems 99% of the time. Who wants to buy a government problem when you can get a grandma-mobile Grand Marquis with 1/3 of the miles/abuse for a bit more money?

 

From personal experience, gov't, esp police forces, are religious about maintaining their cars. Old people? not so much. With a lot of modern (and I use that term loosely) cars that sit more than are used there are different problems but still problems - mostly cause by alcohol in the fuel sitting around and rotting/corroding things.

 

Will a police service unit that was used to take people to jail be abused? yes. you probably don't want one where a perp might have shit himself in the back seat if you are at all worried about abuse, But keep in mind white shirts and other higher ups also get these cars and they are far less likely to be abused.