Ex-Police Vehicles?

Mine is going to explorers for patrol. I had to pick my truck off of the auction line from the pound

I work for a company that outfits police vehicles, and can confirm that you DO NOT want any part of the interior from a used patrol car. Sometimes you can't even remove the seats after the bolts are out thanks to the dried mixture of assorted fluids on the floor

Maintenance will depend on the department. My tow rig is an ex-Fire Department vehicle and was low mileage and well maintained when I bought it, so you can look for those as well.

I would be specifically looking for an 07+ Tahoe, from a highway patrol type fleet.

In reply to ¯_(ツ)_/¯:

Is the company you work for in Pennsylvania?

In reply to 92dxman:

Yep, not far from you!

I used to work not far from there they are located. Small world.

In reply to ¯_(ツ)_/¯:

It wouldn't happen to be at Rt100 and the PA TP would it?

In reply to HappyAndy:

Nope, but holy crap a bunch of you guys live nearby.

In reply to ¯_(ツ)_/¯:

Somewhat off topic, but ever since seeing the RCR video where they install a 30W air horn in their Fit, I've been wanting to do something similar with my Mazda 2.

Will an outfitter typically do civilian side jobs like that or is there no interest?

In reply to Tactical Penguin:

A smaller place might do it for a reasonable price, but the big ones prefer to deal in fleets for the most part- there's no issue with doing civilian jobs, it's the one-off nature that would be your biggest hurdle.

In reply to ¯_(ツ)_/¯:

Good deal. Just didn't want to be branded a "whacker" for trying to put a beefy emergency spec horn in my clearly non-official vehicle.

One of the nice things is that many civilian models are easily upgraded. Most of the HD upgrades were modest.

P71 is a solid car. Don't expect high performance. There are tons of mods available, but there is nothing happy about 281 cubic inches moving a heavy car. It is best left stock unless you just want a mild power upgrade.

9C1 was truly a great one. 350 cubic inches of what basically amounts to a sequentially-injected SBC. Performance parts are easy and worthy upgrades. But good luck finding one that isn't beaten to a pulp. I remember when I bought my 96 Impala SS was about the time police were going to P71s and they were lamenting the fact that they had to pull me over in the same car they used to drive on patrol.

I can't speak intelligently about the SUVs and FWD versions of things since they never came across my radar. It just seems like they don't trip the right triggers for me. All of them take a base vehicle and upgrade the suspension, cooling, and electrical systems. In a 9C1 or P71, that's a worthwhile improvement. In a FWD or SUV it just seems like they are worthwhile improvements for emergency vehicles only.

Adding suspension, cooling, and electrical capacity to a Crown Vic is standard fare for improving a RWD car. Adding suspension, cooling, and electrical to an SUV or FWD just seems like putting a hood ornament on a Yugo. In the first case, you're improving the vehicle. In the second case, you're trying to band-aid-fix a top-heavy brick into a suitable emergency vehicle. I feel like the 9C1 and P71 were like adding a turbo to a Miata, (a logical upgrade) and the SUV and FWD versions were like putting a receiver hitch on a Camry to tow your travel trailer. (making chicken salad from chicken E36 M3) The Crown Vic or Caprice started as a good platform for an emergency vehicle. But SUVs and FWDs are not. Just seems like a mismatch.

/rant