rmc523 Posted December 17, 2008 Share Posted December 17, 2008 A RWD car in another country, already developed and a proven performer awaits the call up.Falcon already has the fuel tank forward of the rear axle, beautiful fuel efficient power and IRS. The styling isn't to US tastes but the skin can be changed and it's what's under there that matters. The styling suits my tastes... :shades: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Versa-Tech Posted December 17, 2008 Share Posted December 17, 2008 A RWD car in another country, already developed and a proven performer awaits the call up.Falcon already has the fuel tank forward of the rear axle, beautiful fuel efficient power and IRS. The styling isn't to US tastes but the skin can be changed and it's what's under there that matters. The police actually prefer cares that appear aggressive. It helps with the intimidation factor. Ford would be genius to bring them here as a PI replacement :yup: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpd80 Posted December 18, 2008 Share Posted December 18, 2008 The police actually prefer cares that appear aggressive. It helps with the intimidation factor. Ford would be genius to bring them here as a PI replacement :yup: I think you could pick this a mile off as a Ford: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmc523 Posted December 19, 2008 Share Posted December 19, 2008 (edited) Of course, you could just use the vehicle that goes by the name Interceptor for that aggressive look.... Edited December 19, 2008 by rmc523 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bcso974 Posted December 21, 2008 Share Posted December 21, 2008 First things first, I'm a Police Officer. I have had hundreds of hours in driver's training taking impalas, chargers, and CV's full throttle in straight-aways, curves, hills, skids tracks. So let's start addressing some things. Impala - Well it runs, they handle pretty good, but they do not hold up nearly as long for the life when given the torture of police activity. During a pursuit the brake fade is unacceptable. Simply put budgets and gas $$$ were the reasons why City Councils, not police departments bought CV for the Police Department. The Impala is VERy uncomfortable in the rear when a cage is installed, well I think always but for police duties we'll say with a cage. They do have some good features, the Police package features a SURV Surveillence feature that you can hit and kill the lights, interior dash and radio/HVAC all at once. That is the only one I have found so far. Many departments in KY where I police that have gone to the Impala is now selling them and returing to the CV. Chargers - Great looking car, I would LOVE to own one, but they are not holding up. They seem to be going in for warranty issues and literally falling apart while driving down the road. Kentucky Vehicle Enforcement bought several for undercover Commercial Vehicle Enforcement and have had good luck with them on Interstates, the agencies that have bought them for non-traffic only situations are having more problems. They do not handle as well after about 10 minutes as the CV does. They will out perform the CV for the first 10 minutes though. That is with the V8 of course, the 2 other V6 models do not have the power necessary for quick acceleration. They are a little roomier in the back with a cage in place but from the driver's perspective difficult to see out of and check rear windows for blind spots. They are more of a specialty vehicle in my book, great for Traffic and Pursuit situations. Maybe even for detectives. Explorers/Tahoes/Durangos - SUV's have a place in policing, especially with K9's. My agencies has 4 K9's which we outfit a Tahoe, Durango, F-150, and Silverado. We are currently migrating them all to 4 door F-150s. The Durangos drive good, terrible for any pursuits out there same goes for any SUV or truck. SUV's and Trucks should only be used for Special teams such as Divers, ATV, SWAT, K9, etc. Command units a lot of times around here have an SUV to carry equipment in the event of a large incident. I've used all three of the Big3's SUVs in policing, I like an SUV, my choice of a vehicle, not while wearing the badge, just not meant to be used like that. 4X4 is nice and a good thing to have available but not worth it year round, especially in KY where snow is rarely a problem. CV - I love the Crown Vic, I think she is a beautiful car. They pur just perfect. Handle extremely well. Yes brake fade sets in and you must compensate for that, but it is not as bad as the Impala or Charger. Handles very well in the curves and stops when needed. They are roomy enough to get by, but trust me people saying that cop cars are to big, well that is not that case. Think of the equipment US police carry these days. European cops are on a different level then in US. We carry Shotguns, Rifles, MDT (Computers) multiple radios, plus the equipment needed for daily activity. We have homeland security criteria to meet now. It wasn't but a few years ago British "Bobbies" didn't even carry GUNS. America is a different place and comparing vehicles for uses is like trying to make the Autralian Falcon Ute the #1 car sold in the US. Different world we live in. The Crown Vic is a strudy all around reliable car. I would take my CV over the Ferrari's of Italy's police specialty unit any day. Uses of Focus's and Escpare - Our department is utilizing focus's and Escapes as a means to cope with the rising fuel prices (let's face it, they will rise again) The 2 Focuses are used by Paper Servers, people who serve supoenas, summons, etc. Our Command Staff is driving Escapes as they do not routinely transport someone to jail and need the extra room that an SUV allows for. They are less expensive and better MPG then Explorers. The Taurus may be bigger than the Impala, but I do not think it has what is needed to hold up to the CV's reputation. The Chevy Caprice was a police car that no one thought would fall. It was way to bulky and boat like when handling, Ford has to do something to make the CV stay appealing, but overall most Police forces prefer the CV, it's the City Councils that are making them buy other wise. I would like to see Ford come out with a 4 door competition to the Charger that could be used in Traffice Enforcement, something like the Intercepter Concept car. Although my pick, Austrailan Falcon from FPV...Now that would make me a happy Cop Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmc523 Posted December 22, 2008 Share Posted December 22, 2008 ... First of all, thanks for your service as a police officer (a relative of mine serves in Tennessee), and welcome to BOF. We have 2 local PDs - a city one, and a county one (covers pretty much everywhere the city one doesn't). Anyways, the city one uses mostly (very very large percentage) CVs, with a few Escapes (meter maids) and other vehicles. The county one uses mostly CVs, but I've been told by a fellow poster here that BSO (Broward Sherriff's Office - the county) is switching to all Chargers - not sure if that's still happening or not, because I've seen new CV units recently (they changed the logos slightly, that's how I know). Anyways BSO also uses Durangos, Expeditions, Super Duties, and I'm sure other vehicles, but it encompasses a large area, so they (I assume) need most of these different types of vehicles, likely for the same situations you outlined, bcso974. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donzuchowski Posted February 14, 2009 Share Posted February 14, 2009 ford will not use the taurus, but a converted tansit connect van as a replacement for the crown vic. along with a segway type of car after congress takes over the auto industry and renames them to congressional motors.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cocheese Posted February 14, 2009 Share Posted February 14, 2009 I guess I always thought the best thing for an automaker to do is take market share away from another automotive maker in order to increase their share and therefore increase sales. But I guess when it comes to the utter failure the D3 sedans have been, the only way to increase their abysmal sales record is to steal market share from a vehicle owned and produced by the same company that makes the D3 sedan. And of course it's not as if you could put both cars up as options and have the D3 out sell the Panther (we all know who would win that "competition"), you have to do everything in your power to kill off the D3's competition in order to maybe increase their sales. I love Ford, but God damn they do a lot of things that don't make sense. Mark my words, if they do indeed kill off the Panther and don't offer a replacement, they will say good bye to the ownership of the LEO market. The Taurus just won't cut it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warren FIrman Posted February 15, 2009 Share Posted February 15, 2009 Will Lightbars and cages install on other brands if removed from a Crown Vic? This would increase the town's cost of replacing to a different brand than the current CV. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T'Cal Posted March 13, 2009 Share Posted March 13, 2009 Some equipment can be used on different brand cars but certainly not all. Also, lightbars, consoles, computer mounts, long gun mounts, printers, video systems all mount differently and use different hardware. The CVPI is the largest of the three pursuit-rated sedans but they are getting smaller with all the stuff that goes in the passenger compartment and trunk. We need larger police cars not smaller ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmc523 Posted March 13, 2009 Share Posted March 13, 2009 My neighbor who's a cop recently switched from an undercover 300 to an undercover Impala.....I guess they (the PD) didn't like the 300? ----- Also to note, I saw an undercover Explorer ('02-'05 bodystyle) today.....I noticed the lights in the grille when he was behind me at a light, then I saw he was wearing a police officer's uniform. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theoldwizard Posted March 13, 2009 Share Posted March 13, 2009 More and more "plain brown wrapper" Chargers show up around here. They are fast and blend in better than a P71. Most cops still like the extra room in the P71. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpvbs Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 The wealthy suburbs around here are using unmarked Chargers as well. It makes me wonder what the price difference is between the cruisers. Also, I recently drove by a state police HQ (in Waukesha Wi) and saw they had a 94-96 Impala SS with lights on it. It looked to be getting used as a regular patrol unit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmc523 Posted March 20, 2009 Share Posted March 20, 2009 More and more "plain brown wrapper" Chargers show up around here. They are fast and blend in better than a P71. Most cops still like the extra room in the P71. Yeah, I hate it when you can't tell if it's a regular/average Charger or a cop car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donzuchowski Posted March 22, 2009 Share Posted March 22, 2009 Yeah, I hate it when you can't tell if it's a regular/average Charger or a cop car. you mean besides the hidden lights in the grill, or the antennas in plain sight on the deck lid? or how about the plain styled wheels. most cop cars can be given away with just the plain old style wheels on them. look at the blacked out plain wheels, cop car http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=htt...sa%3DN%26um%3D1 or this Crown Vic cop car wheels.... or this Vegas cop car mustang.... if it got black wheels its a cop car folks..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmc523 Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 (edited) you mean besides the hidden lights in the grill, or the antennas in plain sight on the deck lid? or how about the plain styled wheels. most cop cars can be given away with just the plain old style wheels on them. look at the blacked out plain wheels, cop car http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=htt...sa%3DN%26um%3D1 or this Crown Vic cop car wheels.... or this Vegas cop car mustang.... if it got black wheels its a cop car folks..... Nope, not talking about those....I can easily spot most cop cars like that, for instance, "undercover" Explorers and Expeditions, and Crown Vics (but being a Crown Vic gives it away). I'm talking about cop cars that look like these (with tinted windows): Any of these could easily be regular Chargers or cops....and it's made more difficult because you saw regular Chargers like this with dark tinted windows before they were available/used as police cars. The undercover Chargers I've seen (pulling people over) don't have antennas or any of the usual "noticable" things. Edited March 23, 2009 by rmc523 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joihan777 Posted March 23, 2009 Author Share Posted March 23, 2009 Nope, not talking about those....I can easily spot most cop cars like that, for instance, "undercover" Explorers and Expeditions, and Crown Vics (but being a Crown Vic gives it away). I'm talking about cop cars that look like these (with tinted windows): Any of these could easily be regular Chargers or cops....and it's made more difficult because you saw regular Chargers like this with dark tinted windows before they were available/used as police cars. The undercover Chargers I've seen (pulling people over) don't have antennas or any of the usual "noticable" things. Wait till they start using Camry's & Accord's...... NOBODY will notice them until it's too late! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fastime Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 Wait till they start using Camry's & Accord's...... NOBODY will notice them until it's too late! well at least they won't complain about dieing in fires .... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WC-MAN Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 well at least they won't complain about dieing in fires .... How can you be sure that the Accord won't burst into flames if its plowed into by a vehicle doing 60 MPH? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fastime Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 (edited) How can you be sure that the Accord won't burst into flames if its plowed into by a vehicle doing 60 MPH? If a man dies in the forest and a tree falls can he hear it ? the Crown vic however @ 80 mph ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABKaVHr_11Q Edited March 24, 2009 by fastime Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T'Cal Posted April 2, 2009 Share Posted April 2, 2009 (edited) I drive an unmarked but fully decked out Tahoe PPV with police plates on it. When it's lit up, you can't miss it. When the emergency equipment is off, it might as well be invisible. It's navy blue metalic with the black stamped steel wheels, but no one recognizes it as a police vehicle until I hit the lights. It's a great traffic enforcement vehicle. The 5.3L is very powerful, much quicker than the CVPIs, but with about the same FE in urban driving. It leans a bit more but it grips better on dry roads. It is a bit worse than the Fords, however, in traction when the streets get wet or snowy, but the Fords are nothing to write home about under those conditions. They are a couple grand more than the Ford sedan, which adds up fast if you have even a small fleet. The Tahoe has been at least as reliable as the CVPIs and much better than the FWD Impalas. Edited April 2, 2009 by T'Cal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0824sgt Posted April 11, 2009 Share Posted April 11, 2009 (edited) Ford is about to loose its ass to a new company called Carbon Motors who is currently looking for a location to build its new E7 purpose built police cruiser! it looks like its ready to take over the business! Ford unfortunately will be asleep at the wheel when it comes to the future of police service vehicles!!! Hopefully Michigan will be lucky enough to gain this company in its arsenal! Edited April 11, 2009 by 0824sgt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rscalzo Posted April 11, 2009 Share Posted April 11, 2009 It will never fly. Budgets don't allow a vehicle costing a significant portion above the standard Ford or Dodge product. they are trying to sell the cars based on agencies spending 24 to 26k for a stand ford or doge. Those numbers may sound great on a press release but I pay 20k for a CV and around 2k less for the Chargers. They claim 55k to fit out a unit? Do they think we throw away the equipment when the car is taken out of service? This is not the first time a company has tried to build such a car. all prior efforts have failed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theoldwizard Posted April 15, 2009 Share Posted April 15, 2009 It will never fly. (Carbon Motors) I second that. The base price of a cop car needs to stay close to what they are paying today. Too many get totalled or just wear out every year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donzuchowski Posted May 23, 2009 Share Posted May 23, 2009 Another 10 years? Just how far into the ground does the Panther Mafia want to ride this thing? It's woefully outdated as it is, and you want it to go about for another decade with nothing more than powertrain updates? what is so outdated on this proven platform that is only a few years old. ford refreshed the panther platform a few years ago... all new.... i saw if it is not broken why fix it.... ford is going to give up limo for a taurus/500? why not make the taurus rwd and bigger then the current panthers ecen with a w16 engine from vw..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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