Bye Bye Crown Viv

[tofer]

Well I will be in Oregon soon and will certainly keep an eye out for them.

 

Been looking for them in Washington, but haven't seen any yet (thankfully!)

[Mustang_Marty]

In Washington, you have to watch out for the unmarked Volvo wagon, BMW 325i, and several Grand Ams they have on road rage patrols. Nothing was odder than seeing an unmarked 325i with wig-wags and blue strobes flying down I405

[Hemiman]

In Washington, you have to watch out for the unmarked Volvo wagon, BMW 325i, and several Grand Ams they have on road rage patrols. Nothing was odder than seeing an unmarked 325i with wig-wags and blue strobes flying down I405

 

 

Back in the early 90's I can remember the Conneticut Hwy Patrol had a white ZR-1 Vette. They got it in a drug raid and pressed it into service in the interstates. Here in NY the Troopers used to have a lot of marked 5.0 LX coupes. Later switched to Camaros, some of which may be still in service.

[fordktpjoe]

You know, all night long I work on the line and watch V-10 engines roll by in our trucks........ I have often wondered what one of THOSE puppies could make a Crown Vic do??? Bet it'd run circles around that Charger! I wonder if any of our "Way Forward" boys up in Michigan have thought of that?

 

Seems like I remember a website somewhere about a fella who had bought a fairly new CV and was transplanting the V-10 out of a wrecked Excursion into it. Supposedly it was going to be a bolt in. I'll have to see if I can find it again.

[Traveler]

Actually, if I'm not mistaken Ford did a V10 Interceptor concept several years ago that ran on natural gas. Can't remember the details other than it was extremely torquey.

 

I still think Ford would have best been served moving the displacement of the 4.6L up to 5.0L. It would likely give the engine more potential and a notable engine comparable to the 'Hemi' name. Ford and 5.0 just goes together so well. It would be beneficial to the Panther, trucks and extremely invaluable to the Mustang GT to have that 5.0 badge again on the fender.

[fordktpjoe]

Yeah, I agree 5.0 does look better on the fender, but hell if we're wishing, let's wish BIG why not go back to 427 SOHC?

But, back to subject....while looking on google for that particular website I did find some sites that discuss (rumors?) of a V-10 CV from Ford.

[Joe771476]

I think the smaller Charger will not be welcomed by the cops when trying to write reports etc. and just overall comfortability. The trunks are probably smaller on the Charger too. And I can't remember when any chase reached over 115 MPH and if it did, it was rare. Most depts. break off after 80 MPH usually. I don't think the Dodges are going to cut it myself. But Ford should be ready in case the Dodge is a success.

Edited June 4, 2006 by Joe771476

[Traveler]

The Charger and Crown Vic are comparable in legroom and headroom, but the CV is significantly wider in the shoulder and hip room. The police Charger does away with the center console, though and has a unique column-like shifter built into the dash so many LEOs probably will find the Charger okay. The trunk will probably be the make or break thing with most law agencies. The CV's deep well trunk with the rear shelf is actually advantageous for hauling equipment. The flat floor trunk of the Charger may be a compromise.

 

When it comes to power, the CV is what I believe entirely sufficient for probably 80% of police work...even traffic duty. The later model Vics accelerate considerably well. Where the Chargers will likely help out is for more stealth with additional power...probably becoming the Camaro/Mustang-type police car of this decade. However, it will be capable of hauling in a suspect in the backseat unlike the pony cars. The Charger will most likely prove itself not quite as structurally capable of taking the abuse the CV can, but that isn't to say it won't make for a good alternative. Ford will probably lose some marketshare, but not in large droves. I'd bet they'll still retain 50% for the next several years if they keep the CV in production.

[sa_seahawker]

The Charger and Crown Vic are comparable in legroom and headroom, but the CV is significantly wider in the shoulder and hip room. The police Charger does away with the center console, though and has a unique column-like shifter built into the dash so many LEOs probably will find the Charger okay. The trunk will probably be the make or break thing with most law agencies. The CV's deep well trunk with the rear shelf is actually advantageous for hauling equipment. The flat floor trunk of the Charger may be a compromise.

 

When it comes to power, the CV is what I believe entirely sufficient for probably 80% of police work...even traffic duty. The later model Vics accelerate considerably well. Where the Chargers will likely help out is for more stealth with additional power...probably becoming the Camaro/Mustang-type police car of this decade. However, it will be capable of hauling in a suspect in the backseat unlike the pony cars. The Charger will most likely prove itself not quite as structurally capable of taking the abuse the CV can, but that isn't to say it won't make for a good alternative. Ford will probably lose some marketshare, but not in large droves. I'd bet they'll still retain 50% for the next several years if they keep the CV in production.

 

Front Shoulder Room:

CVPI - 60.8 in

CHGR- 59.3 in

 

Front Hiproom:

CVPI - 57.1 in

CHGR- 56.2 in

 

Although, I too am a Ford fan, the Charger is posing a strong opposition. The one inch difference isn't exactly "significant" in the shoulder and hip areas. and although the trunk coughs up about 4 cu. ft. of space, it isn't that much of a necessity these days, imo. Tape vaults for the video systems are becoming a thing of the past in lieu of DVR cameras and radio units are getting smaller too. The biggest thing in my trunk is the spare tire. Still, the trunk is small with the optional full size spare tire.

 

 

The CVPI is more adequately matched to the Charger V6 than it is the Hemi. Though the CVPI gets the nod over the V6 in Torque. The biggest difference (in relation enginges/power/etc) is the fuel economy. Despite having almost +100HP and torque, the Hemi still gets 17/25 (Hemi) and 19/27 (V6) gas mileage compared to CVPI's 16/23. Although that doesn't sound like much, start spending $3.00 - $3.50/gal for gas and you could find yourself spending +$1000/year per car for gas.

 

As far as this abuse thing, someone needs to come up with a test to gauge abuse. I find a lot Depts get rid of cars when they get to about 60k or at least move them to reserve units. Additionally, very few are used for monster truck ralleys or do any serious off-road time. IMO, the abuse rating isn't really a rating.

 

A LOT of the guys driving the Chargers now are very impressed with them. The power obviously is a big plus. But other things like brakes, ESP, and even turning radius are being noticed. While I will agree with Traveler that DCX probably won't be taking over sales in the next few years, I do see that they will eventually as soon as all the die-hard "Vic loyalists" start to dimish.

 

Not trying to fan any flames, just stating my opinion and stating some of the counter-opinions out there. I could be wrong.

[92merc]

Well, I can say things in North Dakota aren't quite like the previous poster. Since ND is still primarily a rural state, the Highway Patrol and county sheriff's are most often the first responders to a call. So these guys have anwywhere from 200 to 300 lbs of stuff in their trunks. Shotguns, crow bars, extinguishers, you name it. So rear truck space is needed. The rear suspension also has to keep up with that load.

 

Also, our guys frequently hop from one highway to the other, right through the ditch. Crossovers are few and far between most the time, especially on the Interstate. So they can't wait to turn around. The frame and suspension will need to take a beating.

 

In ND, some police in town are still running with Impala's. But even in my city of 60k, it's a mix of Impala's, CV's, and some Tahoe's. We have a few cops that are in the upper 6 foot range that can't even fit in a CV. So they're big boys.

 

I'm curious to see what the long term pans out for the Charger. But I don't see the Charger taking any more spots around here than the Impala does. If anything, Impala numbers may drop more than CV numbers do. Mostly if gas mileage is better. All it would take to keep the CV's running in ND is the 3V and 6 speed to help those milage numbers, and I don't think any of the civil service groups will bat an eye at buying more CV's.

 

On a personal note, I have a 92 Grand Marquis and love it. I'm hoping for some decent updates to the platform and keep it around.

[68fastback]

Well, I can say things in North Dakota aren't quite like the previous poster. Since ND is still primarily a rural state, the Highway Patrol and county sheriff's are most often the first responders to a call. So these guys have anwywhere from 200 to 300 lbs of stuff in their trunks. Shotguns, crow bars, extinguishers, you name it. So rear truck space is needed. The rear suspension also has to keep up with that load.

 

Also, our guys frequently hop from one highway to the other, right through the ditch. Crossovers are few and far between most the time, especially on the Interstate. So they can't wait to turn around. The frame and suspension will need to take a beating.

 

In ND, some police in town are still running with Impala's. But even in my city of 60k, it's a mix of Impala's, CV's, and some Tahoe's. We have a few cops that are in the upper 6 foot range that can't even fit in a CV. So they're big boys.

 

I'm curious to see what the long term pans out for the Charger. But I don't see the Charger taking any more spots around here than the Impala does. If anything, Impala numbers may drop more than CV numbers do. Mostly if gas mileage is better. All it would take to keep the CV's running in ND is the 3V and 6 speed to help those milage numbers, and I don't think any of the civil service groups will bat an eye at buying more CV's.

 

On a personal note, I have a 92 Grand Marquis and love it. I'm hoping for some decent updates to the platform and keep it around.

 

Well, I think the CV/GM is eventually going -- I can't see Ford keeping it just for government duty. But,either way, it needs more power and 3V would be the perfect upgrade. Long term, tho, gotta have a modern, light-weight, rear-drive V8 that can play across government and family markets and Ford/LM, son;t you think?