Can be a good buy in a smallish town where the vehicles patrol most of their life.
Used Police Cars- A good choice?
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Originally Posted By: andyd
HEH heh. the speedo had 284k on it, I dunno what it would take to swap instruments. On the 528e , it is 2 little screws, but you get where I'm going. Once you see mismatched parts, all bets are off. Cop cars really need engine hour meters.
If it had less than 35,000 hours when wrecked, I'd be amazed.
HEH heh. the speedo had 284k on it, I dunno what it would take to swap instruments. On the 528e , it is 2 little screws, but you get where I'm going. Once you see mismatched parts, all bets are off. Cop cars really need engine hour meters.
If it had less than 35,000 hours when wrecked, I'd be amazed.
Originally Posted By: Jetronic
as Elwood said: "It's got a cop motor, a 440-cubic-inch plant. It's got cop tires, cop suspension, cop shocks. It's a model made before catalytic converters so it'll run good on regular gas."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yil9wlfa0yo
But don't use it to pick up your buddy from Joliet... just sayin'.
as Elwood said: "It's got a cop motor, a 440-cubic-inch plant. It's got cop tires, cop suspension, cop shocks. It's a model made before catalytic converters so it'll run good on regular gas."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yil9wlfa0yo
But don't use it to pick up your buddy from Joliet... just sayin'.
Around here, used police cars have fire damage, bullet holes, and smashed windows.
zzyzzx ^^^^^ Yeah, I wanted to yell at the thugs in Baltimore:: "Hey, stop that, don't you know those are GM Zeta-body platform police cars, shared with the cool Camaro, Pontiac G8, and Australian Holden Commodores-Caprices???? Have you no shame???? Show some respect!!!"
Originally Posted By: OneEyeJack
Sounds like a lot of doom and gloom from experts with no experience......
The very essence of BITOG.
Sounds like a lot of doom and gloom from experts with no experience......
The very essence of BITOG.
I could-- and perhaps should-- write a book about this topic. But I will keep it as brief as I can.
My background: 27 years of attending auctions, making about 80% of my life income before age 30 from buying cars at auctions in order to repair and resell. Twenty years in law enforcement (Army MP, city police, state police, and now federal).
Reading all of the above posts brings me to my first point, which still seems universal. That being, what one agency deems "auction worthy" may be a car that is just beginning its life in another agency.
The supervisors' take home cars being the nicest/least beaten is a myth. In fact, some would be what I would call the worst cars to drive in that agency/office. Take it from someone who has been, and is today, a supervisor in a law enforcement agency who has driven such cars.
Knowledge is power. At the very least, check to see when the last inspection sticker was dated, and check the car for inspection paperwork. You may get lucky and find much more maintenance info than that. Best case scenario is that the fleet section or auction operation is supervised by a person whom you can establish rapport with, and then get inside information on the cars' histories. This is a VERY popular pasttime for hardcore auction buyers at some places. A friend of mine (which is not a euphemism for me) once wooed an attractive, single female State Police SGT with a picnic lunch (next to the fleet garage-- ha ha) and flowers in order to extract information about what seemed to be an especially nice selection of vehicles.
If you have the room/knowledge/tools to do the work, damaged cars often sell for next to nothing. Literally, next to nothing, as in towable wrecks with a starting bid of $1 often attract no bids the first time around. Buyers are scared away by things like a car with severe body damage and no wheels sitting on the pavement. But for $1, you could end up with an excellent engine and tranny to put in another wreck that needs them. I've done that exact scenario several times.
Learn to paint and prep cars yourself. It will save you tons of time and money. For under $100 in materials, you can rub off the decals and throw a couple of coats of paint on your average-sized sedan, making it look very presentable. Become friends with someone who owns a paint booth, or ask a local vocational school if you can borrow theirs after hours.
Speaking of time, space, money, and looking for just the right car at an auction...if you have all of these factors in your favor, I would say to do your research and buy a few potential "keepers" and let fate decide in the end. Bring them all home and decide to keep the best of the bunch, and then sell the rest to friends for cheap. For well under $1000 you should be able to purchase a few cars in overall good/serviceable condition that will pass inspection. Have fun with it, learn a few things along the way, and end up with a good catch at the end of the day!
My background: 27 years of attending auctions, making about 80% of my life income before age 30 from buying cars at auctions in order to repair and resell. Twenty years in law enforcement (Army MP, city police, state police, and now federal).
Reading all of the above posts brings me to my first point, which still seems universal. That being, what one agency deems "auction worthy" may be a car that is just beginning its life in another agency.
The supervisors' take home cars being the nicest/least beaten is a myth. In fact, some would be what I would call the worst cars to drive in that agency/office. Take it from someone who has been, and is today, a supervisor in a law enforcement agency who has driven such cars.
Knowledge is power. At the very least, check to see when the last inspection sticker was dated, and check the car for inspection paperwork. You may get lucky and find much more maintenance info than that. Best case scenario is that the fleet section or auction operation is supervised by a person whom you can establish rapport with, and then get inside information on the cars' histories. This is a VERY popular pasttime for hardcore auction buyers at some places. A friend of mine (which is not a euphemism for me) once wooed an attractive, single female State Police SGT with a picnic lunch (next to the fleet garage-- ha ha) and flowers in order to extract information about what seemed to be an especially nice selection of vehicles.
If you have the room/knowledge/tools to do the work, damaged cars often sell for next to nothing. Literally, next to nothing, as in towable wrecks with a starting bid of $1 often attract no bids the first time around. Buyers are scared away by things like a car with severe body damage and no wheels sitting on the pavement. But for $1, you could end up with an excellent engine and tranny to put in another wreck that needs them. I've done that exact scenario several times.
Learn to paint and prep cars yourself. It will save you tons of time and money. For under $100 in materials, you can rub off the decals and throw a couple of coats of paint on your average-sized sedan, making it look very presentable. Become friends with someone who owns a paint booth, or ask a local vocational school if you can borrow theirs after hours.
Speaking of time, space, money, and looking for just the right car at an auction...if you have all of these factors in your favor, I would say to do your research and buy a few potential "keepers" and let fate decide in the end. Bring them all home and decide to keep the best of the bunch, and then sell the rest to friends for cheap. For well under $1000 you should be able to purchase a few cars in overall good/serviceable condition that will pass inspection. Have fun with it, learn a few things along the way, and end up with a good catch at the end of the day!
Asia Motors in Chicago.Lots of old police vehicles,some with low miles.
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