CVPI Help

[duhtroll]

I am looking for a winter car. I would like a CVPI, but I need help using the guides (NADA/Kelley). Kelley doesn't list a CVPI. NADA does, but I remember that one of these guides is supposed to be better than the other for private party sale. Which ?

So, I am in need of help from dealers and CVPI owners, or LEOs or anyone else who may know.

2002 CVPI white
106,000 miles
good mechanical shape - no defects found, though I have not driven the car yet (will on Thursday) and can always reserve judgment if something like alignment or braking needs work, engine noise, etc..

How would I figure out what I should be paying for this vehicle? I think the price it is listed at is a steal, ($3000/offer) but I'd like to get some good information before I go over to the seller's house.

I will be running the VIN (don't have yet) if I still like it after I have driven it.

Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[Breadfan]

I'm not sure I'd follow the NADA/Blue Book guides very much. I'm sure the dealer will use them to tell you why their price is good though.

I always use the market as a price guide. It will show what that type of car is selling for in your market.

Do an autotrader.com and cars.com search for the same car and year in your area. Maybe go out like 100 or 200 miles. It should give you a good sample to see what other cars sell for with various mileage and condition that can be gathered from photos.

You can use the book guides to be sure you're not paying over that amount, :), but in terms of what a car is worth, it's what the market will hold, hence seeing what they're going for.

Depending on the rarity of the car you can bump the search radius up for more choices, if you get tons of results in your area you may not have to and will help give a regional market evaluation to build your price-to-condition take on the car in relation to your area.

[cyclopsram]

So many cvpis available.. you don't tell us where you are... but MA just sold 80 or so last weekend, NH is selling a bunch next week as is Maine...NYS thruway is selling thru Auctions International every month... I have owned 30 or so and never had a bad one... 02 is the last year with the conventional steering and rear end mount... in 03 they went to rack and pinion and outboard shocks.. Look at Ebay and compare 50 or 60 of them... pick the color of your choice...remember if you want to get cruise and power drivers seat and a Tape player look closely as only about one in ten got them... look for carpets and bench seats and door moldings and blue hoses and street appearance package.. and by all means be sure the model is P71...the P72 is the fleet pkg with some heavy duty stuff but a 2.73 rear and no 140 speedo and the list goes on. Do not try to be a wannabe and harass the folks if you get one of these units or you will be in the chrome bracelets before you can count to two..the car will get you respect without even looking for it... treat it well ...

[Eric91Z]

I agree - use autotrader.com come or something to compare prices in your area.

I have a 2003 CVPI that I just bought in May with 107,900 miles on it. Was clean and ran OK. Got mine for $5300. If the one you are looking at is clean and runs good, driver's straight, etc, then I think that would be a good price.

Have an Oasis ran on it, too.

[duhtroll]

I'm in Iowa, and no I am not buying one to be a wannabe . . .

So if it does not have the 140 speedo then it is probably not a P71? Some ways to ID this would be helpful. I will run the VIN when I get to look at it on Thursday. Thanks for pointing this out.



So many cvpis available.. you don't tell us where you are... but MA just sold 80 or so last weekend, NH is selling a bunch next week as is Maine...NYS thruway is selling thru Auctions International every month... I have owned 30 or so and never had a bad one... 02 is the last year with the conventional steering and rear end mount... in 03 they went to rack and pinion and outboard shocks.. Look at Ebay and compare 50 or 60 of them... pick the color of your choice...remember if you want to get cruise and power drivers seat and a Tape player look closely as only about one in ten got them... look for carpets and bench seats and door moldings and blue hoses and street appearance package.. and by all means be sure the model is P71...the P72 is the fleet pkg with some heavy duty stuff but a 2.73 rear and no 140 speedo and the list goes on. Do not try to be a wannabe and harass the folks if you get one of these units or you will be in the chrome bracelets before you can count to two..the car will get you respect without even looking for it... treat it well ...

[Breadfan]

"P71" will appear in the VIN. So unless it's a fake VIN that will tell you.



Example:

CVPI:
2FAFP71WX4X186550

Civilian:
2FAFP74W63X155306

[OneBADLsE]

"P71" will appear in the VIN. So unless it's a fake VIN that will tell you.



Example:

CVPI:
2FAFP71WX4X186550

Civilian:
2FAFP74W63X155306

+1. Thats the only way to tell (besides interior/exterior cues)

[RCSignals]

I'm in Iowa, and no I am not buying one to be a wannabe . . .

So if it does not have the 140 speedo then it is probably not a P71? Some ways to ID this would be helpful. I will run the VIN when I get to look at it on Thursday. Thanks for pointing this out.

tweed looking cloth seats. dual exhaust

[my_rodder]

I'm in Fort Dodge IA, our ford dealer sold a 2003 sheriff's car(115,000 miles) like a month ago for under $3000. I think it sold in 2 days. I know a guy who works there he paid under $2000 for one a while ago( I think 2001 or 2002). If you you find one by me, I can go and check it out first if you like. let me know.

[duhtroll]

There is a NICE 2003 blue one on ebay that is in Dows with only 57K on the clock. The ebay auction was up to 2850 and I called the dealer phone# in the auction. He says it's listed on the lot at 6,000.

I don't want to spend that much or I would buy it tomorrow when I head over to Hampton.

If this white 2002 near me is an actual P71 and tracks straight/runs smooth then it's easily worth the $2800 I would offer for it. I haven't seen one cheaper that doesn't have some sort of damage.


I'm in Fort Dodge IA, our ford dealer sold a 2003 sheriff's car(115,000 miles) like a month ago for under $3000. I think it sold in 2 days. I know a guy who works there he paid under $2000 for one a while ago( I think 2001 or 2002). If you you find one by me, I can go and check it out first if you like. let me know.

[duhtroll]

OK, I reviewed the white CVPI (2FAFP71W92X128264) for sale locally here. It has a few issues:

1) Tranny fluid turning brown and had that acidic smell
2) Tires are about 30-40%
3) pulsing when braking - Ford rotors, or worse?
4) no cruise - $350 for local aftermarket install
5) reported MPG is only 16 hwy?! Is this common for CVPIs??
6) it's plain filthy.

Cosmetically, I can detail it, but I'm not even sure they have changed the oil in it since they bought it from the PD in March (they have had it for roughly 11K miles). So I am thinking that not only is it not worth the $3K, it's not worth my even taking another look.

I could place a call in to the officer that drove it and find out what type of maintenance it has had, but I think this may not even be worth the effort.

Thoughts?

I'm looking for a halfway decent (meaning not trashed) CVPI with 100-120K miles on it in the 2000-2003 year range for the $3K price range. Don't have many in the state here. Anyone have a good "in" on an auction in the midwest or another route to getting one of these?

Thanks

[duhtroll]

I apparently can't edit, but some more thoughts:

I have pics on my phone, but my interface is at home so I can't upload them (not that it matters much)

7) Slight vibration at about 65-70MPH - could be tires, could be....

On the plus side, the AC is cool, it drove/rode very smoothly, shifted fine, tracked straight on the highway. Much quieter than my MM, but that should be a given. It appeared everything it had worked, all power, radio, remote release for fuel and trunk, etc..

[Eric91Z]

Little comparison:

1) My CVPI had decent looking tires on it, but pulled to the right (even after alignment) and lots of tire noise - new tires and drives straight and quiet

2) 16 mpg on the highway? I get 16-18 mpg IN TOWN with the air on in my CVPI. Have yet to do a highway only trip, but throw in a round trip from Des Moines to Ames on a tank of gas an I am up to 20 mpg for average

3) Brakes - could well be worn rotors. I have no problems with the brakes on mine with 111,000 miles on it now.


Mine, too, was VERY dirty - inside and out. Little bit of detailing goes a long ways. Plus, being an '03 I can use the winter wheel/tire setup that I had for the Marauder on the CVPI for the winter. Good to go there.

Good luck with your search. The Iowa DOT has a vechicle auction coming up on October 27th. Those are held at the DOT site in Ames, IA. They get local, sheriff, and highway patrol cars in there. Last year there was one that had about $5000 worth of repairs and body work, clean, everything worked, new paint, etc that went for like $2800 or so.

Here is the info and make sure to get your bid number ahead of time just in case you find something:

http://www.dot.state.ia.us/auction/index.htm

[duhtroll]

Awesome - think I might head down for that.

If I could get past the 16MPG and figure out a way to increase it, I might give this one a second look. The tranny is working fine so if I serviced it right away I bet it would be OK. but the point is that as long as I am getting a beater, it has to get better MPG than the MM which gets 20 hwy with all my mods.

[Breadfan]

Where is it reporting the MPG's? Or who is reporting them?

It doesn't sound accurate, or the car may need a basic tune-up like plugs, clean MAF, etc.

If it runs well though it should be doing better than that.

[FrankJAG]

Heck our 99 CVPI gets better milage than our 03 GM.

[duhtroll]

I did check the air filter and it was either new or very clean.

The person driving it back and forth to work every day (mostly hwy) is reporting it. Of course they could be wrong, and it could be simple enough like plugs, or it could be like my grandma's 82 GMarq that only got 8 MPG in town because she only drove it 12 blocks to the store and to church once per week. Some, OK most of these patrol cars idle a lot.


Where is it reporting the MPG's? Or who is reporting them?

It doesn't sound accurate, or the car may need a basic tune-up like plugs, clean MAF, etc.

If it runs well though it should be doing better than that.

[Leadfoot281]

You described every used CVPI I've ever looked at. Vibration, brakes, interior, ect...

Since you want to do your part for the evironment, wouldn't a nice used Honda Accord be a much better choice?

[SHERIFF]

The 16 mpg highway is not very far from accurate. I have had a 2001 CVPI since new, with 18,000 miles on it currently (never in police service), and it has never gotten better than 10-11 city and 16-18 highway. It has never been dogged, beat to hell, or drag raced. I have never understood how FORD was allowed to put 17 city and 25 highway on the original window stickers.

[SHERIFF]

You described every used CVPI I've ever looked at. Vibration, brakes, interior, ect...


You just haven't looked at mine. It is "used". And just like new inside and out. :D

[duhtroll]

Used Honda Accords are far more expensive for what you get. "Because they are Hondas." Don't ask me why.

Driving a CVPI vs. a MM in the winter *is* better for the environment if it meets the specs I have laid out. Less fuel and cheaper fuel to buy. Also, I am certain my MM pollutes more since it only has 2 cats on it right now.

You've been looking at crappy CVPIs, then. I've seen plenty of them as Sheriff has described. Just need to get someone to part with one for the right price.


You described every used CVPI I've ever looked at. Vibration, brakes, interior, ect...

Since you want to do your part for the evironment, wouldn't a nice used Honda Accord be a much better choice?

[FrankJAG]

Find a CVPI that was not a patrol or pool unit. Takes a bit of looking but they are worth finding, especially if you can get to know the fleet manager for the agency selling it.
The CVPI is a great daily driver, tough as nails.

[Aren Jay]

That Mileage is quite high.

There is a local private dealer around here who constantly has CV PI and S's with less than 40,000 miles on them. Usually a lot less. Around 15-20K miles. They are more expensive than the price you have there but, not much more.

I would keep looking around unless you really like the car.

If you do take it to your local mechanic and have them do an inspection on it. If the Carfax and Oasis checks out.

[Leadfoot281]

You just haven't looked at mine. It is "used". And just like new inside and out. :D


I'm sure there are nice ones out there. I just haven't seen a really clean one yet. I actually did buy an '89 CVPI a few years ago with 128k on it for $400.

That one was fairlly clean aside from a few dents and some minor rust. It nearlly killed me when the right upper ball joint broke at 134k. The car landed on it's right front bumper at 45mph. A week earlier I had the dealership inspect the front end and they didn't see anything wrong with it. :shake:

My current '89 CV (non-PI) has 198k on it and still hasn't tried to kill me.

[SHERIFF]

Last edited by Leadfoot281 : 10-04-2007 at 10:12 PM. Reason: taking ammo away from the speling Nazi's


That's just plain wrong! You take the fun out of the Internet! :D

[RCSignals]

My 2003 CVPI gets 24 plus mpg hwy

[larryo340]

My 2003 CVPI gets 24 plus mpg hwy


Heck our 99 CVPI gets better milage than our 03 GM.
I have a friend with a '98 CVPI, and all he does is whine about the MPG he gets. He says he never gets more than 15-16 MPG highway while I get 23-25MPG highway with my '98 MGM. Funny thing is that he thinks its the rear gear at only 3.27, and even offered to swap with me his complete rearend (from the car before someone gets cute;))for my 2.73. I've been trying to tell him it has to be the PI tune, even in my last MGM with 3.08's I still got as much as 24 MPG.

[69marquis conv]

I use my beater '95 P71 for work: 95% highway miles and always over 3000 miles a month. I get 22-24 mpg highway consistently. It only drops below 20 mpg when I mix in a lot of town driving. Currently has 156k on the clock.

[RoyLPita]

PM me the VINs of the CVPIs that might interest you.

[duhtroll]

Thanks Brian - here are a couple:

2FAFP71W5XX163245
2FAFP71W33X104334

EDIT: I should add that I am using autocheck as I have unlimited use of that for the next 60 days, but an OASIS would be appreciated as well. Thanks.

[OneBADLsE]

The 16 mpg highway is not very far from accurate. I have had a 2001 CVPI since new, with 18,000 miles on it currently (never in police service), and it has never gotten better than 10-11 city and 16-18 highway. It has never been dogged, beat to hell, or drag raced. I have never understood how FORD was allowed to put 17 city and 25 highway on the original window stickers.


My 90' Mark just averaged over 27 with an original tune up. 60 city miles, and 413 miles of highway.

Eat that tree huggers :banana2: All on a Mustang GT 5.0 HO.


BTW, the LSE gets around 25 on the highway constantly, and with a 50/50 mix i get about 19

[RoyLPita]

You have mail for VIN# 1.