Crown Vic PI news

[GreekGod]

Grand Rapids officials snag Crown Victoria police cruisers before Ford halts the model's production

Published: Tuesday, February 15, 2011

By Matt Vande Bunte | The Grand Rapids Press (http://connect.mlive.com/user/mvandebunte/index.html)

GRAND RAPIDS -- Grand Rapids police expect to save money by stockpiling Crown Victoria patrol cars (http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2011/01/many_west_michigan_police_agen .html) before Ford Motor Co. stops production of the model that’s standard among area cop shops.

http://media.mlive.com/grpress/news_impact/photo/9287045-large.jpg
Grand Rapids police cruisers

The City Commission’s fiscal committee this morning recommended spending $599,172 on 28 cruisers from Tony Betten Ford at a cost of $21,399 each. The department last year bought 15 new vehicles. This year’s larger purchase will keep city police in Crown Victorias through the end of 2012, Police Capt. David Kiddle said. “We don’t feel there’s any big hurry to jump into these (new) vehicles,” he said.
Many police agencies are buying excess Crown Victorias, postponing an imminent transition to a new model that could create additional costs because existing in-car equipment such as cages that separate the front and rear seats may not fit.
Waiting to buy a new patrol car also will give time for manufacturers to work out kinks and let other police departments serve as guinea pigs, Grand Rapids officials said.

[GreekGod]

Convinced they got a deal, city commissioners purchase 28 Crown Vics for the police department

Published: Tuesday, February 22, 2011 By Jim Harger | The Grand Rapids Press
http://media.mlive.com/grpress/news_impact/photo/9312698-large.jpg
Grand Rapids Press File PhotoLike most police departments, Grand Rapids officers prefer the Crown Victoria


GRAND RAPIDS – Convinced they got a deal as good – if not better – than Kent County, city commissioners on Tuesday approved the purchase of 28 new Crown Victoria patrol cars from Tony Betten Ford.
Commissioners gave the purchase – at $21,399 per vehicle – their preliminary approval last week, but held up the paperwork after learning Kent County's Sheriff Department recently bought 15 Crown Victorias for $20,800 – $599 less than the city's price.
City Purchasing Agent Jose Reyna said he learned the city's bid specifications differed from the county, calling for higher grade water hoses with aircraft clamps and a strobe light preparation package. Those items added $916 to the price of each vehicle, Reyna said.
Reyna said the dealer is losing $91.48 per vehicle but was willing to take the loss in hopes of gaining future service business on the vehicles.
Despite its popularity as a police car (http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2011/01/many_west_michigan_police_agen .html), Ford's full-sized Crown Victoria/Police Interceptor is in its final production year.
Reyna said the city's purchase of 28 vehicles will allow it to use the vehicles through 2012. The purchase allows the city to put off the purchase of new “interior kits” that include barriers between the front and rear seats, shotgun mounts and other security items.

[MM03MOK]

There was talk at the STAP tour last June about law enforcement departments doing just that.

[GreekGod]

There was talk at the STAP tour last June about law enforcement departments doing just that.

I'm thinking they must be getting 100's of orders, from all over the USA.

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[EMAS]

A local dept decide to just rebuild their existing cars and hot rod them a bit while they were at it. There was a news story a few months ago and they showed a underhood shot of a freshly completed car and it showed a cold air intake.

[RF Overlord]

It's a shame that too much government interference/meddling has ruined what was arguably the best police car evar.

Sorry, Ford, but a twin-turbo AWD Taurus in police duty? It will bankrupt most towns to keep it running.

[JOEMERC]

Man gonna miss the panther platform cars ,i guess it will soon be all front wheel drive toilet bowls cruising around town , my .02

[Mr. Man]

My guess is that when the Taurus ultimately fails as a dependable police car and Ford starts losing market share to Chevy, Dodge and that specialty co. they will be forced to reexamine their decision and come up with a new 4 door heavy duty platform that they can also share with the limo/taxi market.

[GreekGod]

My guess is that when the Taurus ultimately fails as a dependable police car and Ford starts losing market share to Chevy, Dodge and that specialty co. they will be forced to reexamine their decision and come up with a new 4 door heavy duty platform that they can also share with the limo/taxi market.

Interesting!...they could build them in Canada...St. Thomas, Ontario has skilled & experienced workers.
;)
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[kernie]

I keep thinking that ford will wake up and say wait, why should we just give up domination of the police car, taxi market. A market that obviously wants this product. We have production in place that makes a steady profit, an award winning plant full of great workers...

I just don't get it. :confused:

[rayjay]

That is a significant savings over what they cost the last time I was responsible to order patrol units. Thats how I ended up with a Dodge Durango as my last unit before I retired. That and a chief that hates Fords. :rolleyes: The Impalas he forced me to buy lasted 80K, our last CVPI was donated to another department at 125K and ran until it had 160k, but their no good, they eat brakes. :shake:

[Bigdogjim]

Time to get real about crown vic's as police cars. With gas prices going higher & higher the CVPI is a dino. Time to something that car handle the workload and get better MPG's.

When Chevy stopped the full size RWD cap cars shops came to life offer re-built cars to Police dept. Same will happen with CVPI, more so because of the numbers in service. Time moves on and we must adapt.

[rayjay]

Time to get real about crown vic's as police cars. With gas prices going higher & higher the CVPI is a dino. Time to something that car handle the workload and get better MPG's.

When Chevy stopped the full size RWD cap cars shops came to life offer re-built cars to Police dept. Same will happen with CVPI, more so because of the numbers in service. Time moves on and we must adapt.

You are right BDJ, there are companies that totally rebuild and then resell them. Being a state agency we could only buy new. The state contract price on CVPI was not that great last year. As for MPG, depends on what you are doing with it. Ours was mostly city driving, so nothing did well, especially a Grand Cherokee we had, 7mpg on average. My Durango was at least was getting 12 when I pulled the plug. I know the Vics we had did about the same or better. I have no idea why that Jeep is such a slob on gas.It has the 4.7 V8 not the Hemi.

[LIGHTNIN1]

Time for the Police version of the Smart car.

[FordNut]

The new Caprice looks better and better. I'll bet they hit the civilian market pretty soon too.

[05crownsport]

Why doesn't ford do the global thing with their australian falcon? Build those in canada with the latest 5.0 and winner winner.....

[kernie]

Time to get real about crown vic's as police cars. With gas prices going higher & higher the CVPI is a dino. Time to something that car handle the workload and get better MPG's.

When Chevy stopped the full size RWD cap cars shops came to life offer re-built cars to Police dept. Same will happen with CVPI, more so because of the numbers in service. Time moves on and we must adapt.

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[4play]

keep the crown vic put the ecoboost in it.

[rayjay]

Time for the Police version of the Smart car.

PLEASE, don't go there...

05crownsport: Why doesn't ford do the global thing with their australian falcon? Build those in canada with the latest 5.0 and winner winner.....
Because that makes sense.

[Fosters]

Why doesn't ford do the global thing with their australian falcon? Build those in canada with the latest 5.0 and winner winner.....

Because that would make sense, and this is Ford we're talking about here...