Showing off my Crown Vic

Joined
Nov 8, 2016
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188
Location
TX
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Here's my 2008 Crown Vic Police Interceptor. It's the same car I posted "under the valve cover" pictures of. I originally bought it from my dad for $2000 last April to use as a backup. My other 2 vehicles were my daily driver 2019 F150 and my wife's daily driver 2015 F150. Over the first 6 months I began to drive the Crown Vic more and more.

It got to a point where I began to wonder why I had 2019 F150, so I sold the F150 last week. I ended up getting 6k more than my "out the door" price was new in 2019.

Now the Crown Vic is my daily driver, until I find a car I'm willing to pay cash for. Only problem...none I've looked at have been as good as this Crown Vic. I've always liked Crown Vics, but a majority have been worn out and hobbled together. Not this one. Everything works as it should, and it looks good too!
 
I finally jumped on one of these in October. It, unfortunately, has issues. But for what I paid for a rust free panther, it's well worth it!

I don't even think it gets too bad of gas mileage for what it is; 18.5 going to work and back and mid 20s on trips.

I do prefer the drive of the 02 and older ones with the steering box. I like the floaty boaty way they drive. Being a cop car, has yours had the transmission done? It seems that the 4R70s end up killing the transmission pump when they idle all day.
 
I finally jumped on one of these in October. It, unfortunately, has issues. But for what I paid for a rust free panther, it's well worth it!

I don't even think it gets too bad of gas mileage for what it is; 18.5 going to work and back and mid 20s on trips.

I do prefer the drive of the 02 and older ones with the steering box. I like the floaty boaty way they drive. Being a cop car, has yours had the transmission done? It seems that the 4R70s end up killing the transmission pump when they idle all day.
I have no idea about the age of the transmission internals. I do know mine is a 4r75e. It shifts better than I expected for its mileage. I usually get 15-17 mpg, but that's a lot of city driving.

Do people move over and slow down when you are driving behind them?
Around here, very few even react. They're probably too busy looking at their phones to notice while driving.

It really surprised me how many people want to come up and talk to me at gas pumps and in parking lots about the car. I've owned a couple expensive luxury cars, a nice sports car, nice pickups, and somehow a Crown Vic has gotten the most attention. My wife always asks, "why do they like that ugly car so much?" I don't know, but I like it, too.
 
Clean car. Just about every vic I've ever seen wearing cop steels is white or black. Why's this one brown.
 
Do people move over and slow down when you are driving behind them?
I have it in my head that people buy these cars to pretend to be cops and get that reaction out of people-- many do and equip them with light bars or leave the stupid floodlight things on the side mirrors to imitate a cop car. I make it a point to drive like I usually do, not slow down if I'm speeding, sometimes speed past them for no reason, just to make the point that they're nobody special.

10 years ago that would have been the prime undercover car to look out for, but these days, folks with the intention of imitating cops are just fooling themselves. Around here all the Crown Vics have been relegated to transport duty for meter maids, mall cops, or sold off second hand. If I do see one that's a legitimate police vehicle, it's on the side of the road unoccupied with lights flashing in a construction zone only because they had no other vehicle available.
 
I have it in my head that people buy these cars to pretend to be cops and get that reaction out of people-- many do and equip them with light bars or leave the stupid floodlight things on the side mirrors to imitate a cop car. I make it a point to drive like I usually do, not slow down if I'm speeding, sometimes speed past them for no reason, just to make the point that they're nobody special.

10 years ago that would have been the prime undercover car to look out for, but these days, folks with the intention of imitating cops are just fooling themselves. Around here all the Crown Vics have been relegated to transport duty for meter maids, mall cops, or sold off second hand. If I do see one that's a legitimate police vehicle, it's on the side of the road unoccupied with lights flashing in a construction zone only because they had no other vehicle available.
This is an instance where you are incorrect. Probably correct in that assumption for others, though. But not me.
 
This is an instance where you are incorrect. Probably correct in that assumption for others, though. But not me.
Certainly, I wasn't trying to make a blanket statement, but that's the first thing that comes to my mind when I see a second hand police vehicle. I'm probably wrong half the time, who knows. Different strokes for different folks. My post was replying to the fella that asked about people slowing down.
 
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Certainly, I wasn't trying to make a blanket statement, but that's the first thing that comes to my mind when I see a second hand police vehicle. I'm probably wrong half the time, who knows. Different strokes for different folks. My post was replying to the fella that asked about people slowing down.
Yea I know you were. I felt the need to add that because I've been asked it before. I've also had a few people drive like idiots around me, I guess for the same reason you've mentioned. I find it aggravating that it's the first assumption when someone sees a Crown Vic. I'm a fan of big RWD V8 sedans. Add in the cheap factor, and it's a win in my book. Police shouldn't be the only people allowed to enjoy a car that's a part of a dying breed. There are at least 4 Crown Vics within 10 miles of me that I see on a daily basis, all former police cars. So far none of the drivers seem to be wannabe cops. Those people seem to drive them because they're the cheapest car they can get. All those Crown Vics are in pretty bad shape but still running down the road.

I know there have to be quite a few folks who feel special "looking like a cop" but not everyone fits that stereotype.
 
I know there have to be quite a few folks who feel special "looking like a cop" but not everyone fits that stereotype.
Point taken. If I see a wanna-be cop with spotlights and light bars though, all bets are off.

I've got a buddy that's interested in an ex-cop Crown Vic for the same reasons you have-- I see nothing wrong with it and the logic makes perfect sense. One of those things where the few posers give them a bad rap.
 
For those of you who haven’t worked in law enforcement...

Most of the patrol portion of my career was in the days when almost every cruiser was a Crown Vic. I loved the handling and ride of those cars. Visibility was far better than anything else I drove in my career.

It would absolutely amaze you how many people (even in pre-cell phone days) would commit the dumbest traffic offenses right in front of a marked cruiser in broad daylight. That number of idiots didn’t change on the rare occasions when I drove an unmarked unit.


Side note:

The day I realized that the Crown Vics were becoming passé was 2005 or so. I was driving the posted speed limit on a flat country road, with the radar unit on but I forgot that it was on until I heard the Doppler whine. A soccer mom type in a Volvo wagon flew by me in the opposite direction. Despite being the master of u-turns (seriously), and the speed and smoothness in which I spun that cruiser around, it seemed to take forever to catch up with that Volvo. Never had that feeling before. Wow.
 
Have you entertained the thought about getting some bogus Police or Sheriff striping/decal kit and keeping the car for showing/car shows?
I see them once in a while when I frequent car shows.
 
Oh, indeed there is a great deal of life remaining in the CV especially in police spec. IDK what a manufacture does differently in police spec'd vehicles that make them different over the pedestrian version. Does anyone know? :)
 
Looks brand new! I put 300K miles on my 2005 Crown Vic. No major issues whatsoever.

The Crown Vic was the best vehicle I ever owned! I actually cried after I sold it. I should have kept as it owed me nothing.
 
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