Why The Ford Police 4.6 Seems To Go & Go & Go...

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: The Critic
Just to play devil's advocate here...the Ford 4.6 may go and go, but so do many other modern-day cars in severe service.

It's reliability may have been unbeatable at one point, but it may just be the norm nowadays. For instance in Taxi service, the Prius has replaced a lot of the Crown Vics around SF and their reliability has been just as good obviously.


How many Prius's are used in law enforcement again?

 

[JOD]

Originally Posted By: OVERK1LL
Originally Posted By: The Critic
Just to play devil's advocate here...the Ford 4.6 may go and go, but so do many other modern-day cars in severe service.

It's reliability may have been unbeatable at one point, but it may just be the norm nowadays. For instance in Taxi service, the Prius has replaced a lot of the Crown Vics around SF and their reliability has been just as good obviously.


How many Prius's are used in law enforcement again?


what does that have to do with reliability?
I imagine that blocking an intersection with a Prius isn't really that easy...

I'm with the Critic on this one. I'm sure they're very reliable cars--but there are other equally reliable cars out there well.

 

[Bill in Utah]

Originally Posted By: OVERK1LL
Originally Posted By: The Critic
Just to play devil's advocate here...the Ford 4.6 may go and go, but so do many other modern-day cars in severe service.

It's reliability may have been unbeatable at one point, but it may just be the norm nowadays. For instance in Taxi service, the Prius has replaced a lot of the Crown Vics around SF and their reliability has been just as good obviously.


How many Prius's are used in law enforcement again?


We (Salt Lake City) actually use the Prius AND Hybrid Camry in ACTUAL police use. I know that sounds like bull but really they do. I think they are up to a few dozen.

Camry here

You WILL notice no push bars and SLC has a no pursuit policy so that takes care of quite a bit of hard use IMO.

The one car I've NEVER seen them use is a Crownvic. Or any Ford product. Always GM or Dodge products. And those Impalas take a beating and keep going.

Bill

 

[bdcardinal]

One of the advantages of the Crown Victoria is parts availability and cost as well as fitment over many years. There are some parts that will fit Crown Vics from 1992 all the way up to 2011. Also being a body on frame you can do things like a PIT maneuver without writing the car off as a total.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: JOD
Originally Posted By: OVERK1LL
Originally Posted By: The Critic
Just to play devil's advocate here...the Ford 4.6 may go and go, but so do many other modern-day cars in severe service.

It's reliability may have been unbeatable at one point, but it may just be the norm nowadays. For instance in Taxi service, the Prius has replaced a lot of the Crown Vics around SF and their reliability has been just as good obviously.


How many Prius's are used in law enforcement again?


what does that have to do with reliability?
I imagine that blocking an intersection with a Prius isn't really that easy...

I'm with the Critic on this one. I'm sure they're very reliable cars--but there are other equally reliable cars out there well.


Well, because many cab Crown Vic's start out life as law enforcement vehicles. A car beat on by a LEO for a few hundred thousand miles and then run by a cabby to 700K isn't quite the same usage scenario as a Prius purchased new for cabby use, now is it?

 

[AITG]

It's interesting to read what people think should be done to break in a new engine so it will last.

Police cars get a lot of short trip operation while radios and equipment get installed.

Once they go in service they get exactly zero special break-in treatment. One of our guys got into a pursuit with 67 miles on the odometer. I'll bet his car will be just fine.

 

[ULVER]

Built Interceptor tough...

http://www.used-police-cars.com/cardetails.html

 

[Garak]

Originally Posted By: OVERK1LL
Well, because many cab Crown Vic's start out life as law enforcement vehicles. A car beat on by a LEO for a few hundred thousand miles and then run by a cabby to 700K isn't quite the same usage scenario as a Prius purchased new for cabby use, now is it?


I have seen the Prius used up here for law enforcement, but not yet in "regular" service. Administrative members of the RCMP have been using them to tour detachments. School resource officers have them, too.

As for cabs, the Prius is getting way more common here, surprisingly. And it's certainly not the same as a very used Crown Vic PI moving into taxi service for another several hundred thousand km.

 

[chevrofreak]

Originally Posted By: Bill in Utah
Originally Posted By: OVERK1LL
Originally Posted By: The Critic
Just to play devil's advocate here...the Ford 4.6 may go and go, but so do many other modern-day cars in severe service.

It's reliability may have been unbeatable at one point, but it may just be the norm nowadays. For instance in Taxi service, the Prius has replaced a lot of the Crown Vics around SF and their reliability has been just as good obviously.


How many Prius's are used in law enforcement again?


We (Salt Lake City) actually use the Prius AND Hybrid Camry in ACTUAL police use. I know that sounds like bull but really they do. I think they are up to a few dozen.

Camry here

You WILL notice no push bars and SLC has a no pursuit policy so that takes care of quite a bit of hard use IMO.

The one car I've NEVER seen them use is a Crownvic. Or any Ford product. Always GM or Dodge products. And those Impalas take a beating and keep going.

Bill


Camry Hybrids are actually quite fast cars. When I was car shopping a few months ago the Camry Hybrid I drove surprised the heck out of me with how much acceleration it had. If only they came in all-wheel-drive, that's what I would be driving now instead of my Mariner Hybrid.

 

[SteveSRT8]

Originally Posted By: ULVER

I always wondered why the Police Interceptor, didn't get a big horsepower boost. Ford marked it out @ 250hp, which even for the big sedan, was good for over 125mph easy. However, it always was labeled a slug...

My "slug" lasted 15 years, with over 300K on it. I have heard the same from taxi drivers. Used some oil, but the valve covers never had to come off, and the tranny was still virgin.

Had a Ford rep tell me, that they kept the PI71 motor fairly tame, because it allowed a high-rev, small displacement engine to last much longer.

Thoughts?


A conservative tune and cam timing setup are part of this motors longevity. My son and I have had a few in our stables over the years, and he had an old Lincoln with over 400k miles on it that was still amazingly strong.

That said, I have had many motors in other cars and service trucks last as long. Our duty cycle is as tough as any and we run our vans out to 200-300k miles commonly. We have one working daily with over 400!

 

[RF Overlord]

The town of Oak Bluffs (on Martha's Vineyard) switched to Chargers a few years back. On a recent trip over on the ferry, I was talking to the K9 Officer and he told me they disliked them and have now switched back to the CVPI. Not sure where they're going to get replacements in the coming years, but I guess they'll worry about that when the time comes.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: chevrofreak
Originally Posted By: Bill in Utah
Originally Posted By: OVERK1LL
Originally Posted By: The Critic
Just to play devil's advocate here...the Ford 4.6 may go and go, but so do many other modern-day cars in severe service.

It's reliability may have been unbeatable at one point, but it may just be the norm nowadays. For instance in Taxi service, the Prius has replaced a lot of the Crown Vics around SF and their reliability has been just as good obviously.


How many Prius's are used in law enforcement again?


We (Salt Lake City) actually use the Prius AND Hybrid Camry in ACTUAL police use. I know that sounds like bull but really they do. I think they are up to a few dozen.

Camry here

You WILL notice no push bars and SLC has a no pursuit policy so that takes care of quite a bit of hard use IMO.

The one car I've NEVER seen them use is a Crownvic. Or any Ford product. Always GM or Dodge products. And those Impalas take a beating and keep going.

Bill


Camry Hybrids are actually quite fast cars. When I was car shopping a few months ago the Camry Hybrid I drove surprised the heck out of me with how much acceleration it had. If only they came in all-wheel-drive, that's what I would be driving now instead of my Mariner Hybrid.


I get the feeling you and I have very, VERY different definitions of what constitutes "fast".

 

[chevrofreak]

Originally Posted By: OVERK1LL
Originally Posted By: chevrofreak


Camry Hybrids are actually quite fast cars. When I was car shopping a few months ago the Camry Hybrid I drove surprised the heck out of me with how much acceleration it had. If only they came in all-wheel-drive, that's what I would be driving now instead of my Mariner Hybrid.


I get the feeling you and I have very, VERY different definitions of what constitutes "fast".


It would waste my Crown Vic 0-60 and in a 1/4 mile drag race.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: chevrofreak
Originally Posted By: OVERK1LL
Originally Posted By: chevrofreak


Camry Hybrids are actually quite fast cars. When I was car shopping a few months ago the Camry Hybrid I drove surprised the heck out of me with how much acceleration it had. If only they came in all-wheel-drive, that's what I would be driving now instead of my Mariner Hybrid.


I get the feeling you and I have very, VERY different definitions of what constitutes "fast".


It would waste my Crown Vic 0-60 and in a 1/4 mile drag race.


Yes, but I don't consider a Vic fast either, LOL.

What year was the Camry?

Data I got from Motortrend shows:

Camry Hybrid
0-60 of 7.7 seconds and a 1/4 mile of 15.9 @ 89.1Mph.

Crown Vic
0-60 of 7.8 seconds and a 1/4 mile of 15.9 @ 88.1Mph.


They are both slow

 

[ddrumman2004]

I traded a 97 F 150 with a 4.6 V8 in on my new truck. I bought it in 2001 with a 101k miles on it and put just another 90k on it in the almost 10 years I owned it.

Never turned a wrench on that motor other than to replace an IAC valve. Never changed the plugs.....HORRORS!!!.....but it ran just as good the day I traded it as when I bought it.

It was only rated at 210 HP but it was a smooth running engine that still got 21 to 22 mpg on the highway. Not bad for a V8 ford truck.

The sheriff's dept here still use the CV and most have a average of 200K miles on them. They say they are also good for crossing over the grass medians on a four lane highway when in pursuit.

 

[CROWNVIC4LIFE]

I put 200K miles on a 99 Grand Marquis with HPP..Besides an IAC valve it needed nothing else..Just regular maintenance..It still had the original plugs in it at 200K miles and all was well..If Hurricane Wilma did not total it out on me in 2005 I would still have it now..I put over 300K miles on a 88 [5.0] Town Car with only minor maintenance..Both cars were dealer serviced as I was dealing with an awesome Lincoln-Mercury dealer at that time.

My neighbor just sold his owner operated taxi..It was a 06 P71 Police Interceptor..It had 340K miles on it..It did police duty for 120K miles for the F.H.P. first..It was a well maintained take home car..The car had 5K idle hours on it t-boot..He decided to finally retire at age 84..He sold it to a 18 year old for 1100 bucks which I thought was a good deal..He had the car serviced every 5K miles [or before] at Mobil 1 Express Lube and at Ford..Everything worked perfectly when he sold it..Even the a/c was ice cold.

There will never be another low maintenance car like the 4.6 Panther ever again..I am not saying a lot of cars can not go that distance but [for the most part] maintenance will be A LOT higher.

 

[crw]

Originally Posted By: Bill in Utah
Originally Posted By: OVERK1LL
Originally Posted By: The Critic
Just to play devil's advocate here...the Ford 4.6 may go and go, but so do many other modern-day cars in severe service.

It's reliability may have been unbeatable at one point, but it may just be the norm nowadays. For instance in Taxi service, the Prius has replaced a lot of the Crown Vics around SF and their reliability has been just as good obviously.


How many Prius's are used in law enforcement again?


We (Salt Lake City) actually use the Prius AND Hybrid Camry in ACTUAL police use. I know that sounds like bull but really they do. I think they are up to a few dozen.

Camry here

You WILL notice no push bars and SLC has a no pursuit policy so that takes care of quite a bit of hard use IMO.

The one car I've NEVER seen them use is a Crownvic. Or any Ford product. Always GM or Dodge products. And those Impalas take a beating and keep going.

Bill


Bill,

I remember in the '80s, the Utah Highway Patrol used Mustangs as patrol vehicles. I remember it well, because I wanted one. (OK, so SLC isn't "Utah".) I knew an officer and he claimed that pursuit was "very short" with those Mustangs.

Up here in Idaho, it's all Crown Vic baby!

 

[rslifkin]

Originally Posted By: OVERK1LL
Data I got from Motortrend shows:

Camry Hybrid
0-60 of 7.7 seconds and a 1/4 mile of 15.9 @ 89.1Mph.

Crown Vic
0-60 of 7.8 seconds and a 1/4 mile of 15.9 @ 88.1Mph.


They are both slow

I agree, neither of those is at all fast. Heck, my Jeep would have wasted either one bone stock (6.8 0-60, 1/4 in 15.2 @ 89 mph). With the mods (should have the Jeep around 6 seconds 0-60, low 14s in the mid-90s in the quarter), the Jeep is quick, and pretty fast for a box on wheels, but certainly not a fast car. If it ran 12s, and/or could tear around corners like an M5, etc, it would be within the realm of fast.

The only hybrid I know of in the boring FWD sedan class that was ever respectably quick was the Accord Hybrid, which was a V6 with the power bumped up, and then an electric motor added (6.5 0-60).


Cops around here in CT are pretty much all Crown Vics, except a few local SUVs (mostly Tahoes). Up in Rochester, staties and county cops are mostly Crown Vics, the city cops run Impalas and Ford Escape Hybrids (as does campus safety at RIT).

 

[chevrofreak]

Originally Posted By: OVERK1LL
Originally Posted By: chevrofreak
Originally Posted By: OVERK1LL
Originally Posted By: chevrofreak


Camry Hybrids are actually quite fast cars. When I was car shopping a few months ago the Camry Hybrid I drove surprised the heck out of me with how much acceleration it had. If only they came in all-wheel-drive, that's what I would be driving now instead of my Mariner Hybrid.


I get the feeling you and I have very, VERY different definitions of what constitutes "fast".


It would waste my Crown Vic 0-60 and in a 1/4 mile drag race.


Yes, but I don't consider a Vic fast either, LOL.

What year was the Camry?

Data I got from Motortrend shows:

Camry Hybrid
0-60 of 7.7 seconds and a 1/4 mile of 15.9 @ 89.1Mph.

Crown Vic
0-60 of 7.8 seconds and a 1/4 mile of 15.9 @ 88.1Mph.


They are both slow

07 Camry vs my 96 CVPI, the TCH will win.

 

[AuthorEditor]

Quote:
I was talking to the K9 Officer and he told me they disliked them and have now switched back to the CVPI.


Any idea why they switched back? I suppose on Martha's Vineyard they don't put the miles on them, but still that seems like a short-term solution with no more CVPIs being made and having already made the switch. They must have really hated the Dodge for some reason.