MrMopar's 1969 California Highway Patrol restoration

Amazing. I've seen cars done to this extent .. not many . but I do know that I could spend a whole day looking at anything this detailed. Awesome work, man.
 
Wow, that's an amazing transformation you've done, Alan. Congrats on all your hard work and determination to get this one spot on.
 
Alan, you've done such an incredible job! Your attention to detail is amazing.

I'll be at the show Saturday and hope to meet you and your car!

Scott
 
My staging area is 20 miles away (I live 140 miles away), if it is not raining at that time I plan to leave I will go, otherwise Sunday will be it.


Alan
 
So far my trip has gone well, I drove to my parents house 2 hours south of me where I planned to park the car in the garage, the car would fit but I couldn't get out, this is still incredible considering the amount of stuff that has come out of this garage over the last year (my dad was a pack rat and the garage was stuffed solid) needless to say I had to move 70+ boxes first (and it was almost 8:00pm).
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I met my friend and we drove up to Newhall where the CHP Memorial was and they positioned the cars. My car inside next to the seating.
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and my friends in the driveway, initially they wanted to put both cars in the driveway much like the cars were the night the officers were killed. The new memorial is seen in the landscape are to the right of the driveway.

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After the event I got a picture with the Commissioner with my car, this is the third time I have met him just after getting my car and again a few years ago, he recalled and was very happy with the finished car.

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The Commissioner giving an interview (with my car in the background), the white hair gentleman in the background was the first officer on scene and got off a few shots as the suspects fled.
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Afterwards when we could get the cars out we went down the street to where the shootout happened. The cars were parked in as close to where we could. The businesses have changed along with the curbing and driveway openings.
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Many of the family members came as well, they knew the general location of being this business but not the spot.
I had taken a aerial photo of the incident scene from 1970 showing the 2 cars and superimposed it onto the current aerial and was able to put the car within feet of the location where they were (actually the landscape area just in front of the cars was a driveway at that time). There was a person unrelated to the family or CHP that insisted it was a hundred yards to the left, even when shown the superimposed pictures he wouldn't changes his opinion. It only soured the moment for the family, I spoke with many of them and showed them the pictures and answered their questions, they were pleased with the results and the effort that went into it.
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This was probably the last opportunity to do this as the area was fenced off (gate wasn't locked so we let ourselves in). Not sure what is happening with the property but will follow.
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Alan
 
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We returned to the office and took some pictures by the memorial.
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and together in front of the Office (mine on the left, rubber side trim, mid year change)
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and after lunch we went for a drive looking for California Poppies but never found any.
well sort of
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Alan
 
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Alan, my hat is of to you, what a great tribute to those fallen officers. Respectfully, Tom H.
 
When folks talk about "giving back to your community", this is the very definition right here and no monetary donation amount could have even come close. Very cool of you guys.

I hadn't heard about "The Newhall Incident" before; very tragic. I also found some video online of the dedication on the local SCV TV station.
 
This training video was created by the LA Sheriff's Department a few years later, reenacting the newhall shooting - and then showing how it could have been improved upon.

 
After the CHP event I had a day to do nothing then on Friday I decided to join the cruise that was organized before the show. Started out at the show location where there were ultimately 54 cars there.
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There was a 20 mile freeway run before we hit the canyons, where we twist and turn through some of California's best roads for carving. The fist stop was the Rock Store a popular hangout for the crotch rockets, being a Friday we could actually park, on a weekend there are hundreds of motorcycles here.
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The next stop was a couple miles up at an overlook of the canyon, it was a short stop before continuing another 12 miles to the ocean where the cars were all lined up. I moved the car up to the head of the line just as cars were leaving for a picture by the Malibu sign.
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At this point the group starts to split up, a majority stopping at one restaurant for lunch the others splitting up or not stopping at all. I headed back as I was expecting a friend that was heading down for the show.


Alan
 
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There was rain over night and it looked clear in the morning, the car as rolled out and we headed to the show, Saturday is a hangout day and no judging, cars are free to park wherever. I parked with Ron and later a 69 Monaco showed up.
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The Monaco was a HP 383 that the owner recently picked up for $350 from someone that was going to take the engine. The car was in very good shape with minimal rust in the rear window corners and the c-pillar seams.
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While there we joked about how often retired officers talk about flipping the air cleaner covers on these so we had to see. Needless to say we couldn't close the hood (this could be done on later years)
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This was the first time I had made an effort to look at the white paint on the two cars. My car was painted to the code, his was matched, I feel my pure white is correct but he feels his is as well.
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The next day there were a couple other Emergency Vehicles there, a Pasadena city car and a LAPD detective car. The Pasadena car was a genuine package car but not originally Pasadena, the detective car is still being researched before restoration.
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The car took first place.
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The car was well received, people seamed to look at the two cars equally.


Alan
 
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Alan , do you know the place between Ojai and New Cuyama ; (road 33) there is a guy with a thousend cars in his (backyard).
Was there in 2006 and a few years later .
The owner is Tom Merkel.
Nothing is for sale , its more a museum
A lot of guys would like to buy cars or parts there but......
He does have a few cop cars , here 2 or 3 1974 Monaco,s .
 
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Alan , do you know the place between Ojai and New Cuyama ; (road 33) there is a guy with a thousend cars in his (backyard).
Was there in 2006 and a few years later .
The owner is Tom Merkel.
Nothing is for sale , its more a museum
A lot of guys would like to buy cars or parts there but......
He does have a few cop cars , here 2 or 3 1974 Monaco,s .
Wow I have not seen those, looks like time for a drive, I haven't been through there in quite some time.


Alan
 
Great write up, Alan. It looks like you had a fun cruise on Friday.

It was nice meeting you and Ron at the show. Congrats on the first place award!

Scott
 
Nice, congrats on first place! where was the show held?

That Monaco looks familiar....yup, it is owned by the guy I bought my New Yorker from! He drove it quite some way as the show area looks nothing like where he lives. I see he got rid of the ghetto wheels on the right side.

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