1977 Gran Fury - Texas Highway Patrol

ZedR

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Drove 8 hours one way to Arkansas to retrieve this car this morning.

Weird thing is: it was once titled to the same guy that owned my 72 TXDPS Polara, before it was purchased by the guy who I eventually bought it from.

Don’t worry folks, this thread is just a place holder. I’m going to finish that damn Polara and Fury before I crack this one open -


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Yes, black and white as shown. The state put a crappy blue paint job on it when it was sent to auction, but it has mostly worn off now.

Here are some in-service examples.
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1977 - Marshall.jpg
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Makes me think of Smokey and the Bandit. I know things aren't exactly the same but if you want to chase me and my Coors around I'm game:thumbsup:
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Found this temporary license tag sitting in the floor board. It was issued to the car by the Texas Board of Control when it was purchased at auction in 1979.

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Interesting that both cars passed through the "same hands". Was that guy a broker or something?

In the middle '70s, a friend and I were out driving around to see what we could find. We happened upon a used car lot full of those cars. Not patrol units, but "detective cars" in green, or gold, or blue metallic factory colors. Matching cloth interior. A few had screw holes in the floor hump carpet from radio mountings, possibly. All with 400HO V-8s, rear swap bars, factory dual exhausts, certified speedometers, 15x7 wheels, and BFG police radials. At the time, more shear horsepower and speed on that one used car lot than at many new car dealers' lots!

DO keep us posted on your progress!

CBODY67
 
In the world of "police cars", there were ones designed for that function and those that were "cars that got the police equipment added to them (radios, logos, etc.)" to function as police cars. It all depended upon what the law enforcement entity saw fit to purchase. In later years, it became possible for local entities to tag into "the state bid" to get cars that way and to "state specs".

The A38 code is for police cars. It could have the A36 3.55 axle ratio, if desired, I suspect. BUT only A38 cars would have the A82 Police Ornamentation Group (possibly deleting the front door side moldings) or F95 Certified Speedometer (which could also have been bundled into particular years of the A38 code cars. But all "genuine-spec" factory produced law enforcement vehicles would have the F95 Certified Speedometer (even if not coded separately) on the car. These speedometers came with a certification card that their indicated speed was plus/minus 1 mph between a particular temperature range (like 32 degrees to 140 degrees F).

There might have been some individual items which could have been in the police package code that might have been available separately, IF the ordering dealer knew how to make it happen AND could get it done (even with delays in getting the particular vehicle produced). In some cases, a regular car could be upgraded with the HD Trailer Tow Group (suspension, fluid coolers, etc.) to get close to the police car specs, but without getting the full police car equipment per se. There were also police car packages available with Slant 6s and 318 V-8s, too depending upon their ultimate police car use by the purchaser.

In general, though, Chrysler built the most capable law enforcement cars ever built. Engines, trans, suspensions, and other things. The B-body cars of the later '60s were more related to Road Runner than normal Belvedere sedans, typically. Ford was, by observation, the next-most serious law enforcement vehicle manufacturer. GM had some credible packages, but they seemed to be variable of how good they performed.

In Lubbock, TX (where I was at Texas Tech in the '72-'74 time frame) the city would get Plymouths one year, Dodges the next, and Fords in their observed 3 year cycle. In '74, they got C-body Dodges with 440s. Even with the lower compression ratios, the engine "guts" still were "muscle car" in nature (according to the Specs section of the Dealer Order Guide). Higher-stall torque converters all the way into the 1978 model year (according to the '78 service manual)!. Like 2800 rpm behind the 440, all factory specs!

One weekend, they got to chasing somebody on the country roads. It apparently was too easy to "over-drive" these cars. They wrecked several not making turns on those country roads. Later, a friend did a "ride along" program with a policeman. He said they were in the eastern part of town. The police guy wanted to ease over to talk to some kids, so he "power braked it" and slid that big Dodge sideways to the kids. Got THEIR attention big time!

Although the compression ratios and some emission controls meant less power than in prior years, the cars were still the performance leaders in their size class, generally. Especially in handling capabilities, as long as the driver knew "how" to drive around corners. Chrysler took its police car fleet business very seriously! Their products tended to reflect that orientation, by observation.

Check out the large "Police Squads" section at www.allpar.com. LOTS of police car information in there, including how the Chrysler-supplied metallic brake linings performed TWICE, with glowing red brake drums, and still be the competition after the 2nd pass through the police car tests, circa 1955. Really neat stuff! Also, there are TWO Chrysler Police Car publications, chronicling them into the earlier 1980s and including some "unauthorized" police uses of LH cars in the second book.

CBODY67
 
Although the A38 package was the general package, some orderers could add a few addition things into THEIR version of the package. Like individual front seats, rather than a bench seat, dual ashtrays (as a drop-in component if the car didn't already have them), an additional "porch light" courtesy light over the front seat for doing paperwork in-car. All add-on items, some of which could be added locally by the dealer or equipment vendor. Plus CA spec'd white steering wheels for many years. "Special Mask" meant the specific paint scheme the ordering entity requested. It could be the doors, hood, top, and deck lids being different colors or particular two-tone schemes.

Many cars, especially back in the '50s, were "bare-bones" cars. Smaller V-8s, manual transmissions, no power steering, no power brakes, and in many cases, no a/c. But with HD electrical components to support the radio and lights (all working at the same time!). The Ford Fairmonts of the '80s had an alternator cut-out at WOT, just as the Mustang GTs did. Whoops! Not good in extended high speed pursuits! Until they found out about it and deactivated it.

CBODY67
 
In general, though, Chrysler built the most capable law enforcement cars ever built.

I don't know cop cars very well but it is rare that I see any Chevy cop cars of the 60's and 70's. Chrysler Corp cars seem to be most prevalent, followed by Ford and Pontiac. I've always been a little curious about why. What made Chrysler's platforms stand out above the others of the time?
 
I don't know cop cars very well but it is rare that I see any Chevy cop cars of the 60's and 70's. Chrysler Corp cars seem to be most prevalent, followed by Ford and Pontiac. I've always been a little curious about why. What made Chrysler's platforms stand out above the others of the time?

They all built some tough police cars. The quick answer is money. Chrysler did a better job bidding.
 
Wind clock back to 1980 and this is what I had in high school, mine was a green "ghost car". This was the ultimate, stuff 8 in it and cruse at noon
 
In TX back then, it was usually Plymouth/Dodge or Ford. Due to earlier corporate situations with Ford (selling farm tractors and Philco tvs from the same building, out in the very rural areas of the nation, early on), there were Ford dealers where there were no GM or Chrysler Corp dealers, by observation. As the allpar.com stories relate, Plymouth and Dodge were competitors for the same bids, usually, as the Dodge and Plymouth dealers were usually different dealerships, back then. Chrysler-Plymouth-Imperial (after the corp reorganization in the early 1960s, with Dodge-Dodge Trucks being its own franchise).

Other than powerful and reliable powertrains, the MAIN thing was the high-speed handling of the Chrysler torsion bar chassis, at well past posted speed limits. The '69 Polara 440 (Magnum) police package held the top speed record in the police car tests until the IROC-Z Camaros came online in the 1990s. The IROC was only a few mph faster than that big Dodge, at right at 149mph. What made that Dodge special? The ONLY year a C-body came with the shorter Street Hemi muffler, rather than the full-size C-body muffler. 2.76 rear axle ratio and the equivalent of P235/75R-15 tires, back then. IF the normal 383 HP Plymouths (which TX normally bought in the later '60s) would make 5000rpm in high gear, that would put them right at 140mph top speed. The aerodynamic drag of the light bars probably dropped that down a little?

When I was in junior college ('70-'72), in our advanced government class, there was a city policemen from an adjacent city to us. He had been to Viet Nam and was now in law enforcement. One day, his normal car had to be in the shop at the local dealer. So, they walked him out to the back of the parking lot to a later '60s (slab) Plymouth. He kind of frowned and wondered if he'd get through his shift in it. It rumbled to life and he drove off. A few hours later, he met a speeder on a two lane highway. Instinctively, he whipped it around and floored the accel pedal. The TF went into low gear, the AFB aired out, and he was surprised, especially after the TF hit second gear solidly. The "law breaker" was caught, "the streets were safe again", and he had a new respect for that "Old Plymouth". Next time his newer car went in for service, he want THAT car to drive. As he related this story, I smiled! An "unbeliever" had been converted!

CBODY67
 
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