who said ex-squads are not bringing "good money"

I have seen this car personally and it is quite nice and overall well done, accurate.
I don't think my car is as nice but being a 69 I do feel the value is up there.


Alan
 

Oldsmobiles were a pretty rare cruiser in the late '60's as the market was dominated by Chrysler products. California bought 1428 of these units with the B07 option for the '67 purchase allocation. Exactly why they chose the Olds cruiser is uncertain, but California was not impressed with these cars as pursuit vehicles as the '67 deal was a one and done purchase. They had issues with the control arms cracking, rear springs becoming detached, plug fouling and mufflers blowing out. Patrol officers also complained about the small doors being hard to get in and out of. California went back to Mopars for '68-'69 and then went to Mercury Montegos for '70. After that is was again Mopars until about 1980.

Dave
 
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The better done/condition cars in general are gonna do well. This one is definitely cherry, with CHP roots to boot.

Cop market still thinnner than mainstream civi's as we've observed many times. Some don't think so but I think cop car owners as a collector demographic is not that relatively large.

As a category of car, cop rigs are IMHO unquestioned "rarer" in terms of factory equipped/actually used in law enforcement rigs that still exist.

This Olds .. hard to see anything bad about it unless one "just doesn't like its face." Absent the vanity/preference issues, it clearly appears to be an exceptionally well done, real police car.

The price doesnt not shock or surprise me.

I dig it!
 
I've found that at car shows people flock to a old black and white. Sometimes they will walk right by a high dollar cuda without noticing it!
 
When I was younger, when we went on a trip and I saw a Chevy police car, I KNEW there was little crime in that town, obviously.

I believe that CHP had a 122" wheelbase minimum for their normal cars, except in some areas where the lanes were narrower and such. '67 was the last year for the Switch-Pitch THM400 automatic, so when paired with an Olds hi-torque V-8, off-line acceleration was pretty dang strong. A plus for law enforcement work on the freeway.

There's an old "Highway Patrol" episode from about 1955 where the CHP unit is an Olds sedan. Trying to catch a "hot rod with a supercharger on it". Of course, the radio was a big help..

Thanks for posting those pictures!

CBODY67
 
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I've found that at car shows people flock to a old black and white. Sometimes they will walk right by a high dollar cuda without noticing it!

agreed

But honestly who cares what clueless people do?
They will walk to the police car no matter if it is genuine one or a poor clone.

I keep my hood shut at car shows and don't have any signs made up explaining what the car is.
I prefer a couple of Mopar guys looking at the VIN and knowing versus hundreds spectators with icecream in their hand

Just sayin

Carsten
 
while mulling over the Oldmobiles, a member showed me this several months ago. I circled it from high altitude, with genuine interest but not trying to mislead by flyiing in close, and decided on another path last month.

Slight detour here, but stlll a cop car ... sporta

Cars On Line.com 1970 Olds 88 Coupe - W33

Seller Description: Asking Price $ 12,500 OB

Oldsmobile 88 W33 Custom Coupe. For one year only, 1970, Oldsmobile produced a W-33 Delta 88 available in coupe, convertible or four-door. It was a special order only option that came with a 455 390 hp engine. If the person knew how to give the vehicle more performance, he could also order a B07 Police option, and that added a HD automatic transmission, special suspension and a boxed frame. This is the only fully documented W-33 Delta Custom coupe built. It is a California survivor. It runs and drives. It needs cosmetic restoration. You will not see another one like it for sale anywhere.

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it finally sold. It wasnt to me.

It was out there along time, changed hands a lot among the "Rocket" crowd through the past decade it appears, but I dawdled and something else came along. :)

I cannot verify its pedigree ("one of one", etc.) with my own knowledge, but I do know directionally she was a "scarce" bird. W-33, B07 Coupe that wasn't cop? Just couldn't quite pull the trigger on it tho...
 
I think Florida ran a 4dr version of the Apprehender in 1970. It was also possible to order the enhanced suspension package and the W-33 engine package (390hp) on the 442 and the Cutlass. One of my brothers had a 442 that was so equipped and it was constantly broken. The 455 engine had a nodular iron crank which flexed a good deal at high rpm usage. The previous Olds 425 engine had a forged steel crank that held up a lot better. A '70 Apprehender appears at the end of this collection of Olds cruisers. www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJRfrx2Pa9M If anyone still has a copy of the 1970 Car and Driver mags lying about, the was a feature article on the Apprehender.

Dave
 
I talked to the Clearwater owner about 2-3 years ago. I expected between a paint, interior work, shipping etc you would stick another 6-8k into it and he was not flexible on the price. I passed on it.
 
I think Florida ran a 4dr version of the Apprehender in 1970. It was also possible to order the enhanced suspension package and the W-33 engine package (390hp) on the 442 and the Cutlass. One of my brothers had a 442 that was so equipped and it was constantly broken. The 455 engine had a nodular iron crank which flexed a good deal at high rpm usage. The previous Olds 425 engine had a forged steel crank that held up a lot better. A '70 Apprehender appears at the end of this collection of Olds cruisers. www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJRfrx2Pa9M If anyone still has a copy of the 1970 Car and Driver mags lying about, the was a feature article on the Apprehender.

Dave

I woulda done one of those when i was still collecting. Never saw one to my recollection.

The "Apprehender" .. catchy name, obviously didnt quite strike a chord in law enforcement .. GM shoulda put a forged crank in it and probably a buncha other stuff. they had the engineering talent and plenty of money at that time -- had to have been for "beancounting" reasons.

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I talked to the Clearwater owner about 2-3 years ago. I expected between a paint, interior work, shipping etc you would stick another 6-8k into it and he was not flexible on the price. I passed on it.

I never got serious enough to call the seller. i figured $5K to make it "right" (NOT perfect), and left out transportation (~$800 open to NY State) but didn't feel $18K was the number I wanted to be in for on that one.

Worth it? Yeah I believe so. I didnt really want it bad enough in the end I guess.

Hope it got a good home. Not becoming the C-equivalent of a Delta 88 "organ donor" to Cutlass or 442 or other 70-ish "marquee" performance Olds.
 
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