Here's how the Dodge Diplomat became the classic 80's cop car
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- Опубліковано 14 жов 2024
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In this episode I provide the history of the Dodge Diplomat, along with its platform mates, the Chrysler LeBaron, New Yorker, and Fifth Avenue, and the Plymouth Gran Fury. Each of these cars were on the Chrysler M-body platform, which started in 1977, and tried to improve on the F-body Dodge Aspen and Plymouth Volare, which had several recall and rust issues early in their production and ended by 1980. The M-body would get restyled by 1980 and soon the Dodge Diplomat and Plymouth Gran Fury would become one of the most popular cars for police and government vehicles for the decade, until their old V8's and design finally led to their end by 1989.
"My Old Car" deserves a UA-cam "best new car channel of the year" award. Wonderful content that brings a piece of car history back to all, and some crazy good memories to those of us old enough to remember.
Facts!💯
Indeed!!
New twist on the old format, Canadians always cheers things up. 🎉
totally agree, love these videos.
Such an underrated channel
I miss the simple, straight forward, easy to fix cars of the 50s 60s 70s and 80s. Humans are too smart for their own good.
They went on into the early 2000s.
The cops in my home town, Piedmont, California used Diplomats. My friends and I memorized the head light pattern so we could ID cop cars at night. It came in handy a few times allowing us to leg it before the cop knew anybody was around. This also worked when seeing it in your rear view mirror.
I bet you would have pulled over for us LOL.
OPD had a lot of them too.
As a retired NYPD detective this brought a lot of pleasant memories. I was a young rookie in the mid-80's and a Plymouth Gran fury was my first ever steady ride as the 81st Pct. TOPAC(Total PAtrol Concept) auto. The choked up 318 V8 with that two barrel carb with that electronic module attached still provided quite a bit torque if not power to move relatively light chassis around. for me the biggest improvement came when the department switched tires from the hard as stone Goodyear Blue Steels to the more modern H-Rated Eagles Way more grip and great wet performance.
They would've been much faster if they'd been allowed to put the 360 in them, damn government...
The use of music, movie clips and retro advertising along side A _to_ Z product knowledge & clever editing makes " _My Old Car_ "™ the new benchmark for all other mini car documentaries to strive for. The ONLY negative is we cant watch a new episode every day! You Gotta love this stuff.
Loved the Cheers ref for the Volare 😂
First the Crown Vic and now the Diplomat. I wonder when we'll get an episode on the Caprice? Good job as always, MOC
I hope it’s soon. I drove a bloated whale Caprice when I drove for the taxi company. I liked them a lot more than the Crown Vic as they handled better and had precise steering. I would have bought a clean used one but was gifted a clean Miata, ironically. I still would love a clean Caprice; I could put the Miata in the trunk.
I'm craving for fondue cheese right now.
@@catjudo1 that's a cool story man!
I had one of those too. What a car!
@@MrCozin-kd9mb didn't the police also used a Dodge Polara?
This brings back memories. In the early 1980's my father was a cop in the Rouses Point, NY police department and I was about 7-8 years old when we went to pick up the town's new police car, an 83 Gran Fury. I remember helping him put the door decals on in the driveway at our house because they were printed up and were in the trunk. I rode around a lot in that car, mostly going to brush fires. The whole department had three cars, an all white St. Regis, a dark blue diplomat which was the Chief's car and the all white Gran Fury.
We had a Dodge Diplomat police car in shop class when I was in highschool. It was a fun car to drive, it was quick, handled pretty well and rode nice.
Proud owner of an 88 Gran Fury daily driver. My dad has owned 4 simultaneously. I hope to supe mine up with the police goodies someday as it's a civ model. Very nice to see a vid on these cars
A friend of mine had a 84 Diplomat, ex-state trooper car. He bought it an auction for 4 grand. It had a 318 wide block 4 barrel and that thing would fly. He would run down z-28's & 5.0's with ease and that's with 4 people in the car. He had to sell it before he went into the Air Force and immediately regretted it.
Those “wide” blocks must really make the difference. 🤨
Thank You for Giving Credits for the Vehicle Film Comparison 1
3:51 4:11
My first car was my Dads old 83 New Yorker Fifth Ave with a 318. It was what started my love for Mopars. I miss that car and I’ll eventually get another. The car was in my family from 85-2000. It was one of the most reliable vehicles we ever owned, never rusted out even being a Michigan car the whole time. Dad had taken great care of her though. She was very slow and always considered a “grandma” car but looking back I can’t help thinking just how cool it was now that it’s 2021. Another great episode. Keep up the awesome videos.
How could I ever forget my grandfather's 1987 Dodge Diplomat SE. Growing up in the 90s they were still everywhere!!!
The second gen M-body is an excellent vehicle to play around with and make into a street car, sleeper, or drag racer. The 318 4 barrel police cars were fast and maneuverable.
My first car was a 1974 Dodge Monaco. Black 2 door. Michigan car, my neighbor gave it to me for a buck. God bless you Mr. Gilson.
My grandparents bought an 83 New Yorker 5th Ave. It was an excellent car! Later My mom, then my sister, then I drove it before it kind of became a spare. It always ran fantastic and had relatively good power and a great ride. We sold it with almost 250k miles and it was still running like a top.
The chase scene from the movie 'Short Time" has to be one of the best chases ever shot. Not just with a Dodge Diplomat, one of the best EVER!
That Short Time car chase is why the Diplomat is the GOAT
Growing up, my next door neighbor had a Fifth Avenue. I always thought it was stately. And my best friend's family still had a Dodge Dippy and that was 1996-1998.
I had one as my first car. Over boosted power brakes, over boosted power steering, mush suspension, no guts.......God I wish I still had her.
😂😂
I've been waiting for an episode on these. I'm 18 and daily drive a '84 Fifth Avenue and I love that car. White with red leather interior. Only had two owners before me and I've been fixing it up, but it rides like a dream
I love this car. Drives better than newer cars I owned. ❤️
It's always awesome to see a mopar video. I know you don't do trucks, but a video on the dodge ramcharger that is rarely seen anymore and the even rarer Plymouth trailduster. I had a 90 ramcharger that was tough as nails with the 318. That was one good truck. Even still ran without any problems after hitting a deer.
Thats my current 1987 GranFury at roughly the 5:59 mark. From one of the sale ads a few years back. Ive always loved this platform with its potential for greatness, and parts interchangeability. My civilian Fury used to run an 18.4 quarter mile, and with little effort, and no weight reduction just ran a 14.7 at the track. Also having auto crossed the M-platform they hold their own very well with a decent tire. Great video!
Cool! I remember seeing that ad. I had and still have a red on red '85 Gran Fury and remember thinking that's pretty much what mine looked like new (with a few less options then yours)
I remember what a pleasure it was to drive my old 88 Fifth Avenue, perfect size, extremely comfortable,and performed and handled well.
Thanks for this episode one of cars you featured at 7:11 the silver one that was doing the burnout I owned a car now and I enjoy it I've also grew up watching these cars fly up and down the mean streets of Detroit Michigan when the Detroit police was using the grand furys
This is a great piece of work. Thanks. My Dad was in the Secret Service for 20 years. There is a photograph with him in it at the Reagan Museum in Simi Valley. After Ron was shot, my father was part of a team that pioneered new egress driving techniques for the Secret Service. Not only for presidential detail but also for the ATF and Treasury(counterfeit division). He had this one Diplomat (they were all called G - Rides because of the Government Issue white and Blue plates) that would bury me in the front seat whenever he got on the gas. It was scary, exciting, totally awesome, and is the reason I am addicted to horsepower and torque with a lot of traction. We'd be going to my hockey practice from VA to MD at 5 am and he'd be on it saying "it's us and them". I asked who "them" was; he said the "cops". he had a magnetic blue bubble light that he could throw on the roof and plug into the cigarette lighter. This thing did not have any basic fleet cop stuff on it. Im sure it was G Ride Modified with a big block Hemi because (later in life I learned) it shuddered and rumbled, it spat exhaust puffs out in intervals through the dual exhaust that was easily 2" pipes under each bumper. It hauled ass and when he was on the gas I felt like I was lifting off in a Apollo rocket like the model I built sitting up in my bedroom. this 82-84. Anyway.... my Dad has been missed 11 years now but so many things are unforgettable; especially that G Ride Diplomat! thanks for the memories!!
There are rumors that some government agencies special ordered these cars with the larger 360 engine which wasn't allowed otherwise due to fuel economy standards. So maybe this was a 360 powered Diplomat
I'm very happy to own one of those relics as my daily driver still the top 5th Ave is the one . Having it for almost 20 years since 2001 and is a extremely reliable and easy to fix,deal with and modify at will at the level of a muscle car i can say by my own experience. Very glad that lot of people appreciate it to much that they requested a video for him well the 3 unique Diplomat,Fury and 5th Ave. Nice one keep it up and merry xmas to everyone!! 🎄👍🏾🙏🏾
I love this channel - it brings back so many memories of cars that have been in the family. My father bought a 1987 Chrysler Fifth Avenue in dark blue metallic with velveteen cloth seats. He lived in Georgia, and drove up to New York to pick me up, with my step mom, two dogs and two cats in the back seat and then the seven of us drove from upstate New York to southern California in it. It was like riding on a cloud. I am sure the 318 was underpowered for the size of car it was pushing, but that didn't stop this 18 year from bringing it to the "drag strip" in Cody Wyoming while we spent the night there. I am also sure the neutral drops off the line did not help the life of that car either.... I tooled around southern California in that for a while, and even want to what they called "Auto Parks" where you would have an area with 10-15 different car dealerships all vying for your bucks. I drove it into the Hyundai lot to look at the new 1989 Hyundai Excel. I remember the dealer mentioning something about wanting couches like the back seat of the Fifth Avenue in his home.... I have always liked shopping for cars... but back then Hyundai was not a manufacturer you wanted to purchase.
I had a chief's '77 Ford LTD Interceptor with the 460 mill under the hood. Had a microphone hook but no mic and the high idler for keeping the idle up when sitting with the light load running. Loved that car.
My first car was a dodge aspen. I remember that quite a few diplomat parts fit on it, which was helpful since diplomats were more common.
I'd love to see a video about the little Japanese trucks from the 80s, especially the Mitsubishi Mighty Max.
Good review as always, though you did forget to mention that:
Dodge also threw confusion into the mix with the 1984 Dodge Diplomat SE "trim" package, which grafted the front end of the New Yorker Fifth Avenue's with its turn signals above the headlights and almost the same grille, but with a chrome cross overlaid on it.
Also, while the Aspen/Volare coupes used a shorter 108.7" wheelbase, the original 1977 through 1980 Diplomat/LeBaron shared the same 112.7" wheelbase for all three bodystyles as the Aspen/Volare sedans and wagons. The 1981 coupe models switched to the shorter wheelbase "F" body chassis until they were dropped in 1982, since Aspen/Volare were dropped for the Aries/Reliant "K" cars in that year.
Finally, when Plymouth began using this "M" body for it's Gran Fury in 1983, it simply rebadged it's Canadian-built Caravelle from 1978 -1989. Minor details, but worth noting I thought. Still, great job as always! 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾!
🐰🐰🐰🐰🐰!
Love the Gran Fury… we had those in the Air Force in the 80’s
Another crucial.fact. ALL of these cars are unibody, NONE are body on frame
Plymouth transferred its Gran Fury nameplate from the R body to the M body in 1982. Canada always had the M body Plymouth Caravelle.
My late grandma had a 86 Plymouth Gran Fury, with the Police Package (which replaced her 75 Gran Fury with Police Package). I only got to drive it once before some hoods stole it out of her driveway one night. It was a damn good car, and held up to the rough roads of Metro Detroit.
For me, the Crown Vic was the quintessential cop car. Even today, when I see a well-preserved Crown Vic, I think of cop cars of yore.
5:24 I'd road trip the shit out of that !!! Talking about COMFY !!!! This is a GREAT episode and thanks to the guy that bugged you weekly for this one. This is a universally loved episode because we all know 80's movies, so in a way we all owned this car...
I owned 1976 Aspen R/T just like the one was shown in your video, picked it up in 2000 for $850 probably one of my favorite car's I owned.
Love the channel! I own 2 Diplomat police package cars (AHB) an 88’ and an 89’
Good content, but both the F and M platforms were unibody construction, not body on frame such as the Caprice or LTD Crown Vic. Other than that, great to see that you made a video detailing these fantastic cars. Keep up the great work!
I had a 1982 New Yorker and it was a blast of a car!!!
haha I had a blue 1986 Diplomat with the 360 4bbl in the mid '90s, it was a Newton County Georgia detectives car that I got from the police auction for $800, it looked just like the one detective Tibbs drove in Heat of the Night which was filmed in the same place {Covington}! One of the best car chases with a Diplomat was the 1990 movie Short Time with Dabney Coleman!
As a police car these were gone from the fleet by the time I had joined the force, but I remember the senior dogs saying they used to flip the air cleaner cover over so as to get more speed. They also usually crashed due to having no real brakes to speak of. Worst was when the department started getting the Ford Mustang and Chevy Caprices. Which were way quicker but just as bad in braking.
I always flipped the lid on all my vehicles simply because it made those 4bbls sound so good when you floored it! I dont think it actually made it go any faster but they sure sounded good getting up to speed!
@@SquirminHermanthe1eyedGerman My understanding was that it allowed more air into the carbs. More air moar power!
@@macsandsquid528 it does but if you have an underpowered car like most of them were in the late 70s & 80s it really didnt make much of a difference but they sure sounded cool
@@SquirminHermanthe1eyedGerman Yeah, but cool is an important part of wearing the badge.
I have a 1996 Caprice, and it stops on a dime. Maybe that's just because it's a 96 though
Great video ! These cars were based on the original Aspen/Volares chassis. I remember these back in the day growing up in the 70s and 80s .
I see the clip from Short Time right at the end... while a generally forgettable movie, it absolutely does have one of the best car chases of all time.
Several cars used in the chase. It's usually a Dodge sometime a Plymouth.
The aesthetical variety of 80's American cars is really astonishing. It's an explosion of imagination and creativity.
Always loved cars like these on TV and Movies growing up. Along with the Chevy Caprice. Ford Crown Victoria.
My buddy’s ‘87 (I think, could be a year or two one way or the other) 5th Avenue was the most comfortable car I’ve ever driven or ridden in, way more comfortable than my ‘83 and ‘86 Regals, which were themselves incredibly comfortable. It also handled surprisingly well, all things considered, and was generally just a damn good car. It was a 318, so it ran forever. I always thought a Diplomat cop car with a healthy 340 or 360, an A-833 4-speed, and a beefy 8 3/4” or D60 rearend would be a super fun and interesting hot rod, I loved those cop car wheels and hubcaps.
My old car,this is my first time ever that a channel I subbed to featured me in the videos. Thanks a lot man,love from Brazil 🇧🇷
My dad owns a Type 3 VW along with a Corvair Wagon if I could get an episode on Corvair it would make my day!
His voice is perfect for this! Makes Me want to learn more!👌🏾
🤯 My father was a huge Mopar man. This was my first car that I ever bought when I was 19 years old due to his "urging". It was a fun car I fit lots of people in it lol. Thanks for your great channel and for lots of fun memories.
Fun Fact: Most of the "Corinthian Leather" featured in Chrysler cars came from slaughterhouses in Newark, New Jersey. The name Corinthian Leather was made up by company marketers because it sounded good.
The guy who was the star of the tv show Fantasy Island did commercials for Chrysler back in the day. Ricardo Montelbon.
@@glennso47, Montalbán.
@@cityofabscissae Thanks. I had never seen his name in print. Or if I have, I don’t remember. I just remember he was always extolling the virtues of “Corinthian Leather “ in the Chrysler cars. 😁
Anyone remember when GM cars were advertising that the upholstery in their luxury cars was “Naugahyde” and they had this little mythical creature that they called the “Nauga”. 😬 I think it was especially Pontiac.
That isnt a fact at all. Corinthian leather isnt leather it is vinyl. So no slaughterhouses needed. It came from a plastic upholstery supplier in Mahwah, NJ.
Great history lesson on this vehicle, I like the clean and simple design it reminds me of the type of car I used to draw when I was a child.
My grandparents had a Chrysler 5th Ave. The seats were super comfy like an old sofa.
I'm under 30 and an old Diplomat was our family car when the Plymouth Duster we had began to fit its name of the Ruster a tad too well. We weren't exactly into buying new cars haha.
I've been watching this channel for a couple days now and I must say this is now one of my favorite UA-cam channels. Keep up the great work!
The New Yorker deserves a "My Old Car" episode. Imagine so many versions that had been made especially the K-car derived variants.
I learned to drive in a dodge diplomat! It’s what I took my road test in! My dad bought it slightly used, it had been an execs car. He chose it, for its slant6 engine because the engine kept going even if the car rusted to bits under it. We had driven 3 other cars with the same engine, a 1967 valiant, a 1976 Aspen and a 69 Dart. So I guess my dad was a fan! There was also a 79 Aspen coup, we just didn’t have it as long. The 76 Aspen was what I learned to drive stick on, after I’d already gotten my drivers license.
I remember the COP cars the most. Towns that make cars can be devastating to local economies.
That car chase from Short Time is hilarious!!!
The M platform, though not body-on-frame, was a tough, solid platform and made for some pretty nice cars. I actually prefer the lavish Fifth Avenue variant, as I'm a sucker for plush seats and landau roofs. I had an uncle who owned an '88 Fifth Avenue, and that started off my love affair for these M-bodies.
Welp, I found one of my new favorite channels! 😄
Parents bought a 1984 Diplomat considered used since it was driven by the sales manager. It had all the features available without the dealer installed accessories. My 2015 Hyundai Elantra with 1.8L could beat it in a race 0-60, 1/4 mile, and on a track with left and right turns. It was thirsty for how slow it was. It was a comfortable highway cruiser. When my parents quit smoking they sold the car because nothing they did would get rid of the cigarette smoke smell nor the yellow stains in the blue fabric.
I briefly had a luxurious 1987 Chrysler 5th Avenue with a 318 V8 in the mid 1990s with the problematic "Lean Burn" system. Handled pretty much like my dad's 1979 Diplomat wagon, except his was a bit more underpowered with a Slant 6 and had vinyl seats. As nice as the 5th Avenue was, I could just never get over the fact that I was driving a warmed over Dodge Aspen/Plymouth Volaré. So, that body style went from the mid 1970s to almost the 1990s! I think Chrysler got their money's worth out of it, and worked out all of the glitches by then. I kind of wish I still had both of those cars!
Thanks for another great video! How about one on the Dodge B Series vans? I had one and I loved it but they’re practically extinct now.
Please do a review on the Ford Granada. When I first visited the US in 1980, my aunt had a white Granada and I was completely obsessed by the car. For me as a 10 year old, the Granada seemed so much more sophisticated than the dull Mk2 Escorts and Mk4 Cortinas that were popular back in the UK during this time. Always look forward to your content.
Granada was the worst car ever
Diplomat was a great workhorse of a car. Owned a 79 with a 318 and it performed well
Wow....you talk about tough....that dodge in "short time" ....even the rad was bullet proof!!!
Probably my favorite chase ever
Was born in 1992 but the family car was an 80s Dodge Diplomat! Love that thing!
In the mid 2000's my high school automotive teacher had two diplomats. Both in very nice shape. The more i seen of those cars the more i liked them.
The Diplomat one of my favorite cars I've owned a couple of them and if I can find a decent one now I'd buy it great memories
I owned a 79 diplomat on Aruba.
Green on green with a white vinyl top.
6 cylinder.
Loved that thing.
Drove Popo Diplomats back in the day. Loved 'em. My favorite was an '81 with the 360.
My mom had a Chevy Caprice. I drove it and got pulled over for speeding with an expired license at 15. I was bad. But that V8 had cojones.
Its nice to see a channel discuss regular Joe cars, and not Lambos and Ferraris. So much history with these cars!
The Chrysler M-body platform of cars were started in 1977. What we all remember these cars were now seen in TV, movies and on the road. Those cars were cult classics. It brings also such wonderful offbeat memories for those of us old enough to remember.
My parents had a 88 diplomat and my grandma had a 87 Chrysler 5th Avenue with the 318. Solid old school cars. Only downside to the M bodies was the A/C would go out on it, interiors didn’t hold up, and the lean burn was hard to pass emissions. I’m also under 30 haha.
Thank you for sharing. Another informative video. I liked hearing about the Chrysler New Yorker parts. I recall when the police force used this car heavily.
My father was always a fan of the big Mopars. Somehow he skipped the M body, going from a 75 New Yorker to an 83 Town & Country (K car body) yet, he still pondered the Fifth Avenue until going for the Town & Country minivan. And yes it seemed every TV cop car was a Diplomat. I wonder how many were destroyed in movies as well as police fleets.
I love the first generation Diplomat and LeBaron. Is love some videos on the history of the downsizing of full sized cars. I know the story but your videos are great and its likely you'll bring up details I didn't know or forgot.
Nice vid, It would be nice to have one about the caprice.
I never really followed Chrysler and Dodge and Plymouth that closely compared to other manufacturers. But I had a New Yorker that was front wheel drive unfortunately the transmission was in limp mode. But I used to think that these diplomats were New Yorkers so every time I see in a movie with these cars and I thought they were in New Yorkers. Thank you for explaining this. Good stuff 😃❤️
Midnight Run, it gives me good childhood memories, it runs sometimes at Saturdays in the midday on german television channel RTL 2 and i always enjoy watching it, i liked the whole road trip adventure thing
i also remember certain cars like Chrysler New Yorker, Dodge Diplomat, Plymouth Reliant and Pontiac Bonneville
Just got given an '89 Gran Fury AHB. Guy bought it from auction, drove it a little then parked it next to his '74 Gran Fury trooper car. When he went to retire, gave them to a friend, who gave me the '89.
I've had an '89 & an '85 in the past, so I know these cars pretty well.
I have a '76 V8 Valiant sedan (with HD cooling, "340"/A38 suspension) and a '69 BB Dart.
The most iconic film use of the Diplomat is the Dabney Colman chase scene. It's funny because the pursuing cars are about 2/3s are Gran Furys and 1/3 Diplomats.
I can't wait till you have videos on the vehicles my family had in the 80s...
Ford Pinto, Ford Granada, Oldsmobile Delta 88. :)
I normally have favoritism towards certain brands and cars. I don’t know if it’s the nostalgia or what, but I’m loving all the cars you choose for your videos. Great stuff man! Eagerly awaiting your next video!
I'm from Toronto Canada and this was the car that our Police used in 80's and also as taxi cabs, I miss seeing these cars.
Thanks!
Woohoo! Thank you!
i love how the video is about the dodge diplomat, but we got a plymouth caravelle in the thumbnail. love these old chrysler cars!
Ok, this is the perfect segue for the Aries K. We all loved to hate it but now it brings back a smile.
I could have sworn the Diplomat was unibody. My father had a 1979 Dodge Diplomat wagon with a Slant 6 and the fake woodgrain sides. I hated that car at the time, but now I'm feeling a bit nostalgic over it.
The clip of the ad for the K-car New Yorker reminded me of what I believe was an ad for it, pushing the front wheel drive being better in the snow angle. It showed some businessmen leaving a building to find it had snowed with an accumulation on the road and parking lot. The New Yorker had no problem driving and ultimately gave a ride to the other whose car (Lincoln Town Car?) couldn't handle the snow.
You should do an episode on the 90's Chrysler Imperial. Had that car in my real early twenties and loved it.
How about an episode of the Ford Bronco II. My parent's bought it new in 1984, orange with a combo XLT interior and tan exterior Eddie Bauer trim. I learned to drive in this. Rarely seen today.
Nice nod to Midnight Run!
So good! One of your best yet! Thank you!
Let's get a Caprice episode for the GM guys out there! Love the content, keep it up.
Great video. Assuming if you already haven’t done one and since you did mention it here; the R body Dodge St. Regis.
Mostly forgotten these days but it did have an interesting history as a police car…. Cops either loved it: IF you had a 360 V8 or hated it: if you had a 318.
The California Highway Patrol was definitely on the hate it side. For 1981, all they could get was the 4bbl 318 and it just wasn’t enough for them. It was so bad that it helped push them to experiment with different kinds of cars for different kinds of uses and that eventually ushered in the ‘82 Ford Mustang 5.0 SSP for interceptor use. Not surprisingly they loved the Mustangs.
My father in law had a decked out fifth avenue. It was slow, but those leather seats were super comfortable!
One of my favorite cars was my 1980 lebaron ls mark cross. Chicken wire chrome grille, buckets, console, factory c.b. radio. Two tone blue snd silver with factory aluminum rims it had all the toys. That car was rare then , it would be a true collector car today.