"It's got a cop motor, a 440 cubic inch plant, it's got cop tires, cop suspensions, cop shocks. It's a model made before catalytic converters so it'll run good on regular gas."
I work on cop cars and they don't have special tires...their just normal car tires....the only difference is if they get a flat,they replace the tire with a brand new one...one reason police budgets r so high
Steve, my Step dad bought a 1970 Fury II from a Montana Highway Patrol Auction in 1973. The car had 88,000 miles on it and it was a White four door with a dark green interior and the rubber floor. Certified 140 speedo and the factory 'C' body oil pressure gauge. It did not have A/C but it did have the Leece-Neville Alternator. 3.23 Posi with a 489 case and a special fitting near the hood that came from the fuel pump to allow the car to give people fuel that ran out. The 440 was Orange and had magnum exhaust manifolds with a AVS carb. Mother took the car up to 140 one night on I-90 east of Spokane with six kids egging her on and car got there quickly. They sold the car in 76' and got a new Lincoln Mark IV. My brothers and I wanted to keep it but we were kids so they didn't think we knew anything about cars.
So awesome - bet he paid a few hundred bucks for it? I wonder how long it took til AC was the norm for cop cars, especially Staties? Out of the 5 bucket trucks I've had assigned to me over the last 20 years, my current 2013 F450 is the first one to have air conditioning...
These "cop-special" MoPars were PRETTY AWESOME! I worked for a fellow who bought/sold EVERYTHING! In '94, he "took in" an '83 Plymouth Gran Fury Illinois State car! This was a "GREAT" 360 V-8" with MANY "goodies"! I drove it twice...TRULY AWESOME!
The red fury was probably a fire dept car. Would have been sold as a PD fleet car but that's why its a 2 door. Fire dept chiefs don't need to arrest people but still a government fleet car.
Hey Steve - following the advise of your friends who’ve been keeping us updated. Going to make an effort and go back and watch your videos, even if I’ve watched the. Before. I’m praying for you to recover! The mid-late 70s midsize Dodge/Plymouth is my favorite even though I’m not a Mopar fan. Even with my affinity for Blue Oval products, those Chrysler police products of that time were better, as a whole performed better than the Ford or Chevrolet police offerings of the day. At least until the smog regulations, fuel economy standards i relation to cost of fuel and budgets really chipped away at real world performance. Take care! Get well! Praying for you to heal.
Back in HS (75), I was in body shop. We'd get Old Boston PD cruisers and paint them red for the FD. The first thing we'd do when we got them was pull out the rear seat. Lotsa goodies to be found back then.
When I was much younger I lived in rural Massachusetts where numerous "junk yards" were scattered around the county. As a newly licensed teen, I would go yard crawling with my buddy to see what treasures we could find. I really enjoy your knowledgeable narratives, and I know now that I knew little back then about engines. Some of the old big blocks were born much earlier than I thought, and some engines I never knew existed. Thanks for your trips down memory lane.
Always enjoyed Steve from the first time I saw him on a Barrett Jackson auction. Although minor details get him on occasion for his age this guy knows his stuff!
It's got a cop motor, a 440 cubic inch plant, it's got cop tires, cop suspensions, cop shocks. It's a model made before catalytic converters so it'll run good on regular gas!
NOT trying to be critical of Steve, but for the younger guys, baby moon hubcaps were generally a aftermarket item. Often used with a trim ring that fit the outer part of the rim, close to the rim bead area. Gave a nice contrast to the baby moon center. The correct term that most of us know for the small round hubcaps was, dog dish. And trust me, more than once used just for that purpose.
Steve is right about the hub caps. I was a tire changer at Firestone from 1974 to 1979. The Plymouths Steve specified did come out with factory moons. I know you could buy aftermarket moons as early as 1950 or I do not know when. But what Steve said is right.
Seeing that 59 coronet makes me wanna cry tears of reminessing childhood. We had a 57 dode sierra station wagon. My dad bought it out of a junkyard around 1988/9 and nobody around town had it. My favorite part of that car other than the body.. was the unique speedo. It rolled upward in increments.. sooo awesome. The 50s wherr the xoolest time for automobile deaign freedoms.
A buddy of mine back in the 70's picked up a Quebec Provincial Police 65 Fury that had a 383 long horn cross ram intake, it was a special order and was used for chases back then, my jaw dropped when he opened the hood it was quite the sight to see.
That intake manifold is called a "ramcharger" intake. Speaking technically, it is NOT a cross-ram intake. It is a tuned port intake. The runners are made long because they are tuned to make the most horsepower at a specific RPM. They do not have a "ram" effect. A ram-air intake has a hood scoop and faces the front of the car. A cowl-induction intake faces the windshield.
Great content! Brings back memories, way back in the mid-70s, I was an officer in So Cal and we had the 1976-78 Dodge Monaco and Plymouth Gran Fury. They were equipped with the 360 four barrel with that distinctive sound that carb produces on acceleration. As always, a fun and informative video.
Cool video, Steve. Cop cars could be grouped with the publicly available musclecars of their day. The lastingist though HAS to be the Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor. 2001-2011. Out of production for over eleven years but many with over 300,000 thousand miles still going strong. You don't have to look very hard to see one drive by!
If I recall correctly, Broderick Crawford drove one of those on some episodes of Highway Patrol. He mostly drove Buicks, and there were some Oldsmobiles and Dodges and Plymouths featured as well? Ironically I dont recall todays most common cop cars, Chevys or Fords, ever appearing as cop cars on the show....
Love watching ur breakdown on all ur auto’s!!! Dad had bought a used X-police car from a local shade tree mechanic. It was a 1975 Plymouth Gran Fury Police Special from Louisiana State Police. 400 big block, 4brl Rodchester carb, the double snorkel air cleaner, dual exhaust, 727 Torq-Flight, 140mph certified speedo, & locking differential. I live out n the rural farm country of Northeast Arkansas. So driving @ a VERY early age was necessity!! 70mph was straight up, & the needle would always stick, & I’d peck on it to get it past the 70 mark. I nvr knew what it’d run n the 1/4mile for this reason? A time I’ll nvr forget, some of the local kids that we rode the school bus with, had an Uncle that had a late ‘60s big block Cougar that they were always bragging about. Well, I was 13yro & I drove to the High School basketball game. On the way home they passed me on a good long straight stretch. The race was on! I caught up, passed, & continued to pull away. What scared me was, the speedo had stuck @ 140mph. I drove 4miles of Hwy & 1mile of gravel peckin on that speedo tryin to get it unstuck before I got home! It popped back down 1/2mile from home. Yeah, know, they nvr bragged on that Cougar ever again? Lol!!
What woulda been the story if it hadn't come unstuck and dad wanted to know how it got there LMAO?? I wasn't so lucky. At 18 my dad was a small town city cop. I also had a '67 Mustang that shouldn't even of been allowed to have tags so nights he worked I went to other local towns. Heading home once I decided to see how fast I could travel the 25 miles, was a decent road with only dogleg curves the entire distance. Not at the strip or running for money I'd stick in the 3.00 gear to save the motor and gas so it had more top end than the 4.11 or 4.56. Didn't see him but Deputy Lyle was sitting somewhere in his '74 Fury and popped out behind me. I slowed to the speed limit getting close to town but dad was sitting there with lights on and pulled across the road stopping me, said to wait, and he was pissed. Lyle came along with no lights and reamed me out, said I'd get my ticket tomorrow. Asked what for and he said I can't get you for speeding because he'd pegged the 140 and I was walking away from him but don't worry, you're losing points on this one. Gave me a C&I , about lost my license over that, dad would of had them but I was 18 and not under his roof.
Love the videos Steve. Minor correction to add. The “wigwag” term typically doesn’t refer to the spotlight, but the alternating flashing headlights. Perhaps it was used to describe the spotlight before my time, but I’ve never heard it used that way in the police car collecting circles
Had a '72 Fury III x Kansas Hypo car. Loved it. One of several Mopar muscles I wish I still had. PS: Love the snake bite gaiters Steve! 59.8K subscribers
I (briefly) owned a '67 Plymouth Fury Wyoming interceptor! This was a "440" (STRONG MOTOR/TRANNY) ugly body/shot interior! The front-end (special parts!) was SHOT! LOVED THE SHEER POWER!
My 1974 Plymouth Fury had a 140 Mi an hour certified speedometer. And the fastest I ever actually timed it across the mile was 187 miles an hour. I could easily and fairly comfortably Cruz a ten-mile stretch it over 166 miles an hour. Those large alternators are usually made by a company called leece Neville. And they were usually 65 amp and internally regulated. And many of those engines, like mine had a balanced sleeve thermostat, I have never seen a balanced sleeve thermostat fail. I have heard of only one that ever failed. I like the 1965 front brakes. That 1959 car that 383 is a raised block engine. Not the punch-out 361 that came out in the mid-60s.
My dad is a retired Illinois State Trooper. His favorite squad was his ‘78 Fury. He said it was comfortable, rode well, and could smoke the tires anytime he wanted.
I bought one of these years ago so I could put the engine oil cooler on my first hot rod. (Cheaper to buy the whole car back then) And it's still on my old RR. Thank you for keeping old cars alive Steve
That '78 may be a New Mexico HP car. It may be low miles due to the damage. Parts for the repair are not that hard to come by, this one is an easy save.
I shipped over to Australia in 2015 a 1958 Plymouth 2 door hardtop purely because of seeing Christine at the movies when released and lusted over one ever since. That in turn gave me a love for the Forwardlook cars which introduced me to the 1959 Dodge Lancer 2 door Hardtop. What a beautiful car that it is and would have to be my favourite finned car. Sold the Plymouth in 2020 and wish I have bought a 1959 Dodge in any body style.
Re: 1959 Dodge police car: the CHP used to have a policy (through the late 1970’s) that their patrol cars were taken out of service at the 75,000 mile point. The cars were maintained very well and not subjected to the harsh city police demands which aged cars quickly. Consequently, retired CHP cars still had lots of life left in them and were often times purchased by small cities and towns and repurposed. The red paint may indicate this car saw second duty as a fire department vehicle. Retired CHP cars were a hot ticket at auction, and a ton of them ended up in taxi fleets. As a broke high school kid in the late 60’s, I tried to talk my mother into letting me buy one and she wouldn’t allow it, so I settled for a 1957 Chevy 210 with a 6 cylinder/automatic transmission for $135.
Those city police cars were beat all to hell with potholes, curbs, RR tracks but those Patrol cars were great used cars. I lived in Missouri where only state employees were allowed to buy at surplus sales, had to know someone to get one.
That 1965 Plymouth Fury sedan with the disc brakes are great to have being a V8 engine are a lot heavier and provides anti fading, and sure stopping power. The last car you did was indeed a former CHP California Highway Patrol car . I know some people who own former Mopar police cars. One guy owns a 1976 Plymouth Fury sedan, white with a blue interior. It was used by an administrator of campus safety at Cal State Hayward and the car is a "plain wrapper" unit. Never used as a police car. Another has a 1981 Chrysler LeBaron sedan. Former detective car used by the Vancouver Canada 🇨🇦 police department. Has the metric speedometer, kilometers per hour large, miles per hour small. In white with a blue interior. Another owns a 1979 or 1980 Chrysler Newport in yellow. Used by the Toronto Police Department has a blue interior. Chrysler did have a police car package from 1979-1981.
Nice to see and hear the face behind "1,001 Muscle Car Facts!" Those are indeed spotlights and not "wig-wags" on the front fenders (and the two red lights on the parcel shelf on the 1959 Coronet were designed to reduce wind resistance as well as being visible to oncoming motorists). Looking forward to discovering more from "Mags."
I remember getting a ride to a gas station (ran out of gas on I5 while on vacation from Canada) back in the 70's with a CHP officer driving a big Dodge Monaco with a 440. I asked him how fast it was and he replied "This car here can go 160mph ALL DAY LONG" and then he floored it :)
'57-'59 Mopars were all the same with just different front and rear clips - all of 'em Dodge, Plymouth Chrysler, DeSoto the same except Imperial. Just look at the two year older '57 Plymouth in the background with identical 2 door post body and same roof. Still, they looked so much more current than anything any other maker was making. 🚗
@@blkft What I like about the series is they used whatever sounds were made by the cars or planes passing by or whatever. No dubbing of any kind. Also for those of us who used to live in that area where filming took place, it is like going back.
Ex cop cars were part of my youth. I'd say half of my friends drove them. They were all Plymouths because that's what the local cops used. One in particular was a screaming Plymouth Sattelite that we bored teenagers used on many weekends for road trips and runs to the mall.
I use to compete with Taxi service people at the auctions to get EX state police car in the late 80's early 90's. Their speed is addicting and people use to get out of my way. LOL
My buddy had to retrieve a new Explorer from a police department about an hour north and drive it to the shop to install a mobile radio. Once on the highway, he said to himself "aw, what the hell" and stomped on it, driving down I-79 at 100mph, everyone getting out of his way, haha.
Love your videos Steve. I’m sure this has been brought to your attention before…but the pillar lights are simply referred to as Spot Lights…Wig Wags is a reference to the alternating flash pattern of the headlights…left to right…right to left.
Some great info!! That '59 is sweet, see why it sold for that amount. Snake chaps but sticking those hands on the rocker panels and lower fenders-careful there Steve. Bought a '68 428 interceptor for the garage floor until a use could be found. Nothing wrong with those stouter police packages of any brand. Flipped end over end, got it for less than junk yards gave for scrape cars in those days. Let a friend get it for his 1/2-5/8 mile dirt car, torque numbers were about the same as my 440 mag but it was hard to pull him out of the corners.
my uncle was chp in socal in the 50ties,early 60ties,we would stop by unks house for lunch and a few officers were there cooking burgers and stuff--my unks fellow officer took my sis and i in his brand new '57 dodge hiway patrol cruiser--we were 5 and my sis 7--he belted us both in the front with one seat belt--we went rippin around the hills in south bay scaring the heck out of sis--you could never get away with that today!! those single red spot light is all the hiway patrol in cali used for years to pull you over with a yellow and red in the back sun deck--many a drunk nailed those cars!! my unk took many drunks home and he worked on many broke down cars coming home with greasy uniform--he hated writing tickets--they finally put him in a truck scale house somewhere around LA--my dad and i would stop in visit with unk-the truckers would stop and leave big boxes of produce and grab a coffee,shoot the bull--those days are long gone too--
It's got a cop motor, a 440 cubic inch plant, it's got cop tires, cop suspensions, cop shocks. It's a model made before catalytic converters so it'll run good on regular gas. What do you say, is it the new Bluesmobile or what?
Any one of those that wasn't wrecked would make great grocery grabbers. I'd definately roll with it. The disk brake and the 58 both looked like they could be started with very little coaxing. Probably driven home too
Around 1997 I could have bought a former CHP car, the one year they used Oldsmobiles was 1968 I think and this was one. But I passed because between CA and NY it lost all the police equipment including some of the suspension stuff, then it sat flat on the ground in a back yard rotting and vandals broke the glass out of it. Too bad because it was rare and unusual. But back then I was more interested in the 61 and 62 Pontiacs that sat near it.
In the 80's, I used to own a 78 Fury with a 400 4bbl. It was an ex Jefferson County Colorado Sheriff's car. I delivered pizzas with it. The spotlight came in real handy for looking for addresses at night. Didn't you buy your 62 Plymouth cop car at this auction?
I knew it hadn't happened-released the vid-but everytime he ran a hand on a rocker panel or bottom of the fender I worried. Those rattlers love those old cars and the mice usually around/in them.
That 1959 Coronet just blows me away!! The styling on that car is spectacular! It's like something from another planet next to todays cars. The same thing happened with cars as happened with buildings. They went from beautiful, flamboyant works of art to drab, boring things purely based on functionality. But yeah, I could look at cars from that period all day long. Just amazing!!
So glad to hear your recuperating Steveo!! Still think this was a fire dept. car. Small 318, red paint, obviously and a fire dept. car would still have the "K" in the VIN, as it was a fleet car...
I'm guessing that the two doors were Fire Chiefs' cars, the '59 for almost certain - it looks similar to Sheriff Roy's car from the California Kid... The red paint peeking out from under the black paint is what makes me think that. The '70 is a little more intriguing. Is that an electronic ignition module on the firewall, above the dizzy? Also note the vinyl top on that car - I doubt a police department would've sprung for that, and I'm surprised to see it on a Fire Chief's car.
"It's got a cop motor, a 440 cubic inch plant, it's got cop tires, cop suspensions, cop shocks. It's a model made before catalytic converters so it'll run good on regular gas."
well its a good thing it doesn't only run on cop gas
I work on cop cars and they don't have special tires...their just normal car tires....the only difference is if they get a flat,they replace the tire with a brand new one...one reason police budgets r so high
Ah blues Brothers are back
Fix the cigarette lighter
@@jasonsmith7046 Yep. No plugs or patches when you have a nail or screw in your tire.
We're all pulling for you Steve. Hope to see you soon
Go,Steve,go! Get well and awaiting your return to the automotive world.
Get well Steve, we're pulling for ya ! ! !
Godspeed!
It’s an old Mount Prospect police car, they were practically giving them away.
Steve, my Step dad bought a 1970 Fury II from a Montana Highway Patrol Auction in 1973. The car had 88,000 miles on it and it was a White four door with a dark green interior and the rubber floor. Certified 140 speedo and the factory 'C' body oil pressure gauge. It did not have A/C but it did have the Leece-Neville Alternator. 3.23 Posi with a 489 case and a special fitting near the hood that came from the fuel pump to allow the car to give people fuel that ran out. The 440 was Orange and had magnum exhaust manifolds with a AVS carb. Mother took the car up to 140 one night on I-90 east of Spokane with six kids egging her on and car got there quickly. They sold the car in 76' and got a new Lincoln Mark IV. My brothers and I wanted to keep it but we were kids so they didn't think we knew anything about cars.
So awesome - bet he paid a few hundred bucks for it? I wonder how long it took til AC was the norm for cop cars, especially Staties? Out of the 5 bucket trucks I've had assigned to me over the last 20 years, my current 2013 F450 is the first one to have air conditioning...
All 60s & 70s mopar hinges always sound like an old dungeon door 😂
Man that 59 dodge is sweet someone got a very cool car
Yes that coronet is beautiful
These "cop-special" MoPars were PRETTY AWESOME! I worked for a fellow who bought/sold EVERYTHING! In '94, he "took in" an '83 Plymouth Gran Fury Illinois State car! This was a "GREAT" 360 V-8" with MANY "goodies"! I drove it twice...TRULY AWESOME!
Love that last black n white!
everyone just put all his videos in que and let it play all night and day, this man deserves it.
The red fury was probably a fire dept car. Would have been sold as a PD fleet car but that's why its a 2 door. Fire dept chiefs don't need to arrest people but still a government fleet car.
Police cars transitioned to 4 doors in those days. So who knows.
The 318 in a car that size would probably be more acceptable in a fire department vehicle rather than a car used for pursuits.
R.C.M.P. used 2dr.Sedans for squads.
Love old police cars. Get better soon Steve
Hey Steve - following the advise of your friends who’ve been keeping us updated. Going to make an effort and go back and watch your videos, even if I’ve watched the. Before. I’m praying for you to recover! The mid-late 70s midsize Dodge/Plymouth is my favorite even though I’m not a Mopar fan. Even with my affinity for Blue Oval products, those Chrysler police products of that time were better, as a whole performed better than the Ford or Chevrolet police offerings of the day. At least until the smog regulations, fuel economy standards i relation to cost of fuel and budgets really chipped away at real world performance. Take care! Get well! Praying for you to heal.
Back in HS (75), I was in body shop. We'd get Old Boston PD cruisers and paint them red for the FD. The first thing we'd do when we got them was pull out the rear seat. Lotsa goodies to be found back then.
When I was much younger I lived in rural Massachusetts where numerous "junk yards" were scattered around the county. As a newly licensed teen, I would go yard crawling with my buddy to see what treasures we could find. I really enjoy your knowledgeable narratives, and I know now that I knew little back then about engines. Some of the old big blocks were born much earlier than I thought, and some engines I never knew existed. Thanks for your trips down memory lane.
Have been watching "Highway Patrol" on "MeTV" as of late! This Dodge looks like it was "a star" back then! GREAT OLD CAR!
The horribly painted red ‘police car’ makes me think it may have been converted to a Fire Chief car.
That was my first thought
Fire chiefs seemed to often have the 2 door posts. Suppose they traveled alone so no need for a 4 door, & maybe they cost less?
@@johnmcmullen456 Good point. And the two-barrel carb because they didn’t have to chase down speeders on the highway.
My prayers are with you and your family Steve
Always enjoyed Steve from the first time I saw him on a Barrett Jackson auction. Although minor details get him on occasion for his age this guy knows his stuff!
1959 Dodge coronet , wow
Detail beyond comprehension. Another great show by Steve
Yes, I agree.
All of them are cool but the '65 really caught my eye. The size of that alternator!
It's got a cop motor, a 440 cubic inch plant, it's got cop tires, cop suspensions, cop shocks. It's a model made before catalytic converters so it'll run good on regular gas!
Hit it!!!
For the 78 Plymouth Fury the 440 cu in (7.2 L) four-barrel was only as a "police" option on four-door sedans! So i think you are right this is a 440!
Love old dodge police cars thanks buddy
My guess is the red ones are fleet fire dept cars. even that last one may have been a repurposed fire dept car. Either way very kool rides
I’ve always been fascinated with service vehicles
Same. I love overbuilt stuff in general.
I would love to have the Coronet!
NOT trying to be critical of Steve, but for the younger guys, baby moon hubcaps were generally a aftermarket item. Often used with a trim ring that fit the outer part of the rim, close to the rim bead area. Gave a nice contrast to the baby moon center. The correct term that most of us know for the small round hubcaps was, dog dish. And trust me, more than once used just for that purpose.
Steve is right about the hub caps. I was a tire changer at Firestone from 1974 to 1979. The Plymouths Steve specified did come out with factory moons.
I know you could buy aftermarket moons as early as 1950 or I do not know when. But what Steve said is right.
Seeing that 59 coronet makes me wanna cry tears of reminessing childhood. We had a 57 dode sierra station wagon. My dad bought it out of a junkyard around 1988/9 and nobody around town had it. My favorite part of that car other than the body.. was the unique speedo. It rolled upward in increments.. sooo awesome. The 50s wherr the xoolest time for automobile deaign freedoms.
A buddy of mine back in the 70's picked up a Quebec Provincial Police 65 Fury that had a 383 long horn cross ram intake, it was a special order and was used for chases back then, my jaw dropped when he opened the hood it was quite the sight to see.
That intake manifold is called a "ramcharger" intake.
Speaking technically, it is NOT a cross-ram intake. It is a tuned port intake. The runners are made long because they are tuned to make the most horsepower at a specific RPM.
They do not have a "ram" effect.
A ram-air intake has a hood scoop and faces the front of the car.
A cowl-induction intake faces the windshield.
Great content! Brings back memories, way back in the mid-70s, I was an officer in So Cal and we had the 1976-78 Dodge Monaco and Plymouth Gran Fury. They were equipped with the 360 four barrel with that distinctive sound that carb produces on acceleration. As always, a fun and informative video.
74 fury. It could drink gas
My wife had a '79 Chrysler 300 with the 360 four barrel and yes that great sound when you opened it up 😃
@@rogercamp6071 Loved that wooooooom sound. No other brand had it as good.
Cool video, Steve. Cop cars could be grouped with the publicly available musclecars of their day. The lastingist though HAS to be the Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor. 2001-2011. Out of production for over eleven years but many with over 300,000 thousand miles still going strong. You don't have to look very hard to see one drive by!
Steve! Hang in there brother…we’re pulling for ya. Can’t wait to see your smiling face. Thanks for all you’ve done for our shared hobby….
That '59 Coronet CHP is one of only two known to exist. The other is a 4 door that had been in a private collection that was fully restored.
If I recall correctly, Broderick Crawford drove one of those on some episodes of Highway Patrol. He mostly drove Buicks, and there were some Oldsmobiles and Dodges and Plymouths featured as well? Ironically I dont recall todays most common cop cars, Chevys or Fords, ever appearing as cop cars on the show....
That 59 Coronet is seen in many season 4 episodes of Highway Patrol .
@@johnnyedify Story is he lost his license for a D.W.I. and could only drive the "Squad"!
Love watching ur breakdown on all ur auto’s!!!
Dad had bought a used X-police car from a local shade tree mechanic. It was a 1975 Plymouth Gran Fury Police Special from Louisiana State Police. 400 big block, 4brl Rodchester carb, the double snorkel air cleaner, dual exhaust, 727 Torq-Flight, 140mph certified speedo, & locking differential. I live out n the rural farm country of Northeast Arkansas. So driving @ a VERY early age was necessity!! 70mph was straight up, & the needle would always stick, & I’d peck on it to get it past the 70 mark. I nvr knew what it’d run n the 1/4mile for this reason?
A time I’ll nvr forget, some of the local kids that we rode the school bus with, had an Uncle that had a late ‘60s big block Cougar that they were always bragging about. Well, I was 13yro & I drove to the High School basketball game. On the way home they passed me on a good long straight stretch. The race was on! I caught up, passed, & continued to pull away. What scared me was, the speedo had stuck @ 140mph. I drove 4miles of Hwy & 1mile of gravel peckin on that speedo tryin to get it unstuck before I got home! It popped back down 1/2mile from home.
Yeah, know, they nvr bragged on that Cougar ever again? Lol!!
What woulda been the story if it hadn't come unstuck and dad wanted to know how it got there LMAO??
I wasn't so lucky. At 18 my dad was a small town city cop. I also had a '67 Mustang that shouldn't even of been allowed to have tags so nights he worked I went to other local towns. Heading home once I decided to see how fast I could travel the 25 miles, was a decent road with only dogleg curves the entire distance. Not at the strip or running for money I'd stick in the 3.00 gear to save the motor and gas so it had more top end than the 4.11 or 4.56. Didn't see him but Deputy Lyle was sitting somewhere in his '74 Fury and popped out behind me. I slowed to the speed limit getting close to town but dad was sitting there with lights on and pulled across the road stopping me, said to wait, and he was pissed. Lyle came along with no lights and reamed me out, said I'd get my ticket tomorrow. Asked what for and he said I can't get you for speeding because he'd pegged the 140 and I was walking away from him but don't worry, you're losing points on this one. Gave me a C&I , about lost my license over that, dad would of had them but I was 18 and not under his roof.
Really enjoy Steve's knowledge of cars is always got a lot to say
Love the videos Steve. Minor correction to add. The “wigwag” term typically doesn’t refer to the spotlight, but the alternating flashing headlights.
Perhaps it was used to describe the spotlight before my time, but I’ve never heard it used that way in the police car collecting circles
Another minor beef: intro, outro, bumper music is too loud in all instances. Screws up flow and is jarring. Oh, and Great Videos, Steve.
You are correct, wig wags are alternating headlights or a pair of lights. The A post light is called a spotlight.
Had a '72 Fury III x Kansas Hypo car. Loved it. One of several Mopar muscles I wish I still had. PS: Love the snake bite gaiters Steve!
59.8K subscribers
I (briefly) owned a '67 Plymouth Fury Wyoming interceptor! This was a "440" (STRONG MOTOR/TRANNY) ugly body/shot interior! The front-end (special parts!) was SHOT! LOVED THE SHEER POWER!
still nice to look at. seen a lot those mopar cop cars on tv. love the junkyard crawl.
I love these old 70s cars.
Steve, your energy level is off the chart! Roll the tape!
My 1974 Plymouth Fury had a 140 Mi an hour certified speedometer. And the fastest I ever actually timed it across the mile was 187 miles an hour. I could easily and fairly comfortably Cruz a ten-mile stretch it over 166 miles an hour.
Those large alternators are usually made by a company called leece Neville. And they were usually 65 amp and internally regulated. And many of those engines, like mine had a balanced sleeve thermostat, I have never seen a balanced sleeve thermostat fail. I have heard of only one that ever failed. I like the 1965 front brakes.
That 1959 car that 383 is a raised block engine. Not the punch-out 361 that came out in the mid-60s.
Gtfo. SMH
i like Steve's enthusiasm and knowledge of cars ,especially muscle cars
My dad is a retired Illinois State Trooper. His favorite squad was his ‘78 Fury. He said it was comfortable, rode well, and could smoke the tires anytime he wanted.
love the "SNAKE GAITERS"
I watched all of these when you first posted. I will watch again! They were some great finds.
I bought one of these years ago so I could put the engine oil cooler on my first hot rod. (Cheaper to buy the whole car back then) And it's still on my old RR.
Thank you for keeping old cars alive Steve
Keep up the great videos !
That '78 may be a New Mexico HP car. It may be low miles due to the damage. Parts for the repair are not that hard to come by, this one is an easy save.
I agree, the diagonal stripe on the doors look like New Mexico state police markings.
I shipped over to Australia in 2015 a 1958 Plymouth 2 door hardtop purely because of seeing Christine at the movies when released and lusted over one ever since. That in turn gave me a love for the Forwardlook cars which introduced me to the 1959 Dodge Lancer 2 door Hardtop. What a beautiful car that it is and would have to be my favourite finned car. Sold the Plymouth in 2020 and wish I have bought a 1959 Dodge in any body style.
Re: 1959 Dodge police car: the CHP used to have a policy (through the late 1970’s) that their patrol cars were taken out of service at the 75,000 mile point. The cars were maintained very well and not subjected to the harsh city police demands which aged cars quickly. Consequently, retired CHP cars still had lots of life left in them and were often times purchased by small cities and towns and repurposed. The red paint may indicate this car saw second duty as a fire department vehicle. Retired CHP cars were a hot ticket at auction, and a ton of them ended up in taxi fleets. As a broke high school kid in the late 60’s, I tried to talk my mother into letting me buy one and she wouldn’t allow it, so I settled for a 1957 Chevy 210 with a 6 cylinder/automatic transmission for $135.
Those city police cars were beat all to hell with potholes, curbs, RR tracks but those Patrol cars were great used cars. I lived in Missouri where only state employees were allowed to buy at surplus sales, had to know someone to get one.
That 1965 Plymouth Fury sedan with the disc brakes are great to have being a V8 engine are a lot heavier and provides anti fading, and sure stopping power.
The last car you did was indeed a former CHP California Highway Patrol car .
I know some people who own former Mopar police cars. One guy owns a 1976 Plymouth Fury sedan, white with a blue interior. It was used by an administrator of campus safety at Cal State Hayward and the car is a "plain wrapper" unit. Never used as a police car. Another has a 1981 Chrysler LeBaron sedan. Former detective car used by the Vancouver Canada 🇨🇦 police department. Has the metric speedometer, kilometers per hour large, miles per hour small. In white with a blue interior. Another owns a 1979 or 1980 Chrysler Newport in yellow. Used by the Toronto Police Department has a blue interior. Chrysler did have a police car package from 1979-1981.
Most depts. even in the East coast back then retired them at 75k. As time went on its now crept up to around 100-125 k..
Nice to see and hear the face behind "1,001 Muscle Car Facts!" Those are indeed spotlights and not "wig-wags" on the front fenders (and the two red lights on the parcel shelf on the 1959 Coronet were designed to reduce wind resistance as well as being visible to oncoming motorists). Looking forward to discovering more from "Mags."
I was waiting for Broderick Crawford to step out of the black and white car lol
I like how you are making videos off that auction the cop cars had all the power and beefy suspension and brakes. The Exit with the music is kool.😎👍
I remember getting a ride to a gas station (ran out of gas on I5 while on vacation from Canada) back in the 70's with a CHP officer driving a big Dodge Monaco with a 440. I asked him how fast it was and he replied "This car here can go 160mph ALL DAY LONG" and then he floored it :)
'57-'59 Mopars were all the same with just different front and rear clips - all of 'em Dodge, Plymouth Chrysler, DeSoto the same except Imperial. Just look at the two year older '57 Plymouth in the background with identical 2 door post body and same roof. Still, they looked so much more current than anything any other maker was making. 🚗
That 1959 Coronet looks like the ones used in tv show Highway Patrol with Broderick Crawford.
Man that’s a beautiful Chryslus Highwayman!
That’s like the old cop car on Texas chainsaw movie from the early 2000s
That '59 Dodge makes me think of Broadrick Crawford in the old TV series Highway Patrol.
10-4
Similarly it reminded me of the 57 Dodge in the movie The Lineup.
For the 78 Plymouth Fury the 440 cu in (7.2 L) four-barrel was only as a "police" option on four-door sedans! So i think this is a 440!
That 59 looks like the one that was used on the old tv series, Highway Patrol.
That 59 is just gorgeous man I love it
How’s your project car coming along ?
I have seen that exact '59 Coronet on the series "Highway Patrol". The episodes are here on You Tube.
I started binge watching "Highway Patrol", excellent series. A young Clint Eastwood was in one episode riding a motorcycle.
@@blkft What I like about the series is they used whatever sounds were made by the cars or planes passing by or whatever. No dubbing of any kind. Also for those of us who used to live in that area where filming took place, it is like going back.
Thanks for re-posting these Steve. Nice to see what prices they went for.
Great content. Not knit picking, but wig wags are when the headlights flash left to right, back and forth. Not a spot light.
Also figures that's a fire chiefs car any thoughts
That 1959 Dodge black n white is beautiful.
I remember Brodrick Crawford using a 59 Dodge, just like that, on tv series "Highway Patrol".
Ex cop cars were part of my youth. I'd say half of my friends drove them. They were all Plymouths because that's what the local cops used. One in particular was a screaming Plymouth Sattelite that we bored teenagers used on many weekends for road trips and runs to the mall.
The door markings on the first car look like remnants of New Mexico State Police markings.
I use to compete with Taxi service people at the auctions to get EX state police car in the late 80's early 90's. Their speed is addicting and people use to get out of my way. LOL
My buddy had to retrieve a new Explorer from a police department about an hour north and drive it to the shop to install a mobile radio. Once on the highway, he said to himself "aw, what the hell" and stomped on it, driving down I-79 at 100mph, everyone getting out of his way, haha.
Love your videos Steve. I’m sure this has been brought to your attention before…but the pillar lights are simply referred to as Spot Lights…Wig Wags is a reference to the alternating flash pattern of the headlights…left to right…right to left.
You can see them in the first season of Crime Story. Cop show from the '80's that takes place in Chicago in 1963...
@@paulzammataro7185R.I.P. Dennis Farina
Back in the mid 70s the local Police Dept had a van. As much as I like vans I'm glad I never got to see the inside of it lol.
Some great info!! That '59 is sweet, see why it sold for that amount.
Snake chaps but sticking those hands on the rocker panels and lower fenders-careful there Steve.
Bought a '68 428 interceptor for the garage floor until a use could be found. Nothing wrong with those stouter police packages of any brand. Flipped end over end, got it for less than junk yards gave for scrape cars in those days. Let a friend get it for his 1/2-5/8 mile dirt car, torque numbers were about the same as my 440 mag but it was hard to pull him out of the corners.
Looking at the 59 Dodge reminds me of the late great Dan Mathews,aka Brodrick Crawford of The Highway Patrol.
my uncle was chp in socal in the 50ties,early 60ties,we would stop by unks house for lunch and a few officers were there cooking burgers and stuff--my unks fellow officer took my sis and i in his brand new '57 dodge hiway patrol cruiser--we were 5 and my sis 7--he belted us both in the front with one seat belt--we went rippin around the hills in south bay scaring the heck out of sis--you could never get away with that today!! those single red spot light is all the hiway patrol in cali used for years to pull you over with a yellow and red in the back sun deck--many a drunk nailed those cars!! my unk took many drunks home and he worked on many broke down cars coming home with greasy uniform--he hated writing tickets--they finally put him in a truck scale house somewhere around LA--my dad and i would stop in visit with unk-the truckers would stop and leave big boxes of produce and grab a coffee,shoot the bull--those days are long gone too--
It's got a cop motor, a 440 cubic inch plant, it's got cop tires, cop suspensions, cop shocks. It's a model made before catalytic converters so it'll run good on regular gas. What do you say, is it the new Bluesmobile or what?
This is the comment I was looking for
@@markbass7145 I had to look to see if someone else had beat me to it.
Fix the cigarette lighter.
Broderick Crawford called and wants that 59 Coronet.
Any one of those that wasn't wrecked would make great grocery grabbers. I'd definately roll with it.
The disk brake and the 58 both looked like they could be started with very little coaxing. Probably driven home too
Use to ditch cops driving these with bb chevell lmao nice video Steve 👍
Around 1997 I could have bought a former CHP car, the one year they used Oldsmobiles was 1968 I think and this was one. But I passed because between CA and NY it lost all the police equipment including some of the suspension stuff, then it sat flat on the ground in a back yard rotting and vandals broke the glass out of it.
Too bad because it was rare and unusual. But back then I was more interested in the 61 and 62 Pontiacs that sat near it.
Love the 59 Coronet Interceptor extremely rare and interesting car
Broderick Crawford might have driven this piece,brings back memories (Highway Patrol).
In the 80's, I used to own a 78 Fury with a 400 4bbl. It was an ex Jefferson County Colorado Sheriff's car. I delivered pizzas with it. The spotlight came in real handy for looking for addresses at night. Didn't you buy your 62 Plymouth cop car at this auction?
The 78 is a 440!
Great video Steve!!!!! I love the old Mopar Police cars!!!! It’s like you made this video for me!!!👍👍👍👍👍
Love the steelies with dog dish caps.
I love the snake bite leg guards. Did you actually see any rattlesnakes in that boneyard?
I knew it hadn't happened-released the vid-but everytime he ran a hand on a rocker panel or bottom of the fender I worried. Those rattlers love those old cars and the mice usually around/in them.
What about wasps?
That red 1970 Fury looks more like something a fire department would order.
Anyone else hearing a Junior Brown song during the 1959 Coronet video?
I LOVE IT!!! GREAT VIDEO AND A GREAT EDUCATION!!!! THANKS FOR SHARING!!!! I LEARNED SO MUCH!!!
That 1959 Coronet just blows me away!! The styling on that car is spectacular! It's like something from another planet next to todays cars. The same thing happened with cars as happened with buildings. They went from beautiful, flamboyant works of art to drab, boring things purely based on functionality. But yeah, I could look at cars from that period all day long. Just amazing!!
First car is definitely a New Mexico State Police car, not Texas Department of Public Safety
I really like the 70 Fury 2 door but it would need an upgrade to a 440 👍
Nice touch the bloody hand print on the 68 Fury 1 hood.
So glad to hear your recuperating Steveo!! Still think this was a fire dept. car. Small 318, red paint, obviously and a fire dept. car would still have the "K" in the VIN, as it was a fleet car...
That grille on the 65 Fury is beautiful.
Aaahhh the good ole cop cars! Nice CPD dodge monaco!👌😎👍great content Steve!👍 man that last one is a beauty!
I'm guessing that the two doors were Fire Chiefs' cars, the '59 for almost certain - it looks similar to Sheriff Roy's car from the California Kid... The red paint peeking out from under the black paint is what makes me think that.
The '70 is a little more intriguing. Is that an electronic ignition module on the firewall, above the dizzy? Also note the vinyl top on that car - I doubt a police department would've sprung for that, and I'm surprised to see it on a Fire Chief's car.
Hey Steve.. Where do they advertise all these old car auctions, I only find out about them after they’re over..