bigger brakes..heavy duty cooling system ..thicker gauge wiring..higher output alternator...different program in ecu..etc etc..same chassis as civilian but the cvpi is a much more durable and rugged vehicle. ..another great vid. and a shout out to k9 jack
onthepin, and you just don't know what you're getting with the civilian Crown Victoria as per maintenance such as did the owner service it or neglect it. Law Enforcement Departments have a regularly scheduled maintenance interval of servicing police units every so many hours our department it was every 80 hours since they were used 24/7 by 2 officers each pulling a 12 hour tour and if you are lucky the civilian Crown Victoria may have been serviced by the regular milage schedule.
Civilian models are defined and rev lower for longevity more durable maybe the suspension and the cooling is a plus but that’s because they are always flooring it I do think the civilian model intake tube is bs and the gears
I think that anyone with a few bucks to spend can have the best of both worlds. Get the P71, and find an old Crown Vic or Grand Marquis in the boneyard with a good interior. Transplant the luxury interior into the P71, and enjoy. Just a tip, though... Leave the manual HVAC controls in the P71. When an automatic climate control blower controller quits, it costs a fortune to fix, and you'll either freeze or cook until it's fixed. When the blower speed switch quits, it's cheap to replace the resistor pack, and you can wait until you're ready to do it as the blower will still work on "High".
Ford's Automatic Climate Control systems aren't really that expensive to repair. There are two primary points of failure. If the actual speed control fails on the blower housing, that's about $50 at the parts house for a replacement with a lifetime warranty (make sure you use Dielectric Grease on the connectors, or you'll be banging on it with a screwdriver handle every couple of months to get the blower working again), and most of the time, if the EATC conrol panel is the source of the problem (misrouted vaccum, so no A/C through dash vents and only through defrost vents is common symptom), it's failure of the O-rings, and you can tear that down and replace those for less than $10.
Or just get a civilian model, upgrade the suspension and throttle body spacer, and put in a nice magnaflow dual exhaust, and enjoy all the luxury with the same performance!
I got a 3.27 Trak-lok. 3.27 open was standard while 3.27 Track-Lok was optional. Any one ordered with a 3.55 was a Trak-lok because that was the only way it came.
HI. In my state. Massachusetts, the state police cruisers was equipped with 3.27 gears for faster high way speeds while the local town cops had the 3.55 gears to get them off the line quicker.
Chris Pofahl Yeah, I knew from '98 on the civilian models we sold had 3:55 in them. That seemed about right for regular civilian application. In the fleet dealer's office he had a small info magazine he'd give to prospective customers for the taxi versions and I remember there was two packages for the taxis - the New York model and the San Francisco model. Wish I could recall the differences it listed. I could probably assume different rear end differentials and shift points but not sure.
Always check cop cars for blow by. Everytime you see one around town its always running. They may have low miles, but the engine is gonna have way more hours on it than the average car does.
unfortunately, the police are generally required to leave the cars running 24/7 because they cannot afford to shut the cars off and have them not start back up in an emergency situation, thats why most police cars have a way to remove the keys while leaving the engine running, and why they all have an engine idle counter built into the odometer. every hour on the engine idle counter counts as 30 driven miles according to ford.
@@Smokey420Greenleaf The feature to leave it running is a button under the floor rubber mat that subs instead of carpet, by the left foot area. Its a concealed button. Shhh. don't tell anyone.
I don't care about that. He can put a cat, a mouse, or Saddam Hussein on it for all it matters. BTW, I have a cat. He was a kitten when he showed up, now he's my miniature lion.
Thats why i decided to buy a lx sport because i thought of all the punishment officers put on the vics. Luckyly the owner prior had all the maintenance paper work done at ford motor company on the car. I think i made a good choice. Both crown vics are amazing. Oh and my car has dual exhaust center shift console leather seats. I got mines for 4500 with 76k miles
Even if they are beaten to shit. A larger department will have their cars worked on immediately if anything goes wrong. And are, in ways, made to handle the punishment. Besides. They're easy to work on and parts are fairly inexpensive.
Civilian cars are nicer, mercury grand marquis are MUCH BETTER. P71s are so ugly inside and have no features. And even if the suspension is better by the time you get the car they are about due for replacement.
The difference between the civilian and police counterparts of the Crown Victoria are actually minimal, even in the older boxy models from the 1980s. They share the same general build as a tank and stuff, due to it's the same car. But the police version have minor upgrades for LE use like harder transmissions shifts, stiffer suspension, push bar, or the oil cooler. But being fleet cars they lack any of the optional luxury stuff the top trim regular model (LX) has. That also applies to the taxi. The P71 is may be more internally rugged in comparison, but it's almost certainly abused from pursuits or idling non-stop, so that doesn't help to much. Horsepower wise, the police counterpart has SLIGHTLY higher power/torque, and the old ones have a 351W vs 302 EFI for civilian. To be serious, I rather take the regular version, because having the LX and then modify the car well means you have a Crown Vic that has better performance than the Marauder AND have the luxury options! I know, because I have plans to make my 1989 LX a sleeper.
you can't see all the tears I cried while watching this, my heart is crawling dude, ffffuck! I've never seen Any one do these cars justice like you doo!
I always read the p71 had more hp because the dual exhaust. Then p71's sit a inch higher with their stiffer, taller coil springs. P71 also has a aluminum driveshaft or metal matrix composite (MMC) driveshaft. 3.27 or 3.55 rear end gears. I believe some suspension parts are a little different. Like sway bar size, maybe a-arms for taller coils. Handling package gave the p74 rear air bags. Then everything else I believe is the same, year for year. Most of my knowledge is in the 98 to 02 range. As I did some work on my 02 p74. Stainless works duals, 3.31 rear end gears with detroit truetrac diff, aluminium driveshaft, accel coils, iridium plugs, Aem air filter, billet aluminium 4 links, bigger rear sway bar, and some bilstein shocks.
You are wrong .....I own BOTH a 2003 CIVILIAN Crown Vic and a 2011 P7B Police Interceptor ...former Massachusetts State Police cruiser . BOTH HAVE DUAL EXHAUST ....I'm just saying
Any crown vic, with handling package, has 3.27:1, traction lock, dual exhaust, and rear stabilizer bar (thicker). Grand Marquis also. So, I'll take a Grand Marquis, with the handling package. Nice car though.
Ok so can someone answer this question? Who the heck started the trend of covering license plates? 1. I don't care about anyone's license plate, 2. Unless you are law enforcement or government, no one can look up your private information by using your license plate. 3. Your plates are seen by thousands of people everyday and most don't care what your plate says until you break the law. 4. the yellow rags just looked horrible on that beautiful car. I think next time I am in town I will check with DMV and law enforcement to see if this is a legit concern or if people are just being too cautious. Nice Ride though. p.s. clever vanity plates rock!
Barry I feel the same. Unless you have access to a government database and willing to throw away your career and possibly go to prison no one is going to find you by your license plate
Went with the Interceptor, best car I ever bought. I tried both, and the handling difference is insane. Although it is a bit rougher sounding on bumps and has more interior noise, the CVPI corners so flat and nicely that for me it was no question. Add in better sounding dual exhaust, the other performance changes, and the cheaper price-it was no question. My '08 Interceptor makes me smile every day, and I strongly encourage anyone who is on the fence to get one while you still can. Try to get one with lower engine hours and you'll be very pleased. Bar none the most reliable and solid car EVER. One major difference you missed between civi and police models: the police models are lifted a couple inches to take curbs at speed without bottoming out. As a Pittsburgher who must deal with insane potholes, weird steep driveways, and general bad roads/parking, this feature was ESSENTIAL and greatly adds to my satisfaction with the CVPI. In general, it all gives me peace of mind in any driving situation. Pretty great in the snow too, and damn cheap to repair. Get one before they're all gone and the price goes up!
They're already at the 5,000 and 8,000 dollar mark wth? Whyyyy? I was hoping to get a little $1,500 or $900 one and slowly build it up as I'm still using it
@@يلد-ش2ذ there were SO MANY of them made and lasted like tanks. Did someone go around and destroy most of them to drive up the price since the quality was so high and in abundance? Classics mean there isn't very many of something highly desired. Creates WORTH in folks.
@@يلد-ش2ذ I think u can find some good ones on ebay motors. Outside body looks really good no rust. Found some 2011 models. Inside pristine and engine washed really good as well.
Thanks for the vid! Girlfriends in the past preferred my civilian CV. The soft ride and almost same comparison. Unless you mod a Vic the right way like a Marauder, I'm happy with my civi Vic!! Ford power!
actually any crown vic police interceptor made after 06 should have bullet proof steel paneling in the front doors and the stab resistant seats, it became standard equipment in 06, but that doesnt guarantee your car will still have them as a lot of people make a fortune by buying police interceptors at auction, stripping out any remaining police equipment and replacing it with civilian parts then selling the police equipped parts on ebay for a huge markup.
MOPAR's were the top cop cars for many years. I drove some Chrysler's and Plymouth's with the 360, 4-barrel in the early '80's as a deputy-sheriff & they ran pretty strong. I bought a 1987 Dodge Diplomat ex-police car and loved it, had a 318 with 360 heads, intake and 4-barrel carb. Had to sell it after a job loss, hurt like hell. I was recently able to find a cherry 2011 Crown Vic with the 4.6 and 3.55 Trac-Loc rear gears, very clean interior. Police cars are hard to beat for dependability and general performance.
Another difference is Fleet Keying. Civilian Crown Victorias have individual unique keys for the ignition doors and trunk that aren't able to be used on another Civilian Crown Victoria. To prevent what we called the "Key Circus" of juggling numerous keys for each police units in our department all of the Ford Crown Victorias in our fleet used the exact same cut keys and one key opened everything on the car and started the ignition and could be used on every other car in the fleet so we usually kept our keys with us at the end of the shift and could use it on any unit we were assigned the next shift. My advice, change your locks and ignition when you buy a used police unit as someone else who also has one may be able to access yours.
The police version would have been idled excessively, so check the powertrain carefully even if the mileage is low. You should actually be paying less for a former police car, as it's less equipped as far as options and more likely to be abused.
You can get a chrome grille in the P71.. And the LX handles better on a track than the P71. Why do people make these videos that dont know what they are talking about.
I drove my 1995 Crown Vic to Florida in 2002, it had 55K on it. I averaged just over 28 mpg. Had a couple of tanks over 30 mpg. So driven conservatively at steady speeds, they are capable of excellent mileage. On the other hand, around town in the dead of winter, I would only get 14 mpg.
after driving crowns over many of years I can truly say I haven't been left on side of the road..o no AAA..OWN A P73 THAT I WOULDN'T HESITATE TO DRIVE TO CALIFORNIA.I LIVE IN FLORIDA.
I'm at 9:14 and you've said "black facial" at least 3 times. We know what your heart desires but stay focused and keep lying to people researching this car
I have a 98 P71. And it is one of my favorite cars to drive. Fast and comfortable. You could hit a speed bump at 50miles a hour and not feel anything due to the upgraded suspension. I would not trade a crown Vic for nothing. Maybe another crown Vic.
It's got a cop motor, a 440 cubic inch plant, it's got cop tires, cop suspension, cop shocks. It's a model made before catalytic converters so it'll run good on regular gas.
You should drive with your hands at the three and nine position because if you drive with your hand at the twelve o'clock position like you're doing in this video you run the risk of having your hand slam into your face when the airbag deploys if you should have a crash. That's what they taught us at the Sheriff's Department.
I just bought a 2005 Police Interceptor Crown Victoria. So far I love it. They left the in grill, under the visor mirror, and the alternating head lights.... I enjoy my crown vic...
I prever the CVPI models .... Am all for heavy duty. :) keep up the good vids dude :) how old are u and how much is the typical insurance on one usually?
pretty sure a crown vic regardless of the model will be one of the cheapest cars to insure, they're one of the safest and most common cars on the road and aren't considered a sports car despite everything under the hood being the same as a mustang GT of the same year range.
Some units are equipped with street appearance package (P71 Sap), carpet, spot light delete, back tail light section is body color and car has chrome grill, no cage and no push bar. Also have dark mode so when you open doors dome light does not come on, they all have cruise, heavy duty steel wheels, stab panel seats, tighter turning radius, heavy duty steering, engine cooling , transmission cooling plus more. They also have idle hour meter, this calculates idle hours into run hours so oil and fluids have to be changed more often depending on the hours. Idle hours are harder on units than drive hours. As for being maintained, depends on if it was a shared unit or a take home unit. Shared units typically run 24 -7 all shifts, take home is assigned to an officer and is his/her job to make sure it is maintained and serviced, if not it falls on said officer for neglect.
All Crown Victoria Police Interceptors come with 4 catalytic converters. All Crown Victoria civilian models come with 2 catalytic converters unless it is the LX Sport.
Big plus on most civi cars: You don't have to worry about a trans rebuild around the avg 120K (and intake manifold) mark due to abuse. Yes, P71s are good and are built to be rugged (albeit not THAT much more rugged than a civi model) but even the transmission and other stuff can only take so much abuse. Odds are you will have a couple of added repairs to go with that whether big or small. Both are good cars but I can say from experience the civi model gets about 20% better fuel economy on average (so easily a few hundred dollar savings per year) and generally less repair costs. Both models are good but if you're getting a police model be very careful and do your homework. Added rear sway bars and a locker can always be added over time to a civilian model as needed and parts in a lot of areas for that could easily be found in a junkyard.
Ik this is 2 years late but same with the grille. My p71 came from a department and had the chrome horizontal grille. I ended up getting and replacing with a black honeycomb though.
I just bought a 2009 crown vic with 110k miles and 4k idle hours for $2k but man the car runs perfectly i just drove it from Chicago to Miami, Florida and back and it ran perfectly. My crown vic used to be an ex Michigan state trooper vehicle and the only thing that I don't like about it is that it doesn't have cruise control so driving it to Miami from Chicago(1450 miles one way) without Cruise control really sucked but still for a $2k dollar vehicle it runs beautifully and will probably run great for another 5 to 7 years. The only thing that broke on me was the starter and i replaced the serpentine belt before driving it to Miami because the rubber had bunch of cracks on it. After driving it for 4k miles the thing that surprised me was that it burned zero oil that means the engine is in great condition.
I have owned 3 of the P71. 95% of the parts ARE interchangeable between the civilian model and the P71 model. Some of the civilian models parts NEED wires added for the options to work. P71 does not have Cruise Control. I have beat the hell out of the P71s that I owned. I drove 40km(25 miles) with 10% traction on the tires on black ice. I love these cars because they are very reliable. All 3 of mine never got plugged in during the winter. No word of a lie that these cars WILL start in minus 65 Celsius with wind chill. Only complaint that I have is that FORD MURDERED a damn good car in May 2011 when the vics production ceased. The last Vic built is in Saudi Arabia from what I recall reading.
they are starting to dry up around here already didn't have the money and I have missed out on some crazy good deals because of it I am hoping to still snatch one up here in a year or so before they are all gone I love they simple interior and the black mirrors look sporty to me I see it as a poor mans mustang they are very close to 2003 and older performance back when 265 HP on the GT was a lot !! love your car enjoy it and try to stay out of trouble
Your statement that only the police version had dual exhausts is incorrect. If someone ordered their Crown Vic with the high performance handling package, it also came with dual exhausts and had the higher ratio differential, bigger shocks, sway bar, etc.
Also I love how private citizens (police are civilians, too.. the distinction is peace officer and private citizen) owning these has become a "thing" on UA-cam fairly recently. I hope like in 4 years or so if I'm not able to get one by then, that all the ones with under 100k miles in good condition aren't gone...should be just a matter of time as they're no longer made since I think 2012.
Steve Slayton it's more based on the gearing and driveshaft material used that decides the governed speed/max rpm in 3rd. Not P71 vs civilian. I've seen 3.55 geared early pi civilian vics with a 121 mph governor and my Vic has 3.27 diff with composite drive shaft and 141 mph limit.
Personally, I would take the Police Interceptor model. Now, I obviously own one so I may or may not have a biased view lol. Even though many luxuries are sacrificed with the Interceptor model, if you are considering purchasing one, I would go for it. In the end, the Interceptor model has better specs, and is more "performance" orientated. There are Grand Marquis that do have way bigger motors, however those will cost 2-3x more. Also, the Interceptor model does have more of a character to it, and people will pay more attention to it at a car show/meet compared to a regular Crown Vic.
All 98-11 panthers have the same 281 cubic inch..the only exception may be the town car limos and they might be 330 cubic inches but that’s it..marauders come with an aluminum 4.6 (281) dohc but it’s ths same displacement so mercuries do not have “way bigger motors” 😂
I highly doubt that a CVPI can get to 140, pursuits rarely break 120 and just because the speedo goes to 140 doesn't mean the car can go 140 lol, my highlander has a 140 speedo and Im pretty sure its not getting anywhere near that.
Yeah, the speedo doesn't actually tell how fast the car is. My 1989 Crown Vic LX had the ridiculous 85 mph speedometer, but it can go much faster, and the needle keeps going until it disappears.
You forgot about the crown vic lx sport edition which fires out 239hp. and dual exhausts. Well idk if it fires it out.. no fire comes out the exhaust lol
I just bought a 2000 Mercury Grand Marquis and I must say the civilian version of the panther body has much to offer. Please hear me out. > Mine for example, it's a total 1 owner grandma story so it was babied its whole life and got everything it needed. That's typically the story for these cars. The only reason she sold it was because she got too old to get in and out of such a low car so now she has a 4x4 SUV. The P71's typically will need a transmission in the near future not to mention other things because it was beat on. YES the cops maintain them while they're in service but they would rather spent their budget for newer cars rather than something that's going to auction in a few months. Any P71 you get will need to be gone through. > It doesn't look like a cop car (especially if you have the vinyl top) so I can drive through bad neighborhoods on my way to work without getting dirty looks or having any problems. I'm not "Anti-Cop" but they have a real bad stigma going for them right now and I don't think it's going to get any better any time soon. Another thing you need to remember is you can never be in a rush to get somewhere in a P71. Everyone will slow down and act weird when they see you. At first it might seem cool but after a while it will get annoying. Also, try giving a friend a ride in the back and see what happens, those jokes will get old real fast. Maybe things are getting better now that cops are using Explorers and Taurus's (or whatever) but I still check my speed every time I see one. > It's way more comfortable and has way more options. These truly are the last American land-yachts and some of them are packed with technology witch is kinda cool. I have the full digital dashboard for example. Also, I'm not driving to race around town, I'm just driving to work to pay for bills. A car is just something that's better than a horse and you wouldn't beat on a horse, would you? If you're into aggressive driving, that's fine but I'm sure the police aren't going to cut you any slack if they pull you over in one of their old cars. I suppose it's a kid thing anyway's so I'm sure you'll grow out of it like I did. BELIEVE ME, I UNDERSTAND. I'm still a car guy and appreciate cool and fast cars (even the P71) but they're sorta like the Mustang in a way. . . . . Overhyped. > They're just as reliable and easy to work on because 95% of the car is the same. Also they're just as cheap to work on and in some ways cheaper because you won't need special heavy duty tires for example. The only thing you need to look out for is the air suspension but you can buy the conversion kit to convert it to coil springs for under $200. Thats a small price to pay for a luxury car. (It's still very comfortable.) > They're cheaper because everyone wants the P71 so the civilian models get overlooked. This can be a bit of a double edged sword when it comes time to sell but I don't buy cars to sell them. I'm not a hustler. I believe people will start to discover what the civilian version has to offer anyways but I'm not counting on it. That's not why I bought it. I bought it for cheap, reliable and comfortable transportation and the civilian models are perfect at that. To summarize, I think for what you're getting their overpriced and overhyped. You're getting a base model car with a bad stigma. It will need work after day one and will need more major work in the near future. They attract the wrong type of attention and have little to offer as far as basic luxuries. I paid $2000 for my Mercury and it's almost new inside and out. Try finding a P71 for that much. Everyone on the road ignores me and I'm in total bliss as I commute to work. Thank you for your time and good luck with you P71's. I wish you all the best, I really do.
Civilian Crown Victoria's/Grand Marquis's come with dual exhausts if they were optioned with the trailering package, and they're standard equipment on all Lincoln Town Car's from 2003 onwards, bumping up the power to 239bhp. And if it weren't for the rear end differences, the civilian models with the dual exhaust would pretty much wipe out any performance advantage the P71 has, as the civilian one is about 100lbs lighter. On a side note, civilian Crown Vic's, and especially the Mercury and Lincoln equivalent (at least from my research) usually have less miles than a P71 of the same year, sometimes even significantly so, as the civilian models usually got bought by older folk, who didn't drive them near as much or as hard as P71's were. I have a civilian LTD Crown Vic from 1990 with about 148k miles on the Windsor 302 V8.
I'm really glad I found this video ... because I'm hoping that either you or one of your readers will know the answer to this very non-standard question about the CVPI: What's my towing capacity? My B&W CVPI is a 2001, and I haven't been able to find ANYTHING about what all the police upgrades to the engine/transmission/etc. do for that pitiful "1,500#" Crown Vic tow rating. The U-Haul folks who installed my hitch were completely clueless about it, so they were no help either. It took them twice as long as normal to put the heavy-duty hitch on it. As the manager told me when I called to check on it after three hours ... "we've got all the parts spread out around the rear end right now, but we've never put a tow package on a cop car before." I know that the 4,000# curb weight is a big help on tow weight, but with the cooled engine and transmission, too ... I'm guessing that I can probably VERY safely tow 3,500# ... and I can maybe even tow something equal to my curb weight if I'm REALLY careful and don't rush it ... but all of that's a guess based on what I've learned about safest towing a trailer. Any solid ideas, anyone? Educated estimations? Outright--but more experienced--guesses than mine? I swear I won't hold you to it! I just want to know if my calculations make you think I'm STONED ... or not ;-)
A: Yes you were stoned. Not to be taken as, that was a dumb question tho. Unfortunately, i don't kno the answer, but from the sounds of it you answered your own question. Very well thought out, and technically inclined. ;)
Having the LX and the Police Interceptor... I like the LX better. Mainly because the interior. The leather seats are better than the cloth seats. Also have a bench seat in the front. Has a seat belt for a 3rd person in the middle. So you can fit up to 6 people. I can leave my keys in the car because it has a numeric code that I can press to get in. Sunglasses holder. The climate control. Multiple dome lights. The interior is just leagues ahead. My LX only came with one exhaust but the bumper has a cutout for duals... so I went and got magna flows (duals) put on. Also, it seems that Ford uses better paint. My LX has an off white color to it with pin stripes and the paint is still perfect. My PI peels. My PI definitely has more of a kick to it when driving though.
You gotta think too, civilian crown Vic’s are mainly owned by old people and have been taken care of. Most p71s you’re gonna find now have been beat to piss by police and people who buy them from the auctions.
Many CVPIs are "Keyed Alike", making it easier for someone to steal your car in broad daylight. There are only a few different keys, and you can get all of them on Amazon. Google Ford Fleet Keys and learn more. I wish someone would have told me this before I bought it, or I would have had the locks changed. My 2005 CVPI was stolen from a Park and Ride in California. Caveat Emptor.
I have a civilian 2001 Crown Vic that I inherited from my dad. It now has 149K miles. The paint was bad and had to have it repainted. Other then some maintenance it has been trouble free, reliable and rides like a dream.
Idk where you got your numbers from, but the engines between p71/p7b cruisers, and civ cars are identical. The horsepower snd torque you threw up was complete bullshit. Only thing that makes the p7 cars feel faster is the gear ratios, 3.27/3.55 civ was always 2.73
I bought a fire chiefs car it’s a 2008 Ford Crown Victoria I don’t know if it’s a police interceptor or a civilian model it’s like a mixture of everything this guy said.
Lol no no....quit a few departments did not have the budget to maintain the patrol units like they are supposed to. Lol. And even some departments would just stop doing maintenance all together it's last 2 years of service since they will be replacing it soon. Should really only want to get the retired crown vics that came from a department that had/has the budget to do the proper maintenance on them. Example. CHP was pretty good at doing proper maintenance and at 75k miles, up until 2007, they would replace the transmission at 75k miles. They stopped doing that in late 2008 when the country had its financial crisis.
I prefer and own the civilian model. It has more luxury. It gets better fuel economy. Yes, the police model is a tiny bit faster but that's irrelevant if you plan to drive on public roads and drive around the speed limit. Both are fast enough but I am buying the gas now. I am grown up, and not really interested in playing cop.
I have the 2003 P71 My Gross Vehicle weight is 5,945 lbs on the door sticker... and it gets pretty awful gas mileage. One wonders what they removed between my Interceptor and yours that took off a ton.
1 just bought a p71 crown Victoria from a friend that bought it at auction...86000 miles and it's a 2002 .has a a rollbar and a plexiglass divider..and a stab proof metal plate where you cannot stab the driver...it head the chrome trim package..dual exhausts. Nice interior..switch on dash to activate the sequential headlights..anteana on the trunk..shifts great .motor is quiet..was used as a county probation officers car..over all...not a bad car at all..and it's a tank of a vehicle.
By the way. You forgot that the sway bars are thicker. And the suspension sits about a half inch lower. The cam shaft and lifters are different in the police version as well. The headlights were way different in the late 90s and early 2000s the police version says on the dash that it can go is 140. However, at 129 the car is vibrating and is screaming lol. It's trying so hard to just keep at 129.
I think, that, CVPI is a great car for beginner drivers! It is cheap, reliable, bulletproof (means, that suspension is stiffer). And also, no one would like to cut-off you, or may tailgating you. You can sell it for same ammount of money, that you but it))
Do not believe when you buy a P71 that they have been recently serviced, and Civilian Victoria's some do also have Dual Exhaust . Proud owner 2008 Crown Victoria Police interceptor
does anyone know how i can tell the difference between the CVPI engine and civilian? my 05 CVPI probably needs a new engine and I don't want to put the civilian engine in.
honestly not sure why anyone would buy anything but the police interceptor. they are faster, they are stronger, they have more heavy duty parts and an upgraded suspension, and on average they cost half as much as the standard crown vic because police departments auction them off for pennies on the dollar. spent $1500 on a police interceptor 7 years ago, thing has over 400K miles on it and it's still driving great, how many civilian cars do you hear things like that about?
The p71 Tranny is built with heavy duty bands for aggressive shifting from the factory causing the jerking some thing the transmission is going out when it’s not, ac cut out when accelerating at high speed for passing and pursuits, 06 and up fire extinguisher crash system under gas tank near rear seat, Kevlar panels behind driver and passenger seats, in trunk power on pass panel foe light hook ups, the dual exhaust is heavy duty 24 gauge metal, transmission cooler, also and few more goodies he didn’t mention
If u can find a P71 that hasn't been beat to death maybe a detective or supervisors car . The problem with regular P71 may be money pit if been used regular police use. Course the P71 built tougher and have regular maintenence .
Nobody wants a civilian crown vic. People dont stay away from p71s because they think there beat on they stay away because there almost always high mileage.
The Police Interceptor is not the only Crown Vic model with dual exhausts. The civilian Crown Vic in "Sport" trim level also has dual exhaust.
bigger brakes..heavy duty cooling system ..thicker gauge wiring..higher output alternator...different program in ecu..etc etc..same chassis as civilian but the cvpi is a much more durable and rugged vehicle. ..another great vid. and a shout out to k9 jack
onthepin bigger brakes? U wot m8
onthepin, and you just don't know what you're getting with the civilian Crown Victoria as per maintenance such as did the owner service it or neglect it.
Law Enforcement Departments have a regularly scheduled maintenance interval of servicing police units every so many hours our department it was every 80 hours since they were used 24/7 by 2 officers each pulling a 12 hour tour and if you are lucky the civilian Crown Victoria may have been serviced by the regular milage schedule.
more farts per mile
It is NOT that much more durable.
Civilian models are defined and rev lower for longevity more durable maybe the suspension and the cooling is a plus but that’s because they are always flooring it I do think the civilian model intake tube is bs and the gears
I bought a used vehicle from customs and immigration that sat in the back of their lot forever with little miles on it. That was the best car ever.
I think that anyone with a few bucks to spend can have the best of both worlds. Get the P71, and find an old Crown Vic or Grand Marquis in the boneyard with a good interior. Transplant the luxury interior into the P71, and enjoy.
Just a tip, though... Leave the manual HVAC controls in the P71. When an automatic climate control blower controller quits, it costs a fortune to fix, and you'll either freeze or cook until it's fixed.
When the blower speed switch quits, it's cheap to replace the resistor pack, and you can wait until you're ready to do it as the blower will still work on "High".
Ford's Automatic Climate Control systems aren't really that expensive to repair. There are two primary points of failure. If the actual speed control fails on the blower housing, that's about $50 at the parts house for a replacement with a lifetime warranty (make sure you use Dielectric Grease on the connectors, or you'll be banging on it with a screwdriver handle every couple of months to get the blower working again), and most of the time, if the EATC conrol panel is the source of the problem (misrouted vaccum, so no A/C through dash vents and only through defrost vents is common symptom), it's failure of the O-rings, and you can tear that down and replace those for less than $10.
Or just get a civilian model, upgrade the suspension and throttle body spacer, and put in a nice magnaflow dual exhaust, and enjoy all the luxury with the same performance!
Or buy LX Sport. Better than P71
Really the acceleration difference is due to the rear end differences. Civvie CV came with a 2.73, CVPIs came with at least a 3.27.
Most of them are 3:55s with trakloc.
I have 355 locker
I got a 3.27 Trak-lok. 3.27 open was standard while 3.27 Track-Lok was optional. Any one ordered with a 3.55 was a Trak-lok because that was the only way it came.
HI. In my state. Massachusetts, the state police cruisers was equipped with 3.27 gears for faster high way speeds while the local town cops had the 3.55 gears to get them off the line quicker.
Chris Pofahl Yeah, I knew from '98 on the civilian models we sold had 3:55 in them. That seemed about right for regular civilian application. In the fleet dealer's office he had a small info magazine he'd give to prospective customers for the taxi versions and I remember there was two packages for the taxis - the New York model and the San Francisco model. Wish I could recall the differences it listed. I could probably assume different rear end differentials and shift points but not sure.
Civilian ones can have dual exhaust too.
Yup
can, but generally dont unless the owner drops money into upgrading it.
@@Smokey420Greenleaf no, depends on trim level
@@Smokey420Greenleaf That's only in pre-'91 models.
I have a 2003 civilian Vic with dual
Always check cop cars for blow by.
Everytime you see one around town its always running.
They may have low miles, but the engine is gonna have way more hours on it than the average car does.
unfortunately, the police are generally required to leave the cars running 24/7 because they cannot afford to shut the cars off and have them not start back up in an emergency situation, thats why most police cars have a way to remove the keys while leaving the engine running, and why they all have an engine idle counter built into the odometer. every hour on the engine idle counter counts as 30 driven miles according to ford.
@@Smokey420Greenleaf not the 98-05 have idle odometer lol
@@Smokey420Greenleaf The feature to leave it running is a button under the floor rubber mat that subs instead of carpet, by the left foot area. Its a concealed button. Shhh. don't tell anyone.
I stopped watching when you talked about your cat avatar
Amen~!
I don't care about that. He can put a cat, a mouse, or Saddam Hussein on it for all it matters. BTW, I have a cat. He was a kitten when he showed up, now he's my miniature lion.
2:30 where he actually gets into it... past all the talking
You mean BABBLING
Thats why i decided to buy a lx sport because i thought of all the punishment officers put on the vics. Luckyly the owner prior had all the maintenance paper work done at ford motor company on the car. I think i made a good choice. Both crown vics are amazing. Oh and my car has dual exhaust center shift console leather seats. I got mines for 4500 with 76k miles
Even if they are beaten to shit. A larger department will have their cars worked on immediately if anything goes wrong. And are, in ways, made to handle the punishment. Besides. They're easy to work on and parts are fairly inexpensive.
its mine singular,. just saying,..
What punishment? most just drove around pulling ppl over.
@@whocares5188 Idling all day puts wear on an engine that doesn't show on the odometer.
mrmrlee that’s the point in the engine idle hours gauge. If you hold down the odometer in a cvpi it’ll show the Idle hours.
When he said they were always serviced on time and fixed properly because it was maintained by a police department 😂😂😂 boy if you only knew lmao
Mine came with only 47k. Got it for a grand. But it had a bad trans. Rebuilt it. Now it's indestructible
Mine came with a shit ton of maintenance records.
You talk to much and don't say nothing really?
Jesus dude he tells his life story and goes on about shit until I lose interest
2 minutes in and I'm already done! Thanks for letting me know .
I agree
I lasted a minute and a half. A wobbly view of the steering wheel is boring enough. Babbling about a kitty did me in.
@@darktigre8214 that chump should get a life and a real girlfriend and get laid. BTW, forget the cat shit too.
Civilian cars are nicer, mercury grand marquis are MUCH BETTER. P71s are so ugly inside and have no features. And even if the suspension is better by the time you get the car they are about due for replacement.
The difference between the civilian and police counterparts of the Crown Victoria are actually minimal, even in the older boxy models from the 1980s. They share the same general build as a tank and stuff, due to it's the same car. But the police version have minor upgrades for LE use like harder transmissions shifts, stiffer suspension, push bar, or the oil cooler. But being fleet cars they lack any of the optional luxury stuff the top trim regular model (LX) has. That also applies to the taxi. The P71 is may be more internally rugged in comparison, but it's almost certainly abused from pursuits or idling non-stop, so that doesn't help to much. Horsepower wise, the police counterpart has SLIGHTLY higher power/torque, and the old ones have a 351W vs 302 EFI for civilian. To be serious, I rather take the regular version, because having the LX and then modify the car well means you have a Crown Vic that has better performance than the Marauder AND have the luxury options! I know, because I have plans to make my 1989 LX a sleeper.
you can't see all the tears I cried while watching this, my heart is crawling dude, ffffuck! I've never seen Any one do these cars justice like you doo!
I always read the p71 had more hp because the dual exhaust. Then p71's sit a inch higher with their stiffer, taller coil springs. P71 also has a aluminum driveshaft or metal matrix composite (MMC) driveshaft. 3.27 or 3.55 rear end gears. I believe some suspension parts are a little different. Like sway bar size, maybe a-arms for taller coils. Handling package gave the p74 rear air bags. Then everything else I believe is the same, year for year. Most of my knowledge is in the 98 to 02 range. As I did some work on my 02 p74. Stainless works duals, 3.31 rear end gears with detroit truetrac diff, aluminium driveshaft, accel coils, iridium plugs, Aem air filter, billet aluminium 4 links, bigger rear sway bar, and some bilstein shocks.
You are wrong .....I own BOTH a 2003 CIVILIAN Crown Vic and a 2011 P7B Police Interceptor ...former Massachusetts State Police cruiser . BOTH HAVE DUAL EXHAUST ....I'm just saying
Any crown vic, with handling package, has 3.27:1, traction lock, dual exhaust, and rear stabilizer bar (thicker). Grand Marquis also. So, I'll take a Grand Marquis, with the handling package. Nice car though.
Ok so can someone answer this question? Who the heck started the trend of covering license plates? 1. I don't care about anyone's license plate, 2. Unless you are law enforcement or government, no one can look up your private information by using your license plate. 3. Your plates are seen by thousands of people everyday and most don't care what your plate says until you break the law. 4. the yellow rags just looked horrible on that beautiful car. I think next time I am in town I will check with DMV and law enforcement to see if this is a legit concern or if people are just being too cautious. Nice Ride though. p.s. clever vanity plates rock!
Covering the licence plate is for security to avoid car thieves and catch a good one
Identity theft and fraud are an art form and every bit of info can help. You'd be amazed.
Barry
I feel the same. Unless you have access to a government database and willing to throw away your career and possibly go to prison no one is going to find you by your license plate
YEA, I DON'T GET THAT LICENCE PLATE THING??
Being cautious!
Went with the Interceptor, best car I ever bought. I tried both, and the handling difference is insane. Although it is a bit rougher sounding on bumps and has more interior noise, the CVPI corners so flat and nicely that for me it was no question. Add in better sounding dual exhaust, the other performance changes, and the cheaper price-it was no question. My '08 Interceptor makes me smile every day, and I strongly encourage anyone who is on the fence to get one while you still can. Try to get one with lower engine hours and you'll be very pleased. Bar none the most reliable and solid car EVER.
One major difference you missed between civi and police models: the police models are lifted a couple inches to take curbs at speed without bottoming out. As a Pittsburgher who must deal with insane potholes, weird steep driveways, and general bad roads/parking, this feature was ESSENTIAL and greatly adds to my satisfaction with the CVPI. In general, it all gives me peace of mind in any driving situation. Pretty great in the snow too, and damn cheap to repair. Get one before they're all gone and the price goes up!
They're already at the 5,000 and 8,000 dollar mark wth? Whyyyy? I was hoping to get a little $1,500 or $900 one and slowly build it up as I'm still using it
@@daviedood2503 because they are going to be classics in 5-10 years that is my prediction
@@يلد-ش2ذ there were SO MANY of them made and lasted like tanks. Did someone go around and destroy most of them to drive up the price since the quality was so high and in abundance? Classics mean there isn't very many of something highly desired. Creates WORTH in folks.
@@daviedood2503 I think it’s because most of them are over 300k mark and rarely I can find them stored
@@يلد-ش2ذ I think u can find some good ones on ebay motors. Outside body looks really good no rust. Found some 2011 models. Inside pristine and engine washed really good as well.
My lx has dual exhaust tho 🤔
So does mine. All leather interior and power everything. Air shocks too. 68k miles.
I have a 1998 . I put bucket seats in mine. Oh yeah mine's dual exhaust too.. 😂
can you do donuts and burnouts ona lx
@@SW-bu1zc hell yeah
@@andygarcia282 do you have to like turn off traction or anything so it swings better or what?
Thanks for the vid! Girlfriends in the past preferred my civilian CV. The soft ride and almost same comparison. Unless you mod a Vic the right way like a Marauder, I'm happy with my civi Vic!! Ford power!
Some of these also have bullet resistant panels in the doors and a knife resistant place in the backrest. Not real common as it was expensive.
actually any crown vic police interceptor made after 06 should have bullet proof steel paneling in the front doors and the stab resistant seats, it became standard equipment in 06, but that doesnt guarantee your car will still have them as a lot of people make a fortune by buying police interceptors at auction, stripping out any remaining police equipment and replacing it with civilian parts then selling the police equipped parts on ebay for a huge markup.
Very groovy ride. Had a '77 Fury cop car (30+ years ago). Wicked in a plain package!
MOPAR's were the top cop cars for many years. I drove some Chrysler's and Plymouth's with the 360, 4-barrel in the early '80's as a deputy-sheriff & they ran pretty strong. I bought a 1987 Dodge Diplomat ex-police car and loved it, had a 318 with 360 heads, intake and 4-barrel carb. Had to sell it after a job loss, hurt like hell. I was recently able to find a cherry 2011 Crown Vic with the 4.6 and 3.55 Trac-Loc rear gears, very clean interior. Police cars are hard to beat for dependability and general performance.
Another difference is Fleet Keying.
Civilian Crown Victorias have individual unique keys for the ignition doors and trunk that aren't able to be used on another Civilian Crown Victoria.
To prevent what we called the "Key Circus" of juggling numerous keys for each police units in our department all of the Ford Crown Victorias in our fleet used the exact same cut keys and one key opened everything on the car and started the ignition and could be used on every other car in the fleet so we usually kept our keys with us at the end of the shift and could use it on any unit we were assigned the next shift.
My advice, change your locks and ignition when you buy a used police unit as someone else who also has one may be able to access yours.
lb.ft.=footpounds of torque,not pounds per feet.Too annoying,I can't listen to this.
I would buy the civilian vic mainly because it has luxury interior and features I can just upgrade it and still have a more comfortable car
Not as fast though or as cheap to buy, happy with my p71, as for luxury i can hit pick n pull and swap interiors with a lincoln town car, bam!
Exactly! Good choice!
LX civilian crown Vic has dual exhaust
cvpi ftw. I love my 06. :)
The police version would have been idled excessively, so check the powertrain carefully even if the mileage is low. You should actually be paying less for a former police car, as it's less equipped as far as options and more likely to be abused.
You can get a chrome grille in the P71..
And the LX handles better on a track than the P71.
Why do people make these videos that dont know what they are talking about.
I drove my 1995 Crown Vic to Florida in 2002, it had 55K on it. I averaged just over 28 mpg. Had a couple of tanks over 30 mpg. So driven conservatively at steady speeds, they are capable of excellent mileage. On the other hand, around town in the dead of winter, I would only get 14 mpg.
They come with a bigger alternator as well. Which is nice if you have a lot of electronics to use. IE laptop, lights audio equipments
hey what up well me personally I like the civilian model more for the fact of all the goodies
after driving crowns over many of years I can truly say I haven't been left on side of the road..o no AAA..OWN A P73 THAT I WOULDN'T HESITATE TO DRIVE TO CALIFORNIA.I LIVE IN FLORIDA.
Being a former police officer I can tell you . We ran the piss out of these. They also can spend a lot and i mean alot of time idling.
I'm at 9:14 and you've said "black facial" at least 3 times. We know what your heart desires but stay focused and keep lying to people researching this car
I have a 98 P71. And it is one of my favorite cars to drive. Fast and comfortable. You could hit a speed bump at 50miles a hour and not feel anything due to the upgraded suspension. I would not trade a crown Vic for nothing. Maybe another crown Vic.
It's got a cop motor, a 440 cubic inch plant, it's got cop tires, cop suspension, cop shocks. It's a model made before catalytic converters so it'll run good on regular gas.
That's cool must go right along A
p70, extended wheelbase, taxi package
p71, police car
p72, regular taxi package
p73, base model crown Victoria
p74 fully loaded crown victoria
P74 is LX.
You should drive with your hands at the three and nine position because if you drive with your hand at the twelve o'clock position like you're doing in this video you run the risk of having your hand slam into your face when the airbag deploys if you should have a crash. That's what they taught us at the Sheriff's Department.
I just bought a 2005 Police Interceptor Crown Victoria.
So far I love it. They left the in grill, under the visor mirror, and the alternating head lights....
I enjoy my crown vic...
I have a Police Interceptor I Do Security Work Perfect Car for Me I love it Fast
I prever the CVPI models .... Am all for heavy duty. :) keep up the good vids dude :) how old are u and how much is the typical insurance on one usually?
pretty sure a crown vic regardless of the model will be one of the cheapest cars to insure, they're one of the safest and most common cars on the road and aren't considered a sports car despite everything under the hood being the same as a mustang GT of the same year range.
I have a 96 CVPI and I love it. It is the best car next to the 73 monte that I had.
The music is so happy
Please kill me
Some units are equipped with street appearance package (P71 Sap), carpet, spot light delete, back tail light section is body color and car has chrome grill, no cage and no push bar. Also have dark mode so when you open doors dome light does not come on, they all have cruise, heavy duty steel wheels, stab panel seats, tighter turning radius, heavy duty steering, engine cooling , transmission cooling plus more. They also have idle hour meter, this calculates idle hours into run hours so oil and fluids have to be changed more often depending on the hours. Idle hours are harder on units than drive hours.
As for being maintained, depends on if it was a shared unit or a take home unit. Shared units typically run 24 -7 all shifts, take home is assigned to an officer and is his/her job to make sure it is maintained and serviced, if not it falls on said officer for neglect.
All Crown Victoria Police Interceptors come with 4 catalytic converters. All Crown Victoria civilian models come with 2 catalytic converters unless it is the LX Sport.
ATX-CVPI in the Middle East all of the civilian Crown Victoria models comes with 4 catalytic converters
My lx pushes 240hp -280 torque
Big plus on most civi cars: You don't have to worry about a trans rebuild around the avg 120K (and intake manifold) mark due to abuse. Yes, P71s are good and are built to be rugged (albeit not THAT much more rugged than a civi model) but even the transmission and other stuff can only take so much abuse. Odds are you will have a couple of added repairs to go with that whether big or small. Both are good cars but I can say from experience the civi model gets about 20% better fuel economy on average (so easily a few hundred dollar savings per year) and generally less repair costs. Both models are good but if you're getting a police model be very careful and do your homework. Added rear sway bars and a locker can always be added over time to a civilian model as needed and parts in a lot of areas for that could easily be found in a junkyard.
Cool video and I gave a Thumbs Up.
dont explain your production,please. just do it.
The rear gears are the only real difference
not true about the duel exhaust.
All interceptor models have DUAL exhaust..not all of them have a track loc
@@eriv4735 youre right but he said "only p71s camr with dual exhaust" which isnt true, my LX sport has dual exhausts too
piority9 That is true! The LX Sport, like the Marauder came with dual exhaust.
Ik this is 2 years late but same with the grille. My p71 came from a department and had the chrome horizontal grille. I ended up getting and replacing with a black honeycomb though.
I just bought a 2009 crown vic with 110k miles and 4k idle hours for $2k but man the car runs perfectly i just drove it from Chicago to Miami, Florida and back and it ran perfectly. My crown vic used to be an ex Michigan state trooper vehicle and the only thing that I don't like about it is that it doesn't have cruise control so driving it to Miami from Chicago(1450 miles one way) without Cruise control really sucked but still for a $2k dollar vehicle it runs beautifully and will probably run great for another 5 to 7 years. The only thing that broke on me was the starter and i replaced the serpentine belt before driving it to Miami because the rubber had bunch of cracks on it. After driving it for 4k miles the thing that surprised me was that it burned zero oil that means the engine is in great condition.
I have owned 3 of the P71. 95% of the parts ARE interchangeable between the civilian model and the P71 model. Some of the civilian models parts NEED wires added for the options to work. P71 does not have Cruise Control. I have beat the hell out of the P71s that I owned. I drove 40km(25 miles) with 10% traction on the tires on black ice. I love these cars because they are very reliable. All 3 of mine never got plugged in during the winter. No word of a lie that these cars WILL start in minus 65 Celsius with wind chill. Only complaint that I have is that FORD MURDERED a damn good car in May 2011 when the vics production ceased. The last Vic built is in Saudi Arabia from what I recall reading.
they are starting to dry up around here already didn't have the money and I have missed out on some crazy good deals because of it I am hoping to still snatch one up here in a year or so before they are all gone I love they simple interior and the black mirrors look sporty to me I see it as a poor mans mustang they are very close to 2003 and older performance back when 265 HP on the GT was a lot !! love your car enjoy it and try to stay out of trouble
The crown Victoria sport had dual exhaust and a center console/floor shifter.
Your statement that only the police version had dual exhausts is incorrect. If someone ordered their Crown Vic with the high performance handling package, it also came with dual exhausts and had the higher ratio differential, bigger shocks, sway bar, etc.
A trip to the junkyard fixes a lot of the basics! But thats a nice car
Also I love how private citizens (police are civilians, too.. the distinction is peace officer and private citizen) owning these has become a "thing" on UA-cam fairly recently. I hope like in 4 years or so if I'm not able to get one by then, that all the ones with under 100k miles in good condition aren't gone...should be just a matter of time as they're no longer made since I think 2012.
Just cause your speedometer says 140 doesn't mean it does it. Most are limited to 121 to keep the driveshaft from whipping through the floor.
Cars and Guitars that's basically what he said, about regular vic's! POLICE cars are not governed like civilian cars
Steve Slayton it's more based on the gearing and driveshaft material used that decides the governed speed/max rpm in 3rd. Not P71 vs civilian. I've seen 3.55 geared early pi civilian vics with a 121 mph governor and my Vic has 3.27 diff with composite drive shaft and 141 mph limit.
Facial? Think he means fascia.
But maybe he wants to give a facial or get one!
Don't forget the aluminium driveshaft and heavy duty steel rims. My 99 had the blue silicone hoses and oil cooler along with the transmission cooler.
Personally, I would take the Police Interceptor model. Now, I obviously own one so I may or may not have a biased view lol. Even though many luxuries are sacrificed with the Interceptor model, if you are considering purchasing one, I would go for it. In the end, the Interceptor model has better specs, and is more "performance" orientated. There are Grand Marquis that do have way bigger motors, however those will cost 2-3x more. Also, the Interceptor model does have more of a character to it, and people will pay more attention to it at a car show/meet compared to a regular Crown Vic.
All 98-11 panthers have the same 281 cubic inch..the only exception may be the town car limos and they might be 330 cubic inches but that’s it..marauders come with an aluminum 4.6 (281) dohc but it’s ths same displacement so mercuries do not have “way bigger motors” 😂
The Grand Marquis has the same 4.6 as the Crown Victoria.
The Grand Marquis is exactly the same as the Crown Victoria, only slightly more luxurious.
Ill keep my 02 crown vic lx sport then get a stripped down beat up ex police car
I highly doubt that a CVPI can get to 140, pursuits rarely break 120 and just because the speedo goes to 140 doesn't mean the car can go 140 lol, my highlander has a 140 speedo and Im pretty sure its not getting anywhere near that.
Yeah, the speedo doesn't actually tell how fast the car is. My 1989 Crown Vic LX had the ridiculous 85 mph speedometer, but it can go much faster, and the needle keeps going until it disappears.
@@LITTLE1994 lol 89 with a 5.0 im sure and a 85 speedo, should be 185 lol
You forgot about the crown vic lx sport edition which fires out 239hp. and dual exhausts. Well idk if it fires it out.. no fire comes out the exhaust lol
Far superior over P71
@@jww8642 oh fer sure
I just bought a 2000 Mercury Grand Marquis and I must say the civilian version of the panther body has much to offer. Please hear me out.
> Mine for example, it's a total 1 owner grandma story so it was babied its whole life and got everything it needed. That's typically the story for these cars. The only reason she sold it was because she got too old to get in and out of such a low car so now she has a 4x4 SUV. The P71's typically will need a transmission in the near future not to mention other things because it was beat on. YES the cops maintain them while they're in service but they would rather spent their budget for newer cars rather than something that's going to auction in a few months. Any P71 you get will need to be gone through.
> It doesn't look like a cop car (especially if you have the vinyl top) so I can drive through bad neighborhoods on my way to work without getting dirty looks or having any problems. I'm not "Anti-Cop" but they have a real bad stigma going for them right now and I don't think it's going to get any better any time soon. Another thing you need to remember is you can never be in a rush to get somewhere in a P71. Everyone will slow down and act weird when they see you. At first it might seem cool but after a while it will get annoying. Also, try giving a friend a ride in the back and see what happens, those jokes will get old real fast. Maybe things are getting better now that cops are using Explorers and Taurus's (or whatever) but I still check my speed every time I see one.
> It's way more comfortable and has way more options. These truly are the last American land-yachts and some of them are packed with technology witch is kinda cool. I have the full digital dashboard for example. Also, I'm not driving to race around town, I'm just driving to work to pay for bills. A car is just something that's better than a horse and you wouldn't beat on a horse, would you? If you're into aggressive driving, that's fine but I'm sure the police aren't going to cut you any slack if they pull you over in one of their old cars. I suppose it's a kid thing anyway's so I'm sure you'll grow out of it like I did. BELIEVE ME, I UNDERSTAND. I'm still a car guy and appreciate cool and fast cars (even the P71) but they're sorta like the Mustang in a way. . . . . Overhyped.
> They're just as reliable and easy to work on because 95% of the car is the same. Also they're just as cheap to work on and in some ways cheaper because you won't need special heavy duty tires for example. The only thing you need to look out for is the air suspension but you can buy the conversion kit to convert it to coil springs for under $200. Thats a small price to pay for a luxury car. (It's still very comfortable.)
> They're cheaper because everyone wants the P71 so the civilian models get overlooked. This can be a bit of a double edged sword when it comes time to sell but I don't buy cars to sell them. I'm not a hustler. I believe people will start to discover what the civilian version has to offer anyways but I'm not counting on it. That's not why I bought it. I bought it for cheap, reliable and comfortable transportation and the civilian models are perfect at that.
To summarize, I think for what you're getting their overpriced and overhyped. You're getting a base model car with a bad stigma. It will need work after day one and will need more major work in the near future. They attract the wrong type of attention and have little to offer as far as basic luxuries. I paid $2000 for my Mercury and it's almost new inside and out. Try finding a P71 for that much. Everyone on the road ignores me and I'm in total bliss as I commute to work.
Thank you for your time and good luck with you P71's. I wish you all the best, I really do.
I have an lx an it was never use for police work and it has dual exhaust
Fascia, not facials, that's sumpin different :-)
Civilian Crown Victoria's/Grand Marquis's come with dual exhausts if they were optioned with the trailering package, and they're standard equipment on all Lincoln Town Car's from 2003 onwards, bumping up the power to 239bhp. And if it weren't for the rear end differences, the civilian models with the dual exhaust would pretty much wipe out any performance advantage the P71 has, as the civilian one is about 100lbs lighter. On a side note, civilian Crown Vic's, and especially the Mercury and Lincoln equivalent (at least from my research) usually have less miles than a P71 of the same year, sometimes even significantly so, as the civilian models usually got bought by older folk, who didn't drive them near as much or as hard as P71's were. I have a civilian LTD Crown Vic from 1990 with about 148k miles on the Windsor 302 V8.
I have a 1989 LX.
I'm really glad I found this video ... because I'm hoping that either you or one of your readers will know the answer to this very non-standard question about the CVPI:
What's my towing capacity? My B&W CVPI is a 2001, and I haven't been able to find ANYTHING about what all the police upgrades to the engine/transmission/etc. do for that pitiful "1,500#" Crown Vic tow rating. The U-Haul folks who installed my hitch were completely clueless about it, so they were no help either. It took them twice as long as normal to put the heavy-duty hitch on it. As the manager told me when I called to check on it after three hours ... "we've got all the parts spread out around the rear end right now, but we've never put a tow package on a cop car before."
I know that the 4,000# curb weight is a big help on tow weight, but with the cooled engine and transmission, too ... I'm guessing that I can probably VERY safely tow 3,500# ... and I can maybe even tow something equal to my curb weight if I'm REALLY careful and don't rush it ... but all of that's a guess based on what I've learned about safest towing a trailer.
Any solid ideas, anyone? Educated estimations? Outright--but more experienced--guesses than mine? I swear I won't hold you to it! I just want to know if my calculations make you think I'm STONED ... or not ;-)
A: Yes you were stoned. Not to be taken as, that was a dumb question tho. Unfortunately, i don't kno the answer, but from the sounds of it you answered your own question. Very well thought out, and technically inclined. ;)
do you have a video talking about the differences between the different CVPI's and how to decipher which is which?
you drove right by my house
Both are slow, one is a grandma car, one is a taxi cab.
Having the LX and the Police Interceptor... I like the LX better. Mainly because the interior. The leather seats are better than the cloth seats. Also have a bench seat in the front. Has a seat belt for a 3rd person in the middle. So you can fit up to 6 people. I can leave my keys in the car because it has a numeric code that I can press to get in. Sunglasses holder. The climate control. Multiple dome lights. The interior is just leagues ahead. My LX only came with one exhaust but the bumper has a cutout for duals... so I went and got magna flows (duals) put on. Also, it seems that Ford uses better paint. My LX has an off white color to it with pin stripes and the paint is still perfect. My PI peels. My PI definitely has more of a kick to it when driving though.
You gotta think too, civilian crown Vic’s are mainly owned by old people and have been taken care of. Most p71s you’re gonna find now have been beat to piss by police and people who buy them from the auctions.
The CVPIs with chrome grill and trim instead of the black have what's call the Street Appearance Package AKA SAP.
I got the 2010 crown Vic police interceptor really nice fast as heck lol
Many CVPIs are "Keyed Alike", making it easier for someone to steal your car in broad daylight. There are only a few different keys, and you can get all of them on Amazon. Google Ford Fleet Keys and learn more. I wish someone would have told me this before I bought it, or I would have had the locks changed. My 2005 CVPI was stolen from a Park and Ride in California. Caveat Emptor.
I have a civilian 2001 Crown Vic that I inherited from my dad. It now has 149K miles. The paint was bad and had to have it repainted. Other then some maintenance it has been trouble free, reliable and rides like a dream.
Idk where you got your numbers from, but the engines between p71/p7b cruisers, and civ cars are identical. The horsepower snd torque you threw up was complete bullshit.
Only thing that makes the p7 cars feel faster is the gear ratios, 3.27/3.55 civ was always 2.73
The crown victoria never had turn signals in the side mirrors
I bought a fire chiefs car it’s a 2008 Ford Crown Victoria I don’t know if it’s a police interceptor or a civilian model it’s like a mixture of everything this guy said.
Lol no no....quit a few departments did not have the budget to maintain the patrol units like they are supposed to. Lol. And even some departments would just stop doing maintenance all together it's last 2 years of service since they will be replacing it soon. Should really only want to get the retired crown vics that came from a department that had/has the budget to do the proper maintenance on them. Example. CHP was pretty good at doing proper maintenance and at 75k miles, up until 2007, they would replace the transmission at 75k miles. They stopped doing that in late 2008 when the country had its financial crisis.
I prefer and own the civilian model. It has more luxury. It gets better fuel economy. Yes, the police model is a tiny bit faster but that's irrelevant if you plan to drive on public roads and drive around the speed limit. Both are fast enough but I am buying the gas now. I am grown up, and not really interested in playing cop.
I have the 2003 P71 My Gross Vehicle weight is 5,945 lbs on the door sticker... and it gets pretty awful gas mileage. One wonders what they removed between my Interceptor and yours that took off a ton.
1 just bought a p71 crown Victoria from a friend that bought it at auction...86000 miles and it's a 2002
.has a a rollbar and a plexiglass divider..and a stab proof metal plate where you cannot stab the driver...it head the chrome trim package..dual exhausts.
Nice interior..switch on dash to activate the sequential headlights..anteana on the trunk..shifts great
.motor is quiet..was used as a county probation officers car..over all...not a bad car at all..and it's a tank of a vehicle.
By the way. You forgot that the sway bars are thicker. And the suspension sits about a half inch lower. The cam shaft and lifters are different in the police version as well. The headlights were way different in the late 90s and early 2000s the police version says on the dash that it can go is 140. However, at 129 the car is vibrating and is screaming lol. It's trying so hard to just keep at 129.
I think, that, CVPI is a great car for beginner drivers! It is cheap, reliable, bulletproof (means, that suspension is stiffer).
And also, no one would like to cut-off you, or may tailgating you.
You can sell it for same ammount of money, that you but it))
Great gas mileage for a V8, compared to my 04’ 6cyl 3.4L Impala that’s supposed to be 16/25-26 MPG’s
I have an 04,P71 it is lifted 3" cups all new front suspension and rear F-150 shocks Tires are 265/70/16 on factory rims 3.55 rear end
Do not believe when you buy a P71 that they have been recently serviced, and Civilian Victoria's some do also have Dual Exhaust . Proud owner 2008 Crown Victoria Police interceptor
does anyone know how i can tell the difference between the CVPI engine and civilian? my 05 CVPI probably needs a new engine and I don't want to put the civilian engine in.
honestly not sure why anyone would buy anything but the police interceptor. they are faster, they are stronger, they have more heavy duty parts and an upgraded suspension, and on average they cost half as much as the standard crown vic because police departments auction them off for pennies on the dollar. spent $1500 on a police interceptor 7 years ago, thing has over 400K miles on it and it's still driving great, how many civilian cars do you hear things like that about?
The p71 Tranny is built with heavy duty bands for aggressive shifting from the factory causing the jerking some thing the transmission is going out when it’s not, ac cut out when accelerating at high speed for passing and pursuits, 06 and up fire extinguisher crash system under gas tank near rear seat, Kevlar panels behind driver and passenger seats, in trunk power on pass panel foe light hook ups, the dual exhaust is heavy duty 24 gauge metal, transmission cooler, also and few more goodies he didn’t mention
I just want to know if the LX sport has the same brakes and suspension as the police interceptor. Also, did they have the same final drive?
I know it's a little late for questions about your Vic, but do you recall what kind of wind deflectors you had for your windows?
If u can find a P71 that hasn't been beat to death maybe a detective or supervisors car . The problem with regular P71 may be money pit if been used regular police use.
Course the P71 built tougher and have regular maintenence .
Nobody wants a civilian crown vic. People dont stay away from p71s because they think there beat on they stay away because there almost always high mileage.