Anyone ever buy a former Police car? I was thinking about buying a 2003 P71 Ford Crown Victoria.?

Question

The car dealer has 3 different ones.

One is a 2003 P71 for $4000 (126000 miles) (No holes)

Another is a 2003 P71 (Sheriffs car) for $2500 (166600 miles) (some holes)

And the last one is a 2002 for 1,575. (182600 miles) (with holes)

They are all Crown Victoria's and all P71 except im not sure about the 2002 model.

They are all former police cars and one is a former Sheriff's car.

Are Sheriff's car's usually better taken care of than just the normal Police cars?

I have heard some people say that former Police cars sell cheaper than regular Crown Victoria'a because they are not treated well, or that they have been driven really hard and do not last as long as one that has not been used as a Squad car.

Do any of you have any information that could help me.

I am looking for a reliable, safe car and I know that it is impossible to counsel me without looking at the car but as a general rule do any of you know anything about Police cars, and Sheriff Cars?

Also, with the information about the 3 cars available for those of you who are knowlagable about these types of things which one would you reccomend.

Answer 1

I am a Police Captain in TX. if you are set on buying one of the cars try to look at the under carriage to see how much damage is under there. then look at the motor, most units will have had multiple engines put in. The crown vic that I drive is on its third engine. also ask if the car came from a small department or a bigger one chances are if the unit came from a smaller department it would have had a new engine put in.

Answer 2

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
Anyone ever buy a former Police car? I was thinking about buying a 2003 P71 Ford Crown Victoria.?
The car dealer has 3 different ones.

One is a 2003 P71 for $4000 (126000 miles) (No holes)

Another is a 2003 P71 (Sheriffs car) for $2500 (166600 miles) (some holes)

And the last one is a 2002 for 1,575. (182600 miles) (with holes)

They are all Crown Victoria's and all P71 except im...

Answer 3

Police cars have, as a rule, heavy duty breaks, and suspension parts. Depending on the department that owned them, they can be a very good buy, or they can be worn out! Some jurisdictions assign cars to the officers, some have the cars assigned to a station. A car assigned to an officer may even be taken home with him and used while off duty.

The difference between sheriff's department and police department vehicles will again depend on the department. In some areas the sheriff's department is the main police force, in others they are not.

For example, in the Baltimore Washington area, it is common for suburban departments to have take home vehicles assigned to their officers who live in the jurisdiction. These cars are usually taken car of better than the city police vehicles, which are used by different shifts of officers 24/7/365.

There is also a difference in the maintenance that is done on vehicles in different jurisdictions. Have the car checked out by your own qualified mechanic, prior to purchase. Be aware that there is an issue with the transmissions on those vehicles, so you may want to have a transmission specialist look at the car too!

Answer 4

Aloha from Down Unda!

I drove taxicabs for more than 18 years & you should merely keep in perspective that regardless of your decision, it's under 5 thousand dollars & there is always maintenence! It naturally is logical that the Sherriff car may be full of holes but maybe more mechanically sound. The triple six would cause me to shy away!A 3 year old Crown Vic for 4 grand seems like a very good deal if it's mechanically sound. You should be able to get another 4 years out of it without any major problems. Crown Vics are nice cars, second only to the Lincoln Town Car, in my opinion. My Town Cars served me very nicely & it's not too much of a stretch to expect a good deal of reliability from a fine Ford product!

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Answer 5

It's almost always better to go with the lowest mileage, but you have to consider the condition of the cars as well. There is no difference between a sheriffs car and standard squad car. But they generally have an Interceptor package which is awesome. I'd say take an uninvolved mechanic with you to check the cars out, but if I had the shot to buy an old cop car I'd go for it. But if you don't want everyone to think you ARE a cop. I'd paint it. Or you'll be stuck with everyone going far below the speed limit around you.

Answer 6

Police cars go through a beating. They jump curbs, idle for long periods of time and are just generally abused and with high mileage.
They sell them for a reason. My advice to you is buy a good used car from a dealer. They have been checked over and are, as a rule, in good condition.
Master tech 40 yrs.