Should You Buy A Used Police Car
Now that youve seen the pros and cons of buying a used police car, do you think a used police vehicle is for you? If you like the look of the vehicle, appreciate the extra space and decreased capital cost, and dont mind paying more for fuel, then its a great option, especially if you do your homework.Heres what you should do next peruse through the Municibids catalog and consider which police car will make a great fit for you. Your next ride awaits!
Tags
A Lot Of People Are Wary Around Cop Cars
Depending on where you live, a police car might not elicit positive responses from your neighbours. And as you drive around town, you may notice civilian drivers acting differently around you. Typically, people tend to drive slower and more safely around cop cars out of the fear that they could be pulled over.
This might be good news for cautious drivers and folks who get impatient about stoplights and switching lanes. However, it could also be annoying if you just want to get around like an average person.
Abu Dhabi Police Lykan Hypersport
When was the last time you saw one of these? If you live in Abu Dhabi, it may be the last time you fell foul of the law. Theres nothing specific to learn about whats been done to this Lykan barring what your eyes can see a new livery, some blues and twos so lets stick to what we do know.
Its a Lykan Hypersport, which means its one of only seven such cars to exist. Each one costs around £2m, and features a 3.7-litre twin-turbo flat-six with 750bhp. W Motors reckons on 0-62mph in 2.8secs and a top speed of 242mph. So, yknow, fast.
Don’t Miss: How To Place An Anonymous Tip To Police
Dodge Charger 57l Hemi
Itâs hard to believe Dodge has been building Hemi-powered Charger cop cars for 15 years now, and they are everywhere. The first-gen cars had the 340-hp early version of the third-gen Hemi, but the 2011-to-current version has the 370-hp 5.7L Eagle Hemi and is the one currently in service. The midcycle face-lift in 2015 brought an upgrade from the five-speed NAG1 automatic to the eight-speed TorqueFliteboth of which are solid performers. We are, however, fans of the earlier 2011 to 2014 nose. Also of note is that two wheel styles were availablethe standard passenger-car 18-inch alloy five-spoke and the 18-inch cop-car steelie.
Years ago, we spent a week driving a 2015 Charger Pursuit and discovered its AWD setup to be a bit buzzy relative to the RWD version. The AWD variant does suck up some power, which you can feel in the seat of your pants, and the mandatory NAG1 five-speed transmission is shifted from a column lever so that the console is left barren for the installation of police gear . Our advice would be to search for the RWD model since itâs simpler, lighter, and faster.
What Vehicles Do The Police Use
Buying a used police car doesnt mean youre limited to a Crown Vic, although there is a limited number of vehicles that are available with police packages that are available for US police departments to choose from. Among the most popular models used by American police at the moment are the Chevrolet Tahoe, Dodge Charger, Dodge Durango, Ford Fusion, Ford Explorer and the Ford F-150.
You May Like: How To Check Police Report
Old Police Cars Are Significantly Discounted
Used police cars are often listed for a lesser price than a similar car that hasnt even served in a police department.
The best way to get a deal on these vehicles is to examine auction results for the car you want. Get as much information about any cars of interest prior to the auction. Then perform a thorough inspection of the cars in-person.
How I Copped A Bargain
Roger Hotchkiss from Telford, Shrops, bought his third ex-police car – a 137,000-mile Volvo V70 that follows in the footsteps of two Ford Focuses – from the Ex-Police Car Centre in Brierley Hill, W Mids.
I bought the Volvo to tow my caravan as the Focus wasnt up to it, says Roger. So far Im very impressed with the V70, even though it isnt pristine. The interior has been cut about a bit. Still, the bodywork and paint are in very good condition, and I paid over £2,000 less than youd expect to pay from a regular trader although for that youd get a car thats cosmetically better.
What matters is that these cars are maintained regardless of cost and they come with a full history to prove it. The file supplied with mine shows the car has needed nothing more than routine servicing its been completely reliable despite the mileage.
These cars are also only driven by highly skilled professionals, which is why Id take one of these over a car thats done 30,000 miles around town with a normal driver.
Have you ever owned an ex-police car? Give us your verdict in the comments section below…
Read Also: How To Become A Police Officer In Wisconsin
Mileage Only Tells Part Of The Story
A number of police cars idle for lots of hours, which isnt recorded by the odometer. Idling will wear on engines as well as on any components in use at that time like the AC, radio, or the seats. Other forms of wear and tear initially go unnoticed too, like when a police officers utility belt wears on the front seats.
Police Vehicles Are Generally Kept In Good Condition
Dont assume that just because police work is so intensive that the used cop cars that are up for sale are all beat-up clunkers.
Because vehicles are so essential to the job, cop cars are usually well maintained. After all, you wouldnt want to be in hot pursuit of a criminal, only to have them slip away because your engine overheated.
Take it from Josh Bailey of the Canadian Black Book: Typically, the vehicles that are retired from heavy-duty service like police work, are generally, perhaps wrongly, viewed as being heavily abused. In fact, theyre probably highly maintained vehicles.
Also Check: Where To Get Police Report
Read Also: What Schooling Do I Need To Become A Police Officer
General Rules When It Comes To Police Flashing Lights
So, if you are interested in buying police flashing lights, will you be able to use them? And if so, where can you use them? In virtually every state, flashing colored lights on the front of your vehicle are completely illegal including the sort of lights made famous by the KITT car in Knight Rider. These lights can include visor strobe lights or a strobe light bar. And the reason why is simple its because you are, in essence, impersonating a police officer or their car, to be more exact. It all depends on the circumstances, however. As we discussed earlier if you are driving on private land you are free to dress up your car as you like it.
An example: Florida
As you can see, the law can be complicated when it comes to driving while using police flashing lights up to a point. It all depends on your states regulations, so its vital that you understand the local laws before buying a new set of lights. If you are caught using colored lights in the wrong way, you could end up with a serious fine or worse.
Police Cars Do A Lot Of Miles Over Their Lifetime
Pro: If you are purchasing a vehicle that has spent its life on the highway, there is a good chance that most of its miles have been racked up on long, continuous hours of cruising. This type of driving is much better for a cars engine than the constant stop-start that is typical of the short trips that many civilian drivers do daily.
Con: The total number of miles on a used police car isnt an accurate indication of the work the engine has actually done. If you think about it, highway patrol cars dont just cruise about all day. They are often parked up at the side of the road in a static speed trap, and during these times police leave their vehicles standing with the engine idling. Hence, the actual amount of work the engine has done may be many times the number of miles shown on the odometer.
Con: Vehicles used by patrol police in urban and city areas are involved in a lot of short stop-start trips. Patrol often involves police responding to, and driving to and from, one job to the next all day.
Also Check: How Do I Become A Police Officer
These Documents Always Need To Be In Your Car
Posted Mar 7th, 2018 in CARINSURANCE
In Ontario, there are specific documents that you must always have in your car, however, many dont know what they are – weve made it easy for you and listed them. Youre welcome!
When it comes to driving on Ontario, we often forget about the documents we should be keeping in our car in the case of a situation. Make sure you are aware of the three documents weve listed below, as they will help you in any scenario you find yourself in.
During Their Working Life Police Cars Are Fitted With A Lot Of Extra Specialist Equipment
Pro: Some makes of police cars, particularly AWD utility vehicles, come equipped with rear cloth seats. These are then replaced by police agencies with hard-wearing vinyl fittings. These vinyl seats will be taken out and the unused cloth seats put back in before the vehicle is sold. This means you may end up with a used car that has some brand-new fittings in it.
Con: Much of the specialist equipment police use, such as their radios, computers and lighting systems, require extra electrical power. Thus, your used police car may come with an upgraded electrical system that will run any additional electronic or radio equipment you want to install.
Con: Because police cars have a lot of extra equipment fitted to them, used vehicles typically come with holes in the dash where switches were previously installed. There may be holes in the dashboard and console from where police equipment was previously installed, as well as holes in the body and roof panels from lights and radio antennas. You may also find some unsightly, and seriously heavy-duty, brackets fixed to the body of the car from the previously installed police nudge-bar. These dont look the best and can be hazardous to your shins when walking around the car at night.
Recommended Reading: How To Become A Police Officer In Buffalo Ny
Police Refurbished And Reconditioned Vehicles
Police Refurbished and Reconditioned Vehicles
Police1 is revolutionizing the way the law enforcement community finds relevant news, identifies important training information, interacts online and researches product purchases and manufacturers. Its the most comprehensive and trusted online destination for law enforcement agencies and police departments worldwide.
Copyright © 2022Lexipol. All rights reserved.
Visit other Police1 Network Sites:
Official Partner of
Make Police1 your homepage
If you need further help setting your homepage, check your browsers Help menu
You May Like: How Long Is Police Training
Can I Buy Retired Police Cars
Yes, you can.
When Police agencies upgrade their fleet of vehicles, they sell the old ones to the places where they have been refurbished and sold. Mostly these cars are sold to the smaller police agencies that cannot afford new police cars. But there are no such restrictions to sell these cars to the general public without lights or decals. There are numbers of reasons for people to buy police cruises:
- Many of the buyers want to get the car that is built differently. People usually look for their alternate rims, modified suspension, and armor installed in the doors and roof. Maybe even want similar bulletproof glass that can go on the vehicles.
- The features present in old police cruisers make people feel safer. These police cars are made of built-in steel intrusion plates in seatbacks, and doors are modified to stop armor-piercing bullets.
- You just want to make sure that you are not impersonating an officer or disobeying any local laws if you were to own an exisiting retired police vehicle.
Ford police cars can go from zero to 55 miles per hour just over five seconds that is an exciting feature for speed lovers.
Read Also: How Many Police Officers Killed In 2020 By Black
Online Marketplaces And Online Classifieds
Facebook Marketplace, Carousell, Kijiji, and Locanto are online classifieds that used car sellers tend to frequent. However, these sites dont require their sellers to be identity-verified or registered somehow, so its easy to get tricked into a scam.
We at Carpages.ca, on the other hand, advertise vehicles only from government registered dealers or identity-verified individuals so you know youre in safe hands.
Most Used Police Cars Come With High Mileage
One of the reasons why cop cars are so cheap is high mileage. Police cars are used day-in and day-out in many ways from slow, meandering neighbourhood patrols to the stop-start driving cops do when responding to calls throughout the day.
But mile count doesnt really paint much of a picture regarding how its driver handled and maintained it. Even if you can score a car with low mileage, you wont really know how hard it was pushed until the police department retired.
Tip: When buying used cars, always bring a mechanic along to perform a detailed inspection. This will help you identify potential problem areas and money pits.
You May Like: How To Know If A Police Report Was Filed
Recommended Reading: How To Become A Police Officer In Nyc
Buying From A Specialist Ex
As well as chancing your arm at a police vehicle auction, you can purchase ex-police cars from a specialist dealer. The advantage of pursuing the dealer route is theyre likely to have addressed some of the issues youll find at auction filling in holes, and refitting audio equipment for example.
Gareth Brooks runs expolicecar.co.uk, which buys vehicles at specialist auctions, refurbishes them and sells them on. We dont include a warranty in the price, although buyers can pay extra for one, says Brooks. Our cars have also covered more miles than those youll find on other forecourts and theyre less likely to be pristine drivers seat wear isnt unusual. But we do slot in a radio, MoT them, replace any missing trim and if necessary well refurbish the alloys.
Most importantly, these cars will be on the button mechanically and the bodywork will be very tidy, so if youre looking for honest and cheap transport, an ex-police car can provide excellent value for money.
Another specialist dealer is the Ex-Police Car Centre in Brierley Hill, W Mids. The companys Nicola Finney tells us: The amount you save varies significantly it comes down to what we pay for the car. We dont look at trade guides we simply buy the car, refurbish it, then sell it on.
According to Finney, many customers buy ex-police cars for peace of mind. Most cars have had one owner and come with a full history, she says. There are no concerns on finance, yet you still make big savings.
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars
GTA Chinatown Wars .
GTA Chinatown Wars .
Police cars in GTA Chinatown Wars are simply dubbed Police Patrol, the same name for those seen in GTA IV. While having reverted to a black and white panda body colour scheme, the car incorporates GTA IVs police computer for use in vigilante side missions. Although the car is implied to be similar to GTA IVs Declasse-based Police Patrol, pre-rendered depictions of the Police Patrol and the Police Cruiser are used during busted sequences in the game.
|
|
The police forces in the UK use a wide range of operational vehicles including compact cars, powerful estates and armoured police carriers. The main uses are patrol, response, tactical pursuit, and public order policing. Other vehicles used by British police include motorcycles, aircraft, and boats.
Also Check: When’s The Next Police Auction
They Really Do Practically Give Them Away
Pro: When it comes down to brass tacks, you are likely to grab yourself a bargain. Almost all used police cars are sold at auction for less than what you would pay for a similar vehicle on the standard used car market. Typically, youll find them marked with an indicator price of what each car is expected to fetch at auction. Still, as there usually isnt a minimum reserve they can, and often do, sell for considerably less than the expected price.
Con: Used police cars sold at auction dont typically come with a warranty or mechanical certification. And, as you wont have an opportunity to test drive them before the sale, its a good idea to take somebody with you who knows a bit about cars. That way, you can avoid buying a lemon.
Remember Not All Cop Cars Are Treated Equally
Many cop cars are not actually used for police duty. State and county officials will oftentimes get a vehicle that comes equipped with the police package, but never sees a high-speed pursuit or a donut-intensive patrol. The package comes with a heavy-duty suspension and beefed-up internals and cooling systems everything youd need for a high-speed chase or hours spent idling but these cars dont receive the everyday abuse that their on-duty siblings experience.
Recommended Reading: Do You Need A Police Report To File A Claim