Vintage VA State Police Cruiser

[searingxheretic]

This is slightly off topic, but I figured some here would enjoy.
My hotel hosts the annual VA State Police Alumni (retiree) banquet and this year they brought a 1978 Plymouth VASP Cruiser. I spoke to the owner for a few minutes and was quite impressed. Almost everything on the car is original. He purchased it at a state auction in 1982 and has been the only owner other that the State of Virginia. There are original markings on the frame, engine, and even in the trunk with the original car number from the state police garage. The VASP helped by sending the decals on the side and hood, and also an original radio and radar gun as was installed in 1978.

 

[searingxheretic]

I was hoping those would have been larger images, sorry I guess I don't quite understand how to post larger pictures.

 

[gcgrotz]

I like it, I see the GE Mastr-II in there for SIRS. That was a hot new radio back then.

 

[searingxheretic]

Yeah the owner also said the radio was donated by someone from the VASP. I took a picture of the unassuming GE control box in the trunk. Here is a link to the full size pictures. I took them with my cell phone so quality is questionable lol. Enjoy.

https://picasaweb.google.com/117817...authkey=Gv1sRgCJjg8q_8jujB7QE&feat=directlink

Sent from my cm_tenderloin

 

[EZlistener]

The control head for the VHF radio appears to be an Aerotron. That for the SIRS low-band is indeed is a GE C500, used for the Mastr II. The siren appears to be a Federal PA-300 and there is also a CB set. Don't know about the portable, think these were GE, as well.

 

[vascanner]

the handheld radio in the picture is a Motorola, they are UHf and talk into a repeater in the car, which then transmits out on the VHf side, the antenna on the roof. The SIRS antenna is on the trunk.... in the mid 90s, the UHf antenna stuck out of the rear dash about 3 inches...that was all you could see. the most amazing part is that the VSP was using these same radios up until a couple of years ago....... talk about tradition!

 

[kennyloatman]

The control head for the VHF radio appears to be an Aerotron. That for the SIRS low-band is indeed is a GE C500, used for the Mastr II. The siren appears to be a Federal PA-300 and there is also a CB set. Don't know about the portable, think these were GE, as well.

The portable and the holder looks very much like the GE radios that the Marine Corps installed in there "Base" vehicles when I was stationed at Camp Pendleton back in the seventies. The radio worked like a mobile unit when the portable was inserted and also charged it. When you got out of the vehicle you popped the portable out and took it with you but it left the vehicle without a radio.

 

[bruch]

The portable is a Motorola HT220, that Motorola put back in production Just for the Virginia contract. The HT220 had been out of production for several years before VA Bid the equipment, and Motorola got the contract for the UHF portable, charger and the PacRt Repeater. This was put on the Aerotron Mobile. The GE Mastr II was put in several years after the VHF Aerotron System was inoperation. The Bases were Motorola Micor 250 Watt.

 

[tglendye]

Great pic's. I see the GE SIRS radio, but is the other radio their old VHF-Lo or did they move to VHF-hi by this time. I am guessing lowband.

 

[MOTORHEAD3902]

In the pics, that other radio is the Aerotron VHF-Hi radio. DTMF ID and average designed output of 100w. The line of numbered buttons across the top are "status buttons". When first implemented, the Trooper needed only to push a button for one of these most common signals to the dispatcher. The fast dtmf signals would let the dispatcher know what was being requested without voice being necessary.

I had one in several of my old cars.

 

[digitalman]

Was the engine 440 Ci? Speedometer 160?

 

[potbellyperch]

all I can say wow-dee-dow what enlargement wow

dude those pics are huge no fooling

 

[FFPM571]

Siren is a PA200

 

[Ten42]

vintage VSP

GREAT pics, for those interested in vintage VSP, on Facebook, there is a page titled "Virginia State Police Old Police Cars & Misc VSP pictures." It is for members and retirees but great to look thru and remember the old days. Thanks for sharing your pics.

 

[searingxheretic]

Yep, the engine is a 440. This was the last year (according to the owner) that the 440 was used. The nice thing about the car was that everything, including the motor, was original and had matching VASP motor pool markings. If I'm not mistaken, the man had said he was from Ohio, he had been invited to the alumni banquet and brought the car to Williamsburg for it.

Sent from my cm_tenderloin

 

[searingxheretic]

GREAT pics, for those interested in vintage VSP, on Facebook, there is a page titled "Virginia State Police Old Police Cars & Misc VSP pictures." It is for members and retirees but great to look thru and remember the old days. Thanks for sharing your pics.

Feel free to post a link to the pictures on there. Some of the retirees may have attended the dinner and missed the car parked out front.

Sent from my cm_tenderloin

 

[PLHamp]

This is just cool, I remember being chased down by one of these on I 95 in my Torino! The guy closed like I was standing still. No ticket, thank god, he just wanted to see what a Torino Talladega 429 BC looked like. I could have out run him but not his Motorola!

Pat

Yep, the engine is a 440. This was the last year (according to the owner) that the 440 was used. The nice thing about the car was that everything, including the motor, was original and had matching VASP motor pool markings. If I'm not mistaken, the man had said he was from Ohio, he had been invited to the alumni banquet and brought the car to Williamsburg for it.

Sent from my cm_tenderloin