hoser147
Member
Interesting thread, Good pics all. Here is a couple of shots showing the new Bubble at a scene. YouTube - I-94 & Harper Injury Accident
MSP Charger...now with Bubble!
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bigbluemsp
Member
Ahh it was on low power setting in that video
OldBlue
Member
I really miss my first police car, a 1974 MSP spec Plymouth Fury I with a 440 CID police interceptor engine! Oh my could that thing RUN! One time on a nice long straight away took after a biker that had out ran the next door jurisdiction with their 318 Satellite. Just pulled along side and shook my head at him and he pulled over and gave up. Drove that from early 1975 to 1977 and then with gas shortages and all we moved down to a Fury II with a 360 and thus began the slow downward spiral.
In 79 we then moved to a Dodge Diplomat with a merger 318 2 BBL and high speed pursuits, yes we could still chase fleeing a-holes back then, began to become anemic. The only ones we could catch were those that crashed themselves.
Then in the mid 80’s we transitioned to the Malibu in 1983, nice fast car with the 350 engine, and more room than the Dodge or Plymouth models. Then in 85 we got the Caprices and then the CVPI, which I never care for. I drove them until I retired! Would have liked to stick around for the Chargers, but got too old to deal and crotchety to put up with all the crap and 20 years was long enough!
In 79 we then moved to a Dodge Diplomat with a merger 318 2 BBL and high speed pursuits, yes we could still chase fleeing a-holes back then, began to become anemic. The only ones we could catch were those that crashed themselves.
Then in the mid 80’s we transitioned to the Malibu in 1983, nice fast car with the 350 engine, and more room than the Dodge or Plymouth models. Then in 85 we got the Caprices and then the CVPI, which I never care for. I drove them until I retired! Would have liked to stick around for the Chargers, but got too old to deal and crotchety to put up with all the crap and 20 years was long enough!
OldBlue
Member
That is one ugly lightbar! The Chief must have been in to woodworking...
Whoa. I think we have a winner.
While not as ugly as that CT car, here's one that belongs on the list of ugly cars ....
That looks like an AMC Pacer.
(I'm dating myself, I know, but that's what it looks like!)
(I'm dating myself, I know, but that's what it looks like!)
it is a pacer and it was done as a PR car.
So ugly it's actually kinda cute?
(I knew a girl like that once....).
(I knew a girl like that once....).
Come on, man... lol.
Sober, BigBlue covered it. But I thought you might like to read a bit more about the topic.
The hood signs orginally were used for side stops. Back before patrol cars had rotating overheads, or even overhead lights at all, they were used to preform side stops. Troopers would chase down a suspect vehicle and pull along side of it. They would then activate the "Stop State Police" sign for the suspect driver to see. Then, if all went well, both vehicles would pull over onto the shoulder of the roadway.
The photos below are of a restored 1937 Ford MSP patrol car. The sign on the right fender illuminates. Prior to that the signs were clear and officers would light them up with the spot light for the suspect driver to see. Our current hood sign has been around for decades, but evolved of these earlier models.
We were still taught side stops in the academy, mainly the history of them, but we still go over them. Granted the hood signs are a tradition, but those of us working afternoons and nights still use them. I use mine just about every shift (when working nights). I mostly use it when I'm pulling into a complainant's driveway during hours of darkness. It's a nice low key way to let a complainant know who those headlights out in their driveway belong to.
From the color (1954), to the current hood sign (approx. 1949), to the single overhead light (approx. 1940), Michigan State Police patrol cars carry on a tradition. I know I'm biased, but I think they are some of the best looking patrol cars on the road.
1951 Chevy
1958 Chevy
1974 Plymouth
1992 Chevy; My first solo patrol car
2009 Dodge
I have driven both the 1974 Plymouth and the 1992 mustang that the state still has last year. Cool old cars - I was working a car show and they dropped them off for the show.
That box had a scissors mechanism in it to raise the lights several feet above the roof line for better visibility on hilly roads. All steel, so it weighed a ton. Don't remember who made them, if I ever knew.
BTW, this is one of the more entertaining, if pointless, threads on RR in a while.
Oh, remember the iron clad rule of emergency lights. If a manufacturer comes out with a technology that cuts the power consumption in half, you must put twice as many lights on to maintain the overload on the electrical system.
Here's a shot of an Old Peel Regional Police car in Ontario, Canada, looks like it has the old red side stop light that MSP used to have.
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Well I really thought someone would comment on the yellow police car, I guess this thread has run it's course, thanks to all who participated, it was interesting.
Bill.
Bill.
Well, I was going to say that this must have been law enforcement's response to yellow fire trucks. Or maybe it was the other way around.
(I hope I didn't just steer this thread off in yet another direction; I've been enjoying it...)
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