Supercharged Cop Car: 1994 Chevrolet Caprice 9C1

The forth generation Chevrolet Caprice was used by so many Police departments for many many decades that they still evoke a instinctive brake check from motorists...myself included.  This next example might date from the bubble styling era but the addition of a huge supercharger under the hood will let it keep up with modern fast sedans and probably make a great whining racket while it puffs along. Find this 1994 Chevrolet Caprice 9C1 offered for $8200 in North Jersey, NJ via craigslist. Tip from Cory.

K9 Police Interceptor: 2007 Dodge Magnum

If you enjoy the thrill of a good ride in the back of a police car, then this next ride might be right for you.  You'll also need to enjoy holding your head out of the window at speed and chasing tennis balls, because only a canine will be happy in the metal back seat enclosure of this ex-Police K9 wagon. Find this 2007 Dodge Magnum offered for $4500 in Phoenix, AZ via craigslist. Tip from FuelTruck.

Police Please: 1989 Ford Mustang LX SSP

The Police version of any car has a special attraction because of the cop shocks, cop steering, cop motor...etc...but within the Fox-body world it brings the added cool factor of being an LX notchback version.  On all other Mustang body styles the fastback was way cooler, but with the Fox (1979-1993) it somehow flipped the equation.  Find this 1989 Ford Mustang LX SSP offered for $5900 near Albuquerque, NM via craigslist. Tip from Rock On!

DT 5.0: Best 5-Oh Cop Cars

Putting together a list of the best cars from your local fuzz depot sounds easy because...well...there is the Crown Victoria.  Everything else is just a pretender.  Unfortunately, the modern cop cars are faster, better equipped, and ride nicer than old Queen Vic, but we'll kick of this festival of 5-Oh with a Vicky.

Mid Week Match-Up: Real Estate Machine For Laura

Being a Real Estate agent in the Southern California area has its pluses and minuses.  On the plus side, houses cost a small fortune, so your commission on the average 2-bedroom bungalow is on par with selling a dozen mansions in Indiana, but everybody and his mom is an agent...so competition is fierce.  How, then, do you differentiate yourself so that you get the prime clientele and avoid the riff-raff?  Simple, you make sure that you have the baddest mobile office in your area and the buyers will come.  With that in mind, this week's mid week match-up is for Laura who needs something Real Estatey for less than $15k.

Former K9 Cop Car: 2002 Ford Explorer XLT

People routinely ask me the best car for their particular situation and transportation needs.  They typically ignore my well thought out advice and go buy some overpriced pile of depreciation from the first dealer lot they drunk-walk into (oooh...it smells newwwww) but that doesn't matter because I will continue to dole out unheeded advice like the smelly preacher-man at Sproul Plaza.  So, you need a car to transport your feral children to school/birthday parties/soccer camp?  Find this 2002 Ford Explorer XLT here on eBay bidding for $780 reserve-not-met with $3,200 buy-it-now located in Haysville, KS.

Police Package: 2011 Chevrolet Caprice 9C3

In 1996 the Chevrolet Caprice disappeared from the North American lineup, where it was replaced a few years later by the front-wheel-drive W-body Impala.  With the death of Pontiac, GM now had no large rear-drive full-sized car to sell for fleet use, so they started importing the WM generation Holden Caprice in 2011 as a Police Patrol Vehicle.  Find this 2011 Chevrolet Caprice 9C3 offered for $12,795 in Chicago, IL via Chicago Motors Inc. Tip from BarbPaddles.

Auction Watch: 1985 Volvo 244DL Police Package

Take a look at this 1985 Volvo 244DL Police Package here on eBay with starting bid of $6,500 with auction ending on Sunday.

Auction Watch: 1949 Nash Super Police Car

Take a look at this 1949 Nash "Bathtub" Police Car here from MainAuctionServices in Irving, TX bidding for $5,550 with auction ending Tuesday. Tip from Htown Harry.

Squad Car: 1985 Ford LTD Police Sedan

There is something inherently cool about used service vehicles - it doesn't matter if it was a street sweeper or a mine sweeper, but the idea of getting industrial grade stuff for a consumer use is intriguing.  Used police cars also fit into this category; they were equipped with heavier duty shocks, sway bars, and all kinds of stuff not available at your local dealer.  Find this 1985 Ford LTD Police Sedan here on eBay with a starting bid of $3,500 located in Livermore, CA with auction ending on Christmas day.

Spy vs Spy: 2008 vs 2011 Chevrolet Tahoe PPV

Starting with the 1997 model year, Chevrolet offered a 9C1 police option on the GMT400 chassis that included parts from the defunct 454SS pickup to help cops catch the bad guys.  This eventually turned into the Police Pursuit Vehicle (PPV) package that was added to 2WD Tahoes for high speed police pursuit action.  Today we are playing a game of Spy vs Spy, and you get to pick your favorite: this white 2011 Chevrolet Tahoe PPV here on eBay for $13,950, or this black 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe PPV offered for $13,800 here on eBay.

Police Cruiser: 2010 Dodge Charger R/T

For what seemed like decades the sight of Ford's Crown Victoria headlights in your mirror would reflexively bring a throttle lift to many an driver, ruining Porsches that happened to be mid turn and generally clogging up the roads.  Ford ended fleet sales of the aging Crown Vic in 2011, but Police Departments around the country were finding new sources for their pursuit vehicles from Chrysler and GM -- and today's used cop car comes from the land of the ram horns.  Find this  2010 Dodge Charger RT Police special offered for $9,999 in Yorba Linda, CA via craigslist.

Mid Week Match-Up: Longroof For Doctordel

This week's we've got a Mid Week Match-Up request from longtime DT commenter Doctordel:

An unfortunate and significant shift in my domestic situation has me looking for a people-mover that will accommodate two preteen boys and their attendant lacrosse gear and guitars. I find myself scouring CL for reliable yet interesting transportation but my aim is pretty scattered. I am inexplicably drawn to wagons (duh) but this purchase must be a smart one that won't wind up leaving my boys stranded after the lights get shut off at the fields twice a week. And, no, I can't use my 1800es as their mother and I agree that airbags are a good thing for risk mitigation.

5k: 9C1 Police Special: 2002 Chevrolet Impala Sedan

If you are in the market for a moderately used ex-police car, but find the Crown Vic too boaty, and the Dodge Charger too pricy, there is a middle road you can travel for the cop experience. It comes in the form of the eight generation Chevrolet Impala, a hapless front-driver that you wouldn't want to touch in the consumer version, but a tasty treat in police 9C1/9C3 spec. Find this 2002 Chevrolet Impala Sedan Police 9C1 special here on eBay currently bidding for $2,555 reserve-not-met with 2 days to go, located in Middletown, NY.

10k: Ex-CHP Cruiser: 1959 Dodge Coronet 2 Door

This next feature is a gentle reminder of a time when the police were here to help, and resembled Andy Griffith instead of members of the 75th Ranger Regiment.  This car was originally sold to the California Highway Patrol for active duty, one of 350 such cars delivered in 1959.  Now it has been repainted and has magnetized stickers advertising the Holmen Police, but they can be removed for legal cruising.  Find this 1959 Dodge Coronet 2 Door Post currently bidding for $8,200 reserve-not-met with 1 day to go, located in Holmen, WI.

10k: Paddy Wagon: 2008 Dodge Magnum Police Package

For years, the choice of Police departments across the USA had been the venerable Crown Victoria P-71, but in 2011 the production of the body-on-frame Crown Vic came to an end.  Many Police departments ordered several years' supply of the cars before the production lines went silent because they did not want to deal with the potential problems associated with the unproven Taurus replacement. Many others abandoned Ford altogether and picked the Chevy Caprice, the new Dodge Charger or even the Dodge Magnum.  Being driven three shifts a day means 40k miles per year (plus another 40k hours of idling in Dunkin' Donuts parking lots) and now you can pick up a Caprice, Charger or Magnum police edition with 100k on the odometer for cheap.  Find this 2008 Dodge Magnum Police V8 for sale in Escondido, CA for $8,600 via craigslist.

5k Flash: Cop Style: 1967 Plymouth Belvedere Police Cruiser

Nothing looks as menacing in your rear view mirror as the horns/lights of a black and white patrol car from the local PD.  The modern Crown Vic replacements (Taurus, Charger, etc) look high tech and blacked out, but our favorites are still the classics as seen on Adam-12 or the ones that get wrecked in movies like Gone in 60 Seconds..  Find this 1967 Plymouth Belvedere Police Cruiser for sale in Sunland, CA for $6,500 via craigslist.

5k: Bitchin' 4 Cops: 1998 Chevy Camaro B4C Police Package

The Chevy Camaro B4C package is the Police Edition for "service" vehicles and is the 20th century version of Mad Max Rockatansky's Falcon XB Pursuit Special.  It therefore easily earns a Wasteland Wednesday badge for cars that will be usable in a post apocalyptic wasteland.  Find this 1998 Chevrolet Camaro B4C Police Special Service package for sale in Harrison City, PA currently bidding for $4,550 reserve-not-met with buy-it-now of $6,950 on ebay.