Hadn't even thought about these cars in DECADES! I had a rather-poor 'association' with a sheriff in a town near mine, back in the 1970's...he had returned from Vietnam, became elected sheriff, and purchased TWO of these cars...both Custom 500's with the 429's in them. His town was LEGENDARY for being a 'speed trap', too. Late one night in the mid-70's, about to start college, I had saved during high school and bought a used 1970 LS-5 454 Corvette 4-speed; I came barreling through town about 90...and he had apparently been sitting in the car, outside his office front door...as here came the red lights (they were red back then, boys-and-girls)! We ran through some of the winding-est, hilly-est, most-hair-raising backroads ever built, at speeds far beyond sanity would dictate. I was utterly amazed that big Custom 500 could take curves like it could...and with that 429, it had tremendous 'kick' coming out of curves. I don't know what it was producing, power-wise, but my LS5 was making 390-hp and 500-ft.lbs of torque...and for quite some time, he was staying fairly close. The 'chase' ended when a deer decided to 'jump a fence'...right into the grill of his cruiser...and thus, he now only had one Custom 500 left. I was told that he had the engine transplanted to a 4-door Torino, so he could 'catch that SOB Corvette that cost him a car'...Hilarious to think back almost 50-years and remember that little event now...(I did actually go on to make something with my life, not to be some 'crazed hoodlum' though).
My uncle was a SCHP Man! He was based out in the Florence/Marion area. He used to take me out and show me the day in the life of a Trooper. Here's to "E59" - Retired and with the Lord now.
My mom.bought a 1969 Ford Custom 500 390 Police Interceptor that was a Wisconsin State Troopers car for $500.00 that ran like a scared rabbit and would run a buck 20, buck 30 all day with out a blink..Some years later I bought a 1973 Custom 500 with the 429 Police Interceptor V8 that would through you in the back seat no problem.... Love these pld Freaky Fast Ford's from the good old days...
@@markreisen7038 my uncle owned a garage and towing service, he acquired a galaxy from the Ohio State Patrol, it had a 460 in it, it wasn’t much out of the hole but would run 150 or better. Once you started (tuna boating) it’s time to let out of it lol. I bet you’d love to have one of these cars now, I know I would.
@@markreisen7038 I don’t think the 460’s ran near as good as the earlier motors. The police here used 428’s at one time and they were the best of all of them. Can you imagine running 150-160 on bias ply tires ! 😂
Been a mechanic all my life professionally and privately I drive an 2006 Ford Crown Vic interceptor it is one of the best all-around giant go-karts I've ever owned
my uncle had 1971 429 Police Interceptor, still has the Dragstrip timeticket, 14.60 it ran in complete stock form! he said top of 2nd gear going thru the traps with it!
I used a 71 Ex-Maryland state cop Ford Interceptor to tow my drag car.It was unbelievably fast and powerful.I also drag raced it sometimes. Best e.t. 14:75 @99 mph in first 2 gears
My all time favorite cars. The 500/ LTD has a special place in my heart, I have owned 6 of them, and want to find another one day. People say they are the epitome of all that was wrong with the American auto industry, I see them as a shining example of everything they got right. Love it.
I had a '69 Mercury X-100 Marauder. Huge, smooth and quiet car that would get up and go if you needed to be somewhere. Gas mileage was unbelievable. Got 21 MPG on a highway trip..
That is good...i have our Originally family owned 1968 Ford Galaxie 500 2 door coupe with the 390 and auto trans....and it will get 20 mpgs on the hwy...and with plenty of get up and go for passing out on those 2 lane open roads....its never had the heads off it....the car has been such a pleasure to own and drive...
I had a 1970 XL coupe, 429 4v (mean barrel carb for youngsters) "Police Pack." It was a Texas Mountie unmarked detective car.I would race Corvettes, Carmeros, Firebirds etc and beat them all. That Police engine was so powerful. I replaced the motor mounts 3-4 times from the motors torque twisting motor up on the passenger side and breaking them. The fastest car I ever owned. It may have been as fast as my 70 Buick GS 455. Great video, man that takes me back.
The Ford 428 of '66-68 was, what Car & Driver magazine described as "The fastest straight-line production car we have ever tested." Quicker, in street form than the 427, way faster than the 429 (crippled by lower compression and early smog masks). I've owned used police cars since 1964, and used up a few as a Deputy Sheriff. NOTHING was faster than the R-code '67 428, although the '69 Mopar 440 would give it a run for its money.
The NYS police experimented with 67 Biscayne sedans for the NYS thruway, Interstate 90, 427 engines and four speeds. Discontinued because they weren't holding up in patrol use
@@garysarnowski3113 i heard that the chevs from the 409s up were plagued with valvetrain issues...maybe not enough material used or press in rocker arm studs....
When i was on the job i had one as a patrol unit, dame fine car. Dark green, black side walls, dashboard bubble light, fun to drive. Would not mind having another one.
I had a 71 LTD brougham with the 429 engine and it would burn the tires. I love old school police cars and yours is really cool. Thanks for the sharing it with us.
I remember seeing these in Alabama at the state sale. There were 69 and 70 year models. I was too young to drive then. But when I was 17, I bought a 74 from the GA State Patrol. Painted it black, but kept the GSP "look". It had a 460 PI and police special radials. I paid $550 for it and it would out run the word of god. It was a great car
I had a canadian 1973 Ford LTD X Interceptor Police car with a special 429 from a car lot when I was 16. It was incredibly fast. The needle would go just a bit over 140MPH I would race the local hot rods and win. True story. wished I could post a pic of me standing in front of it here. the car was 7 years old when I bought it.
It’ll pass anything except a gas station! LOVE IT! As a retired auto mechanic, most of my training came with Japanese cars. However, I’ve always had a special place in my heart for big powerful American muscle!
Brings back memories. Bought a '72 in LTD trim. Ex game warden car. Olive drab paint and still had the TX parks and wildlife decal on the door. Someone had tried to remove it but failed. Best $500 I spent on a car.
I bought a 1971 Fury 440 squad for $600 in 1975. A trip to National Trail garnered a best of 15.99 at 99 mph. It didn't have much low end but from 40 to 120 it was game on! Highway patrol cars have a special camshaft designed to begin where regular cars run out of steam. I still have dreams about that car even though it was 47 years ago that I owned it.
I know exactly what you mean. I had a 1976 Chevelle Malibu that I drove from '93-'96 and had dreams about driving that car for many years after I sold it. I thought I was the only one
Yep, I've had that feeling. I had a '87 Dodge Diplomat w/ police package that I had to sell after a job loss years ago. I've tried to find it but have had no luck. I bought a 2011 Crown Vic P7B about 6 months ago and love it, cherry condition and 3.55 TracLoc rear end. I drove police cars, mostly Mopar 360's in the early 80's, fell in love with them then.
My first car eas a 1971 Plymouth Fury that had once been an unmarked police car, what was known back then as a "plain brown wrapper." The original 360 4bbl engine, though, was missing and had been replaced with a 318. This was in 1983. Four years later, I slid behind the wheel of a 1986 Dodge Diplomat, my first duty patrol car. As an aside, one of Florida's most-respected current sheriffs, Grady Judd of Polk County (north of me), was recently gifted a restored patrol car, same year, make, and model as yours, by his men and women, as a tribute to his fifty years with the county, to replicate his first assigned unit. Thanks for sharing.
What a great old car. Reminds me of Burt Reynolds 1971 custom 500 in White Lightning. Back then you get chased by one of those and your chances of getting "cuffed and stuffed" were pretty good! Enjoy!
I wondered where someone would make that connection Clint Eastwood drove them in the dirty Harry movies and so did Carl. Maulden in Streets of San Francisco
@@sd906238 I've seen car shows that features those galaxies with factory equipped 4 on the floor trannies. One time I went to a Ford dealer to see about a Granada equipped with one.
I was a police officer beginning my career in 1974. I had heard about the 71 with a 429 as it was retired shortly before my arrival. I got to drive the Ford with a 460, the Chevys with a 454 and the Plymouths with a 440. The Ford was fast but I drove the Plymouths where possible as the Ford's handling was dismal and the Chevs were dogs.
That was my first Patrol Car assigned to me in the early '70s. Had a huge rotating red light that folded on a hinge attached to the center hump and you had to reach back to get it up or down. Not much got away from that car!!! Thanks for bringing it back to me!!!!!
I never had a police car but I had a 69 Tbird with a 429. What a ride for a heavy car. In 77 I bought a new Ford F150 2wd with a 460 . It ran good but nothing like the 429. The 460 was bogged down with emission crap. I didn't realize my dad was hot rodder till he drove the old Tbird.
Great video. I drove my last Crown Victoria in 2016, the last one in our East Region Provincial fleet. There was a reason law enforcement used Fords for so many years. They were tough and dependable. I drive a Charger with a hemi now and although it's faster and handles better with the all wheel drive it won't have the longevity the Vic's had.
My first car in when I was 17 in 1977 was a 1973 Dodge Polara that used to be a Florida State Trooper car. It was painted dark metallic blue with a blue vinyl top. Still had the search light. It had a 440 but it was slow from a stop but fairly fast when you were moving and hit it. Loved the car because people would move over for you because they thought you were a cop.
Back in the day, law enforcement was not just the hobby, it was a job serving and protecting. Now that you're retired, you have something that you've enjoyed, worked with, a vintage Ford galaxie police car.
It's an amazing piece of automotive History I was born in 1968 right at the height of the muscle car era my mother tells me I should have been 16 to 18 years old when the muscle cars were in full swing because I love old classic cars and they don't make them to withstand accidents nowadays like they did back in the day and they don't build them to last 100,000 miles or more like they were back in the day these new cars have too many factory recalls on them and you're lucky if you go two years without a problem but that car is absolutely beautiful.
I had that same car myself many years ago on our way to an Ozzy Osbourne concert going up a steep grade on the freeway I was doing 130 mph Plus and the car started shaking too much so I to let off. What I love most about that car was the interior it was like a living room on wheels the rear seat was just like a sofa curved around to the Contour of the rear it was a red crushed velvet interior very plush but being from Detroit it was Rusty and the suspension was worn out that's why I had to back off the accelerator I didn't want to wipe out at 130 miles an hour.
Way back when I owned a several LTD's but my baby was a black 70' 2dr. 429 w/ elect. windows and antenna, dual exhaust, options hard to find in those days. Nothing like hearing the howl of that motor while smoking the tires at 40 mph in luxury. I truly miss that car.
God bless you Ryan for keeping the old iron on the road. Wonderful piece of history, and a great job of presenting the car to the public. You made me look up something from my Ford 1972 "car service specifications" booklet on the shift speeds of the police car with the 429 engine. On page 18 of the book it states" "Shift speeds-actual MPH C-6 transmission Ford / Mercury with 429(Police Interceptor) engine, 2.75 axle, F78-15 tire, Through detent( WOT) under column 2..... 1-2 upshift is 57-68MPH, 2-3 upshift is 112 MPH and 3-2 downshift is 87-100 MPH" !! If you are running 95MPH and punch it, the damn thing will downshift to 2nd gear!! I happen to have a C-6 Police interceptor valve body that I can install in my 79 F-150 with the 460 engine.. see my other reply below about vin numbers also.
Amen I wish I kept my 69 2 door 429 interceptor 11:1 compression. Had 23,000 miles in 2000. Even then no one wanted it. They had no idea the history and power. A few times I had heard that a highway patrolman could do a 180° turn going 80 mph. I guess it took about a year to three depending on your previous driving experience to learn how to do it safely.
Last year I retired from a 50 year career as a taxi driver. In 1972 I was 25 years old and I had just gotten out of the Army, and I took the first job that I could get, which was at DFW taxi and limo service in Dallas/Fort Worth. With the money that I had saved while I was in the Army I bought a little house that needed some minor repairs, and I was not married with kids so the Taxi job was a perfect fit for me. My boss would only buy used police cars that were in decent shape. Can you imagine being a wild 25 year old cab driver in Dallas Tx driving a car with that much power? Over the years I have driven every kind of American police car there is, and boy were they tough and fast. I remember that particular car he's driving , you had to be really careful with the with the brakes bc they would burn up quick with a lot of fast driving
429PI was a beast, i had one put it in a 72 ranchero. Of course did some mods with cam and such. Made around 600 hp. Passed everything but a gas station. Got around 9mpg.
Those are not add ons!The 429 PI engines came with them from the factory .They are essentially a slightly detuned 429 cobra jet and they also used the cast iron tail C6 that was special to the 429cj.The heads were PI only with part # D2OE-AB and almost the same as CJ.
@@jimmillet1442 At 429 inches, the D2OE pieces were actually more efficient than the CJ heads, which really don't start shining until over 500 inches. I have a NOSITB D2 tail housing here. Still trying to find the whole rest of a cop car. 😉 My D2OE heads are destined for my N-code Gran Torino, which is factory cursed with the D2VE heads.
@@413x398 You are right in the sense the D20E heads were designed to have more low end torque that police cars need to get up and going so more efficient but for raw horse power you cant beat true cj heads or DOVE thunderjet heads.
@@jimmillet1442 I think the D2's will make more "raw" horsepower than than the small port heads. I think Scotty would back that up. But, as usual, it's all about the combination. My '70 Spoiler will retain its D0OE heads, but will have a 521-inch lower end. Out of curiosity, I'm going to check the Gran Torino and the '73 Montego GT (also N-code) too see if they have the cast tail housings and/or N-case rears.
A friend Of mine who I went to high school with in North Carolina and he became a state highway patrolman said that the 429 Fords were some the fastest police cars he ever drove.
Not even close, a 74 440 would get left in the taillights by this car. 74 was low compression smog, which this car was low compression as well. These 72 ford interceptors have special d2oe casting heads, they are monsters when worked over and given some compression, they nearly as good as the dooe-r SCJ heads, and NO 440 Chrysler would have a chance , both modified equally, they simply don’t breathe near as well. Stock the 440 may have been less restricted so it ran ok, the ford was held back severely
@@RacingRon47 that’s bs I have been restoring cars my entire life 40 plus years. I have the performance data from the factory to back it up the compression was lowered but it is about equally low in the ford the 440 in 1974 had 275 hp advertised for insurance companies cracking down on the auto industry. The ford was equally as low if not more because of this. Tell me why 90 percent of the police cars ordered throughout 1970s were Chrysler products?? There were more around than any manufacturer. It wasn’t because they were slow they had more longevity than most everything. I have been familiar with both makes and manufactures. For over 3 decades, in the book dodge Plymouth and Chrysler police cars by Edwin j sanow and John l bellah as well as outselling ALL other makes in 1974 was the Plymouth fury the A38 package was the fastest car produced in North America in 1972 fords highest hp mill for police duty was the 429 rated at 212 hp the 351 clevand cobra jet only made 246 hp. I travel to auctions and car shows all over the states and would be glad to bring one on a trailer to time trial to show any disbelievers that know no better, as well as check this well written book out. I have the real car and proof
@@davidschnase4027 I'm not taking sides here, but do want to say I have the books you mentioned, 1956-1978 book and the 1979-1994 book, both very detailed and interesting.
I was hoping you'd say: "You in a heap-o-trouble boy." 😀 I like the big fishin' pole on the back goes "wusshh wushhh wushhh" . ha ha (Brother Dave Gardner) Excellent job on the restoration. Extra points for the working radar. 👍 I was always partial to the '69 Dodge Polara 440, put this Ford is sweeeeet!
It does my heart good to see these highway haulers on the streets. I currently drive a retired 03 p71 crown Vic and am working on redoing the car. It was originally doing duty in the city of Sumter.
I once owned a 69 Plymouth Fury I, I bought in Colorado while stationed at Ft. Carson, in 1975. It was at a County Auction and was a Deputy Sheriffs car, that had a honking 440 4brl TNT with big duel exhaust and HD suspension with big torsion bars and anti sway bar up front, with 5 HD leaf springs and anti sway bar in the rear. I bought some HD Monroe Magnum Shocks and the biggest tires I could find all around with the rears being Firestone Town&Country studded tires for the winter. I’m not sure of the rear end ratio, but the car had a 140 mph certified rear speedometer that I had up to 132! I’ve also driven big Ford LTD, very similar to your amazing 500, that only has a 351, that was smogged to death, that rode fantastic but didn’t handle like that big Fury, especially at high speeds! My friend and I used to go up on the dirt mountain roads to practice driving like Bo an Luke Duke, blasting around corners all sideways and such! I could fit 4 big guys, or two couples and all the luggage we could ever use for a weekend road trip!
In the mid 70s I had a 69 Road Runner with a 383. They ran pretty good. A friend of my mom's had a 72 Ford Tbird with a 429 that he bought new. He wasn't into hotrodding but more luxury and comfort. Once we were going down the road and he stepped into it to pass someone and it pulled like a freight with 4 people on board. I believe it may have been faster than my 383 Road Runner or would at least give it a good run.
429 is a beast, I had a 400 in Chevy chase country squire station wagon. I'm thinking that thing was 3+ tons. It would boogie at about 7 mpg.. saved my life in a head on , spin a large 4x and sent it down the road 180° about a 100 yards minus a front end. The 400 was setting next to me in the front seat. True story 84'..
My grand father bought a brand new grey 1968 Ford Galaxie with the 428 V8, it was one of 8 units the Ohio Highway Patrol didn't accept. It was delivered to south NJ and he had to have it. That thing was fast,
Here in California the interceptor of choice for the CHP was the Dodge Polara with the 440 Magnum, and the LAPD had the 4-door version of the Plymouth Road Runner as seen on Adam-12
My Dad had an ex CHP 69 Dodge Polara interceptor. The 440 had been replaced with a 383. But it still ran pretty strong. Huge disc brakes and massive sway bars front and rear along with stout suspension made it handle like a much smaller car instead of the land barge it was. I always wanted to try to peg that 140mph certified speedometer. I've always loved vintage police rides.
Glad to see it still on the road I wish I could have got the last two my grandfather had before he retired he had a 71 Biscayne 454/ 390 hp and then a 75 Ford custom 500 460 police interceptor, I own a couple former police vehicles myself an 89 Ford Mustang Special Service Package former Georgia State Patrol car no 798 that was stationed at post 44 Forsyth GA have owned it for 24 years and i also have a 96 Crown Victoria P71 that I drive often.
The only 2 former police cars were both 350 equipped caprice. One was the 1990 model, the other was a 1993 model (same as the impala SS from the same year minus some fancy equipment and the aluminium block) the 1990 was relatively quick but the 1993 was a monster for the time. I had the 5.7 vortec. I bought them because they were cheap to buy and to maintain. The breaks were different on the 1990 than those on the caprice classic. I had to ask for the 1500 chevy pick-up because the other wouldn't fit.
@@xminusone1 I had 1990 square Caprice. Then the 1991, completely revised body. Older 1990 was far more stable on the road. Side by side they are very different to the eye.
I have always loved the look, of the 1972 Ford line, and have a huge respect, for the ride, handling, and power. I had a 1972 Ford sedan, provided by the company I was with…they apologized, at the time, because they had switched to Chevy Imapala’s, with the 400 V-8. The 1972 Ford, was a base model Galaxie, nice interior, not to fancy on the exterior, had plenty of power, and a great ride, and was pretty well optioned…it had belonged to one of the higher ups, who turned it in for a 73 Impala. I truly enjoyed every mile, I drove that Ford.
I like Fords but prefer mopars. Bought a 85 cr vic for 600 bucks after it was put out of service. That was the best riding car I ever owned. Had the 351. The way it was geared it would get to 100 quick, but no more. The sheriffs dept cleaned the cars engine bays with a detergent that ate away the wiring so eventually it had electrical problems. Sweet ride you have there!
I purchased a429pi engine out of a wrecked 72 arizona state police car,installed in my 70 mustang sportsroof in 1977, still have that car today,it is beast above 5000 rpm
Buying a retired police car is the best used car that money can buy. I say this because of the safety it brings to benefit it's new driver. There's truly nothing like the experience. You'll travel in a bubble of good safe and courteous behavior wherever you go. Nobody is really sure that it's not an active duty ghost car. So everyone puts on their best behavior... just in case.
Connecticut State Police had these 429 Ford Custom 500's in 1971 and 1972, and then in 1973 went to light, powder blue 1973 Plymouth Fury I's with the 440 HP.
I have a ‘62 base model Galaxie which is the car that was used on the black and white Andy Griffith Show. It had 14,222 on the odometer when Dad bought it. The odometer shows almost 22,000 miles now and is in the process of a new carburetor; just waiting on the fuel pressure regulator to come in so I can make it go. Then it’s off to the mechanic for a brake adjustment, oil change and lube. I use Amsoil Z-Rod 10W30 which the Z-Rod series oil has high zinc just like your car. Yes my car still has the original drum-drum brakes that have to be adjusted. Very nice car and I know you’ll take care of it.
I had a 1968 custom 500 Washington State patrol car. it had a 390 FE interceptor engine and a C6 automatic transmission. it had all the special police high performance parts on it. and for a heavy four door car it could really haul ass. I bought it real cheap and drove it for long time. and then I made the biggest mistake, I have ever made and traded it off. I really should have kept that car. I still kick myself in the ass for doing that. even though it was a four door it was a badass car no doubt.
I remember seeing the old decommissioned rear side window mounted Radar antenna in the storage room in the Police Department. We had front and rear mounted radar Kustom Signals 5000 in our Crown Victoria Police Interceptor.
Great video! After spending 39 years as an LEO in North and South Carolina we could share some stories. Having said that, my gosh you live in a beautiful area. We could talk about that for days.
I have a 1971 Thunderbird with the 429 Thunder jet. I know it’s not the interceptor engine but it is powerful! My parents bought it brand new and later parked it because it uses a ton of gas. Anyways after about 25 years of sitting in the driveway I got I running again, not really difficult to do! Those old Fords are not too hard to work on. I love to drive it occasionally, you stomp on the gas and it friggin goes! I love the old LTD’s too, my friend had a really nice 71 years ago but he wrecked it 😢. Anyways great video from a fellow Ford guy! 👍
Amazing accuracy right down to the nixie tube readout in the working radar gun! I love those big block Fords! That front end was a true classic, and remains to be one of my favorites. Thanks for showing.
My grandfather always had a LTD. Instead of trading them in and getting ripped off, he give it to my mom to drive for 4 years or so. Trade hers in . He do that every 4 years or so. Cars had hardly any miles on them. Grandmother used it to go shopping. Mom just drove to work. Lucky if after 8 years they have 30k on the clock. Lol. I remember the 69 had a 390 in it. The 74 had a 400. The 78 had a 351. Never had one with the 429. Love working on those old ford's. Most ppl hated it cause every bolt was a different size. I said that makes it easier to remember where they go. When I got older I got a 1972 mark4 continental. It had a 460 in it. That car would move for a car that weighed 4800 pounds. Lol.
Loved my Ford Interceptor I purchased in San Diego back in 2002. It was a 1997 Black and White city of San Diego car, that was at a car lot on the north end of the county. It had 84000 miles (plus idle time) The second I drove that car - there was something "right" with that drive-train. Smoothest...tightest...strongest little 4.6 I have ever seen. This car would lit up off the line and would bark 2nd gear allot. The first week I had it a black mid 90s Impala SS challenged me on Interstate 5 at 4:30 am one Saturday - and the Vic was a smidge faster than that SS. I don't know why it was so fast - it would run neck in neck with my brothers Magnum RT 5.7 wagon (remember those?)
Here In the "Dairyland State" of Wisconsin our State Troopers drove 3-on-the-tree, 427 Biscaynes in 1967. W/3.31 rear gears they would do 97 in second.
I just came across your channel. My first HP ride was a 74 Plymouth Fury 440 Magnum. If I had only known back then I'd have bought every ole Ford or Mopar I came across. Currently have 2001 Ford Crown Vic Police Interceptor. I pulled it off the road a couple of years ago. Just doing a few things to it and thinking about putting a supercharger on it just because. Since prices on old muscle cars and HP rides are just insane and getting on up in age. I figure this is more than likely my last semi built ride. It still commands respect just riding down the road. If I'm on the interstate people still move over when they see it in their rearview. And you're dead on about those old big blocks nothing beats those monsters! Love your ride and also you've got a new sub.
That is one beautiful car - very good attention to detail. The only "flaw" that I noticed was the black plastic spotlight. Back then, I think they all were chrome-plated metal. I bet the sound of that 429 with the secondaries opened up all the way would be music to any car enthusiast's ears. Regarding the gumball light on the roof, it appears as though one of the four bulbs is burned out. When it rotates, there are only three 'flashes' for ever time it turns around. Those old Fords made for some good squad cars.
He has another video of this car and from what I can see under the air clean it doesn't have the original Rochester Quadrajet 4 barrel Carburetor on it. The original Carburetor was spread bore Rochester Quadrajet with small primaries and huge secondary's specifically for the Ford 429 Cobra Jet and the Police Interceptor. The Ford 429 Super Cobra Jet came from the factory with a Holley square bore carburetor. When I owned the 1971 version of this car and you opened up the throttle the secondary's sounded wicked!
Beautiful car! I had that same Kustom radar unit in my cruiser in 1986. By then Crown Victoria had been spayed and top speed was @100. Not until 1992 CV did it get some balls back. The 1995 Caprice with the LT-1 was killer as well. Had some great pursuits in those cars.
Ford should have kept the 429 / 460 around for the Police cruisers back in the early / mid 1980s. The best they had back then was the 351 with that horrible variable venturi 2v carb.
@@DJPenguino51 -- I wonder if the big-block would have fit in the downsized 1979+ LTD/Crown Victoria. That may have been a tight squeeze. But yeah, that 2v carb made it problematic to keep the car in tune.
I drove a 1994 Caprice 9C1 with the LT1 as a daily driver for a couple of years. I loved that car! Over here in Sweden nobody knew what it was and how fast they are. That was fun :)
@@johanankarback6821 -- When I was a deputy sheriff 20 years ago, we had nothing but Crown Victoria sedans in our patrol fleet (some investigators drove front-drive Impalas). A friend of mine who worked for a town PD in our county had the last 350-powered 1996 Caprice 9C1 in the area for his patrol car. In 2004, it hit 100,000 miles and he nearly cried when they retired it from duty. That thing was fast! No Crown Vic could keep up with it - in acceleration or top speed. They looked like a bathtub, but ran like a scalded cat.
@@1VaDude Thanks for the story :) Yes, they are kind of odd looking but really fast. Mine was a very beat up patrol car from Phoenix Arizona and all the wiring in it was dried and cracked from the heat. That did some interesting electrical issues... A lot of expensive stuff broke on the car and eventually I had to give up on it and sell it. Still miss the car and would love to have another one some day but now they are getting quite rare and harder to find.
Sweet! Nothing beats Ford Police equipped vehicles- not for ride, room, power, reliability and high speed pursuits! They are more comfortable. A good friend of mine here in Toledo Ohio law enforcement says when they switched to Dodge Chargers, most of them wanted their old Fords back. The Fords had more room for equipment, more comfortable, and guts & stability for high speeds. You have a great old Ford! I would love to find a 1971 Ford...they are difficult to find.
Love those old cars ! They ran like scalded dogs !!! They could run circles around these SUV’s out here today .. Those cars are so much of the old policing days .. they don’t make cars or police like they use to …those days were good …
I recall reading an article in the 80's that SC had given it's highway patrol V8 Mustangs, I remember the article because it told the story of a Porsche that had been racing down the highway at full speed and none of the other cars could catch it but a trooper in a Mustang pulled beside the guy and motioned for him to move over.
That actually happened on the 10 highway in Los Angeles, those Mustang pursuit cars were bare bones with nothing but the driver seat, roll bar, 5 point harness.... Idk what it had for a drive axle gear ratio, but those CHP Mustangs could hit nearly 200mph
The SCHP Mustangs were stock. I got lucky and bought a new 93 5.0L 5 speed LX Coupe from a local Ford dealership, must that hit the lots were immediately purchased by SCHP or other local agencies.
@@scottmclemore7034 Really? They must not have taken advantage of the SSP package Ford offered. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Mustang_SSP That was a cool car though, I owned an 85 Mustang GT Convertible for a while, loved the stick shift! I got rid of it when I was initially told I was going to be stationed in Colorado and would need a 4WD vehicle and then plans changed. Worse mistake I ever made.
My grandmother had a special order 1972 Grand Marquis Brougham with a 429 PI under the hood. My father inherited it and drove it to his construction sites in the mid 1970's. He told me it was slightly faster than the cars that Georgia State Patrol had at the time. He would reach the job site a couple of minutes ahead of them. Because of the nature of the site property, a court order would be needed to enter the property. He said eventually he would wave as he went by because they no longer bothered to chase him. This was also at very early hours of the morning with no traffic going to Augusta on I-20. It's pretty much a straight road to those not familiar with the stretch of highway.
My dad was cheif of Police / F.B.I. Academy Graduated 🎓 1973 - I remember those police cars 🚔in the driveway parked overnight, every night 🌙 & family road trips !!!
Beautiful restoration ! I got a NCDMV 1991 Crown Victoria LTD Police Inspector 351 engine. Really like my old crown victoria. It was about 6 years old when I got it.
Had one of these too with the 351 Windsor, a 91 with 90K on the odometer. It was a fire inspector rig I bought for $700. Relatively fast car and it handled decent for being such a big car. White exterior was decent for it's age, red interior was mint. Didn't carry much add on gear besides a radio.
Awesome video! Wish we could have gotten a long shot of the old Motorola Motrac/Mocom or GE MASTR. Back then, SCHP had 4 Low Band channels. Ch1 42.10 Ch2 42.26 car transmit. 42.10 car receive. Ch3 42.12 Ch4 42.08 All channels used carrier squelch, no PL.
Hadn't even thought about these cars in DECADES! I had a rather-poor 'association' with a sheriff in a town near mine, back in the 1970's...he had returned from Vietnam, became elected sheriff, and purchased TWO of these cars...both Custom 500's with the 429's in them. His town was LEGENDARY for being a 'speed trap', too. Late one night in the mid-70's, about to start college, I had saved during high school and bought a used 1970 LS-5 454 Corvette 4-speed; I came barreling through town about 90...and he had apparently been sitting in the car, outside his office front door...as here came the red lights (they were red back then, boys-and-girls)! We ran through some of the winding-est, hilly-est, most-hair-raising backroads ever built, at speeds far beyond sanity would dictate. I was utterly amazed that big Custom 500 could take curves like it could...and with that 429, it had tremendous 'kick' coming out of curves. I don't know what it was producing, power-wise, but my LS5 was making 390-hp and 500-ft.lbs of torque...and for quite some time, he was staying fairly close. The 'chase' ended when a deer decided to 'jump a fence'...right into the grill of his cruiser...and thus, he now only had one Custom 500 left. I was told that he had the engine transplanted to a 4-door Torino, so he could 'catch that SOB Corvette that cost him a car'...Hilarious to think back almost 50-years and remember that little event now...(I did actually go on to make something with my life, not to be some 'crazed hoodlum' though).
Interesting story! I try not to think of some of the things I did 50 years ago but can't help it, I still do. :)
If that deer had planted itself in your grill instead of his, you probably wouldn’t have survived.
He did get to keep the deer so it wasn't a total loss.
These been popular in OAKLAND since the 80s
Great story! There should be a collection of these stories in a book!
My uncle was a SCHP Man! He was based out in the Florence/Marion area. He used to take me out and show me the day in the life of a Trooper. Here's to "E59" - Retired and with the Lord now.
My mom.bought a 1969 Ford Custom 500 390 Police Interceptor that was a Wisconsin State Troopers car for $500.00 that ran like a scared rabbit and would run a buck 20, buck 30 all day with out a blink..Some years later I bought a 1973 Custom 500 with the 429 Police Interceptor V8 that would through you in the back seat no problem.... Love these pld Freaky Fast Ford's from the good old days...
@@markreisen7038 my uncle owned a garage and towing service, he acquired a galaxy from the Ohio State Patrol, it had a 460 in it, it wasn’t much out of the hole but would run 150 or better. Once you started (tuna boating) it’s time to let out of it lol. I bet you’d love to have one of these cars now, I know I would.
@@deborahchesser7375 A 460, that had to be a 1973 or later cop car...
@@markreisen7038 seems like it was a 75’-76’ from what I remember. Big sway bars and stiff shocks you could tell it wasn’t Grandma’s ride lol.
@@markreisen7038 I don’t think the 460’s ran near as good as the earlier motors. The police here used 428’s at one time and they were the best of all of them. Can you imagine running 150-160 on bias ply tires ! 😂
A lot of people despise people who buy old police cars but I think it's awesome and they are some of the coolest classic cars out there
Why depise?
Ditto. Why the hate? 🤔
Been a mechanic all my life professionally and privately I drive an 2006 Ford Crown Vic interceptor it is one of the best all-around giant go-karts I've ever owned
Ain't nobody gonna applaud the man for the best damn impression of Bufford T Justice I've heard in ALONG time.
Well played sir
Well played
Would have been cool if a black Trans Am flew by at the same time!
I had the 1971 version of this Police car with the 429 Interceptor. It is a brute!
I had one too. It was awesome.
I have one right now.
my uncle had 1971 429 Police Interceptor, still has the Dragstrip timeticket, 14.60 it ran in complete stock form! he said top of 2nd gear going thru the traps with it!
I used a 71 Ex-Maryland state cop Ford Interceptor to tow my drag car.It was unbelievably fast and powerful.I also drag raced it sometimes. Best e.t. 14:75 @99 mph in first 2 gears
Especially trying to horse it around a tight corner at speed...great straight line power.....try and slalom it, though.🤣
S.C. ran these 72 Fords for years. I think as late as 1979 I remember them still in service.
My all time favorite cars. The 500/ LTD has a special place in my heart, I have owned 6 of them, and want to find another one day.
People say they are the epitome of all that was wrong with the American auto industry, I see them as a shining example of everything they got right. Love it.
We had a 71 galaxy 500 was a good car until my older brother borrowed it he got it out and got rodded it and tore it up newer right after that
DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR CAPTAIN'S LICENSE
My uncle had a new black on black 71 unmarked (detective) car when we are kids, boy did we ever enjoy riding around in that car!
I had a '69 Mercury X-100 Marauder. Huge, smooth and quiet car that would get up and go if you needed to be somewhere.
Gas mileage was unbelievable. Got 21 MPG on a highway trip..
That is good...i have our Originally family owned 1968 Ford Galaxie 500 2 door coupe with the 390 and auto trans....and it will get 20 mpgs on the hwy...and with plenty of get up and go for passing out on those 2 lane open roads....its never had the heads off it....the car has been such a pleasure to own and drive...
I had a 1970 XL coupe, 429 4v (mean barrel carb for youngsters) "Police Pack." It was a Texas Mountie unmarked detective car.I would race Corvettes, Carmeros, Firebirds etc and beat them all. That Police engine was so powerful. I replaced the motor mounts 3-4 times from the motors torque twisting motor up on the passenger side and breaking them.
The fastest car I ever owned. It may have been as fast as my 70 Buick GS 455. Great video, man that takes me back.
yes replaced a couple mounts also
Gotta love a LEO who loves his cars. Good for you collecting rare Ford performance cars.
My dad, NYS detective, had a 1968 Ford custom with 428 engine, I made sure those 428 engine badges behind the front fenders were always clean. Lol
The Ford 428 of '66-68 was, what Car & Driver magazine described as "The fastest straight-line production car we have ever tested." Quicker, in street form than the 427, way faster than the 429 (crippled by lower compression and early smog masks). I've owned used police cars since 1964, and used up a few as a Deputy Sheriff. NOTHING was faster than the R-code '67 428, although the '69 Mopar 440 would give it a run for its money.
The NYS police experimented with 67 Biscayne sedans for the NYS thruway, Interstate 90, 427 engines and four speeds. Discontinued because they weren't holding up in patrol use
@@garysarnowski3113 i heard that the chevs from the 409s up were plagued with valvetrain issues...maybe not enough material used or press in rocker arm studs....
When i was on the job i had one as a patrol unit, dame fine car. Dark green, black side walls, dashboard bubble light, fun to drive. Would not mind having another one.
I had a 71 LTD brougham with the 429 engine and it would burn the tires. I love old school police cars and yours is really cool. Thanks for the sharing it with us.
I remember seeing these in Alabama at the state sale. There were 69 and 70 year models. I was too young to drive then. But when I was 17, I bought a 74 from the GA State Patrol. Painted it black, but kept the GSP "look". It had a 460 PI and police special radials. I paid $550 for it and it would out run the word of god. It was a great car
I had a canadian 1973 Ford LTD X Interceptor Police car with a special 429 from a car lot when I was 16. It was incredibly fast. The needle would go just a bit over 140MPH I would race the local hot rods and win. True story. wished I could post a pic of me standing in front of it here. the car was 7 years old when I bought it.
It’ll pass anything except a gas station! LOVE IT! As a retired auto mechanic, most of my training came with Japanese cars. However, I’ve always had a special place in my heart for big powerful American muscle!
Brings back memories. Bought a '72 in LTD trim. Ex game warden car. Olive drab paint and still had the TX parks and wildlife decal on the door. Someone had tried to remove it but failed. Best $500 I spent on a car.
I bought a 1971 Fury 440 squad for $600 in 1975. A trip to National Trail garnered a best of 15.99 at 99 mph. It didn't have much low end but from 40 to 120 it was game on! Highway patrol cars have a special camshaft designed to begin where regular cars run out of steam.
I still have dreams about that car even though it was 47 years ago that I owned it.
I know exactly what you mean. I had a 1976 Chevelle Malibu that I drove from '93-'96 and had dreams about driving that car for many years after I sold it. I thought I was the only one
Yep, I've had that feeling. I had a '87 Dodge Diplomat w/ police package that I had to sell after a job loss years ago. I've tried to find it but have had no luck. I bought a 2011 Crown Vic P7B about 6 months ago and love it, cherry condition and 3.55 TracLoc rear end. I drove police cars, mostly Mopar 360's in the early 80's, fell in love with them then.
"the older I get, the faster I was"
@@dw8840 LOL
15.9 at 99mph??? Maybe 89mph but 99 no way if it only ran a 15.9 lol.
My first car eas a 1971 Plymouth Fury that had once been an unmarked police car, what was known back then as a "plain brown wrapper." The original 360 4bbl engine, though, was missing and had been replaced with a 318. This was in 1983.
Four years later, I slid behind the wheel of a 1986 Dodge Diplomat, my first duty patrol car.
As an aside, one of Florida's most-respected current sheriffs, Grady Judd of Polk County (north of me), was recently gifted a restored patrol car, same year, make, and model as yours, by his men and women, as a tribute to his fifty years with the county, to replicate his first assigned unit.
Thanks for sharing.
What a great old car. Reminds me of Burt Reynolds 1971 custom 500 in White Lightning. Back then you get chased by one of those and your chances of getting "cuffed and stuffed" were pretty good! Enjoy!
I loved that movie. Made me want one of those cars.
I wondered where someone would make that connection
Clint Eastwood drove them in the dirty Harry movies and so did Carl. Maulden in
Streets of San Francisco
In some of the scenes Burt is seen the Hurst stick shifter on the floor and in other scenes he is using shifter on the steering column.
@@sd906238 absolutely! Like when he pulled into his parents yard he throws it in park other times he’s working that hurst shifter. Lol. Hollywood!
@@sd906238
I've seen car shows that features those galaxies with factory equipped 4 on the floor trannies. One time I went to a Ford dealer to see about a Granada equipped with one.
i so much wanted to go back in time and hear that 4bbl bellow just once.
I'm sure old timer retired policeman will share a tear seeing this machine
How can you be certain? Maybe a bit of nostalgia but to "share" a tear?
"Shed a tear" ?
Yeah sorry guys the phone auto wrote it and I didn't check twice 🤣
I was a police officer beginning my career in 1974. I had heard about the 71 with a 429 as it was retired shortly before my arrival. I got to drive the Ford with a 460, the Chevys with a 454 and the Plymouths with a 440. The Ford was fast but I drove the Plymouths where possible as the Ford's handling was dismal and the Chevs were dogs.
@@bluemut55 In my career the Mopar 440's were King. I had a couple of them up to 150. The Chevvies were junk.
That was my first Patrol Car assigned to me in the early '70s.
Had a huge rotating red light that folded on a hinge attached to the center hump and you had to reach back to get it up or down.
Not much got away from that car!!!
Thanks for bringing it back to me!!!!!
I never had a police car but I had a 69 Tbird with a 429. What a ride for a heavy car. In 77 I bought a new Ford F150 2wd with a 460 . It ran good but nothing like the 429. The 460 was bogged down with emission crap. I didn't realize my dad was hot rodder till he drove the old Tbird.
Great video. I drove my last Crown Victoria in 2016, the last one in our East Region Provincial fleet. There was a reason law enforcement used Fords for so many years. They were tough and dependable. I drive a Charger with a hemi now and although it's faster and handles better with the all wheel drive it won't have the longevity the Vic's had.
My first car in when I was 17 in 1977 was a 1973 Dodge Polara that used to be a Florida State Trooper car. It was painted dark metallic blue with a blue vinyl top. Still had the search light. It had a 440 but it was slow from a stop but fairly fast when you were moving and hit it. Loved the car because people would move over for you because they thought you were a cop.
Back in the day, law enforcement was not just the hobby, it was a job serving and protecting. Now that you're retired, you have something that you've enjoyed, worked with, a vintage Ford galaxie police car.
It's a full time job working on fords.lol
It's an amazing piece of automotive History I was born in 1968 right at the height of the muscle car era my mother tells me I should have been 16 to 18 years old when the muscle cars were in full swing because I love old classic cars and they don't make them to withstand accidents nowadays like they did back in the day and they don't build them to last 100,000 miles or more like they were back in the day these new cars have too many factory recalls on them and you're lucky if you go two years without a problem but that car is absolutely beautiful.
Year's ago, my brother had a 1970 thunderbird, that had the 429 thunder jet engine, that car could really move!
I had that same car myself many years ago on our way to an Ozzy Osbourne concert going up a steep grade on the freeway I was doing 130 mph Plus and the car started shaking too much so I to let off. What I love most about that car was the interior it was like a living room on wheels the rear seat was just like a sofa curved around to the Contour of the rear it was a red crushed velvet interior very plush but being from Detroit it was Rusty and the suspension was worn out that's why I had to back off the accelerator I didn't want to wipe out at 130 miles an hour.
Cobra jet?
@@Carla-tz7qw It said 429 thunder jet right on the air cleaner. I think the cobra jet was in the mustang and torino.
Way back when I owned a several LTD's but my baby was a black 70' 2dr. 429 w/ elect. windows and antenna, dual exhaust, options hard to find in those days. Nothing like hearing the howl of that motor while smoking the tires at 40 mph in luxury. I truly miss that car.
God bless you Ryan for keeping the old iron on the road. Wonderful piece of history, and a great job of presenting the car to the public. You made me look up something from my Ford 1972 "car service specifications" booklet on the shift speeds of the police car with the 429 engine. On page 18 of the book it states" "Shift speeds-actual MPH C-6 transmission Ford / Mercury with 429(Police Interceptor) engine, 2.75 axle, F78-15 tire, Through detent( WOT) under column 2..... 1-2 upshift is 57-68MPH, 2-3 upshift is 112 MPH and 3-2 downshift is 87-100 MPH" !! If you are running 95MPH and punch it, the damn thing will downshift to 2nd gear!! I happen to have a C-6 Police interceptor valve body that I can install in my 79 F-150 with the 460 engine..
see my other reply below about vin numbers also.
Amen I wish I kept my 69 2 door 429 interceptor 11:1 compression. Had 23,000 miles in 2000. Even then no one wanted it. They had no idea the history and power. A few times I had heard that a highway patrolman could do a 180° turn going 80 mph. I guess it took about a year to three depending on your previous driving experience to learn how to do it safely.
The "Gator McClusky "special....👍👍
Learned to drive in a 1972 ltd with a 427 4 v. Two door hard top. Was unstoppable power
Last year I retired from a 50 year career as a taxi driver. In 1972 I was 25 years old and I had just gotten out of the Army, and I took the first job that I could get, which was at DFW taxi and limo service in Dallas/Fort Worth. With the money that I had saved while I was in the Army I bought a little house that needed some minor repairs, and I was not married with kids so the Taxi job was a perfect fit for me. My boss would only buy used police cars that were in decent shape. Can you imagine being a wild 25 year old cab driver in Dallas Tx driving a car with that much power? Over the years I have driven every kind of American police car there is, and boy were they tough and fast. I remember that particular car he's driving , you had to be really careful with the with the brakes bc they would burn up quick with a lot of fast driving
429PI was a beast, i had one put it in a 72 ranchero. Of course did some mods with cam and such. Made around 600 hp. Passed everything but a gas station. Got around 9mpg.
Beautiful! The 429CJ valve covers were a nice add-on. Cheers!
Those are not add ons!The 429 PI engines came with them from the factory .They are essentially a slightly detuned 429 cobra jet and they also used the cast iron tail C6 that was special to the 429cj.The heads were PI only with part # D2OE-AB and almost the same as CJ.
@@jimmillet1442 At 429 inches, the D2OE pieces were actually more efficient than the CJ heads, which really don't start shining until over 500 inches. I have a NOSITB D2 tail housing here. Still trying to find the whole rest of a cop car. 😉 My D2OE heads are destined for my N-code Gran Torino, which is factory cursed with the D2VE heads.
@@413x398 You are right in the sense the D20E heads were designed to have more low end torque that police cars need to get up and going so more efficient but for raw horse power you cant beat true cj heads or DOVE thunderjet heads.
@@jimmillet1442 I think the D2's will make more "raw" horsepower than than the small port heads. I think Scotty would back that up. But, as usual, it's all about the combination. My '70 Spoiler will retain its D0OE heads, but will have a 521-inch lower end. Out of curiosity, I'm going to check the Gran Torino and the '73 Montego GT (also N-code) too see if they have the cast tail housings and/or N-case rears.
A friend Of mine who I went to high school with in North Carolina and he became a state highway patrolman said that the 429 Fords were some the fastest police cars he ever drove.
The Plymouth fury’s were the fastest period the fastest car produced in North America was the 1974 Plymouth fury check that out 440 suprtcommando
@@davidschnase4027 I've not driven either one, I'm just going by what someone who was a highway patrol man said.
Not even close, a 74 440 would get left in the taillights by this car. 74 was low compression smog, which this car was low compression as well. These 72 ford interceptors have special d2oe casting heads, they are monsters when worked over and given some compression, they nearly as good as the dooe-r SCJ heads, and NO 440 Chrysler would have a chance , both modified equally, they simply don’t breathe near as well. Stock the 440 may have been less restricted so it ran ok, the ford was held back severely
@@RacingRon47 that’s bs I have been restoring cars my entire life 40 plus years. I have the performance data from the factory to back it up the compression was lowered but it is about equally low in the ford the 440 in 1974 had 275 hp advertised for insurance companies cracking down on the auto industry. The ford was equally as low if not more because of this. Tell me why 90 percent of the police cars ordered throughout 1970s were Chrysler products?? There were more around than any manufacturer. It wasn’t because they were slow they had more longevity than most everything. I have been familiar with both makes and manufactures. For over 3 decades, in the book dodge Plymouth and Chrysler police cars by Edwin j sanow and John l bellah as well as outselling ALL other makes in 1974 was the Plymouth fury the A38 package was the fastest car produced in North America in 1972 fords highest hp mill for police duty was the 429 rated at 212 hp the 351 clevand cobra jet only made 246 hp. I travel to auctions and car shows all over the states and would be glad to bring one on a trailer to time trial to show any disbelievers that know no better, as well as check this well written book out. I have the real car and proof
@@davidschnase4027 I'm not taking sides here, but do want to say I have the books you mentioned, 1956-1978 book and the 1979-1994 book, both very detailed and interesting.
I was always a fan of those cars when I see the 1972 movie white lightning
Best old police car I ever had was a 1975 Plymouth Gran Fury Custom
I was hoping you'd say: "You in a heap-o-trouble boy." 😀
I like the big fishin' pole on the back goes "wusshh wushhh wushhh" . ha ha (Brother Dave Gardner)
Excellent job on the restoration. Extra points for the working radar. 👍
I was always partial to the '69 Dodge Polara 440, put this Ford is sweeeeet!
Junior! Hold my hat!
It does my heart good to see these highway haulers on the streets. I currently drive a retired 03 p71 crown Vic and am working on redoing the car. It was originally doing duty in the city of Sumter.
I once owned a 69 Plymouth Fury I, I bought in Colorado while stationed at Ft. Carson, in 1975. It was at a County Auction and was a Deputy Sheriffs car, that had a honking 440 4brl TNT with big duel exhaust and HD suspension with big torsion bars and anti sway bar up front, with 5 HD leaf springs and anti sway bar in the rear. I bought some HD Monroe Magnum Shocks and the biggest tires I could find all around with the rears being Firestone Town&Country studded tires for the winter. I’m not sure of the rear end ratio, but the car had a 140 mph certified rear speedometer that I had up to 132! I’ve also driven big Ford LTD, very similar to your amazing 500, that only has a 351, that was smogged to death, that rode fantastic but didn’t handle like that big Fury, especially at high speeds! My friend and I used to go up on the dirt mountain roads to practice driving like Bo an Luke Duke, blasting around corners all sideways and such! I could fit 4 big guys, or two couples and all the luggage we could ever use for a weekend road trip!
In the mid 70s I had a 69 Road Runner with a 383. They ran pretty good. A friend of my mom's had a 72 Ford Tbird with a 429 that he bought new. He wasn't into hotrodding but more luxury and comfort. Once we were going down the road and he stepped into it to pass someone and it pulled like a freight with 4 people on board. I believe it may have been faster than my 383 Road Runner or would at least give it a good run.
429 is a beast, I had a 400 in Chevy chase country squire station wagon. I'm thinking that thing was 3+ tons. It would boogie at about 7 mpg.. saved my life in a head on , spin a large 4x and sent it down the road 180° about a 100 yards minus a front end. The 400 was setting next to me in the front seat. True story 84'..
My grand father bought a brand new grey 1968 Ford Galaxie with the 428 V8, it was one of 8 units the Ohio Highway Patrol didn't accept. It was delivered to south NJ and he had to have it. That thing was fast,
Here in California the interceptor of choice for the CHP was the Dodge Polara with the 440 Magnum, and the LAPD had the 4-door version of the Plymouth Road Runner as seen on Adam-12
The Kansas Highway Patrol had one of these on The Kansas Turnpike.
Theirs were in the late 70's
Had one! old Marion County Alabama unit. Longest one wheel peel in my whole life. 375 feet. Melted one wheel so easy.
My Dad had an ex CHP 69 Dodge Polara interceptor. The 440 had been replaced with a 383. But it still ran pretty strong. Huge disc brakes and massive sway bars front and rear along with stout suspension made it handle like a much smaller car instead of the land barge it was. I always wanted to try to peg that 140mph certified speedometer. I've always loved vintage police rides.
The 1971 Ford 400 cid 4 bbl was no slouch either! I drove one as a loaner from a dealer back in the early 70's
Classic cubic inches will ALWAYS be better than any turbo. Bring back the true Muscle!!!
My uncle had a vortech supercharged Fox-body that he bought from the Virginia highway patrol. Damn thing ran 12.0flat. that thing was FUN.
OMG that ancient radar unit mounted outside! Made many troopers fear for their future offspring!
Beautiful example of a bygone era!
Glad to see it still on the road I wish I could have got the last two my grandfather had before he retired he had a 71 Biscayne 454/ 390 hp and then a 75 Ford custom 500 460 police interceptor, I own a couple former police vehicles myself an 89 Ford Mustang Special Service Package former Georgia State Patrol car no 798 that was stationed at post 44 Forsyth GA have owned it for 24 years and i also have a 96 Crown Victoria P71 that I drive often.
The only 2 former police cars were both 350 equipped caprice. One was the 1990 model, the other was a 1993 model (same as the impala SS from the same year minus some fancy equipment and the aluminium block) the 1990 was relatively quick but the 1993 was a monster for the time. I had the 5.7 vortec. I bought them because they were cheap to buy and to maintain. The breaks were different on the 1990 than those on the caprice classic. I had to ask for the 1500 chevy pick-up because the other wouldn't fit.
@@xminusone1 I've driven a couple of the caprices that were LT1 equipped 94 and 96 old FHP cars they were some runners .
@@xminusone1 I had 1990 square Caprice. Then the 1991, completely revised body. Older 1990 was far more stable on the road. Side by side they are very different to the eye.
Beauty. That ford model looked great
I have always loved the look, of the 1972 Ford line, and have a huge respect, for the ride, handling, and power.
I had a 1972 Ford sedan, provided by the company I was with…they apologized, at the time, because they had switched to Chevy Imapala’s, with the 400 V-8. The 1972 Ford, was a base model Galaxie, nice interior, not to
fancy on the exterior, had plenty of power, and a great ride, and was pretty well optioned…it had belonged to
one of the higher ups, who turned it in for a 73 Impala. I truly enjoyed every mile, I drove that Ford.
The movie White Lightning with Burt Reynolds
Beat me to it! First thought in my mind before pressing play.
Gator McKlusky!
Yep filmed in Arkansas including the Benton area in Saline County. Great movie!
I like Fords but prefer mopars. Bought a 85 cr vic for 600 bucks after it was put out of service. That was the best riding car I ever owned. Had the 351. The way it was geared it would get to 100 quick, but no more. The sheriffs dept cleaned the cars engine bays with a detergent that ate away the wiring so eventually it had electrical problems. Sweet ride you have there!
Beautiful car! I think you're very fortunate to find it.
I purchased a429pi engine out of a wrecked 72 arizona state police car,installed in my 70 mustang sportsroof in 1977, still have that car today,it is beast above 5000 rpm
That was a great review of the car and what it was back in the day.
Buying a retired police car is the best used car that money can buy. I say this because of the safety it brings to benefit it's new driver. There's truly nothing like the experience. You'll travel in a bubble of good safe and courteous behavior wherever you go. Nobody is really sure that it's not an active duty ghost car. So everyone puts on their best behavior... just in case.
Nice to see a restored cop legend before the days of the Crown Victoria/Caprice.
Nice looking "Bunkie Beak" 1972 Ford squad car there! Great sleeper with that under-cover 429 Cobra Jet.
My grandma had one of those. She got it from the Lewiston police department it was great.
Loved your intro!!!! Great job on restoring that old Ford Custom 500 Police Car!
Brings back, old Burt Reynolds movies!! 👍👍
Connecticut State Police had these 429 Ford Custom 500's in 1971 and 1972, and then in 1973 went to light, powder blue 1973 Plymouth Fury I's with the 440 HP.
I have a ‘62 base model Galaxie which is the car that was used on the black and white Andy Griffith Show. It had 14,222 on the odometer when Dad bought it. The odometer shows almost 22,000 miles now and is in the process of a new carburetor; just waiting on the fuel pressure regulator to come in so I can make it go.
Then it’s off to the mechanic for a brake adjustment, oil change and lube. I use Amsoil Z-Rod 10W30 which the Z-Rod series oil has high zinc just like your car. Yes my car still has the original drum-drum brakes that have to be adjusted.
Very nice car and I know you’ll take care of it.
I had a 1968 custom 500 Washington State patrol car. it had a 390 FE interceptor engine and a C6 automatic transmission. it had all the special police high performance parts on it. and for a heavy four door car it could really haul ass. I bought it real cheap and drove it for long time. and then I made the biggest mistake, I have ever made and traded it off. I really should have kept that car. I still kick myself in the ass for doing that. even though it was a four door it was a badass car no doubt.
I remember seeing the old decommissioned rear side window mounted Radar antenna in the storage room in the Police Department. We had front and rear mounted radar Kustom Signals 5000 in our Crown Victoria Police Interceptor.
The last thing that you would want to hear from this gentleman back in '72 would be..."you in a heap of trouble, son".
Great video! After spending 39 years as an LEO in North and South Carolina we could share some stories. Having said that, my gosh you live in a beautiful area. We could talk about that for days.
I have a 1971 Thunderbird with the 429 Thunder jet. I know it’s not the interceptor engine but it is powerful! My parents bought it brand new and later parked it because it uses a ton of gas. Anyways after about 25 years of sitting in the driveway I got I running again, not really difficult to do! Those old Fords are not too hard to work on. I love to drive it occasionally, you stomp on the gas and it friggin goes! I love the old LTD’s too, my friend had a really nice 71 years ago but he wrecked it 😢. Anyways great video from a fellow Ford guy! 👍
You're a very fortunate person! I wish I had one of my folks' old cars to remember them by!♥️😢
LTD CUSTOM WITH A 429 4V? DOESNT GET ANY BETTER THAN THIS!!! NICE CAR!
Dad's favorite cruiser was the Plymouth Fury with the 440. They also had a few Dodge Dart ghost cars with the 360. They were fast, but scary.
Amazing accuracy right down to the nixie tube readout in the working radar gun! I love those big block Fords! That front end was a true classic, and remains to be one of my favorites. Thanks for showing.
Awesome car great job restoring it to its former glory
My grandfather always had a LTD. Instead of trading them in and getting ripped off, he give it to my mom to drive for 4 years or so. Trade hers in . He do that every 4 years or so. Cars had hardly any miles on them. Grandmother used it to go shopping. Mom just drove to work. Lucky if after 8 years they have 30k on the clock. Lol. I remember the 69 had a 390 in it. The 74 had a 400. The 78 had a 351. Never had one with the 429. Love working on those old ford's. Most ppl hated it cause every bolt was a different size. I said that makes it easier to remember where they go. When I got older I got a 1972 mark4 continental. It had a 460 in it. That car would move for a car that weighed 4800 pounds. Lol.
Nice Looking Ford Police Vehicle-A Classic From 1972
I had a 1971 ford thunderbird 429 stock it ran 15.3 at 95 mph.
Loved my Ford Interceptor I purchased in San Diego back in 2002. It was a 1997 Black and White city of San Diego car, that was at a car lot on the north end of the county. It had 84000 miles (plus idle time) The second I drove that car - there was something "right" with that drive-train. Smoothest...tightest...strongest little 4.6 I have ever seen. This car would lit up off the line and would bark 2nd gear allot. The first week I had it a black mid 90s Impala SS challenged me on Interstate 5 at 4:30 am one Saturday - and the Vic was a smidge faster than that SS. I don't know why it was so fast - it would run neck in neck with my brothers Magnum RT 5.7 wagon (remember those?)
Here In the "Dairyland State" of Wisconsin our State Troopers drove 3-on-the-tree, 427 Biscaynes in 1967. W/3.31 rear gears they would do 97 in second.
I installed and serviced 2 way radios in this model and year. Those were the days when there was ample room to install most anything.
I just came across your channel. My first HP ride was a 74 Plymouth Fury 440 Magnum. If I had only known back then I'd have bought every ole Ford or Mopar I came across. Currently have 2001 Ford Crown Vic Police Interceptor. I pulled it off the road a couple of years ago. Just doing a few things to it and thinking about putting a supercharger on it just because. Since prices on old muscle cars and HP rides are just insane and getting on up in age. I figure this is more than likely my last semi built ride. It still commands respect just riding down the road. If I'm on the interstate people still move over when they see it in their rearview. And you're dead on about those old big blocks nothing beats those monsters! Love your ride and also you've got a new sub.
Magnum is a dodge Plymouth is a super commando
That is one beautiful car - very good attention to detail. The only "flaw" that I noticed was the black plastic spotlight. Back then, I think they all were chrome-plated metal. I bet the sound of that 429 with the secondaries opened up all the way would be music to any car enthusiast's ears.
Regarding the gumball light on the roof, it appears as though one of the four bulbs is burned out. When it rotates, there are only three 'flashes' for ever time it turns around. Those old Fords made for some good squad cars.
He has another video of this car and from what I can see under the air clean it doesn't have the original Rochester Quadrajet 4 barrel Carburetor on it. The original Carburetor was spread bore Rochester Quadrajet with small primaries and huge secondary's specifically for the Ford 429 Cobra Jet and the Police Interceptor. The Ford 429 Super Cobra Jet came from the factory with a Holley square bore carburetor. When I owned the 1971 version of this car and you opened up the throttle the secondary's sounded wicked!
Nicely done we love your interceptor !!
Beautiful car! I had that same Kustom radar unit in my cruiser in 1986. By then Crown Victoria had been spayed and top speed was @100. Not until 1992 CV did it get some balls back. The 1995 Caprice with the LT-1 was killer as well. Had some great pursuits in those cars.
Ford should have kept the 429 / 460 around for the Police cruisers back in the early / mid 1980s. The best they had back then was the 351 with that horrible variable venturi 2v carb.
@@DJPenguino51 -- I wonder if the big-block would have fit in the downsized 1979+ LTD/Crown Victoria. That may have been a tight squeeze. But yeah, that 2v carb made it problematic to keep the car in tune.
I drove a 1994 Caprice 9C1 with the LT1 as a daily driver for a couple of years. I loved that car! Over here in Sweden nobody knew what it was and how fast they are. That was fun :)
@@johanankarback6821 -- When I was a deputy sheriff 20 years ago, we had nothing but Crown Victoria sedans in our patrol fleet (some investigators drove front-drive Impalas). A friend of mine who worked for a town PD in our county had the last 350-powered 1996 Caprice 9C1 in the area for his patrol car.
In 2004, it hit 100,000 miles and he nearly cried when they retired it from duty. That thing was fast! No Crown Vic could keep up with it - in acceleration or top speed. They looked like a bathtub, but ran like a scalded cat.
@@1VaDude Thanks for the story :) Yes, they are kind of odd looking but really fast.
Mine was a very beat up patrol car from Phoenix Arizona and all the wiring in it was dried and cracked from the heat. That did some interesting electrical issues... A lot of expensive stuff broke on the car and eventually I had to give up on it and sell it. Still miss the car and would love to have another one some day but now they are getting quite rare and harder to find.
Sweet! Nothing beats Ford Police equipped vehicles- not for ride, room, power, reliability and high speed pursuits! They are more comfortable. A good friend of mine here in Toledo Ohio law enforcement says when they switched to Dodge Chargers, most of them wanted their old Fords back. The Fords had more room for equipment, more comfortable, and guts & stability for high speeds.
You have a great old Ford! I would love to find a 1971 Ford...they are difficult to find.
Love those old cars ! They ran like scalded dogs !!! They could run circles around these SUV’s out here today .. Those cars are so much of the old policing days .. they don’t make cars or police like they use to …those days were good …
I recall reading an article in the 80's that SC had given it's highway patrol V8 Mustangs, I remember the article because it told the story of a Porsche that had been racing down the highway at full speed and none of the other cars could catch it but a trooper in a Mustang pulled beside the guy and motioned for him to move over.
That actually happened on the 10 highway in Los Angeles, those Mustang pursuit cars were bare bones with nothing but the driver seat, roll bar, 5 point harness....
Idk what it had for a drive axle gear ratio, but those CHP Mustangs could hit nearly 200mph
The SCHP Mustangs were stock. I got lucky and bought a new 93 5.0L 5 speed LX Coupe from a local Ford dealership, must that hit the lots were immediately purchased by SCHP or other local agencies.
@@scottmclemore7034 Really? They must not have taken advantage of the SSP package Ford offered.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Mustang_SSP
That was a cool car though, I owned an 85 Mustang GT Convertible for a while, loved the stick shift! I got rid of it when I was initially told I was going to be stationed in Colorado and would need a 4WD vehicle and then plans changed. Worse mistake I ever made.
Those sport seats must be great in the corners 😎
My grandmother had a special order 1972 Grand Marquis Brougham with a 429 PI under the hood. My father inherited it and drove it to his construction sites in the mid 1970's. He told me it was slightly faster than the cars that Georgia State Patrol had at the time. He would reach the job site a couple of minutes ahead of them. Because of the nature of the site property, a court order would be needed to enter the property. He said eventually he would wave as he went by because they no longer bothered to chase him. This was also at very early hours of the morning with no traffic going to Augusta on I-20. It's pretty much a straight road to those not familiar with the stretch of highway.
My dad was cheif of Police / F.B.I. Academy Graduated 🎓 1973 - I remember those police cars 🚔in the driveway parked overnight, every night 🌙 & family road trips !!!
My GOD that is cool. Great job my mom just said she got pulled over by those cars more than once!
Beautiful restoration ! I got a NCDMV 1991 Crown Victoria LTD Police Inspector 351 engine. Really like my old crown victoria. It was about 6 years old when I got it.
Had one of these too with the 351 Windsor, a 91 with 90K on the odometer. It was a fire inspector rig I bought for $700. Relatively fast car and it handled decent for being such a big car. White exterior was decent for it's age, red interior was mint. Didn't carry much add on gear besides a radio.
Awesome video! Wish we could have gotten a long shot of the old Motorola Motrac/Mocom or GE MASTR. Back then, SCHP had 4 Low Band channels.
Ch1 42.10
Ch2 42.26 car transmit. 42.10 car receive.
Ch3 42.12
Ch4 42.08
All channels used carrier squelch, no PL.
This was great! Enjoyed watching it!
Very interesting car. I recall a neighbour had a galaxie 500 version.