Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[matt]

Have a very tired 97 2.0 CDX that needs throwing away

I'm looking at ex-police 3.2s to replace... ( '01 - '03 )

High mileage is, I assume, OK due to quality maintenance?  I'm wary of too much beyond 125k.

Do police cars still get uprated electrics and engines?

Do all the blinky lights and toys that have been ripped out give me a high chance of electrical nightmares?

Aside from the fairly obvious hole and mess in the dash where the radio and air vents used to be, are there any other areas I should single out for special attention when viewing?

Anyone have experience doing the cosmetics - are the dash bits readily available?  Any clues as to how much I can expect to spend getting it back to reasonable cosmetically?

I'm fairly handy at DIY, but time poor, so will prob back off if there's many biggish jobs.

Any opinions gratefully received!

[IrmscherKris]

You get seats and a steering wheel - thats it!

Usually gls spec with covered up holes in the dash - zero upgrades too  

[Paul M]

Poverty spec is the main thing that puts me off. They do get HID lights though which is a big plus. Clutch may be on the way out on high milers as they're driven quite hard, although a lot of that is motorway so maybe not so bad. Not a huge job anyway. There's a fair chance it'll need a cambelt change soon too, as they don't do stuff like that before selling.

[TheBoy]

Some forces do really poor jobs of decomissioning, some do better, so it may vary.

It will likely be base spec, some of the wiring will be played with.

Plod cars do not have uprated engines, but tend to have bigger batteries and alternator.

[Paul M]

Plod cars do not have uprated engines, but tend to have bigger batteries and alternator.

I've seen one with a front-mounted oil cooler, presumably because it performs better under prolonged hard driving. Easy enough to check if one is installed, and if it is you won't have to worry about the heat exchanger type oil cooler fitted in the valley failing.

[matt]

You get seats and a steering wheel - thats it!

Usually gls spec with covered up holes in the dash - zero upgrades too  

That good huh?   :-?

Don't mind some - turning things in the back for the windows... quaint, but well I don't sit in the back.  

If they lose the climate control, or heated seats I may start thinking twice.  Shame they lose the sport seats.

After a quick read in here, I gather fitting some of the toys is quite simple, parts permitting.

3.2 manual is proving difficult to check for insurance - brokers computer and a couple of online sites claim they don't exist!  

White is not my fave colour, but it's the thought of dodgy electrics or tired engine and lots niggles.

Well no one has scared me silly yet, so I think I might just give it a go.

Thanks for the replies everyone!

[IrmscherKris]

Is there any reason why you want an ex-plod?

[edwardmickey]

You can pick up ex-plod 3.2s in non-white colours.  Will only have the one hole in the roof from aerial as opposed to several from the roof strobes.

Personally, I wouldn't touch them.  They may be serviced and had genuine parts but they are thrashed.

I may just go for an ex-driving school as opposed to a patrol car.  These will be driven better due to presence of instructors.  Also get cleaned and waxed religiously.

Check with police forces in your area for heads up when they come for auction.

Ex-driving schools may have had less equipment installed, hence less holes....  (Cameras, lcd displays, VASCAR, etc...)

They are getting rarer by the day.  We only have two left from a fleet of eight!!!

[hotel21]

......Personally, I wouldn't touch them.  They may be serviced and had genuine parts but they are thrashed.   I may just go for an ex-driving school as opposed to a patrol car.  These will be driven better due to presence of instructors.  Also get cleaned and waxed religiously.

I agree but would also add the following.

Up my way the front line College cars are absolutely spot on.  Serviced religeously, underbody/brake/tyre checked DAILY prior to potential high speed road instruction use, washed each day and waxed every week or two as well.  However.......

Once they get a bit long in the tooth they are used for skid, manouverability instruction (J turns, Y turns, handbrake turns, T-PAC type instruction (where cars are used to physically stop speeding offender types) before a quick wash and brush up then off to the auction.

Bottom line?  They are a working car tool for a job and treated accordingly.  I still probably wouldn't, unless it was the Chief Constables chauffeur driven one......  

[davlad22]

Suppose if you wanted one that's not been thrashed, and in a popular black colour....

.....an omega hearse  

[hotel21]

Suppose if you wanted one that's not been thrashed, and in a popular black colour....

.....an omega hearse  

they tend to be 2 litre ones though....  

[Paul M]

Is there any reason why you want an ex-plod?

It's the only way to get a 3.2 manual, VX in their infinite wisdom decided that humble civvies aren't man enough to handle a whopping 215 BHP without adding a torque converter to gobble up 50 BHP of that

Of course you can just get a 3.0 manual instead, which are available in early facelifts. You lose a whole 7 BHP, not something you're likely to notice in a car weighing as much as a small country

The other advantages are that ex-plod models tend to be cheap (and rightly so due to the poor spec and hard life), and many of the manual gearbox ex-plod models will have a limited slip diff, which are rare in retail models.

[matt]

Is there any reason why you want an ex-plod?

Well the logic was a lot of cheap, well maintained recent car for the same money as an old 'un.

Given the one I looked at had a lot more needing doing than I expected, like roof and tailgate, by the time I'd finished it wouldn't have been a cheap car.

I bought a 97 Elite 3.0 estate instead  :-)   Couple of niggles, but has been looked after.

[davlad22]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Nice one!   Bit of luxury  

When you say, needed the tailgate and roof doing? as in what?

Hopefully the one you've bought hasn't been crashed as many times as the ex-plod  

[matt]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Nice one!   Bit of luxury  

When you say, needed the tailgate and roof doing? as in what?

Hopefully the one you've bought hasn't been crashed as many times as the ex-plod  

Roof had holes and need of respray, tailgate similar need of respray - not a big deal, just like the lots of tattiness inside - was rather more than just put radio, fascia and cover a few screw holes.  In short it looked tired - enough to turn into more of a project than I want.

OTOH the 97 one I got, err here:  http://www.omegaowners.com/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1188311238  

No smoke, even from cold, lots of recipts, excellent bodywork.  A lot sharper and tighter than my tired 2.0 CDX, which is now donor vehicle.  

Just need to sort aircon/climate...  I have working aircon on my old 2.0 CDX, so long as the bits are compatible...

It has a very slight whine... doesnt' sound far back enough for the diff, and does it in neutral too, so don't think auto box.  road speed related though.