Oct 2023. Blues Vol 39 No. 10

The 03 had 165,000 miles

The 03 had 165,000 miles on it and I had it for 15 years. it was dependable, easy to service and handled great. The only two reasons I replaced it was that Ford would not sell me one in 08 so I went to the 17 Expedition in 2018 and I needed more room for grandchildren. • I loved the old Crown Vics. Very rarely was the phrase “down your car” used when we had them in the fleet. And nothing will ever take a speed bump the way they could. • The ability to quickly turn around on violators. All you had to do was pull over, come to a quick stop, turn the wheels to the left and then PUNCH it! The rear-wheel drive would spin you 180 degrees in a split second and you were in pursuit and gaining ground as compared to today’s all-wheel drive Explorers. • As a retired California Highway Patrol sergeant, I can only speak highly of the Ford Crown Victoria. For the bulk of my career, the Crown Vic was the 102 The BLUES primary patrol vehicle used by the CHP. It was comfortable, reliable, functional and durable. It performed well in virtually all conditions and was easy to get in and out of, an important issue with all of the gear we wore on duty. I personally loved the car so much that I owned one for a number of years and recently bought a 2011 Mercury Grand Marquis, a cousin of the Crown Vic, because no other car in the market today has the same qualities that this Ford product possesses. I disagree with the belief that full-size cars like the Crown Vic will no longer sell well. It’s been over a decade since a true full-size car has been available to the public. As a result, SUVs and minivans have been the only vehicles that could come close to replacing the full-size car market. The revival of a reliable, affordable and comfortable fullsize car that provides solid, economical performance, and built with quality parts and materials, would be a tremendous product in a market barren of such a vehicle. Bring back the Vic! • The A/C was almost too powerful, which was perfect for hot days in an under-the-shirt vest. The way they feel when you are flipping around on someone is unmatched by the all-wheel drive SUVs. When you were in a fight and backup was a block away, the sound of the V8 on high RPMs is like the sound of angels. • I loved the reliability. I was an MS Highway Patrol Trooper and, although not the fastest thing out there, the Crown Vic was tough as nails. We have a takehome agency, so if your unit went down, you were borrowing your partner’s unit. That was the worst thing EVER. Turn the key, put her in drive, and you were 10-8. I drove one from 1993-2011 when I was issued a Tahoe, which I also LOVED. Then, in late 2019, was issued an Explorer. After about a week, I requested my 2011 Tahoe with 250,000+ miles on it back. Hated the Explorer.

• The Crown Vic was over and above our other police zone cars in Cleveland, Ohio in my opinion. You would not lose us on cornering, through alleys and around curves. It really held the road. Even with 100K miles on them, they had a comfortable ride that was appreciated. In all, it outperformed ALL other makes and models. • As the fleet got older, the new officers would always want to drive the new Explorers and would leave me (one of the older cops) with the older Crown Vics (which made me very happy – they had no business driving my car). Neither the rookies, nor their fancy Explorers, could outperform us. I ran the FB page and since I drove Cruiser 28, it was the most photographed cruiser on our page. Cruiser 28 had its own following on the page (Out and About With Cruiser 28) and many even thought our department only had one vehicle. We even posted a retirement video when it was retired: • I’ve had 2 Crown Vics, 2001 and 2006. I still have the 2006, they were both retired police. My first one my dad bought me before he passed away in 2010. It was a black and white and fully loaded minus the radio and cage but it had everything else. It was a very fun car to drive. I used it for the fire department when I was on the fire department but unfortunately, that one got totaled in a car accident when an old lady pulled in for me. Then I bought another one. It was all white. It was fully loaded with everything except the radio. I used it as well for the fire department. It has been a very dependable car. • It was just an awesome police vehicle. It held the road and was extremely durable. I worked the Interstate on a highway interdiction team, and each of my Vic’s dependable and very few offenders got away! • I was in law enforcement for over 40 years and I drove a lot of vehicles. The Crown Vic was bomb-proof. Cops are hard on vehicles and having a bunch of different drivers makes a new vehicle old in no time. The Crown Vic was tough, reliable and had the get-up-and-go that cops needed. I was sad to see it go. • I’m still driving a 2010. They are comfortable to sit in, handle very well and have a lot of cabin and trunk space. They were true workhorses that could flat get down the road. The BLUES 103