Styleforum › Forums › Lifestyle › Fine Living, Home, Design & Auto › Police car look-alikes?
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Police car look-alikes?

post #1 of 32
9/24/07 at 10:06am
Thread Starter 
Truck ran into the back of my car at an intersection. My car is still driveable, but not worthy of being repaired, according to the truck driver's insurance company. While my car was being inspected, I rented a white Pontiac Grand Prix and discovered that other drivers kept their distances and appeared to drive more carefully around me. Never was happier driving. (People around here drive as though they had nine lives, I see at least one accident a day, and only spend a total of under an hour/day on the roads.) I will assume it was due to their thinking I was the police.

While I do not want to buy an Impala, a Crown Victoria or a car quite as large as a Pontiac Grand Prix, are there cars I should consider or other features one can legally install on one's car that will bring doubt into people's minds?

Thank you for any suggestions,

Tired of Being tailgated.
Reply
Reply
post #2 of 32
9/24/07 at 10:41am
Spotlights, grille protector should do the trick.

Used to own a Crown Vic police interceptor edition that still had the spotlights on it. Definitely gets a little more respect on the road.
Reply
Reply
post #3 of 32
9/24/07 at 11:11am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by mbc View Post
Spotlights, grille protector should do the trick.

Used to own a Crown Vic police interceptor edition that still had the spotlights on it. Definitely gets a little more respect on the road.

Thank you. I am actually still somewhat toying with the idea of getting a Crown Victoria, despite its size. What is your experience with that car?

What about antennas as an accessory?
Reply
Reply
post #4 of 32
9/24/07 at 12:05pm
Windshield pillar spotlights are not legal for private cars in most states.

Police cars usually have painted steel wheels with hubcaps rather than
alloy rims. You could try that.

You could also get a vanity license plate with only three or four numbers
centered in the middle.
Reply
Reply
post #5 of 32
9/24/07 at 12:06pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fabienne View Post
Truck ran into the back of my car at an intersection. My car is still driveable, but not worthy of being repaired, according to the truck driver's insurance company. While my car was being inspected, I rented a white Pontiac Grand Prix and discovered that other drivers kept their distances and appeared to drive more carefully around me. Never was happier driving. (People around here drive as though they had nine lives, I see at least one accident a day, and only spend a total of under an hour/day on the roads.) I will assume it was due to their thinking I was the police.

While I do not want to buy an Impala, a Crown Victoria or a car quite as large as a Pontiac Grand Prix, are there cars I should consider or other features one can legally install on one's car that will bring doubt into people's minds?

Thank you for any suggestions,

Tired of Being tailgated.

If it has gotten to the point where you honestly, seriously believe personating a police car is the only way to not die in a brutal car crash, then it's probably time for you to move.
Reply
Reply
post #6 of 32
9/24/07 at 2:09pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Violinist View Post
If it has gotten to the point where you honestly, seriously believe personating a police car is the only way to not die in a brutal car crash, then it's probably time for you to move.

Or get a hummer. Just think how much you could bling it out, Fab! You could put like 40" spinners on one of those babies.
Reply
Reply
post #7 of 32
9/24/07 at 2:18pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Violinist View Post
If it has gotten to the point where you honestly, seriously believe personating a police car is the only way to not die in a brutal car crash, then it's probably time for you to move.

Where did she say it's "the only way"? I don't think wearing a selt belt is "the only way" to avoid dying in a brutal car crash, but that doesn't mean there's no point in doing so.
Reply
Reply
post #8 of 32
9/24/07 at 3:20pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by lawyerdad View Post
Where did she say it's "the only way"? I don't think wearing a selt belt is "the only way" to avoid dying in a brutal car crash, but that doesn't mean there's no point in doing so.

she's advocating impersonating a police officer... that sounds pretty screwy. Like I said, if you're willing to buy a police car (or something that looks like it), just to feel safe, then it's time to move.
Reply
Reply
post #9 of 32
9/24/07 at 3:45pm
Reply
Reply
post #10 of 32
9/24/07 at 4:07pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by VMan View Post

That looks like a drug dealer's car, and probably is.
Reply
Reply
post #11 of 32
9/24/07 at 5:19pm

Black Crown Vic with steel caps, and the black bars on the front. Obviously you'd need to not have lights on the bar. You can always stick a whole ton of useless antennae on the back window and get all the windows tinted up.

JB
Reply
Reply
post #12 of 32
9/24/07 at 5:49pm
Several observations:

Which state are you in? Different states and municipalities used different unmarked Police vehicles. Here in NYC the highway patrol uses grey or white Crown Victorias.
I am not aware of Pontiac Grand Prix (White or otherwise) iused by any Police Department in fleet capacity.

If your other car was smaller and "less-intimidating", something like a Honda Civic 4-door, other drivers may have started to give you more room when you drove a larger car. Especially drivers of smaller cars.

If you really like you can actually purchase a used genuine Crown Victoria Police Interceptor. If you look carefully at what the car service/cab companys are driving in your town you will see quite a few of these. There is not much difference between the standard Crown Vic and the Police Interceptor package.

Recently, a lot of police departments are switching to smaller US made cars from the Crown Vic. In NYC there are some unmarked grey late model Chevy Impalas. It is a smaller car than the Crown Vic and used ones loose value quickly.


Overall, if you want more respect on the road you either need to drive a more intimidating car or drive more aggresively, something you may not be interested in doing.
Reply
Reply
post #13 of 32
9/24/07 at 5:56pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by DarkNWorn View Post
That looks like a drug dealer's car, and probably is.

That's actually an Impala SS (1994-96) that is unlikely to have belonged to a drug dealer due to being too conspicous. Police throughout US used a mechanically identical but plainer looking (as well as less expensive) version of Chevy Caprice.

Fabienne, I think you should post your next car budget and the forum can vote for the meanest car in that price range.
Reply
Reply
post #14 of 32
9/24/07 at 6:09pm
In CT and Mass cops frequently use black Ford Explorers. Tinted, with a fair amount of antanae mounted. I would suggest that.
Reply
Reply
post #15 of 32
9/24/07 at 6:25pm
You could always go President Bush motorcade style and throw some bars and antennae on a black Tahoe or Suburban-


JB
Reply
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
Styleforum › Forums › Lifestyle › Fine Living, Home, Design & Auto › Police car look-alikes?