Since the dawn of time, cop cars have been the source of both fear and envy when appearing in the rearview mirror. After all, they get cop motors, cop tires, cop suspension, and a Motorola, which nobody can out-run. Today's 1995 Chevy Caprice seeks to level the playing field, and even comes with three pedals and a stick. Its price however, may stick it to the buyer.
You kind of have to feel sorry for our brothers in law enforcement. Their rides of choice - from both Chevy and more recently Ford, have all gone the way of Buford T Justice. These days instead of the vast expanse of a Caprice 9C1 or Crown Vic PI, they have to squeeze their long arms - and vast waists - of the law into comparatively tiny Dodge Chargers or front-wheel drive Impalas and Tauri. Your local constabulary or the Highway Patrol have an aversion to buying used, leaving a large number of what they really want for those of us more likely to ride in back of such cars than in the front.
Those such cars include this , which is not only left the factory with civil service in mind, but has since seen its 4L60E transmission exchanged for a 6-speed (probably a Tremec T-56 or 6060) and a clutch pedal to keep the brake and go pedal company.
In front of that is the 260-horse iron block and heads LT1, which has proven to be a pretty solid base for even more pursuing ponies. Evidence underhood of this being a 9C1 edition are the pistachio green coolant hoses, the color of which indicates those being heavy duty all-silicone units, sort of like Pam Anderson's arresting chesticals. New parts include the Optispark and water pump. Also, the braking system has received a slew of newness.
The cop suspension on this Caprice has seen some off-duty work, and now sports lowered Eibach springs and monroe shocks. Attached at the ends of all that are a set of what are described as custom slotted wheels with Firestone 500 rubber wrapped around them. I don't know what the point is of custom wheels on a car emulating a cop look as their black paint and dog dish center caps still look like every car that's ever pulled me over.
That po-po posing continues up on the body where the monotone white paint covers what looks like a solid, mar-free body. Going against the cop theme a bit are a grille and trunk-lid lip that come from the venerated Impala SS. Other than that, it looks like something Joe Friday would call his office three-days on, two off.
Of course the only thing leather on which Joe ever rested his ass was his SOB holster, but with Roadmaster seats covered in the stuff, you can pretend you're one of those fancy cops from CSI who seem to have both unlimited budgets and pithy quips. In addition to the Buick butt benches there's a Blazer console so the ball-topped six speed has something more than just carpet to poke through. It does look like that may be tall enough to cock block your shifting elbow, but that may just be the angle of the dangle in the photo. The rest of the interior is typical ‘90s civilian Chevy without so much as a spit shield to make you feel cop-acetic.
When you were a kid you probably played cops and robbers, and while both roles had their pros and cons (see what I did there?), having had this Caprice as your weapon of choice may have made the law enforcement side of the equation a lot more appealing. The question of course is whether or not it still is, now that you're no longer just playing. That means it's time to put to a vote this 6-speed 9C1's $4,900 price tag, and see if you think that is worth adding it to your line up. Or if that's just not enough evidence to indite it.
You decide!
or go if the ad disappears.
H/T to Rhen Belz for the hookup!
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