1968 Ford Galaxie Police Cruiser...Vintage Pix

[thunderbirdlver]

i love history. thanks for sharing! one sweet car!

[Enigma]

I sure wish the public could purchase new Police Interceptors today. If so, I'd have one sittin' in the garage.

You can. My real estate agent had one. You just have to be in the right place at the right time, and knowing the dealer doesn't hurt any either. It's all about networking.

By the way, it's kinda funny how, in the fifth photo from the top, that old light blue Chrysler, or whatever it is sitting next to the garage, is already looking like an old hulk, but it's probably not even 10 years old. Cars seemed to age really fast back then for some reason.

For one, the mind set of the consumer was a new car every 2-3 years, so why make a car that will last longer than that.
Secondly, 1958 technology wasn't the best. No UV protection in the paint. No clear coats. And what did you need corrosion protection for.? You were getting a new car in 2 years anyway.
Hell, back then we were slathering oil on our bodies and laying out in the sun all summer long. Look where than got us.

[TomO]

You can. My real estate agent had one. You just have to be in the right place at the right time, and knowing the dealer doesn't hurt any either. It's all about networking.

I'd really like to know some more details on this subject. Like, what would be a specific example of how you could go about getting a new one. I know that networking can be advantageous from a variety of standpoints, but specifically, what needs to happen? Like, do you need to get a dealer to break the rules for you, or do you need to tack on an order with a police department, or would either work? What would be the best way if I don't know a dealer?

For one, the mind set of the consumer was a new car every 2-3 years, so why make a car that will last longer than that. Secondly, 1958 technology wasn't the best. No UV protection in the paint. No clear coats. And what did you need corrosion protection for.? You were getting a new car in 2 years anyway. Hell, back then we were slathering oil on our bodies and laying out in the sun all summer long. Look where than got us.

Yeah, I remember that everyone seemed to get a new car about every 5 years or so, and cars really seemed to rust out and otherwise deteriorate quickly. I remember my grandfather bought a new '59 Pontiac, then a new '66, then a new '70, then a new '75. My parents were pretty much the same.

I also remember that during the 60's and 70's, a 10-year old car seemed really old. That is, you just didn't see very many cars on the road more than 10 or 15 years old, except maybe in very low-income areas or maybe rural areas. Most of the ones you saw were rusted and some were rusted really badly. My uncle gave me a '66 Malibu when I graduated from high school in '77. So, it was only 11 years old, but it seemed ancient. The engine burned oil, the trunk floor was completely rusted out and there were rusted out areas behind all the wheel openings. It didn't even have 100,000 miles on it, as I recall.

By contrast, it seems like 10-year old cars are all over the place today. Not only that, but even 20-year old cars don't really seem that old. And most of them are in really nice shape compared with a 10 year old car back in the 60's.

I bought an '86 Mustang GT brand new and drove it until this past summer. It had 300,000 miles on it when I got rid of it and it didn't have one spot of rust on it. It still had the original clutch in it too. I never really thought about that car as being old, but when I drove my daughter to school, kids would often tell me what a cool old car it was. Then I'd think back to when I was in school in the 60's and what it would have been like for my dad to have had a 22-year old car back then. Like a 40's Ford? That would have really been old.

[Nathan in MI]

The car was new in the photos -- so was it owned by a law enforcement agency, or could the public purchase police vehicles back then?

He was able to buy this car brand new because his brother was a Ford exec at the time and was able to arrange a few mistakes.

By the way, it's kinda funny how, in the fifth photo from the top, that old light blue Chrysler, or whatever it is sitting next to the garage, is already looking like an old hulk, but it's probably not even 10 years old. Cars seemed to age really fast back then for some reason.

Yeah, that was a '58 Chrysler that had been given to my dad by someone he knew. Apparently the guy that owned it before him was a great big fat guy, so the driver's seat was sagged out really badly. lol It had a good running 392 hemi in it, which, when Dad gave it to a friend of his, his friend removed before junking the car. Whatever became of the engine, I have no idea.

[1987cp]

That does have some weird hose stuff on it. What on earth could that silver canister-looking thing in front of the air cleaner be, sitting there with a big hose running right through it? And then there's the equally-unidentifiable cad-plated whatzit poking out of the passenger side firewall ....