Neums' 1986 Chicago PD project

[neums]

wow:jawdrop: that is beautiful! If you dont mid me asking, how much money do have budgeted for the this thing.

I paid $2500 for the car, and I have another $7500 to budget for the restoration. It took me 10 years to collect all the parts for the lightbar and siren, don't remember what I paid for them, but probably about $350 to $400. I actually turned down an offer of $2000 from a collector after he saw my lightbar. Somebody on copcar.com pointed out to me that the lightbar is probably worth more than the car; he's probably right too. They are VERY rare.

[hemihotrod402]

sweet, cant wait to see more of the progress. Nice find!

[marquisman]

nice, copcar.com is a cool site. first time i saw a box diecast model. the site also reminded me of a 81 dodge st.regis ex black and white cop car in the local yard. them cars are cool with the funky hide-a-way clear light covers.

[neums]

I just got an offer to use the car in a commercial this weekend. Too bad I have to turn it down. I haven't installed the door weatherstripping, bumper fillers, or window trim. Without the window trim, there is nothing to hold the lightbar to the roof. Also, my gas tank sprung a leak and the new one hasn't arrived yet.
Would have been fun though. Shooting is in downtown Chicago with a couple of my buddies who have box Caprice copcars.

[1987cp]

Hey, that would be fun. What sort of commercials would be using squarebody Chicago cop cars?

[neums]

Hey, that would be fun. What sort of commercials would be using squarebody Chicago cop cars?

Don't know. I'll find out Sunday though.

[packman]

Depending on what company is filming the commercial, you might not have to turn it down. They might have people that can fix the lights on the roof so that it will stay there. Like you said, you'll find out Sunday. You have a nice car, so I won't be surprised to see it on TV one day.



Packman

[neums]

Some pictures from the commercial shoot:


My two friends (Doug on the left is not a cop but plays one on TV! & Chris who is a CPD cop). Unfortunately, my LTD was in no condition to drive into Chicago for this. New gas tank hasn't arrived yet and bumper fillers are still off of the car. The commercial is for "PODI" shoes.

[trwp72]

At least your not rushing things on the resto... I will probably NOT get my "baby" LTD to this years show, as I have more than I can do before then... And the Navy has cut all of our over time out, which is another $300.00 a month I WAS getting... Which was going into the resto... We are still hoping they let us go back to the old schedule, (with the overtime) But it doen't look too promising. Soooo The 84 will probably take another year to get done... unless I just get super lucky... At least the 91 is ready to go... Should be getting the upper H.O. plenum and throttle boddy on it next week... Then it will be good to go!

[neums]

Money really isn't the problem with my restoration. To do it right, things have to be done in a certain order and that takes time. First, find all the parts. Second, get it painted. Next, get the bumpers plated and the trim polished or anodized. Then the dash needs to be switched before I can install the rest of the interior... A certain CPD seargent who we both know thinks I should just slap a paintjob on it, put on decals and the lightbar, then start taking it to shows. The rest could be done later, but I don't think its the right way to restore a car. For instance, why put ugly old trim back on a freshly painted car if I'm only going to replace it with better pieces later? I'd rather wait for the nicer parts to be completed even if it means finishing the car a few months later.

[neums]

Finally saw the commercial. My buddy Chris even got some camera time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmcGdBjQgQA

[91grandmarquis]

Theres a 90 P72 sitting in the junkyard around here with blue interior Im eyballing the speedo. To bad your dash parts wont fit, Ill keep an eye out for ya though.

[1987cp]

I thought your Crown Vic was in the commercial?

Goofy commercial, but it must have been a ton of fun for the guys to get to drive around on the street with their lights flashing.

[neums]

I got the car somewhat back together and took it to a car show yesterday. Spent the last two weekends installing a rubber floor, blue headliner, seatbelts, package tray, all blue trim, door panels and a few other parts. Found out the hard way that the B-pillar interior cover from a '88 will not work on earlier cars. It seems that the seatbelts were attached to the B-pillar about a inch higher in '88-'91. I went to a wrecking yard and compared the two different B-pillar covers and they are different; the slot that the seatbelt runs through is lower on the earlier cars. Grabbed a couple of parts from a '87 Grand Marquis, dyed them when I got home, and everything works right now. This weekend I'll be attaching the rubber door side strips.

[Paul_]

The car looks awesome!