Projects My 55 Ford Mainline Police Car...(revised)

All I am going to is that just like the belonged to a famous individual, won a major race, Special edition or some of the other "adds value to an otherwise normal car" documentation is everything.
That is documentation of special equipment like the interceptor engine, Police speedometer that was common for a number of years if it was in use with that model.
Documentation as to what police, sheriff's department or highway patrol outfit it belonged to.

Then we get to correct police equipment for the department it was used in. Plus correct paint job.

Value once authenticated would be determined by guys who actually collect police cars and are serously into them.
Value with this group runs more towards How bad someone needs that really nice nose and bumpers to put on their two door or how bad they want a Y block to put in a project. Cop cars don't have a lot of extra value to most of the guys here.

 

Not a real Police car. The Idaho State Police had a white two stripe kind of what is on your 1955, but not an Idaho car either,
Someone mounted a light on top and placed the white stripe on it and called it a Police car.
Even Barney would laugh at it.

 

I wouldn't waste too much effort with this guy. You know that 'used' feeling. From his bio on his own website:

 

Sounds like a lot, but thems 'Canadian Dollars'. Round down, round way down..................

 

Based on past experience, do the rear doors only open from the outside?

 

I don’t know...12,000 CAD still appears to be about $9500 USD.

 

But does it have a working siren? If so, I might be in

 

Welcome to the HAMB! More bullshit than you can scoop with a number 14 scoop. I had a 56 ford cheep hardtop I put a 56 police interceptor in. Then added dual quads and mallory ignition. Have fun with your interceptor, Henry scheffler Harlan Iowa

 

someone mentioned easy to change valve covers a hell of a lot easier to just put on decals of choice.the neece neville (sp) would have maybe helped along with the holes.but in the end it is a 4 door no more

 

$298

 

No $199.99 !

 

Even 2 bills...beat that!

Wait, I'll go 210 if the siren works.

 

$214.00 if the tires hold air !

 

I'm out...

 

Dan Matthews would say, "Twenty-one-fifty, Bye..."
The head Pharoah in this town drives a cloned cop car, a '54 Ford Mainline. Very complete cloning, just a couple of missed points. (tires & spotlights)
Still, a head turner. ("Phuzz???")

 

Just call the cops...

 

Very likely a clone.... Ford offered 'police packages' to fleet buyers, but it's also possible that the municipality purchased the car locally from a dealer as a 'standard' Ford. If the motor is original, it's probably a 272 4-V (only available in '55), very popular with the police and they did have a 'police special' version of that motor not available to the general public. The 292 was generally restricted to the T-bird in '55. The 'true' police package would have the Dana rear axle as well as the B-W T85 w/OD manual trans; the 'regular' Ford sedan would have had the T86 trans and Salisbury rear axle. Very few were built with AM radios, those usually went to the higher-ups and they had unmarked cars. Police-band radio cars could still be a bit of a rarity in some areas, if Spokane still had call boxes a lack of radio gear would be normal.

There are Police Car collectors, but documentation and correctness is critical to prove their pedigree. Without that, it's just an old Ford 4-dr...

 

Wow I totally misunderstood this website function... I actually drove the car to the spokane police museum and had it authenticated so it is an authentic police vehicle.

 

This being a hot rod site you're getting opinions fron a hot rodders perspective. Id say you would have better luck over at fordbarn.com. They focus on stock Ford vehicles. Might find someone in the late v8 forum whos into police cars. Just a thought.

 

I have authenticated the vehicle with the spokane police museum it is a supervisor's car for the sheriffs dept

 

Ohh I didn't know that. Thank you for your info.

 

I respect your opinion. I actually should change that reading it makes me cringe.

 

That still doesn't mean it's a police-option pursuit vehicle. Not every vehicle purchased by a police department is a pursuit vehicle, they do buy 'regular' vehicles for non-pursuit purposes. If it has the pursuit bits on it (Dana axle, HD trans, 'certified' speedo) it would be the real deal. Being a 'supervisors' car does explain the AM radio though but also make it less likely to be a pursuit car. If it lacks any of that, then having a really good paper trail will be needed to 'prove' it.

And even if it does prove out as real, the specialty market for these is pretty small. There are collectors, but they're more used to paying auction prices...

Posting up a pic of the data plate on the drivers door post would help.

 

im pretty sure the axle has been changed unfortunately but it does have the cert 120 mph speedo instead of the 110 consumer variant, and has the 3 speed manual with overdrive

 

I appreciate your recommendation! Im normally a modifier but this was such a cool find I couldn't turn it down. been a fun project restoring it.

 

haha yes it does

 

Well the rear doors currently dont open or close at all because im replacing the door locks lol.

 

I think some of you owe him an apology. Nice car by the way. I like it.

 

Ah that's ok man, I know forums have their own etiquette and I blundered right into it. The color combo on your truck is bitchin! Its an oddball car, everyone assumes its fake because of the weird as hell setup but It makes me giggle and ive never had a car bring as many smiles before

 

This is an interesting thread. My uncle was a county deputy in Michigan for years . They had a policy that they bought their own cars and they were required to trade them in every 3 years and the county paid for the use of the cars.
So they could basically buy whatever brand they wanted and what was the fastest cars that were available. In 1961 he bought a bright red Ford Starliner with a 390 with 3 two barrels and a stick with overdrive. In 64 he bought a blue Catalina 2 door with a 421 tri power 4 speed. In 67 he bought a 67 Belair with a 390 hp 427. Those 67-69 Chevys with factory 427 's were quite popular in Michigan. I have seen several Biscayne 4 doors ordered like that.
So you never know what a county police dept. would use as a cop car. In 1962 my family was going to Florida to visit my brother who was in the Air Force. We got stopped for speeding and that Ga. cop was driving a 409 Impala. I was just getting to know about high performance factory built cars. So I thought it was cool we got pulled over by a hot rod cop car.
This OP might have one of those one off special ordered cop cars that was not really a fleet car.