Recently retired emergency service and law enforcement vehicles can represent an excellent prospect for those seeking a classic to park in their garage. They are typically maintained to an extremely high standard because reliability is essential when the chips are down. That makes this 2009 Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor worth a close look. It has 70,000 miles on the clock and has led a sheltered life in a dry climate. It presents exceptionally well and is a turnkey prospect for its new owner. I must say a big thank you to Barn Finder PRA4SNW for spotting the Crown Vic listed here on eBay in Simi Valley, California. The seller set their BIN at $15,450 with the option to make an offer.
This Police Interceptor formed part of the Second Generation Crown Victoria range, released for the 1998 model year. The Crown Vic served law enforcement agencies effectively until Ford stopped taking orders for new vehicles in 2011. This Interceptor was assigned to the State of California Probate Division in 2009, serving as an administrative vehicle. What makes it unusual is the paint shade: this car wears Smokestone Metallic rather than the typical Black or White. The listing indicates that close inspection will reveal minor imperfections, but with the paint holding a deep shine and the panels as straight as an arrow, it makes a positive first impression. Considering the car’s age and location, I would expect it to be rust-free. The seller recently replaced the headlights, the license plate bracket, and the center caps with OEM components. They also installed dark window tint to give this Ford a menacing appearance.
Powering this Crown Victoria is Ford’s 4.6-liter “Modular” V8. In standard form, this motor generated 224hp and 272 ft/lbs of torque, providing pretty respectable performance. However, the V8 received upgrades for law enforcement duties, including blue silicone hoses for improved reliability. The result was a boost in power and torque to 250hp and 297 ft/lbs. The V8’s power is delivered to the rear end via a four-speed automatic transmission and an aluminum driveshaft, a unique Interceptor feature. The seller recently sent the throttle body for servicing and recalibration, and fitted four new 17″ Goodyear Eagle pursuit-rated tires. The Crown Vic has 70,000 miles on the clock, and because law enforcement agencies follow a “money is no object” maintenance philosophy, it should provide years of reliable motoring service. The new owner could fly in and drive this turnkey classic home.
One of the most welcome surprises when assessing this Crown Victoria is its interior presentation. Vehicles of this type often lead hard lives, and interior trim and plastic suffer as a result. However, the inside of this Ford is extremely tidy. The back seat features the typical vinyl upholstery, which is free of wear, while the cloth front buckets are excellent. The heavy-duty vinyl floor mat is amazing, with no rips or other problems. Even the wheel looks remarkable, and this Interceptor retains its original partition between the front and back seats. As you might expect, the interior isn’t lavishly equipped. However, the buyer receives airbags, air conditioning, power windows, power locks, a tilt wheel, and an AM/FM stereo radio.
This 2009 Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor presents nicely, and the bulletproof mechanical components should provide the new owner with years of reliable motoring. However, the quality that helps it to stand out for me is the paint shade. With so many of these vehicles finished in White or Black, the Smokestone Metallic exterior is a welcome change. The seller’s BIN figure is above the market average for an Interceptor, but the listing statistics suggest it has grabbed the attention of quite a few people. Would this be a classic that you would consider parking in your garage?
Ford took the silicone hose to infamy lol.
A 10% boost in power just by putting in some blue silicone hoses?
Where can I get ’em?
Do they make these hoses for my 2.0 Turbo Malibu? Would love the extra power lol.
It just increases my paranoia, like seeing a police car in my rear view mirror,,another “donut getter”, or someone higher up than a mere officer,,,to get donuts with, because these led a tough life, even as an unmarked cruiser. Usually the last on the scene with the outlining chalk, thanks Adam, I could have gone the rest of my days without seeing another, it was by far, the most popular police car of my trucking era. The red and blue lights were cleverly concealed behind the grill. Even rode in the back a time or two, oh relax, nothing serious, some silly trucking infraction, oh Lordy help us, he’s over on driving hours,,,sorry, once a trooper asked me on one of my many stops, young kid, doing his job, when the stop as finished, he kiddingly asked me, “is it true you truckers get all the women”? I said,”how many donuts do you guys really eat”? We both had a chuckle proving they are human too.
Great cars, NONE better, and that’s a fact! They had to be to catch those renegade truckers!!
I haven’t voiced this much, but I’ve always wanted one of these—just like this one–as a daily driver. Parts are everywhere (still!) and generally speaking they ride nice. This one is clean as a whistle and probably won’t last long. However, in today’s market with gas prices what they are, many who might want to bid will have second thoughts. $85-$100 to fill the tank? Oooof! That hurts!
I WANT IT!!! Would be a way to
honor the memory of my late nephew who was restoring a 2000 model at the time of his passing in 2022. And although his wasn’t as nice as this one, it
could’ve been had he lived long
enough to get the job done. I recall going with him to Old Town
for their weekend cruises. He would turn on his red and blue light bars and have the theme from COPS playing on his stereo
as we cruised around the square.
We got him an empty Dunkin Donuts box to use as a prop for
all the crowd to see. He used to
put it on the dashboard just before cruise time. Another time
during the Christmas Parade in ’21, the Winter Haven PD was short a cruiser to direct traffic so
Andrew told them that he had a
retired cruiser in really good shape they could use to block off
part of a side street to help with
traffic control on the parade route. And to his surprise, they
took him up on it. So here comes
Andrew, pulling up in his cruiser.
Lights flashing and smiling ear to
ear! You see, Andrew had a learning disability and that night
meant the world to him. He let the officer position the car where
they needed it to be. And for that
we got the best seats along the
parade route. After the parade, we shook hands with the officers
and thanked them for making
Andrew’s night. A little more than
a month later, he was gone. I am now reminded of Andrew every time I see one of these. I wish I had the money to buy it. RIP
Andrew, you are sorely missed.
I’d like to buy, although I think the ask is a bit high. Looks to be in great shape, though.
My understanding is that these are roughly Mercury Marauders in plain-wrap, and that was one heckuva car. They handled better than any big boat-on-wheels had any right to, were still magnificent long-distance cruisers, and had lots of urge to boot.
My desire is totally irrational: I don’t need a giant ground-pounder like this one, and would probably never even fill the trunk to capacity. Fillups would be a pain, too.
Ford ruled the animal kingdom with the Panthers and Foxes.
Interesting- A full interceptor package for what sounds like an ordinary motor pool vehicle. I notice also it has the rub rails on the front doors. Typically they were left off police vehicles so the logo decals could be put on.
As a retired officer, I can tell you the reason for the Interceptor package is that unmarked vehicles are all purchased as part of the marked fleet group. So, they’re also Interceptors same as the marked cars. Of course they can be specified in different colors and minor add-on options, but the basic vehicle is exactly the same.
Lest anyone think buying unmarked cars with the Interceptor package is a waste of tax dollars, they are actually cheaper to buy as part of the larger fleet purchase.
This one will help clear out the hammer lane for ya!
Add some cheap blue reflectors hanging off the rear-view mirrors that catch the light just right, for the driver ahead. Bull bars would be even better.
For the hours and hassle you’d save on the Interstate, it’s a bargain.
Nah, sharp observers will note they stopped using Crown Vics years ago. It’s those Dodge Chargers to look out for now,,
I loved my Black Charger with the cop wheels and hub caps attached to it in the winter.
Driving in the left lane, the seas always parted to let me through.
My mentor while I was flying (flight instructor, past pilot for Braniff, current owner/operator/head pilot for a jet charter service flying mostly Cessna Citations) had a couple of Crown Vic police interceptors over the years that we were associated. He would not willingly give up on those easily. One day as we were transiting the 435 loop around KC at ridiculous speed, he expounded on why he liked them so much. “You’re in one of these, you’re basically invisible, Bob”.
Over the years I had had 4 of these cars, starting with a 90, then a 96 with an 03 Grand Marquis. The last one was an 08 and if I had bought that one first it would have been the last one I ever bought, It was an ex patrol car like the 90 and 96 were. While it was a hard runner and cornered like it was on rails, the ride was rough and it only got 19 mpg on its best day. That was a little better than the 90 but way behind the 20 plus the 96 got and the 25 plus the 03 got. I just sold the 08 last month after owning it for 11 years so for the first time since 1997 I have no CVs. If I could find a nice one local and for a good price I might have to buy it.
Had an ‘03 unmarked Detectives car, Ice Blue, with full cloth interior and carpeting. It was one of the most reliable cars I ever owned. Super easy to maintain…and EVERYBODY moved over out of the left lane whenever I was on the highway. Sold it after she cleared 200k miles because she started to rust at the top of the windshield and water would leak in on the D/seat and then come winter, it would crack the windshield. Great car, damn near bulletproof drivetrain and they rode fantastic.
Something that I learned in a recent related BF article is that this generation taxi (commercial heavy duty) had a 6 inch extended wheelbase. They are known as P70, and I thought that police interceptors also had this extended wheelbase. I searched for a decent interceptor and came up with this one. That’s when I found out that these did not come as a P70, but are known as P71.
So, the search goes on for a P70 – I’m not sure how hard they are to find in decent shape.
That is a noble quest, sir. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a mint, low mileage taxi. Some people have restored Checkers, but beyond that, you don’t see even restored taxis very frequently, if at all
As nice as it is…and it is, for me not having cruise control would be a deal breaker. The power seat would be nice. My ’06 P71 had both and it made a huge difference as I drove a lot of interstate miles.
Well, I remember back in the 1970s when I had my first 1965 Cadillac one of the things I put it with the bumper sticker it said quite simply “bad cop no doughnut”.
I did get stopped many many times, but maybe the three batteries, the two alternators and 186 lights had a little bit to do with it.
What would I have done if they had LEDs back then OMG!
Some of youse will actually believe the reporter…. blue hoses add 10% power…..da da da….
this isn’t quite a classic car yet as in most states a car is considered classic at 25 yrs old while this ex is 17 yrs old. I’ve always had a soft spot for the Crown Victoria because my dad and some other family members of ours were police officers and that was the standard cop car in Massachusetts until 2017
In Pennsylvania a Classic car is 10 years old but not just because it’s 10 years old. An antique car is 25 years old.
A classic car still needs to get a regular inspection and an antique tag needs no inspection or renewal in Pennsylvania. I have three antique vehicles.
I see a great base for a vintage Ford truck build. Its a great platform to start with, and upgrades are plentiful.
Seems like a less expensive way to get there with this CV being in such clean condition. Should be relatively easy to get some back from those nice CV part to offset the cost of the build.