It’s not uncommon to run across a Chevy muscle tribute car, like a 1970 Chevelle SS 454 or a 1969 Yenko/SC Camaro. But how often do you find a clone of a 1966 Chevrolet Bel Air cruiser used by the Maine State Police? This is one such car where painstaking efforts have been made to duplicate what the boys in blue drove back in those days. Located in Springfield, Missouri, this time capsule is equipped with the unusual combination of a 396 V8 and a 3-speed manual transmission. It’s available here on eBay for $27,500 or you can hit the Make Offer button if you have another figure in mind.
Throughout the 1960s, the Bel Air would take a back seat to the Impala in terms of creature comforts and sales volume. It was sandwiched between the Impala and the Biscayne as the “everyman’s” kind of car. But these mid-decade Chevies could be ordered with about any powerplant that the GM division produced. That included a 396 cubic-inch Turbo-Jet V8 life in the seller’s Plain Jane Bel Air.
But this is not your ordinary Bel Air. A previous owner took great steps to replicate a 1966 Bel Air Maine State Police cruiser, right down to the equipment and paint/interior selection. It’s hard to tell which 396 is under the hood, but one producing 325 hp was the minimum, and we don’t know if the engine or the 3-on-the-tree manual transmission are original to the auto. But to ensure that the car was as close to the police car as possible, this Bel Air has the radio delete option, manual brakes, and a rubber floor covering. The blue paint and matching interior should be the same as what Officer Friendly had around him/her in 1966.
This car appears to have been for sale at least one other time back in 2014. Then, the car was in Freeport, Maine and the asking price was close to what we see here. The giveaway is that the State Patrol sticker on the windshield in both listings has an identical registration number on it. It was a sleeper in appearance then and still is today.
The seller has made some changes since the earlier listing. It now has front disc brakes (still manually operated), and an aftermarket air conditioning system. The clutch and throw-out bearing have been replaced along with some front-end suspension pieces, and the battery. We’re told the Chevrolet presents and runs extremely well and – being a collector – the seller adds that is one of the nicest driving cars from that era he’s run across. The odometer reads under 50,000 miles, but no one knows if that is accurate or not.
Wouldn’t a police car have 4 doors?
No, often the chief got to order one like this, just because he could. Small town cops, esp., got away with all sorts of mischief. Plus, this makes a great revenue,,,,,, ahh, I mean, speed enforcement vehicle. People saw this without lights and with two doors, and they were fooled, easy pickings for small town hooligans looking for donut money and to keep the local taxes down. I literally got pulled over and fined just outside a little Iowa town years ago for doing 66 in a 65 zone. No shame at all, those cops. Little town speed traps were notorious, esp on a main highway. This was before radar detectors and the internet to alert travelers about such goings on. Such hypocrisy indeed.
why bother with nondescript two doors when you can use a drug seizure Corvette these days to generate rev-er I mean nail speeders?
Some Pursuit Cars Were Two Doors. Later on some states used Mustangs and Camaros. Florida being one. In the mid 70’s Pa. had a few 2 Door Mopars. I found out the Hard way.
My Uncle was a cop in Nassau on Long Island. They patrolled in mid 60s era Ford Custom 2 doors with the 240-6 and 3 on a tree. Didn’t need a V8 in those urbanized areas. About the BelAir, the ones my dad had in that era had full carpet. Biscayne had the rubber floors.
Maine State Police should’ve gone the whole route and ordered Impala hardtops with the base six and Powerglide.
This is and always will be a SLEEPER. Maybe not what all the computer controlled cars are today but REAL HORSEPOWER. (Between 325 /375) I’m sure it could still surprise a few today, AND if all else fails……. NOTHING TODAY SOUNDS LIKE A BIG BLOCK RUMBLE
This will make someone a very comfortable cruiser. I like the add-on AC. If you can drive a column-shift, you can drive anything.
I do like this car, and do like the presentation: Rubber floors, 396, a three-on-the-tree! I am in!
OK isn’t the sticker on the window a state issued safety inspection sticker yearly applied by the State Police on every legally registered car in Maine? It is not a State Police owned vehicle identification, he is not using that as the cloned police car ploy, is he? . Yes many states used 2 doors for patrol,
This car was listed with Goldenrod Garage in Maine for quite some time until the owner passed and the inventory was sold off. I missed buying it by a week or so for a bit less than it’s now advertised for. Small world.
My Dad bought a new ‘66 four door Belair with the base 283 and three speed column shifter. He also had the radio delete much to my disgust as a teenager. This is the car I learned to drive in and was allowed to use when my parents didn’t need it. Nice comfortable car with plenty of power. As has been pointed out previously the Belair came standard with carpet.
My first car was a ’66 BelAIr 4D with a 283 and Powerglide. I couldn’t kill it and wish I hadn’t sold it.
Back in the early-mid 70’s, my college roommate, a Maine resident, drove a ‘69 Ford former Maine state police car, a blue/white top (their colors for only a couple of years) 69 Ford Custom two door with a 428 and an automatic. I drove it a couple times – very quick!!!! Base two door big motor cop cars are cool!
BTW – The history of the Maine state police online says they switched two four doors in 1970 after decades of 2 doors.
Ga State Patrol used these as unmarked patrol cars in this era. They usually had “Georgia State Patrol” on the doors in slightly Toned color so it could not be seen really well. They also used Pontiac Catilina 2 door from the 63-64 Era. Later they used the Mustang Fox Body Notchback for Pursuit Car use, but they had all the markings and two-toned blue/grey. Catoosa County in Ringgold, (North Ga), The Sherriff J.D. Stewart used a modified 57 Pontiac 2 Door for his Personal Patrol Vehicle. He loved Speed. In 1964 he was sheriff again and used 2 door, white GTO’s with 4 speed transmission, then in the Mid Seventy’s he converted to Strip Down Trans Am’s 4 speed’s (No A/C) Said they were better and cheaper for the county use. They were always white and only slightly identified. He was featured in one of the Hot Rod magazines one time. One of my friends who hung out at the local Drive-In obtained one of the 64 GTO’s after it was retired, and I remember him leaving “Hookies” burning Rubber one night and broke rubber in the first three gears. Never heard 4th because he was already at Break-neck Speed. Old Memories never die.
A lot of 2 dr. big sedans were ordered. Now I don’t want to slam the fine officers of our land, but you choose a Corvette, Camaro, box Mustang, these were very hard to get in/out quickly. I bet there was complaining about this. The big Fords, Chevy’s and Dodges were fine. This is a very nice one….if it goes low, good deal for sure.
One day when I was a snot nosed ten year old car junky, I was playing putt putt a mile or so from my house with my brothers and friends. This place was next door to a Ohio State Patrol barracks and their cars were always outside. Except one. I saw the guy who did maintenance around there washing a older Patrol car and went to see it. I believe it was a 68 Biscayne, four door with a big orange and silver engine. He said it was a interceptor and was fast. He started it to put it away and that thing sounded like a can full of rocks. It sat in the garage unless they needed it on I -70 for persuit. I believe now that it was a L88 sedan.
I wonder when the police started putting a cage barrier in police cars between the front & rear compartments. & on some recent, even in the side windows!! Were the crooks better behaved back in the earlier ’60s – & ’50s? & on a ’66
2 door police car, not only could the crook push the drivers seat forward, but the seat didn’t even have a safety latch, like on this one i believe! Might be better tp have him sit up front! lol
The crooks must have been better behaved – even the payhones had a regular household coiled wire coming out of the receiver!
Everyone was better behaved.
Dear joeny, the shields went in the cars when police departments could afford them in the budget. So there wasn’t really a start date, so to speak. They weren’t cheap in the beginning but they were lobbied for heavily by the street cops to the Chief by virtue of the fact that the street cops got tired of wearing spit on the back of their neck.
Duct tape on the mouth would have stopped that – & swearing & complaining too. lol
Some cop ever ductvtapes my mouth or one of my loved ones mouth, that cop will be unemployed lol. Prisoners have the right to breathe!
Oregon used 2 dr Chevys for the State Patrol as well, but they were Biscaynes. I bet the original Maine cars were Biscaynes as well. No reason to get a BA for a bit more chrome and nicer seats. And, yes, BA had carpet; only the Biscayne did not.
Not all Biscaynes had rubber floors. Dad bought a 1965, inline 6, 3 on the tree, with radio and heater. Red on red with red carpet. It was the dealers bait and switch car advertised for $1800.00. They refused to sell it as they had already run the ad for next week featuring this car. Dad finally got it for a $300 premium.
That is one nice car. The 3 on the tree makes it for me. That would just be so fun to cruise around in, especially with the AC in the summertime. They didn’t really need that in Maine. My Grandparent lived in New Hampshire and never needed AC in their house until the late 80’s…
Maine guy here. That is a Maine state inspection sticker, correct for the period, available from Bob Hoyt. We had to inspect our vehicles here every 6 months until the mid 80’s, then annually.
Great car, just don’t buy it for the police factor.
I believe that it should have a white roof.
You don’t have to ask me about the later Fords and Plymouths in the late 60’s and early 70’s because I remember them first hand.LOL.
My 67 Maine State Police interceptor was all blue…same color as the 66 shown here…I got it at the Transportation Center on rte 25 in westbrook in 1973. They would buy cars the state was auctioning off then sell them off they’re lot
I love a big block & a stick! Never had that combo, but this would do it for me.
Someone from Wisconsin won the big powerball the other day (along with someone from California). Wish it were me!
This would be a fun car to have. Do not think you will be speed shifting the 3 on the tree. I do not know if the trans was synchro-mesh in first gear. I had to stop to put my ’65 Biscayne in first gear.
Nuthin’ bizarre or unusual re. a 2dr. sedan cruiser. In fact, a class act for Indiana in ’67 was the state’s fleet of all-white Impala sport coupe’s equipped w/the same L35 325hp 396 & slotted 15″ rally wheels, mandated by the accompanying disc brakes. Now THAT’s class!
I have a 1966 Belair same color, Maine State Police car, bought it out of Limestone Maine in 1992. Someone familiar with the car said it sat a service station near by for some time then ended up at the scrap yard less engine and trans. It was a 396 PG with a 3:08 12bolt open rearend. When the car was stripped for paint I found it had been painted once and discovered the holes in the roof for the bubble gum machine, holes in the drivers rear quarter for the antenna, one hole in the drip mldg for the antenna clip, 2 in the dash for the mic and 4 in the trunk for the radio. It had a fair amount of frt floor rust from the windshield leaking, but it was saved and is now a 396/325 Stock eliminator drag car. I ran it as a bracket car for a few years with an L-72. Sadly i haven,t raced for a few years, hope to soon.