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OJ Chase Car: 1993 Ford Mustang SSP

Every SSP Mustang has an interesting history by virtue of being the high-speed pursuit vehicle of choice among police departments in the early 90s. This 1993 SSP, a former member of the California Highway Patrol, has the additional notoriety of apparently being involved in the infamous low-speed pursuit of the OJ Simpson Bronco. Now, this is likely near impossible to prove, but it’s a great story regardless. The seller has swapped out the factory wheels and added the decals, but is claimed to otherwise remain in as-used condition. Find the Mustang SSP here on eBay with bids to over $15K and no reserve.

The aftermarket wheels are a buzzkill for me, especially since they’re not all that good looking. The good news is, the seller has the originals, so you can flip it back to 100 percent stock appearance without too much work. The paint job is said to be original, too, with the seller noting that they simply re-clear coated the car to give it that wet appearance. It was a good move, and the new reproduction graphics certainly look better against refreshed paint. Re-polish the original LX wheels and throw them on, too, and it will look just like it did the day it was assigned to the legendary CHP.

Even better is the fact that this SSP is a five-speed manual. Many of these were automatic, which makes sense given most LEOs don’t want to mess around with picking gears when they’re chasing a violator down. The interiors were bare-bones in the SSPs, and often times bear plenty of scars from their life of duty. Thankfully, this cockpit doesn’t appear too heavily worn, and the backseat appears to have held very few criminals. Of course, that wasn’t the point of these high-speed pursuit vehicles – run down a speeder, hand them a ticket, and move onto the next one. There may be some holes in the dash or console from where CB radios and laptops were previously mounted.

The engine bay retains its rare blue coolant hoses, which were specific to the SSP and extremely hard to find if they go missing as part of routine maintenance. The listing doesn’t mention any recent maintenance, and the mileage is 126,000. Surely, some work has been performed after years of at least semi-hard use while on the force. The listing says the paint was clear-coated in ’95, which seemingly indicates it went into private hands after just two or three years in the CHP after it was put into use. I could be wrong about that, but that’s how I read the ad. If you remember seeing a black and white on the Temecula Police Department chasing a white Bronco, here’s your chance to relive some memories.

Comments

  1. Avatar angliagt Member

    Why put the decals & wheels on it?
    Seems contradictory to me,& just doesn’t
    look right.
    Owning one of these with the decals on
    it would get old fast,as you’d have to cover
    them up every time you drove it on the street.
    This one just doesn’t look right – where’s
    the spotlight/red light,or hole where it used to be?

    Like 14
  2. Avatar Superdessucke

    Never saw an SSP in any photo or video of the O.J. chase, though I admit I haven’t necessarily poured over the footage. But even one is in a photo or video clip somewhere, you’d need to prove it was the same car, even if it would add any value, which honestly I think is doubtful.

    Like 10
  3. Avatar ace10

    Did CHP vehicles have mounted laptop computers in 1993-94?

    Like 8
    • Avatar mac88chp

      Nope. Low-band VHF radio with optional radar and CB rafio was about it!

      Like 8
      • Avatar mac88chp

        Nope. Low-band VHF radio with optional radar and CB radio was about it!

        Like 2
      • Avatar ronnie

        yes i jave original wheels and it was used for car shows i have race cars and did alot raci g shows car was not gonna be flr sale the 1320 on the front stands for quatermils drag cause cops like to drag to tbis car is never been draged i jave 7 second cars and people love the decals why on a ssp chp and not have decals how eks would people k ow what it is and yes still has hols on inside piller and all documents showing its temecula chp wheels wher for my personal look thats how i see them and by the way when you buy from chp tbey dont come with all the bells and wistles if you see some with it thet baught it or had friends who knew somewone

        Like 0
    • Avatar mac88chp

      Oh, I forgot there would be a radio scanner in there too1

      Like 2
  4. Avatar i8afish

    There were 5,000 LAPD and CHP cruisers involved in the chase, so it’s actually not that rare.

    Like 20
  5. Avatar Bob_in_TN Member

    I’m with Jeff, going back to the stock wheels would do wonders. The SSP models are popular and have a strong following, that said I’m kind of surprised the bidding is so solid on this particular specimen.

    Using sentences in the ebay ad would be helpful…..

    Like 4
  6. Avatar KEVIN

    I called Al Cowlings for verification of this claim. All he said was ” “My name is AC! You know who I am, g**dammit! ”

    Like 13
  7. Avatar Rich

    Yeah, I remember this car chasing OJ, NOT! (and I know who helped OJ hide the knife) Too soon? What a clown car, I bid Tree-fiddy. Must be some real good weed in LA these days, no bong hits for you!

    Like 7
  8. Avatar BG

    OJ got away (with it). Not the car’s fault…

    Like 3
  9. Avatar AMCFAN

    Yeah OK so it’s an SSP Mustang. Anyone will know because it is all lettered up again. It would be fun to own up to the time your local law enforcement will pull you over. You will get a serious impersonation ticket. Certainly they wouldn’t be too impressed and will in many cases call a transport and haul it to the impound and sort out later. Depends on YOUR attitude and the officers discretion.

    The wheels on it I could live with and consider a bonus. Sell them. Me? I embrace change. Gives it a much different look and one could always bolt on the stock originals at any time.

    Like 2
  10. Avatar Wayne

    The decal on the front bumper makes me wonder how many of those miles were added in 1/4 mile intervals.

    Like 1
  11. Avatar david r

    I’m no expert but I find it hard to believe a cop would drive a stick all day long in Los Angeles. Exhausting.

    Like 2
  12. Avatar Art Pauly

    Some years back I restored one of the Kawasaki 1000 motorcycles used in the CHiPs TV series. I had the help of a CHP motor Sgt. We put the stars on with magnetic backing so I could take them off when on the road. The Sgt. said there are a lot of nuts out there that would take a shot at me or try to run me down. Just a thought

    Like 4
  13. Avatar CHIPPER 8015

    Funny;
    I retired from CHP in 02 and worked in the Temecula office, didn’t know they had a Temecula police department. I had the understanding the Riverside Sheriff’s department handled everything within the city limits and never saw them driving a mustang.?

    Like 4
  14. Avatar JCA Member

    Idk… if i’m spending $20k on an LX notch I’d want one with a nice and clean, undamaged interior with all the power options. And those cop seats are built to accommodate a loaded belt, not for comfort. I just bought an SSV Expedition with these similar government cheese cop front seats swapped in and they are terrible.

    Like 2
  15. Avatar Johnny

    Up to $19.600 for a abuse wore out police car. That might not make it out of the parking lot. Anyone who gives that kinds of money deserves it . With all the troubles . I,ve seen some of the mechanic work done on police vehicles and wouldn,t drive them out of the parking lot.

    Like 1
  16. Avatar Jost

    I never saw an SSP car with a manual, most we’re automatics. As far as driving it with the graphics, most of these are owned by collectors , some of whom are into buying just SSP cars. They are great at Mustang shows!

    Like 0
    • Avatar AMCFAN

      What fun it would be driving on and off a trailer

      Like 1
    • Avatar wcshook

      SCHP ran the Mustangs in their hayday, and I am fairly sure they had a mix of autos and manuals. I was told that when a new shipment came in, most of them had to go to a dealer for repairs. I know when SCHP went to the Camaros, they had manuals and autos. The manuals were much sought after by some collectors.

      Like 0
  17. Avatar JoeNYWF64

    Are these cop bucket seats? How can you tell visually?
    I doubt a crook would be put in the back seat in the ’90s in 1 of these without a barrier. Could not the crook headbutt the driver? Or even access the recliner lever with left foot & try to tilt the seat forward with knees?
    Odd tho that cop cars from the ’50s, i think, say on “Highway Patrol” & even the ’60s
    http://statcdn.fandango.com/MPX/image/NBCU_Fandango/366/891/AmericanGraffiti_973.jpg
    did not have crook barriers!
    Were crooks were better behaved back then?
    & even pay phone handsets had regular wires, rather than steel cables!
    I don’t get it.

    Like 0
    • Avatar JCA Member

      You can tell visually by the stitching. All ’93 Lx 5.0’s had so called “sport seats” as the base no option seats which look different than these seats. Those base sport seats have the stitching running front to back, they have higher bolsters and are more plush than these SSP/SSV seats. You sink into them and they are more comfortable. Keep in mind that although these are called “sport seats” they aren’t the “articulating sports seats” which are an optional seat above the base. You can tell those seats by the front leg bolster that adjusts out. So you have 3 types of seats as far as I know. These SSV/SSP seats are made firm and with flat seat and side bolsters so that cops/fireman, etc. can get in and out easier with a loaded belt full of a radio, a pistol, etc.

      As for the back seat of this LX, it doesn’t matter, I don’t think a perp ever sat back there. These cars are SSP, special purpose vehicles, specifically made for highway pursuit only. If someone needed a paddy wagon, a regular PPV vehicle was called in do that job.

      Like 2
    • Avatar mac88chp

      All SSPs came standard with the base Mustang bucket seat but the upgraded buckets could, but were rarely, ordered as an option. However, starting in about 1985 the seatbacks for seats going into an SSP were modified by adding extra welds. This was because they had a problem breaking in heavy-duty use in the earlier models. Externally there was no difference between the base model and the SSP seat. Another difference related to seating is that SSPs received floorpan reinforcements around this same time to keep the seats from tearing loose as they had a nasty habit of doing without them.

      Like 0
  18. Avatar Mac88Chpc

    SSP Mustangs were equipped with the standard base model Mustang bucket seats and the upgraded buckets, though rarely ordered, were optionally available. However, in the early years of SSP production, those standard seats did not hold up well in heavy-duty use. So by about 1985 SSP models did in fact receive a modified version of the standard seat where the seat back frame received extra welds to keep them from breaking. But externally you could not tell the difference between a standard and an SSP seat. The whole seats also had a nasty habit of tearing out of the floorpan so eventually reinforcements were added to the floorpan of SSPs to prevent this.

    Like 0
  19. Avatar mac88chp

    For the CHP, the general procedure for transporting persons in-custody if the officer was driving a Mustang was to call for a regular sedan patrol car for assistance. If none were available or in the more rural beats, there were provisions built into CHP Mustangs to carry these persons in the front passenger seat. A large eye bolt was installed on the right rear corner of the rear footwell behind the passenger seat. An adjustable lanyard was connected to the handcuffs, passed in between the passenger seat cushions, attached to the eyebolt and then tightened up so that the offender’s hands and upper body were pinned against the door and seat corner farthest away from the officer. Additionally, the seat itself was usually moved all the way forward which also pinned the offender’s legs against the dash. To avoid a spitting subject, paper grocery bags were sometimes carried in the trunk and employed as necessary (after a warning of course). Simple, cheap and effective solutions in a much simpler time that would never pass muster today!

    Like 1

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