Is my VE the earliest one made here?

[vc commodore]

But remember that an VE ex cop car is pretty old nowadays, so that cop car may also be worn out, like any second hand car... Ex cop cars are generally driven harder earlier in their life than the average car owned by a civilian... I personally wouldn't be too fussed buying a well maintained cop car if it was 15 years old, but I wouldn't buy one if it was 3 years old as there's probably better examples on the market for not too much more...

I have a 1977 model car that's an ex-cop car.....Doesn't phase me one iota it's history....

Price vs age vs condition is always something one has to be mindful of....Being an ex-cop car should never detract from the equasion when considering a purchase in my eyes....

 

[Commo64]

I have a 1977 model car that's an ex-cop car.....Doesn't phase me one iota it's history....

Price vs age vs condition is always something one has to be mindful of....Being an ex-cop car should never detract from the equasion when considering a purchase in my eyes....

Each to their own, but if I was looking for a 3-5 year old car, I wouldn't buy an ex cop car as it's been through more abuse than the average civilian car... However, in your case, a car made in 1977 is all to do with the current condition...

 

[vc commodore]

Each to their own, but if I was looking for a 3-5 year old car, I wouldn't buy an ex cop car as it's been through more abuse than the average civilian car... However, in your case, a car made in 1977 is all to do with the current condition...

Honestly a 3 to 5 year old cop car would be a price/vs condition scenario, rather than a straight up don't touch it scenario....

 

[mtd]

Generally, and that's GENERALLY, Omega's were not used as HP vehicles. Don't know why, but you might be surprised it had little to do with engine (power). While some of the fancier HP cars were 8's - whenever we saw a HP car on the freeway we 'assumed' (well in the 'good old days') it was an 8. Lots were not. Coppers don't need speed to catch up to you - its called radar and your rego, or their radio and the bloke 10 kms up the road. Much of the 'pursuit' is gone - it's just too dangerous, and it's been this way for quite a while - although your cop mates might tell/brag different.

Heaps of Omega's were used as detective vehicles. Now, depending on how you look at it, this could actually be worse than a nice long run sitting on 110-115 kms/h (and upwards) . Short-stint city/metro driving/speed humps/turns etc etc - apart from the fact that some are god-awful drivers (gutters!). They're coppers, its their job, and not their car.

I'm not convinced on the 'thrashed cop car' argument. Cop cars do get a work-out, but overall GD cars limp around suburbia all day. We would all like to think/joke that cops put on the lights/sirens and thrash the living daylights out of anything they get into because they're late for lunch - it suits our perspective of them. The thing is, get caught doing that and you're in trouble...

One of the biggest problems with ex GD/HP cars are the seats! Coppers are in and out of the seats all day. The bolsters are the first to go then the seat base itself - usually buggered. It's simply wear. Especially these models.

Ex cop cars are serviced regularly - but they need it. They generally do a lot of kms in shorter time spans.

All that said, if i had to make a choice of which i'd buy first - Joes rental car or Joes ex-police vehicle (with similar age/kms) it'd always be the ex-cop car. If I had a choice I'd buy neither for one simple fact, Joe is not the previous owner.

 

[hademall]

I believe most cop cars have generally been well serviced, and are not continually being thrashed as many suggest.

The reality, when you think about it, is that most of the time most cop cars are driven around in a sedentary manner, just like most other cars on the road. Okay, you might get a few that have been involved in the odd high speed chase, but I wouldn't consider that a bad thing when considering buying one. After all, that is exactly what these cars are designed to do……..aren't they?

I think when you are considering buying a used Commodore or what ever, that is 3 or 4 years old, it is better to know that at some stages throughout its life thus far, it has been put through its paces and is actually capable of reaching those capabilities and manufacturing specifications without sh1tting itself.

And dare I say, the three year old car that has been thoroughly put through its paces but also meticulously maintained, could well be a better purchase than the little old lady’s car that has never been over 60K’s an hour, sat in the garage for most of its three year life, missing out on services…..well because, and never getting into top gear etc, etc.

Just my take.

 

[hademall]

Generally, and that's GENERALLY, Omega's were not used as HP vehicles. Don't know why, but you might be surprised it had little to do with engine (power). While some of the fancier HP cars were 8's - whenever we saw a HP car on the freeway we 'assumed' (well in the 'good old days') it was an 8. Lots were not. Coppers don't need speed to catch up to you - its called radar and your rego, or their radio and the bloke 10 kms up the road. Much of the 'pursuit' is gone - it's just too dangerous, and it's been this way for quite a while - although your cop mates might tell/brag different.

Heaps of Omega's were used as detective vehicles. Now, depending on how you look at it, this could actually be worse than a nice long run sitting on 110-115 kms/h (and upwards) . Short-stint city/metro driving/speed humps/turns etc etc - apart from the fact that some are god-awful drivers (gutters!). They're coppers, its their job, and not their car.

I'm not convinced on the 'thrashed cop car' argument. Cop cars do get a work-out, but overall GD cars limp around suburbia all day. We would all like to think/joke that cops put on the lights/sirens and thrash the living daylights out of anything they get into because they're late for lunch - it suits our perspective of them. The thing is, get caught doing that and you're in trouble...

One of the biggest problems with ex GD/HP cars are the seats! Coppers are in and out of the seats all day. The bolsters are the first to go then the seat base itself - usually buggered. It's simply wear. Especially these models.

Ex cop cars are serviced regularly - but they need it. They generally do a lot of kms in shorter time spans.

All that said, if i had to make a choice of which i'd buy first - Joes rental car or Joes ex-police vehicle (with similar age/kms) it'd always be the ex-cop car. If I had a choice I'd buy neither for one simple fact, Joe is not the previous owner.

Lol. Just seen this post. Exactly my thoughts.

 

[Anthony .]

What about when cops get the first call of the day to immediately be somewhere and chase someone?
Floor the living crap out of the engine while the engine is stone cold , which is cruel. Internals wear quicker

But then again, most cop cars and fleet vehicles are regularly serviced

 

[someguy360]

SAPOL's entire Adelaide based fleet was Omega's and later Evokes.

We don't have highway patrol etc so everyone got the same, nobody was special enough to have SV6/SS's etc

And I agree with others comments, if an omega is worth $2000 then an ex police Omega is worth about $700. Those cars spent their entire lives being redlined from cold, pissed, shat and vomited in, driven agressively, curbs mounted at speed etc.

A mate of mine was a GM Tech at one of the big dealerships in SA and used to service 10 or so police cars per week, they were constantly needing suspension components replaced, the engines were usually not in great shape from the abuse etc. They hung on by a thread and only had what absolutely needed to be done replaced.

No idea why people had this fascination (especially back in the BT1 days) that the police cars were desirable.

 

[losh1971]

No idea why people had this facination (especially back in the BT1 days) that the police cars were desirable.

It was because of the highly sought after cop chip, that only BT1s got....

 

[someguy360]

It was because of the highly sought after cop chip, that only BT1s got....

The energy polariser of the 90's