Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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For the civilian version, see Ford Crown Victoria.
| Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor | |
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| Manufacturer: | Ford Motor Company |
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| Production: | 1998–Present |
| Assembly: | Ontario, Canada |
| Class: | Full-size |
| Body style: | 4-door sedan |
| Layout: | FR layout |
| Platform: | Panther |
| Engine: | 5.0L Windsor V8 4.6L Modular SOHC V8 |
| Transmission: | 4 speed automatic |
| Related: | Ford Crown Victoria Mercury Grand Marquis Mercury Marauder (2003–2004) Lincoln Town Car |
| Similar: | Chevrolet Impala 9C1/9C3 Dodge Charger (Police Version) |
The Police Interceptor (often referred to simply as CVPI) is the law enforcement version of the 1999 and later Ford Crown Victoria. The 1979–91 full-size LTDs and LTD Crown Victorias prior to 1992 used the P72 Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) code for both fleet/taxi and police models. From 1992–1998, the police car models of Crown Victorias were officially known as Crown Victoria P71s. Starting in 1999, the Crown Victoria equipped with the P71 package has been given the official name of Crown Victoria Police Interceptor. It is one of the widest-used automobiles in North American police departments, and due to the "heavy duty" nature of the vehicle, is also used by many taxi companies.
Although the Police Interceptor is usually not sold to the general public, these cars are widely available in the used car market once they are no longer needed for law enforcement or fleet duty. In compliance with most state laws in the US and provincial laws in Canada, used Police Interceptors are normally stripped of any police decals, radio and computer equipment and emergency lights by law enforcement agencies before being sold or auctioned on the civilian markets in Canada and the United States.
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[edit] Design
The 1998 model year was an upgrade in body styling over the previous 1992–1997 "aero" Crown Victorias. The 1998 police package P71 had a chrome grille, chrome door handle trim, chrome bumper strips and a chrome-trimmed flat black rear fascia with the "Crown Victoria" badge. The changes made in 1999 included a new Police Interceptor insignia on the rear fascia, a chrome-trimmed gloss black rear fascia, black door handle trim, black bumper strips and a gloss black slatted grille. For 2000, the rear fascia and taillights lost the chrome trim and the gloss black grille was dropped in favor of a flat black slatted grille. Further refinements were made in 2001, including removal of all trim on the plastic bumper pieces, and a new honeycomb-style grille, replacing the slat-style grille as is found on previous Crown Victorias and CVPIs.
A minor refreshening was introduced for 2003. The interior door panels and seats were freshened, with side-impact airbags becoming an option. The 2001–2006 CVPIs all look the same on the exterior; the way to tell the 2003+ cars from the 2001 and 2002 models is the wheels. The suspension, brakes, steering and frame all were re-designed for the 2003 model year. Because of the new underpinnings, the wheels for the newer cars have a much higher offset. The new wheels look almost flat, compared to the concave wheels on the older model years.
The 2004–2006 Police Interceptor are rated for 250 hp (186 kW) because of the addition of a new air intake system. This includes a new airbox that resembles the Mercury Marauder airbox (raised airbox lid, deeper bottom) with an integrated 80mm mass air flow (MAF) sensor that is part of the airbox lid. This allows for much more precise flow calibration and reduces the chances of air leakage. P71 zip tube (the flexible rubber hose between the throttle body and MAF outlet) is also used to reduce NVH (Noise, Vibration, and Harshness) as well as transfer air from the airbox to the throttle body with minimal flow resistance.
One can easily spot the 2005 model year from its rear-fender mounted whip antenna on the passenger side. This is the only year that the 1998+ CVPI had an external AM/FM antenna. Previous years and the 2006 model all have the antenna mounted in the rear glass.
Standard on the 2006 is a re-designed instrument cluster which now sports a tachometer and digital odometer, amongst other improvements. Kevlar-lined front doors, which might be useful as protective barriers during gun fights, are optional on the Crown Victoria Police Interceptors for the 2006 Model Year.
[edit] Comparison with civilian counterpart
Contrary to public perception, there are few outstanding differences between the police interceptor and standard civilian Crown Victorias. By and large, the police interceptor uses the same Ford modular V8 engine and transmission as the civilian models, with the most notable differences being oil and transmission fluid coolers to help the vehicles run for extended lengths of time without overheating. The police interceptor also comes without a speed governor, enabling the vehicle to reach higher top speeds than its civilian counterpart. Another difference is Ford's "severe duty" shock absorbers that offer a stiffer ride than the civilian Crown Victoria. Police Interceptors will have the characters "P71" as the model code in the VIN. Other features that are unique to the Police Interceptor are more aggressive programming, timing and shift points. Police Interceptors also have a heavy duty frame and body mounts, an aluminum drive shaft and usually a limited slip rear differential. All Police Interceptors also come with full stainless steel dual exhausts. Most civilian Crown Victorias come with a single exhaust pipe. Police Interceptors have stiffer springs and have a bit higher stance than civilian models plus come equipped with front and rear stabilizer bars. On 2003 and newer models, P71's have a 200amp alternator and a 78amp battery. Also, most Police Interceptors have a break in the front "bench seat" despite having the shifter on the steering column. This gap between seats is generally filled by a console holding radios, controls for emergency equipment, and often a laptop computer used as a mobile data terminal (MDT).
Ford also offers trunk packages for equipment storage (see below), and as of 2005, has added a fire supression system to the police interceptor.
The bulk of police car modifications, such as installation of emergency lights, sirens, passenger seat dividers and plastic rear bench seats are offered as aftermarket modifications by third parties.
[edit] Problems and criticism
Following the criticism of fires following rear-end collisions, 2005 and later model Police Interceptors now come with an optional automatic fire suppression system and special "trunk packs" designed to help prevent trunk contents from piercing the fuel tank in a collision. Each agency must pay an additional $150 for the trunk packs. For a more detailed discussion of the fuel tank leakage concerns that prompted these changes, see Ford Crown Victoria.
There were also some problems with early 2003 Police Interceptors. The newly designed steel wheels would rust prematurely, and the rack and pinion steering units would fail early (sub-10k miles). This was not limited to the Police Interceptor; some 2003 Mercury Marauders were also affected. However, this was only for very early 2003 models as the problems appear to have been fixed for newer models.
[edit] Future
Ford Motor Company has announced that it is committed to the law enforcement community and that the CVPI will remain in production well into the future. [1]
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Ford Crown Victoria (U.S.A.): Civilian | Police Interceptor | Commercial Version (includes long-wheelbase version)
- paper discussing safety equipment on police cars, specifically addressing equipment to address a series of Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptors that suffered rear-end-collisions resulting in fires. Article also addresses the use of flashing lights, reflectors, &c on police vehicles (PDF file)
[edit] Unofficial websites and resources
- Crown North America - Factory Installed Police Prep Packages
- Grandmarq.net panther body forums
- CrownVic.Net Forums
- CrownVic.us Forums
- Police Car Pics
- AutoGuideWiki.com
- Jonelle's Crown Vics, etc.
- Liquid's Crown Victoria Model Changes Page
- Used Crown Victoria Police Package for sale to the public
