Buying a Ford Crown Victoria Ex-Police Interceptor

If you browse your local Craigslist as much as I browse mine, you undoubtedly come across many Crown Victoria ex-police interceptors at seemingly fantastic prices. Some people, however, are skeptical of the deals and just assume there's something wrong with the vehicle. I wanted to throw a small guide together for anyone considering purchasing one of these cars, to ensure that a good deal is what you get (instead of a lemon).

First of all, you'd be surprised at how much documentation is available for these cars. Ex-police interceptors were maintained meticulously because they had to operate at peak efficiency, so you'll find detailed service records. The main thing you'll want to check for is where the vehicle was used. The reason for this? If it was driven primarily in the city, it will have a high number of idle hours, and driven harder than a car that was used in the country. The best-case scenario is to find an ex-detective car.

Police cars also are notorious for being in small accidents such as fender benders, so you will want to contact the seller and find out if any serious damage was done in the course of duty. Also be sure to find out who removed the electronics, because this will give you a general idea of the wiring condition and if you'll have to do any work.

The reason the police interceptor models are sought after by the public is because they have upgrades, such as better brakes, heavy-duty transmission, and drive-train. The interior is also quite nice, from what I could see while in the back seat.

Not all police cars are good buys, so you definitely have to do some work to make sure you're getting a good deal.