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Expert 5K+
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Location: Williams California | I bought six FL cars yesterday that had been left in a walnut orchard. This one Dodge in particular raised my interest, as it had a certified speedometer, which is generally found in police units. Both doors had signs of white paint beneath the black, the fenders were both drilled for spotlights. I was aware that California CHP used Dodges in '58, but hadn't heard that they were used for '59. The engine, of course, had already been removed. Did the CHP cars come equipped with the D-500 engines?
I seldom ever find old cop cars, especially from the late '50's, as they were generally abused when they went to a private buyer after the PD put them up for auction. ---John
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 '59 Dodge police car 001.jpg (54KB - 163 downloads)
'59 Dodge police car 002.jpg (52KB - 205 downloads)
'59 Dodge police car 003.jpg (52KB - 155 downloads)
'59 Dodge police car 004.jpg (56KB - 260 downloads)
'59 Dodge police car 005.jpg (59KB - 203 downloads)
'59 Dodge police car 006.jpg (59KB - 153 downloads)
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Veteran
Posts: 148
Location: oatmeal texas | Cool car John, What are you going to do with it? |
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Expert
Posts: 1918
Location: Hell's Outhouse - a.k.a. Buckeye, Arizona | Whoa! A 2 door cop cruiser!!!!! Thought those were only used in Indiana..... LOL!
Maybe it's the pics, but I don't see any holes for the usual fender script either. Has it got any holes for an old 2-way radio antenna?
Great pickup, John! What's the other 5 FL's like? |
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Expert
Posts: 3069
Location: Scotland | great find John,i'm sure the CHP Dodges were all 2 Door sedans.I've also got a picture of a '59 Dodge 2 door sedan used by Florida police ,it said they used the D500 383 wedge 320 or 345 horsepower in the police package patrol duty versions.
Edited by vedette 2007-08-29 6:52 PM
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Expert
Posts: 3577
Location: Blythewood, SC | Can't wait until Neil gets a look at that tag... |
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Posts: 1590
Location: Scottsdale, AZ | Very cool find John! Looks fairly straight, hows the body, floors and such on it? |
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Expert 5K+
Posts: 7807
Location: Williams California | I'll get a chance this evening to clean the car out and assess it's overall condition. Maybe there will be a broadcast sheet in this one!
The other cars were as follows- '59 Desoto 4-door HT, a stripped out '58 Plymouth Belvedere 2-door HT, a '55 Coronet 2-door hardtop, and there are 2 '56 Dodge 4-door sedans left to pick up, as well as a '56 Buick 4-door HT special.
About 50% of the windows were broken in these cars, most likely some bored kid with a BB gun.
I posted the picture of the tag specifically for Neil to look over.
---John |
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Expert
Posts: 1918
Location: Hell's Outhouse - a.k.a. Buckeye, Arizona | Wow! I'd love to get a look at that DeSoto whenever you could post a picture, John. 
Sentimental reasons two-fold, I guess - a '59 DeSoto Firedome Seville 4 door hardtop was, indeed, my first FL conquest and the reason I didn't end up snagging it was because the widow lady I was buying it from got, allegedly, sentimental at the last minute.
Of course, that didn't stop her from giving it away to Hidden Valley the very next year.....  |
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Member
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Location: Reno, NV | how bout I save John the trouble and post the thread he posted with all the pics over on the PlymouthCentral.com forum. |
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Member
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Location: Reno, NV | http://classiccarshop.informe.com/viewtopic.php?t=304 |
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Exner Expert 19,174 posts. Neil passed away 18 Sep 2015. You will be missed, Neil!
Posts: 19146
Location: bishop, ca | THAT is a BIG-TIME-FIND; John!!!!
There MUST (should) be another VIN-type tag, in the engine compartment, John, and there is an EXCELLENT chance that you
will find the Broadcast Sheet in it too.
In CAN tell you that the car was built as a single 4-barrel D500, and YEAH, the CHP bought/used 59 Dodges.
Only the doors were painted white, on late 50's CHP cruisers.
I know of only one other (restored) 59 CHP D500; think I'll go find its photo, & have somebody post it to the new
Fender Decoding Board, so that THIS car can have its pics & discussion be moved there,or to Member's Rides.
We also can discuss the P/T plate's use of non-backless screws (very-unusual, on L.A. built cars; at least, in 1957 -1958)
AND that typical masking-tape strip that was placed over the center OF the P/T plate (on L.A. built Dodges).
It should have big-time brakes on it, too.
You got yerself a valuable car, boy!
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Expert
Posts: 2308
Location: The Bat Cave, Fairborn, OH | Cool find! Finding a cop car of that vintage today in any kind of shape is got to be near impossible. What's up with the horn ring? I thought that ring was exclusive to Plymouths? Maybe the horn ring and the steering wheel were donated from a boneyard Plymouth at some time in the past? |
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Exner Expert 19,174 posts. Neil passed away 18 Sep 2015. You will be missed, Neil!
Posts: 19146
Location: bishop, ca | Doesn't the dash have holes-and-stuff for the mounting of the Motorola, and the Winchester-pump? |
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Member
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Location: Reno, NV | yeah I'm pretty sure that was the case. That wheel is from a '57 Plymouth. Only year they used that wheel. I'm guessing the car had no steering wheel at some point and someone just threw that one on to use. |
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Expert
Posts: 3577
Location: Blythewood, SC | Neil, send me the pics as usual... |
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Exner Expert 19,174 posts. Neil passed away 18 Sep 2015. You will be missed, Neil!
Posts: 19146
Location: bishop, ca | BTW, there were at least 331 1959 D500 Dodges bought by the CHP, according to the advertisement in Motor Trend,
3/59 issue (page 57). |
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Exner Expert 19,174 posts. Neil passed away 18 Sep 2015. You will be missed, Neil!
Posts: 19146
Location: bishop, ca | EXCUSEME: This "FLASH" just came across the newsroom desk:
"FLASH [it says]: 450 MORE Dodge pursuits join California Highway Patrol (largest single order in State's history goes to
Dodge..."
"....as a result of those tests [ 11/19-20/58] , Dodge was awardedan order for 331 rugged 1959 D-500Police Pursuits. Now, after
six months of driving and testingthesecars in the field, this crack [heh-HEH] law enforecement agency orders 450 MORE cars)."
This news-break was brought to you buy "The American City" magazine, of 7/59 (page 47).
So, as the car had a "Scheduled" build-date of 6/25/59, it MUST have been built as part of the SECOND-coming, of Dodge's
CHP orders!!!
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Expert
Posts: 3069
Location: Scotland | I'll post a picture of the Florida Police '59 Dodge D500 2 door sedan tomorrow,but here's a famous one
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hpdodge.jpg (25KB - 132 downloads)
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Expert
Posts: 1918
Location: Hell's Outhouse - a.k.a. Buckeye, Arizona |
Wow. Just. Wow.
Same look as the '59 Firedome Seville 4 door hardtop I tried to buy that long ago summer in 1992 - white with a blue spear..... |
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Exner Expert 19,174 posts. Neil passed away 18 Sep 2015. You will be missed, Neil!
Posts: 19146
Location: bishop, ca | That ain't CHP.
Gonna send my stuff to Fender Tag Decoding, via the Brian-ster. |
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Expert
Posts: 3069
Location: Scotland | that's more famous than CHP,it's HP starring.....
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crawford10.jpg (23KB - 133 downloads)
runyon3.jpg (27KB - 127 downloads)
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Expert
Posts: 2932
Location: Lemoore CA | Looks like in addition to being a certified speedometer, it also has additional lines between the 5 and 10 mph markers, I guess for completly accurate speed or in other words, to clock speeders to and exact limit. I just can't see a Dodge drum speedometer being totally accurate at all times, every one I have seen has had a fair ammount of extra movement in it especially over rough roads. Maybe they were more steady when they were new. |
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Inactive by user's request
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada | big m - 2007-08-29 3:20 PM
I seldom ever find old cop cars, especially from the late '50's, as they were generally abused when they went to a private buyer after the PD put them up for auction. ---John
One of our members, a person I highly respect, disappointed me. He found a '59 Plymouth police car and scrapped it to harvest the 361.
Granted the car was extremely rusted, but it was still kind of sad to see it survive all those years, just to be parted out.
I hope this Dodge finds a home.
K. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1172
Location: Georgia | Great find John! That's why you are da KING!! The steering wheel IS factory police. They used those wheels up until 1962 on most police cars (Dodge & Plymouth) due to the full horn ring. All the literature I've read on police cars, feature that '57 Plymmie steering wheel on all models through 1962. I've never seen a '59 Dodge that way, but I'm convinced that's the correct wheel. Here's a photo of a 62 Dart police with the same wheel. Good stuff! Pete.
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62DartComm4 (2).JPG (101KB - 142 downloads)
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Expert
Posts: 3577
Location: Blythewood, SC | That seems odd! Maybe for the full horn ring? I know CHP used a full horn ring and a white wheel in the late sixties. |
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Expert
Posts: 1218
Location: Warren, Michigan | Just a heads up for people that are thinking about building a vintage cop car.
In my backyard dealings, I ended up with a box of old cop car radio stuff. There's mostly the old style microphones that would finish off of cop car project nicely. I had thought about using a set up in my '58 four door, but decided against it.
Send me a PM if you're interested, I'm sure we'll find something interesting to trade for.
--Joe |
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Regular
Posts: 53
Location: Moorhead MN | Great find. I remember watching a tv show where they were showing improvements in high way safety and they were testing guard barriers with used 59 Dodge California highway patrol cars. Watching them total them out by running them into the barriers was really sad.  |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 709
Location: Poznan, Poland, Europe | why would a cop need full horn ring ? |
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Exner Expert 19,174 posts. Neil passed away 18 Sep 2015. You will be missed, Neil!
Posts: 19146
Location: bishop, ca | There is a CARS magazine, from 1960, which shows/discusses the 1960 CHP cruiser, which was a combo of Phoenix
front clip installed on a Polara body.
In that article, there is a smallish-photo of a clapped-out 1957 Dodge CHP Club Coupe chasing a bathtub-Merc around a corner,
on the CHP's test-track/course. The photo-caption (again, from 1960) identifies the Dodge as being a 1959 model!!!
All cars, after only a few years (until what: the 1980's?) were considered to be expendable and only expected to have a
short service life.
100K miles was about "it", as far as general life-expectancy was considered.
D501's, 300's, Adventurers, Furys: just old worthless beaters. Hey: there's now something NEW to buy!
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Exner Expert 19,174 posts. Neil passed away 18 Sep 2015. You will be missed, Neil!
Posts: 19146
Location: bishop, ca | Going back to Brian's comment/question, about the "full horn ring" , that WAS a criteria (like 15" wheels) for submitting
a car, for testing-approval to the CHP.
The Motor Trend article, that I partially-posted on the Fender Tag decoding board discusses the various criteria required of
the CHP, but I dunno if that info was included on the partial-pages that I posted.
I know of only one surviving 1957 CHP cruiser, and, I'm not sure about having seen surviving 1958 cruisers.
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Expert
Posts: 1590
Location: Scottsdale, AZ | d500neil - 2007-08-30 11:04 AM All cars, after only a few years (until what: the 1980's?) were considered to be expendable and only expected to have a short service life. 100K miles was about "it", as far as general life-expectancy was considered. Neil, I remember in 1980, I was running a front-end rack at one of my small town's mechanics shops and I used to have to work on all the towns squad cars, mostly, Dodge Coronets. Man, those cars would get beat to hell! We use to have to torch the adjustment slots in the upper control arms so they could be further adjusted until there just wasn't any room left and the cops would just part the cars out. Since we road tested all our alignments, I would get them out on the country roads and let the siren and lights go! Once I did it in town around some ol' party friends of mine. I came driving up behind them while they were walking and hit the siren and lights. Think they had to go home and change their shorts! Jay |
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Expert 5K+
Posts: 7807
Location: Williams California | So far, no broadcast sheet. There was a fair amount of rust beneath the floor mats, as well as some rust out in the trunk. Pretty much was expected as the car sat with no rear window for quite some time. Last registration was 1974, according to the rear license plate. I'll check for the sheet up behind the dash, and within the rodent nests in the rear seat cushions. darn! I hate rats and mice!!
---John |
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Expert 5K+
Posts: 7807
Location: Williams California | Fanbladeus - 2007-08-30 5:17 AM
Just a heads up for people that are thinking about building a vintage cop car.
In my backyard dealings, I ended up with a box of old cop car radio stuff. There's mostly the old style microphones that would finish off of cop car project nicely. I had thought about using a set up in my '58 four door, but decided against it.
Send me a PM if you're interested, I'm sure we'll find something interesting to trade for.
--Joe
Joe, I will most likely be putting this car for sale as soon as I can get it titled, [too many projects, not enough time] but the future owner would most likely be interested. A lot of those old radio units are getting extremely tough to find. ---John |
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Expert 5K+
Posts: 7807
Location: Williams California | Here's a few more pics- capped hole where the whip antenna was mounted.
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'59 Dodge police car 008.jpg (33KB - 131 downloads)
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Expert 5K+
Posts: 7807
Location: Williams California | Holes in lower dash area where the rifle holder and radio were mounted
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'59 Dodge police car 012.jpg (53KB - 127 downloads)
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Expert 5K+
Posts: 7807
Location: Williams California | Numbering in door jamb, possibly designating unit #
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'59 Dodge police car 010.jpg (49KB - 129 downloads)
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Expert 5K+
Posts: 7807
Location: Williams California | Dana type rear axle-could this have been used for police duty, or was the stock 8 3/4 removed later on?
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'59 Dodge police car 009.jpg (55KB - 120 downloads)
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Expert 5K+
Posts: 7807
Location: Williams California | Delete plates on dash
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'59 Dodge police car 017.jpg (57KB - 132 downloads)
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Expert 5K+
Posts: 7807
Location: Williams California | Floorboard rust
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'59 Dodge police car 013.jpg (79KB - 150 downloads)
'59 Dodge police car 014.jpg (57KB - 142 downloads)
'59 Dodge police car 015.jpg (70KB - 150 downloads)
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Expert 5K+
Posts: 7807
Location: Williams California | Trunk floor appears to have a special reinforcement plate towards the rear where the fuel tank straps connect. It does not appear to be something added recently.
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'59 Dodge police car 007.jpg (67KB - 151 downloads)
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Member
Posts: 20
Location: Reno, NV | Pretty cool, John! |
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Location: Parts Unknown | The 57 Dodge CHP pursuit car I parted was a 2S with 325 Hemi 4bbl, TF, and a posi (3.23 I think ?) Car was all black, but for the white doors. Big gold star on the doors. Cars like this I wish I had had the place to just put them away in a dark corner and forget about them. Back then, it was just a dumpy sedan with some nice goodies on it. Today it is a first rate desirable car to restore. |
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Expert
Posts: 1357
Location: Iowa USA | It will probably have oversize brakes (11" instead of 10") and heavt duty suspension and shocks if it is a police car |
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Expert
Posts: 1918
Location: Hell's Outhouse - a.k.a. Buckeye, Arizona | All this bring to mind a particular passage from Elwood to Jake in "The Blues Brothers":
Jake: "So? What the hell is this?"
Elwood: "I picked it up last spring at the Mount Prospect city auction. It's an old Mount Prospect police car - they were practically GIVING 'em away.....It's got a four hundred and forty cubic inch plant. It's got cop tires, cop suspension, cop shocks - it's a model made before catalytic converters, so it'll run good on regular gas. So whaddaya say, is it the new Bluesmobile or what?"
Jake (after a moment of thought): "Fix the cigarette lighter....." |
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Expert
Posts: 3967
Location: DFW, TX | I know where there is a '60 Plymouth police car, it still had the original Texas Highway Patrol registration and insurance information in the glove box.
It has its spot lights and some "fog lights" in the grille, and the pushbuttons have been moved to a homemade center console for drag racing after it's police past. Supposed to have a really hot 383 under the hood too. Looks complete but it's been sitting in a field for 20 years with busted glass so you can imagine it's condition. Neat to look at though. |
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Veteran
Posts: 163
Location: Metro Detroit | Great Find, I have always wanted to find an old police car to restore - just dont have the funds, I work in the garage at a cab co here in MI, the whole fleet is Crown Vic police pkg cars. I also sell used police cars and have installed emergency equipment before so I have a background in police vehicles. I have been putting some thought into using the taxi magnets and toplight on my savoy to make a "look- a- like" taxi or have police magnets made up even though I have a flathead 6. |
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Expert
Posts: 3577
Location: Blythewood, SC | Not the worst restoration candidate I have seen. It would be a worthwhile project.
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Posts: 1218
Location: Warren, Michigan | Big M always finds the coolest stuff. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 471
Location: MN | I remember certified speedos & 57 Ply type steering wheels. Our town had Dodge cop cars 60- 64 until my cousin who was part owner of the dealership giot on the city council |
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Location: Parts Unknown | Yer kinda leaving us hanging there .....
What did your cousin do to make that change ???? |
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'59 Dodge police car
