Here's how the Dodge Diplomat became the classic 80's cop car

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In this episode I provide the history of the Dodge Diplomat, along with its platform mates, the Chrysler LeBaron, New Yorker, and Fifth Avenue, and the Plymouth Gran Fury. Each of these cars were on the Chrysler M-body platform, which started in 1977, and tried to improve on the F-body Dodge Aspen and Plymouth Volare, which had several recall and rust issues early in their production and ended by 1980. The M-body would get restyled by 1980 and soon the Dodge Diplomat and Plymouth Gran Fury would become one of the most popular cars for police and government vehicles for the decade, until their old V8's and design finally led to their end by 1989.

[@smithraymond09029]

"My Old Car" deserves a KZbin "best new car channel of the year" award. Wonderful content that brings a piece of car history back to all, and some crazy good memories to those of us old enough to remember.

[@MandusahRamirez]

Facts!💯

[@Schumanized]

Indeed!!

[@LaurentiusTriarius]

New twist on the old format, Canadians always cheers things up. 🎉

[@AJ-HawksToxicFinger]

totally agree, love these videos.

[@rogue13131313]

I miss the simple, straight forward, easy to fix cars of the 50s 60s 70s and 80s. Humans are too smart for their own good.

[@march24-lp4pv]

They went on into the early 2000s.

[@evanswinford7165]

The cops in my home town, Piedmont, California used Diplomats. My friends and I memorized the head light pattern so we could ID cop cars at night. It came in handy a few times allowing us to leg it before the cop knew anybody was around. This also worked when seeing it in your rear view mirror.

[@CarsandCats]

I bet you would have pulled over for us LOL.

[@NsOakland6]

OPD had a lot of them too.

[@colinw7205]

As a retired NYPD detective this brought a lot of pleasant memories. I was a young rookie in the mid-80's and a Plymouth Gran fury was my first ever steady ride as the 81st Pct. TOPAC(Total PAtrol Concept) auto. The choked up 318 V8 with that two barrel carb with that electronic module attached still provided quite a bit torque if not power to move relatively light chassis around. for me the biggest improvement came when the department switched tires from the hard as stone Goodyear Blue Steels to the more modern H-Rated Eagles Way more grip and great wet performance.

[@maryellenrieger1874]

They would've been much faster if they'd been allowed to put the 360 in them, damn government...

[@averyparticularsetofskills]

The use of music, movie clips and retro advertising along side A _to_ Z product knowledge & clever editing makes " _My Old Car_ "™ the new benchmark for all other mini car documentaries to strive for. The ONLY negative is we cant watch a new episode every day! You Gotta love this stuff.

[@quad5186]

Loved the Cheers ref for the Volare 😂

[@RobertNES816]

We had a Dodge Diplomat police car in shop class when I was in highschool. It was a fun car to drive, it was quick, handled pretty well and rode nice.

[@kurgerbingsteve]

First the Crown Vic and now the Diplomat. I wonder when we'll get an episode on the Caprice? Good job as always, MOC

[@catjudo1]

I hope it’s soon. I drove a bloated whale Caprice when I drove for the taxi company. I liked them a lot more than the Crown Vic as they handled better and had precise steering. I would have bought a clean used one but was gifted a clean Miata, ironically. I still would love a clean Caprice; I could put the Miata in the trunk.

[@LaurentiusTriarius]

I'm craving for fondue cheese right now.

[@MrCozin-kd9mb]

@@catjudo1 that's a cool story man! I had one of those too. What a car!

[@merafirewing6591]

​@@MrCozin-kd9mb didn't the police also used a Dodge Polara?

[@lowryder3209]

Such an underrated channel

[@mrmook3001]

Proud owner of an 88 Gran Fury daily driver. My dad has owned 4 simultaneously. I hope to supe mine up with the police goodies someday as it's a civ model. Very nice to see a vid on these cars

[@lilredexptsc]

My first car was my Dads old 83 New Yorker Fifth Ave with a 318. It was what started my love for Mopars. I miss that car and I’ll eventually get another. The car was in my family from 85-2000. It was one of the most reliable vehicles we ever owned, never rusted out even being a Michigan car the whole time. Dad had taken great care of her though. She was very slow and always considered a “grandma” car but looking back I can’t help thinking just how cool it was now that it’s 2021. Another great episode. Keep up the awesome videos.

[@JustMe-qr4tn]

I had one as my first car. Over boosted power brakes, over boosted power steering, mush suspension, no guts.......God I wish I still had her.

[@joed5472]

😂😂

[@michaelsimko7694]

The second gen M-body is an excellent vehicle to play around with and make into a street car, sleeper, or drag racer. The 318 4 barrel police cars were fast and maneuverable.

[@jarrodwidiger5472]

My grandparents bought an 83 New Yorker 5th Ave. It was an excellent car! Later My mom, then my sister, then I drove it before it kind of became a spare. It always ran fantastic and had relatively good power and a great ride. We sold it with almost 250k miles and it was still running like a top.

[@willjones2884]

I've been waiting for an episode on these. I'm 18 and daily drive a '84 Fifth Avenue and I love that car. White with red leather interior. Only had two owners before me and I've been fixing it up, but it rides like a dream

[@McPh1741]

The chase scene from the movie 'Short Time" has to be one of the best chases ever shot. Not just with a Dodge Diplomat, one of the best EVER!

[@catjudo1]

Fun Fact: Most of the "Corinthian Leather" featured in Chrysler cars came from slaughterhouses in Newark, New Jersey. The name Corinthian Leather was made up by company marketers because it sounded good.

[@glennso47]

The guy who was the star of the tv show Fantasy Island did commercials for Chrysler back in the day. Ricardo Montelbon.

[@cityofabscissae]

@@glennso47, Montalbán.

[@glennso47]

@@cityofabscissae Thanks. I had never seen his name in print. Or if I have, I don’t remember. I just remember he was always extolling the virtues of “Corinthian Leather “ in the Chrysler cars. 😁

[@glennso47]

Anyone remember when GM cars were advertising that the upholstery in their luxury cars was “Naugahyde” and they had this little mythical creature that they called the “Nauga”. 😬 I think it was especially Pontiac.

[@broncomcbane6382]

That isnt a fact at all. Corinthian leather isnt leather it is vinyl. So no slaughterhouses needed. It came from a plastic upholstery supplier in Mahwah, NJ.

[@Bossbugg90]

How could I ever forget my grandfather's 1987 Dodge Diplomat SE. Growing up in the 90s they were still everywhere!!!

[@GeeEm1313]

Growing up, my next door neighbor had a Fifth Avenue. I always thought it was stately. And my best friend's family still had a Dodge Dippy and that was 1996-1998.

[@RyanUrbanski]

Thats my current 1987 GranFury at roughly the 5:59 mark. From one of the sale ads a few years back. Ive always loved this platform with its potential for greatness, and parts interchangeability. My civilian Fury used to run an 18.4 quarter mile, and with little effort, and no weight reduction just ran a 14.7 at the track. Also having auto crossed the M-platform they hold their own very well with a decent tire. Great video!

[@maryellenrieger1874]

Cool! I remember seeing that ad. I had and still have a red on red '85 Gran Fury and remember thinking that's pretty much what mine looked like new (with a few less options then yours)

[@corvetcoyote443]

I remember what a pleasure it was to drive my old 88 Fifth Avenue, perfect size, extremely comfortable,and performed and handled well.

[@keewatin427]

That Short Time car chase is why the Diplomat is the GOAT

[@jamesharper8372]

Thanks for this episode one of cars you featured at 7:11 the silver one that was doing the burnout I owned a car now and I enjoy it I've also grew up watching these cars fly up and down the mean streets of Detroit Michigan when the Detroit police was using the grand furys

[@1_Papa]

Good review as always, though you did forget to mention that: Dodge also threw confusion into the mix with the 1984 Dodge Diplomat SE "trim" package, which grafted the front end of the New Yorker Fifth Avenue's with its turn signals above the headlights and almost the same grille, but with a chrome cross overlaid on it. Also, while the Aspen/Volare coupes used a shorter 108.7" wheelbase, the original 1977 through 1980 Diplomat/LeBaron shared the same 112.7" wheelbase for all three bodystyles as the Aspen/Volare sedans and wagons. The 1981 coupe models switched to the shorter wheelbase "F" body chassis until they were dropped in 1982, since Aspen/Volare were dropped for the Aries/Reliant "K" cars in that year. Finally, when Plymouth began using this "M" body for it's Gran Fury in 1983, it simply rebadged it's Canadian-built Caravelle from 1978 -1989. Minor details, but worth noting I thought. Still, great job as always! 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾! 🐰🐰🐰🐰🐰!

[@JoeyP322]

Love the Gran Fury… we had those in the Air Force in the 80’s

[@broncomcbane6382]

Another crucial.fact. ALL of these cars are unibody, NONE are body on frame

[@UnionThugg]

Plymouth transferred its Gran Fury nameplate from the R body to the M body in 1982. Canada always had the M body Plymouth Caravelle.

[@Oddman1980]

My first car was a dodge aspen. I remember that quite a few diplomat parts fit on it, which was helpful since diplomats were more common. I'd love to see a video about the little Japanese trucks from the 80s, especially the Mitsubishi Mighty Max.

[@macsandsquid528]

As a police car these were gone from the fleet by the time I had joined the force, but I remember the senior dogs saying they used to flip the air cleaner cover over so as to get more speed. They also usually crashed due to having no real brakes to speak of. Worst was when the department started getting the Ford Mustang and Chevy Caprices. Which were way quicker but just as bad in braking.

[@SquirminHermanthe1eyedGerman]

I always flipped the lid on all my vehicles simply because it made those 4bbls sound so good when you floored it! I dont think it actually made it go any faster but they sure sounded good getting up to speed!

[@macsandsquid528]

@@SquirminHermanthe1eyedGerman My understanding was that it allowed more air into the carbs. More air moar power!

[@SquirminHermanthe1eyedGerman]

@@macsandsquid528 it does but if you have an underpowered car like most of them were in the late 70s & 80s it really didnt make much of a difference but they sure sounded cool

[@macsandsquid528]

@@SquirminHermanthe1eyedGerman Yeah, but cool is an important part of wearing the badge.

[@scottkrafft6830]

I have a 1996 Caprice, and it stops on a dime. Maybe that's just because it's a 96 though

[@michaelb.42112]

5:24 I'd road trip the shit out of that !!! Talking about COMFY !!!! This is a GREAT episode and thanks to the guy that bugged you weekly for this one. This is a universally loved episode because we all know 80's movies, so in a way we all owned this car...

[@JoeSmith-xo9vn]

Love the channel! I own 2 Diplomat police package cars (AHB) an 88’ and an 89’ Good content, but both the F and M platforms were unibody construction, not body on frame such as the Caprice or LTD Crown Vic. Other than that, great to see that you made a video detailing these fantastic cars. Keep up the great work!

[@kimposada]

I love this car. Drives better than newer cars I owned. ❤️

[@laurencehebert4880]

🤯 My father was a huge Mopar man. This was my first car that I ever bought when I was 19 years old due to his "urging". It was a fun car I fit lots of people in it lol. Thanks for your great channel and for lots of fun memories.

[@andregonsalvez9244]

Great video ! These cars were based on the original Aspen/Volares chassis. I remember these back in the day growing up in the 70s and 80s .

[@padroooo]

I remember the COP cars the most. Towns that make cars can be devastating to local economies.

[@Hawk1966]

I had a chief's '77 Ford LTD Interceptor with the 460 mill under the hood. Had a microphone hook but no mic and the high idler for keeping the idle up when sitting with the light load running. Loved that car.

[@sailordave1000]

Parents bought a 1984 Diplomat considered used since it was driven by the sales manager. It had all the features available without the dealer installed accessories. My 2015 Hyundai Elantra with 1.8L could beat it in a race 0-60, 1/4 mile, and on a track with left and right turns. It was thirsty for how slow it was. It was a comfortable highway cruiser. When my parents quit smoking they sold the car because nothing they did would get rid of the cigarette smoke smell nor the yellow stains in the blue fabric.

[@lash9400]

Please do a review on the Ford Granada. When I first visited the US in 1980, my aunt had a white Granada and I was completely obsessed by the car. For me as a 10 year old, the Granada seemed so much more sophisticated than the dull Mk2 Escorts and Mk4 Cortinas that were popular back in the UK during this time. Always look forward to your content.

[@martyniner8893]

Granada was the worst car ever

[@johnnymason3265]

The New Yorker deserves a "My Old Car" episode. Imagine so many versions that had been made especially the K-car derived variants.

[@fluxcapacitor143]

This is a great piece of work. Thanks. My Dad was in the Secret Service for 20 years. There is a photograph with him in it at the Reagan Museum in Simi Valley. After Ron was shot, my father was part of a team that pioneered new egress driving techniques for the Secret Service. Not only for presidential detail but also for the ATF and Treasury(counterfeit division). He had this one Diplomat (they were all called G - Rides because of the Government Issue white and Blue plates) that would bury me in the front seat whenever he got on the gas. It was scary, exciting, totally awesome, and is the reason I am addicted to horsepower and torque with a lot of traction. We'd be going to my hockey practice from VA to MD at 5 am and he'd be on it saying "it's us and them". I asked who "them" was; he said the "cops". he had a magnetic blue bubble light that he could throw on the roof and plug into the cigarette lighter. This thing did not have any basic fleet cop stuff on it. Im sure it was G Ride Modified with a big block Hemi because (later in life I learned) it shuddered and rumbled, it spat exhaust puffs out in intervals through the dual exhaust that was easily 2" pipes under each bumper. It hauled ass and when he was on the gas I felt like I was lifting off in a Apollo rocket like the model I built sitting up in my bedroom. this 82-84. Anyway.... my Dad has been missed 11 years now but so many things are unforgettable; especially that G Ride Diplomat! thanks for the memories!!

[@maryellenrieger1874]

There are rumors that some government agencies special ordered these cars with the larger 360 engine which wasn't allowed otherwise due to fuel economy standards. So maybe this was a 360 powered Diplomat

[@MandusahRamirez]

His voice is perfect for this! Makes Me want to learn more!👌🏾

[@juicejrc7846]

I owned 1976 Aspen R/T just like the one was shown in your video, picked it up in 2000 for $850 probably one of my favorite car's I owned.

[@BobNSuch]

Diplomat was a great workhorse of a car. Owned a 79 with a 318 and it performed well

[@rushy0157]

Great history lesson on this vehicle, I like the clean and simple design it reminds me of the type of car I used to draw when I was a child.

[@richsackett3423]

The most iconic film use of the Diplomat is the Dabney Colman chase scene. It's funny because the pursuing cars are about 2/3s are Gran Furys and 1/3 Diplomats.

[@oops1952]

Wow....you talk about tough....that dodge in "short time" ....even the rad was bullet proof!!! Probably my favorite chase ever

[@colinbodnaryk7518]

In the mid 2000's my high school automotive teacher had two diplomats. Both in very nice shape. The more i seen of those cars the more i liked them.

[@Schumanized]

I had a 1982 New Yorker and it was a blast of a car!!!

[@Doughboy842]

Always loved cars like these on TV and Movies growing up. Along with the Chevy Caprice. Ford Crown Victoria.

[@44.cal.teacher]

Thanks for another great video! How about one on the Dodge B Series vans? I had one and I loved it but they’re practically extinct now.

[@ohnoohyeah3205]

My first car was a 1974 Dodge Monaco. Black 2 door. Michigan car, my neighbor gave it to me for a buck. God bless you Mr. Gilson.

[@CosmykTheDolfyn]

I'm under 30 and an old Diplomat was our family car when the Plymouth Duster we had began to fit its name of the Ruster a tad too well. We weren't exactly into buying new cars haha.

[@youran1312]

I owned a 79 diplomat on Aruba. Green on green with a white vinyl top. 6 cylinder. Loved that thing.

[@olikat8]

Just got given an '89 Gran Fury AHB. Guy bought it from auction, drove it a little then parked it next to his '74 Gran Fury trooper car. When he went to retire, gave them to a friend, who gave me the '89. I've had an '89 & an '85 in the past, so I know these cars pretty well. I have a '76 V8 Valiant sedan (with HD cooling, "340"/A38 suspension) and a '69 BB Dart.

[@mitsubishiafcsss833]

Thank You for Giving Credits for the Vehicle Film Comparison 1 3:51 4:11

[@steveespinola7652]

I'm from Toronto Canada and this was the car that our Police used in 80's and also as taxi cabs, I miss seeing these cars.

[@abbysapples1225]

I never really followed Chrysler and Dodge and Plymouth that closely compared to other manufacturers. But I had a New Yorker that was front wheel drive unfortunately the transmission was in limp mode. But I used to think that these diplomats were New Yorkers so every time I see in a movie with these cars and I thought they were in New Yorkers. Thank you for explaining this. Good stuff 😃❤️

[@michaelogden5958]

For me, the Crown Vic was the quintessential cop car. Even today, when I see a well-preserved Crown Vic, I think of cop cars of yore.

[@User-cc6cq]

Drove Popo Diplomats back in the day. Loved 'em. My favorite was an '81 with the 360.

[@MrBlonde294]

Midnight Run, it gives me good childhood memories, it runs sometimes at Saturdays in the midday on german television channel RTL 2 and i always enjoy watching it, i liked the whole road trip adventure thing i also remember certain cars like Chrysler New Yorker, Dodge Diplomat, Plymouth Reliant and Pontiac Bonneville

[@theironlegionp5786]

i love how the video is about the dodge diplomat, but we got a plymouth caravelle in the thumbnail. love these old chrysler cars!

[@OLDS98]

Thank you for sharing. Another informative video. I liked hearing about the Chrysler New Yorker parts. I recall when the police force used this car heavily.

[@Djmatrix2310]

Was born in 1992 but the family car was an 80s Dodge Diplomat! Love that thing!

[@deadfishparty]

Ok, this is the perfect segue for the Aries K. We all loved to hate it but now it brings back a smile.

[@tomskid27]

I normally have favoritism towards certain brands and cars. I don’t know if it’s the nostalgia or what, but I’m loving all the cars you choose for your videos. Great stuff man! Eagerly awaiting your next video!

[@303AF]

That car chase from Short Time is hilarious!!!

[@G34RH34D]

My mom had a Chevy Caprice. I drove it and got pulled over for speeding with an expired license at 15. I was bad. But that V8 had cojones.

[@RichardinNC1]

My father was always a fan of the big Mopars. Somehow he skipped the M body, going from a 75 New Yorker to an 83 Town & Country (K car body) yet, he still pondered the Fifth Avenue until going for the Town & Country minivan. And yes it seemed every TV cop car was a Diplomat. I wonder how many were destroyed in movies as well as police fleets.

[@paulhansen7667]

My father in law had a decked out fifth avenue. It was slow, but those leather seats were super comfortable!

[@robertscott2210]

I started my career in 1984 and the Plymouth Gran Fury were the best cars we ever had.

[@nightwolf883]

Also fun fact: in the 80’s the LAPD considered using the diplomat/gran fury as cruisers, but a new rule was added that all the new patrol cars had to have a wheelbase of 114 inches, with the Diplomat/Gran fury only being 112 inches, this resulted in a mix of Chevy impala/caprices and LTD crown victorias being added as the new fleet, although they may have used some of the diplomat/gran fury’s as unmarked units. I’m speculating that the rule was lifted sometime before 2013 because the LAPD began using the ford Taurus interceptor and Ford explorer interceptor utility, both vehicles having a wheel base of 112 inches, just like the Diplomat/Gran fury’s

[@michaelwhite2823]

I love the first generation Diplomat and LeBaron. Is love some videos on the history of the downsizing of full sized cars. I know the story but your videos are great and its likely you'll bring up details I didn't know or forgot.

[@kennethduarte9605]

Great video. Assuming if you already haven’t done one and since you did mention it here; the R body Dodge St. Regis. Mostly forgotten these days but it did have an interesting history as a police car…. Cops either loved it: IF you had a 360 V8 or hated it: if you had a 318. The California Highway Patrol was definitely on the hate it side. For 1981, all they could get was the 4bbl 318 and it just wasn’t enough for them. It was so bad that it helped push them to experiment with different kinds of cars for different kinds of uses and that eventually ushered in the ‘82 Ford Mustang 5.0 SSP for interceptor use. Not surprisingly they loved the Mustangs.

[@BattleRifleEnjoyer]

The Diplomat has got to be one of my most favorite cop cars ( Besides the Caprice and Vic) its just one of those cars i always thought of when thinking about the 80s, the days when cops had mustangs, Showbiz Pizza Place existed, all that jazz. Also do you think you will do a video on the Caprice and Impala at some point? Their history is pretty long and i would love to see it!

[@JakobKsGarage]

Nice and informative video, thanks a lot 👍 Over here in Europe we had an Opel Diplomat in the early 70ies, a big thirsty antiquated top of the line barge, which couldn't really compete with Mercedes-Benz or Jaguar, but it was still better than the comparable Vauxhalls.

[@DanielleWhite]

The clip of the ad for the K-car New Yorker reminded me of what I believe was an ad for it, pushing the front wheel drive being better in the snow angle. It showed some businessmen leaving a building to find it had snowed with an accumulation on the road and parking lot. The New Yorker had no problem driving and ultimately gave a ride to the other whose car (Lincoln Town Car?) couldn't handle the snow.

[@mysticstarhf9265]

How about an episode of the Ford Bronco II. My parent's bought it new in 1984, orange with a combo XLT interior and tan exterior Eddie Bauer trim. I learned to drive in this. Rarely seen today.

[@0159ralph]

Back in 1986 at 22 I started my career in law enforcement in Albuquerque. All APD and Sheriff's Department Officers and Deputies would drive were the Diplomats and Grand Fury's ( Lee Iacocca Specials ) They weren't as strong as the Caprice or the LTD aka Crown Vic's. As you would imagine these units would take beating and were constantly in the shops. In 1986 through the mid 90s, the departments started issuing Caprice's and Crown Vics. The Caprice was an excellent unit and I was lucky to drive a 1994 model year with the 5.7 LT1 engine engine under the hood. To date that was one of the best patrol cars I drove. Chevy also produced the cilvilian model, the Malibu 1994 through 1996 and is highly sought after by younger guys wanting that performance in a big car. The only unit that comes close to the Caprice is the Dodge Charger, but it looks like they are going away and Departments are now using the Ford explorers. I've long since retired and it was great being a cop during the 80s through the mid 2000s. It was dangerous but I was lucky driving a real cop car... I have a profound respect for men and women hitting the streets especially during these times. I hope departments would go back to performance oriented units that showed command presence, not a Soccer Mom/ Barney Fife Mayberry mentality...

[@bearguyva9025]

Great to see this channel’s success! Another suggestion: Ford’s attempts at minivans. Aerostar / Windstar / Freestar.

[@MarkPalmer1000]

The local sheriff's department used to drive me to the bank with the night deposit from where I worked at in the 80's in their Diplomats. They used to joke that those cars had one major issue- They couldn't catch anyone with them!

[@CarsandCats]

It would go 100mph in 2nd gear. My buddy showed me.

[@jonathangodbout6645]

In 1987 I bought an x black and white City police car from Warwick Rhode Island it was a 1984 Grand fury with 335,000 mi on it. That car was bulletproof! My mom bought a 78 Chrysler LeBaron two-door brand new and my sister also had a 79 Dodge Aspen

[@melvinjacobs2328]

While I liked the Diplomat, the 5th Ave was one gorgeous car. I was a GM for a Chrysler dealership at the time, and had a 5th Ave, as a demo. What a car.

[@alitheretrokid]

You should cover the chrysler R bodies. I have a 1979 New Yorker myself, and maybe mine is a special case, but mine seems to be very well built. I've driven it 3000 miles this summer with no issues. It's been a michigan car its whole life and has very little rust.

[@RobertLeBlancPhoto]

I can't wait till you have videos on the vehicles my family had in the 80s... Ford Pinto, Ford Granada, Oldsmobile Delta 88. :)

[@keithsims86]

I got that engine and transmission in my 73 Duster. The transmission is a lockup A904.My dad had two Fifth Avenue

[@obamacares8386]

Let's get a Caprice episode for the GM guys out there! Love the content, keep it up.

[@ryancraig2795]

These things were real dinosaurs by the time they stopped making them. Arguably they were dinosaurs when they started making them. A car rental place I worked for had a couple Fifth Avenues we rented out mostly for weddings, but also used one as our courtesy car for picking up and dropping off customers. It was very plush inside, maybe a little too much so.

[@justinwhite9689]

Nice nod to Midnight Run!

[@PTAldridge]

That woody wagon is pretty sweet!

[@paulsheehan789]

the chevy caprice was the biggest offering for police cars in the 1980's and 1990's

[@jonlouis2582]

As a child, I remember my Mothers friend had the Lebaron version. It was nice enough, but it seemed like every year she was having to replace the transmission.

[@rileytraction9605]

I love those old Diplomats. I own three

[@Butchcub75]

SHort Time! What a great movie a Gran Fury vs a Catalina.. great car chase,

[@texasstuff1281]

I drove a Diplomat some as a LEO in the 80s. They were not good for police work. Brakes would glaze very quickly and they were woefully underpowered. We had Crown Vics too, and that is what we wanted to drive.

[@donfronterhouse4759]

I always think of the early 70s Dodge Coronet and Plymouth Polara as the quintessential police pursuit cars.

[@freddyhollingsworth5945]

Great video!! These old Chrysler/Dodge/Plymouth cars were so tough.. I saw one hit a Toyota Tercell?? The tall 4WD wagon thing head on at like 45mph and that Chrysler Fifth Avenue(1984??) Literally ripped the whole side of that Toyota off killing the driver and the Chrysler was still running... happened right in front of us ar a gas station.. Chrysler driver wasn't hurt much.. I was just a little boy.. Great video!! Please consider a video on the Oldsmobile diesel engines... like the Delta 88 or Olds 98.. 1978-84 (85 delta).. Thanks..

[@steven.l.patterson]

Around 1984 my parents got a 1978 Chrysler Lebaron 4-door, a replacement for our ‘74 Dart. Both were the 318. My brother got a used ‘77 Diplomat 2-door in 1982-ish, this replaced his ‘71 Demon. Both were the slant 6.

[@Pillowbiter84]

Excellent video......watched it twice.

[@painful-Jay]

My grandpa had the 89 or 90 New Yorker. I remember having to ride up in the front middle of the bench seat because "I was the smallest."

[@cassandraleone6719]

My first classic car was a 1987 Plymouth Grand Fury. Her name was Helen, and although a pain in the ass to keep running... She remains one of my favorite cars I've owned.

[@ajwillett7302]

It's always awesome to see a mopar video. I know you don't do trucks, but a video on the dodge ramcharger that is rarely seen anymore and the even rarer Plymouth trailduster. I had a 90 ramcharger that was tough as nails with the 318. That was one good truck. Even still ran without any problems after hitting a deer.

[@johnnymason3265]

The Chrysler M-body cars were so common in the 1980s! I would see Chrysler M-body New Yorkers and Fifth Avenues as the retail cars! Dodge Diplomats and Plymouth Gran Furies were often seen as police cars and taxis!

[@canyonboatman]

I had an '80 Gran fury police supervisor car that had the full police package but with a propane 318. This was in Edmonton, Alberta Canada. It would not start below -20' because the propane would remain a liquid. It did however cost 6 cents a mile to drive, the same as my buddies Honda Civic.

[@kevinmcguire3715]

My folk's last car was a 1979 non-- cop diplomat. What a piece of work. and I talked the old man out of a Le Baron due to it's garish load of side trim on the quarters. The 7 1/4 rear end failed at about 50K .I replaced it with a 81/4 volare sation wagon unit shortening the drive shaft. The 904 Torque flight also failed prematurely not able to handle the 4 barrel 318.i relced it with a 727 TQ with another driveshaft mod. The phenolic plastic thermoquad carb failed due to being charred between the secondary venturies after the egr stuck. If you want one of these cars at least get a cop car or swap the parts from a cop car