What makes a P71 Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor special?

[@jasoncornell1579]

Remember she's got a cop motor so she'll run good on regular, cop shocks, cop suspension

[@jasoncornell1579]

So is this the new Bluesmobile or what?

[@888johnmac]

fix the fag lighter .. lol

[@frazz06]

@@jasoncornell1579 Fix the cigarette lighter

[@volvo480]

Car's got a lot of pickup.

[@thatguyfromcetialphaV]

You traded the bluesmobile for this??

[@tacbear]

As a 25+ year State Trooper (SWAT) I started my career in a 1984 LTD Pursuit w/140,000+ miles on it. My second car was a 1988 Mustang SSP 5 speed! During my 25+ years other vehicles I was assigned a include 95 Suburban 4x4 (SWAT), 93 Crown Vic, 96 Crown Vic, 2002 Expedition and 2008 Chevy Tahoe! Our department experimented with Dodge's and Chevrolet's, but always went back to FORD's because they were VERY Reliable!!!

[@lensperspective9753]

Thank you, for your service! How did you like the LTD? Ive been thinking about getting one

[@LITTLE1994]

@@tacbear Ford indeed does it best. Thank you for your long service.

[@VDPEFi]

My dad used to travel to the states a lot for work and always hired a car and he used to specifically ask for a crown Vic or similar as to him, being not altogether car orientated saw it as not only quintessential Americana but also a superb way to travel huge miles in comfort.

[@SkylineFTW97]

Plus Crown Vics get pretty good highway MPG for their size. It's not that hard to average 25 MPG in cruise.

[@Cincy32]

​@@SkylineFTW97 I've had two Panthers - 98 CVLX & an 07 GM - & at least on the civilian models like the ones I've owned you can get 27-29 highway MPG on flat topography in cruise at the right speed. I've driven both those cars up to Canada & across the US (Ohio to Nevada, Arizona, California, & back) literally more times now than I can remember at this point. They are EXCELLENT highway cruisers.

[@JerzeyBoy]

Lincoln or Mercury are nice.

[@JimGames11746]

Have several friends with various panther bodies. Few cars at their price point in the used market ride so well at highway speeds. Smooth, quiet, reliable.

[@tomwolf8721]

​@@Cincy32You must have had one heck of a computer program. Don't get me wrong I love the Panther cars and still drive one. They are the best.

[@tedebear108]

Good day to you sir. This is Ted from Texas USA. Being an ex-police officer I have driven quite a few different model police cars. Everything from the Plymouth Gran Fury Dodge Diplomat Crown Victoria and Chevy Caprice. My very first one was a Dodge Diplomat. That was a supervisors car from a State Police Academy. It had blue velour interior in which metallic powder blue outside. An awesome unmarked car. My last car was a 1994 Chevy Caprice with the LT1 Corvette Interceptor motor. It had the high performance chip and I've been told that it would get up to over 140. But I've only taken it to 105. That Chevy Caprice was the badass car out of all my cars. Fast was an understatement. Good show good video and I'm glad you have a couple of American muscle cars over there.

[@julievan8757]

The cop chip theory is a myth. It's just the computer tweaked for night performance is all.

[@garrisonnichols807]

I'm an American and the police department's around me don't use these cars anymore. Actually I haven't seen one in some time. I do remember sitting in the back of one a couple of times. Me and my buddy were coming back from the strip club on New Year's eve and we ran out of gas only a few miles from my house. It was 2am in the morning walking down the road and a police officer in his crown vic pulled us over ask what we were doing. We told him we were walking home so he gave us a ride. That was a fun night.

[@aca2983]

I used to work for a municipality and our department had one of these in our vehicle pool, a retired police car in the "detective" spec. It drives like a smaller car. The handling is flat, compliant but not mushy, and the steering is quick and precise, but *way* over-assisted. The visibility and maneuverability is superb, nothing like today's cars with massive blind spots, it's not really that big and it's actually very easy to drive. It's just such a juxtaposition of old and semi-new. Old: seating configuration, column shifter, v-8 RWD, and a whiny transmission (which I like, and remember from 70's/80's old RWD cars). New: materials and switchs, dash design, flush headlamps, lack of chrome are somewhat contemporary.

[@blessedjuggernaut]

I own and daily drive a 2011 CVPI SAP. The SAP is probably the rarest version of the CVPI and it comes with the best perks. As a Panther owner, there are some things to worry about. The intake manifold will fail because it's plastic. The best option is the Professional Products all aluminum intake manifold. The next thing to worry about if you own a 06-11 is the gauge cluster. It might be dim, stop working intermediately or might stop working all together. You can get yours rebuilt or buy a used one. I would recommend having it rebuilt. Another thing, no one talks about is the lower steering column bearing. This will cause play in your steering. There are a few other things too, but the biggest thing I would recommend is change and flush your fluids religiously. And by fluids I mean, motor oil, tranny fluid, coolant, rear diff fluid, brake fluid and power steering fluid. I would also highly recommend running AT-205 Reseal through your engine and transmission. Also take AT-205 Reseal and put it into a spray bottle and spray your rubber suspension parts. Another tip, get MSD coil packs and better plugs. The car will run better.

[@yayie2]

I have a 2010 CVPI with 89k miles and 4k idle hours. What would you suggest I do for my transmission shifting rough?

[@blessedjuggernaut]

@@yayie2 I would start by changing the transmission fluid and filter. If that doesn't help with the rough shifting, you can also try adding some friction modifier to the transmission fluid.

[@Jedithedrummer]

@@yayie2rebuild it my boy

[@yayie2]

@@blessedjuggernaut I find that it's only rough when getting in and out of overdrive.

[@yayie2]

@@Jedithedrummer rather then drop a 5 speed in it?

[@Lawrence-ui1hv]

The Crown Vic is an iconic American car from the early 2000's which is immediately recognisable to those who watched the American cop shows of that era! Love 'em!

[@nastybastardatlive]

Isn't it STILL the early 2000s? Anything before 2050 is the early 2000s.

[@kdrapertrucker]

Crown Vic has been around much longer then that. The crown Vic became the ultimate police cruiser in the mid 1980s.

[@glennjarvis2672]

@@kdrapertrucker It has indeed. I had a 1985 with a 5.0L. Right now I have an 1997 with 4.6L (civilian only, but it still makes people wonder) and I have a 2010 Police Interceptor with the 4.6L (that one definitely makes people do a speed check).

[@bsidenbend]

@furiousdriving. I drove P71 Crown Victorias throughout my career, from 1996-2016. Previously we drove Chevrolet Caprice 9C1, and I retired driving AWD Dodge Charger Hemi Pursuit. The Pre 2006 Crown Vics would never see anywhere close to 150mph. They were also speed limited. at 131 the car would shut down, slow to 128, power back to 131 and do that repeatedly. Also after extended pursuits above 120 the overdrive green light would blink and indicate the transmission was getting hot. One of the most comfortable police cars I drove. The best performer was the hemi charger, but my Favorite will always be my 1994 Caprice 9C1 with the big 5.7L LT1 engine.

[@Tuberuser187]

Such a cool car, hard to say its unique considering how many where built but here in the UK its a rare and almost "exotic" car. Love it.

[@Cincy32]

They're getting killed & falling off the roads quick though. These are perennial workhorses & coupled with how prevalent they'd been on American roads for 30+ years, very few people have taken to preserving them. Real shame.

[@BeKindToBirds]

Both of you lads are making me eye my Vic with a collectors eye more and more....

[@luthermoore2969]

Majority of these cars were fleet vehicles. There really isn't a lot on the roads especially 99 and earlier.

[@pasttenseSara]

Thanks for your video. I enjoyed it. I own a 2011 P7B and love it. I live in rural Pennsylvania and drive a mix of local and highway roads. It's a fun car to drive. It's all white with black trim, trunk antenna, front push bar, w\light bar, and rear trailer hitch. Many motorist still think it's an active duty undercover car and many won't pass me or they slow down when they see me in their rear view mirror. LOL It has over 178,000 miles and drives like a champ. I have winter tires on the steelies, otherwise I have lower profile 18s on black custom wheels for the other months. I drive it almost daiy.

[@FabianCrownVic]

Dang! My P71 is from Pennsylvania! Any ideas how I get in touch with your local authorities, to learn something about the history? Best greetings from northern Germany!

[@jamesrichardson559]

Excellent video. I know of several police departments that stocked up on Crown Vic's at the end of the production to bring into service at later dates. I can't believe Ford discontinued these. At the same time Ford discontinued the Ranger pickup that was an excellent small truck.

[@CadgerChristmasLightShow]

And now we have the maverick, basically a 4 door mini SUV with a 3 foot bed on the back. Totally useless for actual truck needs. True cheap mini trucks are sorely missed.

[@snakeplissken1754]

Sales numbers would have nosedived if they continued or not. And this is aside of some police stations stocking up in the end. It would be decisions made from higher up that the cars have to be replaced cause... reasons. A tank on wheels sure but outdated by "modern" requirements made by seat warmers. Then again it would have required an upgrade to its drivetain anyways as it´s no longer up to it. Coyote swap and stuff would have probably done it but yeah i doubt that would have sit well with the seat warmers either.

[@charlesgreer7245]

They made the police version 1 year longer than the civilian version. They are still a somewhat common sight on police departments even now. I live close to a small town that sold their chargers and bought a couple of crown vics from a auction to replace them with. They still patrol them every day.

[@bensmith4563]

Federal safety standards was what really killed the crown vic

[@averyintrusive7610]

Ford custom built a new police vehicle and named it the interceptor. They were designed with all sorts of police creature comforts and potentially armored doors to take cover on scene. Departments largely went to dodge because they were cheaper. They are a pale comparison to the old crown vics reliability, but capable of 350 hp and 150 mph in factory form. Also well known for brake failure and weak suspension.

[@One-Up]

I once saw a taxi crown Vic with over 715k miles and still running

[@AviationNut]

I drove a cab in 2014 as a new driver they gave me a 2009 crown Victoria with 350,000 miles on it and I drove that crown Vic for 2 years with zero problems and I put another 170,000 miles on it and it still ran great when they finally gave me a brand new Dodge Grand caravan that started to break down non stop after I only put a little over 30,000 miles on it I was at the mechanic at least once a week.

[@DJ-sr9yq]

I've seen several with the odo maxed out. As a huge vic fan everytime I hopped in a cab I would ask how much mileage.

[@janiilola5810]

Didn't scroll through all the comments so I don't know if someone already mentioned this, but you misspoke about the gear ratios. You said 3.27 for acceleration and 3.55 for economy. It's actually the other way around. A high gear (low numerical) will give you more top speed and lower rpm when cruising (hence better economy) and slower acceleration, whereas a low gear (high numerical) will do the opposite. So 3.55 for acceleration and 3.27 for economy.

[@prince7a7]

Thank you. Just now watched this and was going to comment if no one else had.

[@svajesz]

Nice video. Two things. 1. The seats are not bulletproof, they are stabproof. Couple CV has a bulletproof front door but not every CV. If your doors has a special marker (left or right upper corner near to the window), that's bulletproof. 2. Usually the regular police cars don't have vinyl back seats. They have hard, s*itie, plastic seats. Verrrrryyy uncomfortable, but easy to clean. 😄 They also have couple extras, melybe you can make a prt. 2 video in the future. 😊 Thanks for the video. 👍

[@OhNiceMatt]

He stated it correctly. So perps cant SHIV You aka stab u, he never said shoot or bullets, lol

[@digitalutopia1]

1. Correct- the panel in the seat back is actually made of plastic. 2. This largely depends on the individual department. Both CVPIs I've owned have had the vinyl back seat. 3. The easiest way to tell if your car came with the Kevlar door panels is to compare the weight of your front doors to the rear doors. If the front doors are noticeably heavier, they have the panels.

[@CadgerChristmasLightShow]

As someone who has sat in the back of a crown Vic about a decade ago now, I can attest to the hard plastic painful seats. They even had a big indentation in the plastic by the small of your back for your handcuffed hands to go lol, otherwise they would be smashed up against your butt.

[@roachymart2318]

They usually came with the vinyl seats where they were removed on delivery and replaced with those hard plastic buckets, then they took the plastic buckets out to use them on the new cars that came in, placing the factory vinyl seats back into the rear cabin. They always had extras as well. I'm pretty sure if you needed a replacement seat pad when they were in service, the fleet garage would most likely just give you one just to get rid of the extras from totaled cars

[@yayie2]

My 2010 vic doesn't have any plaque or notch but still have kevlor doors. I know this because I opened the up to check. My vic came with the partition and plastic bench which I swapped out for color matched fabric bench.

[@straightpipediesel]

They're bucket seats as opposed to bench seats. The default civilian configuration was a 50/50 split front bench seat, where both seats extended to the center, enabling (uncomfortable) seating of another passenger. This was a carry-over of the traditional American car, when families were bigger. Rental car fleets and some taxis used them for the extra accommodation, while old people liked it because it enabled easy storage of canes and walkers.

[@nastybastardatlive]

You can easily fit 3 people in the front seat comfortably. You're (as we say in NYC) talking out of your ass.

[@Cincy32]

And young people who owned them in high school (like myself) loved the bench seats on date nights!

[@Bahraini_Carguy]

Interestingly, most Crown Vic's sold in the Middle East between 2000 and 2011 (except for the P71 and LX Sport) had a 40/20/40 front bench seats configuration. It's one of the ways you can tell a Gulf Spec panther body from a USDM/CDM import.

[@straightpipediesel]

@@Bahraini_Carguy I think it’s due to the hot weather. They put rear AC vents in the center 20 portion, not possible with the North American 50/50.

[@FabianCrownVic]

​@@straightpipediesel Not so sure about that. I saw a video about a panther, which features bench seats and rear AC, a while ago. But I can't remember which model it was, unfortunately. Nevertheless I'd love to fit rear AC to my P71.

[@commodore665]

Over here in New Zealand , the old Police cars, mainly HOV6 Holden Commodores, which go to public auction , are instantly recognizable from their white paint jobs , and holes in the roof and dash , the NZ Police now use Skoda Superb , love the old Crown Vics too

[@CauliflowerMcPugg]

And they can be outrun by a Lime scooter Lol

[@oxulucozcan4923]

Skoda? what did the police do to piss of the gov't?

[@CauliflowerMcPugg]

@@oxulucozcan4923 NZ Governments have always been tight when it come to spending money on all our emergency services.

[@angelam6902]

What makes it special? I'll tell you: It's got a cop motor, a 440 cubic inch plant, it's got cop tires, cop suspensions, cop shocks. It's a model made before catalytic converters so it'll run good on regular gas.

[@digitalutopia1]

Well...a 283 cubic inch plant, and does have 4 catalytic converters. It does run on regular gas, but I'm pretty sure the "regular" they mention in the film, may be leaded gas.

[@rhekman]

12:32 You've got the differential gearing backwards. The 3.27:1 is the economy/high speed option, and the 3.55:1 is for performance/acceleration.

[@alastairwilson457]

Great video Matt, very interesting indeed. Also loved the non-edited pedal info.. just shows how much effort it takes to,produce these videos!

[@mahlonwalsh7609]

thought there was glitch in the matrix

[@kevinnye5132]

Don’t wanna know what your doing at night Matt with a RED light on in your big comfy washable back seated car 😂, who knew there was so much to know about a Crown Vic 😳 mesmerising indeed .

[@Fister_of_Muppets]

I bought two of these, a 2007 P71 and a 2008 P71. By today's standards, not a ton of horsepower, but they were very fun to drive. And if you ever got in a crash, that solid frame underneath was a life saver... ask me how I know.

[@RecklessEnterainment]

I miss the days when if you saw a Crown Vic you just knew it was a cop car. Hands down the most intimidating vehicle you could drive past because everyone would slow down. They’re rarely in use any more and it’s a shame really. Very iconic.

[@teamjay2837]

When we took our new CVPIs to the shop to get the radios and cage installed, we always made sure to put the front seats all the way back. Didn't leave much leg room for someone under arrest, but we were the ones who "Lived" in the car, so screw them. 😄

[@furiousdriving]

makes sense! And I guess everyone did as every ex-cop taxi Ive been in had no leg room either

[@christopherstimpson6540]

The slow take-off in first gear is normal. I always had those for my patrol work 1998-2014. We had an average of 500 in the fleet and only one engine came apart in my career in the whole fleet. Only one year had defective over-drives, but I don't recall which year that was. We kept them for up to 130,000 miles and the taxi companies would by them as they were extremely reliable cars. The racing suspension is stiff but works well at higher speeds. I have a 1997 Lincoln now (new condition) and it has a super soft suspension that is the opposite, as it is great at normal speeds and not good at higher speeds. I like the soft suspension now as it's my family car.

[@piercelindenberg6842]

I have a 2011 model of the police interceptor that I got for five grand, and it’s been a great car.

[@Joyos77]

Of all of the reviews on this cop car, THIS is the most information I have heard and its coming from a European! Great job!

[@LITTLE1994]

It's special because of four reasons: reliability, toughness, V8 power, and it was the dominant cop car between 1979 all the way up to when the Ford Explorer/Dodge Charger replaced it. I formerly had a 1989 LX before my father stolen it. I miss it...

[@shadow105720]

Man the part about the headlights is spot on. I see the new explorer light bar style headlights and I'm just annoyed I have to slow down but the old crown vic headlights put the fear of God in you if you saw them in the rearview. The exception is the new charger headlights because only town cops or state troopers use the chargers and im not worried about a town cop when I'm doing 85 on the highway lol. Those charger headlights will make you shit a brick and the tails too.

[@Cobra3901]

I’ve worked on quite a few of these… first you were backwards on the rear gears, you wanted 3:55 acceleration is better and because of the limiter you still have plenty of rpm at 130-135 , but use more gas. If you bother changing it go 3:73 and it will really make a difference and you still can go 130 but it’s revving a little. The hour thing is total hours running, idled or moving. You divide hours by miles and you can figure out if it’s a highway or city car. I could go on and on. The ones with 17” tires from the factory had bigger brakes and pretty much whole new front suspension.Rack and pinion steering instead of recirculating ball. E-mail me directly if you want.

[@BrownBomber92181]

The P71 Vics withe the 3.55 were electronically limited to 119 mph, and the ones with the 3.27 rear end was limited to 129 mph.

[@mrtopcat2]

I used to drive fleet TownCars for over 20 years and over 1.5 million miles. The 4R70 transmission was a ‘100% reliable weak spot’ (torque converter, shudder as early as 50K, but no later than at 150K) on these cars all the way until 2003, at which point it has been updated to 4R75 and then no more problems since. The engines were as good as bullet proof with 5W30 and good until the wheels fall off. Apart from the transmission, another reliable problem were the blend air actuators of the climate control. Luckily the particular one that fails most is right behind the glove compartment and it is easily to access.

[@FadedPixel]

Indeed, you don't lie, I immediately fell in deep love with my P7B

[@nrakma]

Reliable, Forgiving, Decent Brakes, Woefully Underpowered. After equipping a Crown Vic with emergency lights, siren, LoJack receiver, Automated License Plate Reader, special bumper, radios, computers, armored front doors, then adding in ballistic helmets, gas masks, ballistic shield, high level ballistic vests, rifle, shotgun, less lethal weapons, extra ammo for all, door ram, bolt cutters, first aid gear, blankets, teddy bears, AED, fire extinguisher, stop sticks, two cops wearing 30 lbs of gear each and fresh out of DoNut City, made the 4.6L motors lack of low end torque and high end horse power evident.

[@robinsattahip2376]

The 96 Caprice with the Corvette engine was the best police car of all time. Departments would still be buying them if they were available.

[@KMills84]

I purchased my P71 10 years ago with 42K Miles. She just hit 100K. Best car I have ever owned

[@kevinbl4836]

I have an 07 Sport that I just crossed 60k. Tough to find them low mileage! I agree that it's one of the best cars I've owned. I've never kept a car so long.

[@Where2bub]

most likely no tourist who has visited New York City has ever ridden in a retired police car taxi RE: @10:52, since all yellow cabs were required to be purchased new from factory as the p70 packaged long wheelbase model specifically made for extra rear legroom, unless it was the early whale models and all the Aero cabs and previous to that when ford didn't make a long wheelbase on the p70 taxi package... the only retired police cars in use as taxis were in places that tourists generally wouldn't frequent, used for car services and illegal street hails, (which were commonly vehicles not even licensed to take pre-booked rides, quite possibly not even validly licensed to be legally driving cars at all, so it would be quite the stretch to call those cabs)... aside from this gaff, this video is highly detailed and very interesting to follow. thanks!

[@iKumala]

I'm regularly looking for newer cars but my 2003 Vic won't quit.

[@andrewolson5471]

I had an 01 P71. It has been in a substantial front end collision at some point in its life but it was still rock solid after having been repaired. It had the only automatic transmission I've ever actually liked. The steering was numb and over-asisted, but once you got used to it, you could really hustle it around turns at speeds no car that size should be able to muster. But, I had to trade it in to get my dream car of a red V8 Mustang. I still miss it, tho.

[@xziang]

12:33 mark pretty sure your statement is WRONG. 3.55 would be the one for acceleration while the 3.27 would be the one for economy. 3.55 would give better whole shot acceleration while the 3.27 would be better for cruising on the highway. (Bigger the number means better low end grunt/acceleration) Won't get into powerband etc and rpms.

[@VitoVeccia]

I've worked on many Crown Victorias before i went into heavy trucks. The 1980's crown Victorias had metal cam gears, cast iron water pumps, heavy duty brakes ( they were taken from the station wagon model ), and the part numbers for the clutch packs in the transmission have an HD on the end. They also had some other mods as well. There was a massive oil cooler on the left front fender well, and they had a 2 speed rear end ( dont remember if it was some or all ). The shifter also had I think S1 and S2 ( probably for the 2 speed rear end). Amazing cars.

[@CassidysWorkshop]

Great video, thanks! I live in Maryland and had a 2001 CVPI from 2010 to 2014. It was an accident investigator's car with low miles and no chases. My commute required a lot of driving, so when I got an SVT Focus it had to go, but oh how I miss it.

[@arthurdardalis]

Love Crown Vic’s, may I mention that you deal with surface rust on the seat mountings

[@oliverwade8066]

I found your critique of a US classic heartwarming. I fell in love with my 2007 P71 mechanics, but not the whale of a body. I introduced her to my 2002 Ford Ranger pickup. There have been some culturaI ''speed bumps'' but we are working them out.

[@bertrandqualo8147]

Ur description of the crown Victoria in also incredibly interesting and accurate making me appreciate the car even more

[@SKATETOSLAYER]

Man that pushbar rattled and bounced all over the place when you hit those boxes. You can grab my pushbar and push the car up and down, back and forth but that thing is solid as a rock, no give, no play, no jiggly ass brackets. Perhaps somebody needs to tighten some bolts.

[@The_Future_isnt_so_Bright]

The spot lights always leak when it rains. At Ford, we tried all sorts of tricks but water is an A-hole. Ive witnessed water get into a lightbulb and the bulb still functioned. Argon can't get out but water can get in?

[@prycenewberg3976]

I currently own a crown vic (not a police interceptor). It's a great car. Very reliable, easy to service, enough power to get out of its own way (not fast, but it's around 4,000 pounds...), and on the highway doing 75 MPH it's surprisingly economical (around 24 MPG).

[@garycb8592]

Around 1991 thru 1993 I worked for a company that did the conversions. We got the cars from the dealer that won the bid to supply the cars to a particular city. Installed the light bars, siren, prisoner screen, push bumpers, radio antennas, had another company do the graphics.in our shop. We did both the P71 Crown Vics and the 9C1 Caprice. Also a few of the Camaros and Mustangs. Never liked the Explorer. Felt unstable on the road.

[@that_camo_bronco_guy]

Fun fact (that I've read online and haven't seen personally so take it with a grain of salt) in 2003 the third gen was redone for suspension and steering changes, like rack and pinion steering

[@hendo337]

I have owned 4 Crown Vics and 2 Grand Marquis, only one was a P71, it was a 1996 CVPI with a 3.08 open axle ratio, it had been ordered new by the NC Hwy Patrol, the benefits of P71 are 1.5" higher suspension ride height, stiffer suspension, added engine and transmission cooling, more aggressive transmission tuning, true dual exhaust without resonators, high flow induction box and intake pipe without resonators to reduce engine noise, higher ratio power steering with a cooler, wider high strength steel wheels with speed rated performance tires and some came with ballistic panels in the doors and stabproof panels in the seat backs, also a trunk release on the dash and a document light in the ceiling. They do handle and brake a little better than civilian car however the HPP Dual Exhaust or Crown Vic LX Sport with a 3.27 Trac Lok diff is much lighter than a police car and will likely out accelerate one from a stop. My 1996 CVPI also had the specially balanced aluminum driveshaft which allowed it to reach 136mph on the calibrated speedo with no limiter with only 225hp from it's early Non-PI 4.6L SOHC V8. As the cars continued with PI Heads and the Marauder air box making 250hp none were ever clocked much higher than 136mph in the Michigan State Police or LASD tests. At some point they lost the balanced driveshaft and were limited around 120-130mph depending on axle ratio, the later cars had 3.27 open or LSD or 3.55 LSD rear options which helped acceleration while not helping top end speed. I would buy one again, I would probably go with a nice Crown Vic LX like the 2005 I had with leather interior and full power options. I modified it from single to a 2.25" true dual exhaust with an H pipe and Magnaflow mufflers I also removed the silencers from the intake tube and replaced the air box with a K&N cone filter, then I added some 18x8 Mustang GT California Special 5 spoke wheels with BFG KDWS tires to give it a Marauder look complete with Magnaflow rolled tips in the rear bumper location like a Marauder. I also replaced the orange corner lenses with clear units. It was a nice package that looked like it could have been sold from the factory that way. It made 210rwhp and 250rwtq on a Mustang Dynomometer which tends to give lower numbers. Sadly it still had the 2.73 open differential and was limited to 112mph. I was planning to swap a limited slip with 3.73, 3.90, 4.10 or 4.30 gears and have it tuned. I ended up trading it in for a 2004 F150 pickup after I got a 2005 Mustang GT 5 speed in legend lime instead. Panthers make great vehicles, I was drawn to them because they were inexpensive, V8, rwd and cheap even for a teenager to insure. I had wanted a 1994-1996 Impala SS or a 1992-1996 Caprice or Roadmaster with a 350 but they were too expensive when I was a 19 years old in 2002. I would be 25 before I finally was able to get a Mustang GT. Any large V8 rwd American car from before 1980 with one of the better transmissions and a 327, 340, 350, 351, 383, 389, 390, 396, 400, 402, 403, 413, 425, 426 427, 428, 429, 430, 440, 454, 455, 460 is probably going to have the potential to make good power with light mods and be very durable with a TH350, TH400, C6, TF727, Muncie, top loader, A833 and a big 12 bolt, 8.75", 8",9", Dana 60 rear end. They don't handle a that great or stop all that great but. They're comfy and tough and will run forever as long as 10-20mpg is ok for you.

[@FrancisJFox]

I learned a few new tips about my girl. 2007 Ford Crown Victoria Interceptor. Worked for The Michigan State Police - Hastings. Bought in sept 2015 for $3,300.00 w/ 103,000 miles. As of January 2024 Vida Blue/Blue Velvet/Sheba has 209,400 miles & going strong. I’ve kept up on maintenance m. The only big ticket repairs have been a new gas tank/fuel pump & the AC Condenser Can twice - damn salty winter roads. I love her & want to pass 300,000 miles someday ❤

[@eddierools]

Love my 2009 example, I use it as my daily with a shave over 140,000 miles on the clock. Mine didn't come with ram bars, but it has plugs where you'd expect to find the aerials and such and had remnants of the decals for the livery, so really makes me wonder what exactly my car was used for. I really do enjoy seeing videos on your P71, are there any plans for more work on it in the future? I remember you wanting to swap over to the smaller chrome center hubcaps at one point, is that still a goal of yours?

[@furiousdriving]

Ive grown to like the fun trims, got a couple of jobs to do with it this year

[@digitalutopia1]

It's actually about as common to find CVPIs without push bars, as it is to find them with them - it all depends on the individual police department and their policies - especially in regards to chases.

[@101-reaganb2]

@@digitalutopia1 my 2011 CVPI was a Seminole County FL car and it doesn’t have a rambar

[@ronalddaub9740]

My o4 was a Missouri highway patrol car. 179000 miles an I love it

[@digitalutopia1]

@101-Reagan B I've had two from different towns in the same county. My 2010 was from Highland Park, IL, and didn't have one, but my 08 from Vernon Hills, does.

[@azizshavershian2065]

I have never met someone who owned a Crown Victoria and didn't love it.

[@xaenon]

You got it backwards. The 3.27 diff would be the economy option; the 3.55s are for better acceleration. The civvy cars got 3.08s standard, IIRC, unless fitted for taxi or towing. The higher the diff number, the faster the engine will spin at any given speed. Hence the warning to use overdrive in high speed pursuit. At 100+ mph with 3.55 gears and overdrive locked out, the engine would be spun up pretty damned tight, and the power steering pump, A/C compressor and even the alternator are going to be heavily stressed - as is the belt that drives them. Remember, that belt also drives the water pump. Lose the belt, and the engine will get hot in a hurry. Aluminum heads that get overheated tend to crack and warp. Expen$ive. Overdrive reduces engine rpm for less wear/tear and longer life, and as a bonus, uses less fuel. And yes, the modular mill is tough as nails. Much of its construction is similar to the ancient 390 and 427 'FE' mills of legend and song.

[@MA_808]

I have owned four P71s over the years and all bought at auction in Nevada. The body issues were minimal which I repaired myself and then had Macco paint on all of them - jet black. They all ran out and I only had to put on a serpentine belt. They all ran great and I miss them. But, I just grew tired of people assuming I was a police officer, to be honest. Great cars and it is a shams they dont produce them any longer.

[@huwdavies6650]

Brilliant Matt. Handling and performance is surprising considering the bulk of a Crown Vic. How about trying to locate a Rover 75 or MG ZT with that very engine to compare performance?

[@Gooney87]

Great video. I have an 07 CVPI, and met up with Jim from @alsodriven a couple of days later in the Netherlands.

[@thealso]

Hi Thomas!

[@Gooney87]

@@thealso Hi! Small world sometimes, isn't it?

[@JerzeyBoy]

A British guy starts talking about an American full-size sedan in a police station holding cell.

[@andregonsalvez9244]

Greetings from Canada 🇨🇦 and great show ! I used to own one of these back in the day I owned a 2000 Mercury Grand Marquis which is so similar to the Ford variant. They were very reliable and comfortable cars. I had my Mercury for many years before trading it in for a Ford pickup truck.

[@smellsuperb1]

There's a mercury P71 and Town Car variants, very very rare. Usually only for city officials and federal agents.

[@danmccarthy4700]

So mine is a P73. I learned something today! :)

[@Ulford]

The most iconic American car was actually built in Canada.

[@jamesg2609]

I have owned 12 CVPIS. I sold all of them but one 2006 SAP just turned 225000 miles. The manifold just cracked the location is one of the heater hoses tubes on the right rear.. just crubled.. new manifold $200 and my mechanic friend that works on these cars for A SD is charging me $300 labor. The car has been flawless except for a water pump and normal aervice. I bought a FPIU recently and enjoy driving it as well..

[@pizzalover3]

The cup holders are decent Matt, just fold up the cup holder front once you've pulled it out. Also worth noting the idle hour counter on the 06+ cars.

[@pizzalover3]

Edit, sorry just heard you mention it later on!

[@jimzigzagman8770]

I love my 98' 4.6 liter Interceptor!! The cop I bought it from retired and let him keep his car as a Retirement. He didn't drive it after that. I paid $2,500 for my 98' - It only had 134K on the odometer... ;)

[@baird5776mullet]

I have an 08 since 2018 that was a supervisors car on the Escambia county sheriff dept w/ power seat, carpet 93 Oct Marty tune, total cat delete, MSD coil packs and a K&N air filter, approx 280 hp currently 136k, 1700 idle hrs that wasn't flex fuel, cool video.

[@alamedacustomholsters]

I own a 2011 CVPI, white, it’s an awesome vehicle and still gets the respect it deserves. ❤from Texas

[@stevep756]

Thanks to free trade that paid the way for USA jobs to leave, starting in 1992 all of these cars were made in Canada. Almost all of the years had engines and transmissions made in Michigan. Most of the plastic pieces were made in Canada. Almost all of the electronics were made in Mexico. Have had a black 07 for 6.5 years. Up to 141,622. Computer limits the top speed to 118 MPH with the 3:55 rear end. My white 2011 has the same setup and up to 145,650. All of the 2012's were sold to Saudi Arabia. There is a long video on youtube here that shows the complete assembly of the Crown Victoria in 8 parts. Check the torque on those spark plugs. Spec is 13 but I would go 15 to 20. Thanks for reading, from Kentucky.

[@Kerleem]

Ah yes, my inspiration for importing my Mercury Grand Marquis to the Netherlands!! Great video! Glad I got to drive @alsodriven ‘s CVP too!

[@furiousdriving]

I followed your story, would be great to see the Mercury one day

[@thealso]

@@furiousdriving Kerleem is just fantastic. Amsterdam isn't very far, you guys should definitely meet

[@nastybastardatlive]

Smart. The Grand Marquis is a much better model.

[@Kerleem]

@@nastybastardatlive consumer grade luxury 😆

[@brianiswrong]

Sorry matt Can you tell me again were the optional pedal adjust button would be 😇

[@GluedBarstool]

Lol he must have forgotten to edit that out

[@kmbriggs2693]

The transmission is special also.the sprags aka roller clutches are mad of special softer metal to handle heave abuse.

[@john-vy1ml]

I like the 02 the best. It had the slower 2valve motor but had aluminum front lower control arms. Rode great and would never fail as long as you torqued the spark plugs. The newer 3 valve motors were problematic but still more dependable compared to most cars.

[@nastybastardatlive]

Every crown vic ever made had the 4.6, 2-valve motor, never a 3-valve. The only panther ever made with a 4-valve is the Marauder.

[@john-vy1ml]

@@nastybastardatlive thank u for the heads up. I always thought it was like the later 5.4. 👍

[@jeffmorefield]

All Crown Vics came with a 4.6, 16 valve motor. None came with a 24v. Mercury Marauder came with a 32v 4.6.

[@daneneedoba8930]

In front of the fuel door button that trim piece can be removed to add the trunk button. It still has the letters under that trim, also there should have been a traction control wiring harness behind the trim where you put the fog light button. You might see on later models if equipped on the front right of the drivers seat will have adjustable lumbar support

[@88dugjt]

A lot of American cars of that year and previous would only unlock the driver door. The central unlock was mainly a European feature for many years until the US caught up. For police cars its not for people getting in but getting out. They don't want to accidental unlock all the doors and allow someone to escape. Most american cars have had the feature to turn of the dome light with the doors open for quite awhile (well before the panther). if i'm not mistaken my 67 was able to. The backseats are normally solid plastic one piece units for most patrol cars, no cracks or seams makes it a breeze to clean up. The trunk pack only takes up the room where you can see the step/ shelf on the bottom compared to normal crown vic, (items can still be placed/ but allows for use of a gun mount and accessory shelf). The OEM police ones are actually kevlar and rated for 75mph iirc and come with organization partitions/ doors. The gas tank is not located behind the rear passenger compartments shoulder. It is underneath and mostly behind the back axle.

[@conanthelibrarian8354]

These cars are truly amazing. There is a guy in Florida who owns nearly 100 of the P71 version. He owns a 1/2 mile oval track. He randomly drove one that already had 180K on it. Yeah get this he drove that thing around the track for 24hrs straight. In first gear with the gas pedal matted to the floor. For 24hrs straight. He did not have one issue. Not one. That 4.6 redlined. Name another vehicle that could do that.

[@lesklower7281]

That was great seeing the difference between two series of the Crown Victoria great name for a car for Police and taxi work and a couple of stats

[@_stoatchaser]

I do love a crown Vic. Still manage to find them in service when I visit family in the state's.

[@furiousdriving]

There are a few left, great to see them working still

[@grayfool]

Gotta luv a good geek out on cop cars. I can now drive my wife nuts by making sure she knows all the details of these cars every time we watch an American cop show. She will be pleased.

[@donnysweekendvanlifetravel7854]

very informative matt these cars have a lot off history in the states the go to vehicle all the best donny

[@abpsd73]

The later model P71 had "dark mode" selectable for the interior dome light, so it is possible to configure it to work like a civilian model. Ford IDS software and a communication module is required to toggle the setting in the body control module.

[@chesoriadomingo7068]

It can also be done with forscan

[@giulianomarco]

Matt thinks he's auditioning for The Sweeney as a stoppo driver... 😁👍

[@ololiver92]

Who taught you to drive Evel Knievel?

[@Legotecho2]

These cars drive really well. Especially the newer models. One of my favorites.

[@raider762]

Still rolling mine, since 2008. Yes, people used to slow down when I drove by them, more than 4 years ago.

[@prestonklein6338]

Those aluminum cross members are common failure points on later Panthers

[@mikeweber5382]

3.55 for economy 3.23 for acceleration, got that one backwards maye

[@BigBob473]

1955 was the first year of the Ford Crown Victoria. A very different car back then.

[@stevemino142]

It's the PI cylinder heads police 4.6 are 250 horsepower and I believe 285 torque in the latest generation where civil 4.6 versions were 224 hp in vics and marquis and 272 torque

[@digitalutopia1]

PI heads go back a long while - the last performance increase goes back to 03 with the introduction of the Marauder airbox.

[@randyjohnson6845]

I got a 2003 mercury Grand Marquis...I'm surprised you didn't know about a left hand button on the dashboard..its lit with a background light..it seems to go from limited slip to positive traction...and it has the electronic pedal button...it a 2003 mercury Grand Marquis..LS bronze...the color of the car is gray the color of the name on the truck is bronze

[@furiousdriving]

Basic Crown Vics dont get the pedal button, it's an option not often ticked. I used that space and the rear of the moulding to drill and fit the rear fog light switch

[@Brutuz62]

Coolest wannahave US sedan ever, thanks for this vid and keeping my bucket list up-to-date. Meanwhile a Buick Park Avenue has been ticked off from the list hahaha. And a Camaro too. And a straight piped Oldsmobile Cuttlas Siera. Nowadays I feel nutered driving a Japanese city car with a no-worries-fillingstation-policy...

[@aidan1585]

12:47 the 3.55 is the shortest ratio. 2.73 is slowest and most economical, 3.27 is in between. The 3.55 is the most optimal for acceleration (you can really feel the difference between this and a 3.27 and especially the 2.73) but cuts the top speed by a few mph

[@SimpsonsClassics]

Really enjoyed this video so cool to see these two legends of cars together!

[@derekcope3803]

Ive owned 4 of them. They are budget hot rodder favorites, as there are hundreds in junkyards across America. You can still find lots of good ones for under $5k

[@Pzkpfw18]

I got a used 2011 with 100k from my local department and it’s been the best daily driver I’ve had

[@NYG5]

The crown vic is a classic design that was a modern continuation of the previous generations of police boat mobiles, it carried that torch before the soul-less Taurus and Exploder took over

[@danr1920]

This was the down sized full size car. In the early 70's cars in the U.S. were bigger!

[@compu85]

Central locking wasn't... and really isn't a thing on US market cars until recently. You'll have power locks of course, and traditionally these are not linked to the lock cylinder on the door. Even USA market VWs didn't have central locking initially - one turn of the key would unlock just the driver's door, a 2nd turn would unlock the other doors. The boot lid wasn't part of the central locking at all! Another fun tidbit: The power lock buttons are always active on these cars. I helped more than one person get into their Crown Vic after they locked the doors with the key in the ignition by pulling back on the corner of the door, then using a wire to poke the unlock button. And yes - the power locks let you lock the door with it open, and the key still in the ignition! Your car has an upgraded radio with a tape deck! So fancy! My 03 F350 only had the AM / FM radio, and 2 speakers. But it actually sounded really good, and had excellent reception! If the instruments in yours are like my F350, the volt and oil pressure gauges are fake - they're just a glorified idiot light. They don't show anything other than bad / good, not a relative reading of the actual volts / oil pressure.

[@malcolmschenot6352]

People love these cars. I'm on my second Mercury Grand Marquis. A '91 bought in 2005, sold and bought an '01 in 2013 still driving now. I'll go to my grave driving this one. And it's so cheap to own!

[@LawrenceMarkFearon]

Fun fact: most Crown Victoria's were purchased by law enforcement. Back in the day I could spot CV in my rearview at night just from the headlights.

[@mikewypasek8855]

Indeed! I am on my second one, this one a 2010, and I’m totally in love with it 😊

[@curtbilyeu8701]

also in my opinion the 96 and the 97 were the fastest police cars. you could peg the speed meter and still have plenty of peddle left over. just make sure you stayed in a straight line.

[@encinobalboa]

3.27 is longer geared for higher top speed. 3.55 is shorter geared for acceleration and lower top speed.