Who made the best cop car during the 1970's?

Unfortunately, due to rising gas prices and the government enforcing new emission regulations, the beloved muscle cars were slowly dying and by 74’, they were pretty much all gone. On the bright side, former police cars of the era, specifically 1970-1973, had the bones of those muscle cars. They had to! In today’s video, I go over 4 police cars from each manufacturer (AMC, GM, Ford, and Chrysler) to see which cop car was best for carrying out its duties. I’m not a specialist by any means, and the ‘70s is difficult for me as it was so long ago. So, if I happen to mess something up, please feel free to let me know in the comments down below! Thank you all for watching😊
CHAPTERS:
0:00 -Intro
1:15 -Time period (1970-1973)
1:44 -Cop car equipment/overview
3:30 -Car 1
4:44 -Bonus
6:19 -Car 2
8:13 -Car 3
9:35 -Car 4
10:45 -VOTE NOW
10:58 -Outro

[@autochatter]

"Itss got a cop motor, a 440 cubic inch plant, it's got cop tires, cop suspensions, cop shocks." LOL. Great vid Hawk!

[@FREDOGISFUUN]

My dream ride! "And it`s dark and we`re wearing sunglasses"

[@bobbyjohnson4002]

Doesn't it have a Cadillac converter run good on regular gas

[@RockandrollNegro]

@@bobbyjohnson4002 First, it's a catalytic converter, and no, it doesn't have one because it's a '74 and was meant to run on leaded gas.

[@charlesharmon4926]

Fix the cigarette lighter!

[@williamhelms9942]

Dodge Polara with 440 Wedge.

[@jwpeters2092]

I own my assigned 1973 Police dodge coronet with 440, and 727 trans. I wa s assigned this unit when I was Police Chief in Cave Junction Oregon in the 70's. I went on to a larger department when C J went bankrupt in the late 70's ( Spotted Owl B S shut down logging and all our mills closed ) In the 90's after I had retired a friend who was a deputy in Josephine County saw the car in a wrecking yard and brought it to me. After having to buy a parts car and a lot of expense and labor it is again looking good! Get to relive memories of when I was the youngest Police Chief in Oregon, am now 80 years young. Great video! Thanks. JP3

[@jamesrecknor6752]

That's fantastic

[@waylonmccrae3546]

Heck Yea !! Thank You for your Service as a P.O. !! 😎👍🏻

[@captkirk6145]

Man that's awesome! Thank you for your service! Have never been past Michigan but I would think it was still quite expensive to restore!

[@SCfanIam100]

Thank you for your service!

[@charlesdada6434]

Hi there, Mr. JW Peters. I started in LE in 1991, and retired in 2019. I was wondering what sort of forgotten LE techniques were used by your generation, but which are nearly forgotten today. Like lead saps, which reportedly were a great "off" switch for AH's, but fell victim to lawyers by the time I came into the profession. Did you use saps?

[@jdw174]

As a former state trooper, I served through the 70's, 80's, and early 90's, and IMO, the Fury III's of 71/72/73 couldn't be matched. They were heavy beast, but with the 440 engine, a good one would lay rubber in the first two gears. I had one past 145mph and it was still going. In all my time on the job, anything that came after those was a disappointment. In 74/75, the 440 was bogged down with smog equipment, and we began seeing cruisers with the 400 engine which was a dog in comparison. To give an idea of what that smog equipment did to performance, the troop mechanic took a 400 equipped cruiser, removed a bunch of hoses and plugged the holes they were connected to. That car ran like a scalded cat afterwards. My department stayed with Chrysler products for a few years, and I drove Diplomats (318ci/4bbl) which wouldn't get out of it's own way, followed by the Magnum (360ci/4bbl). That was a step up from the Diplomat, but it was no 440. Over the years I operated Chevy Malibus (305ci/4bbl) that was as bad as the Diplomat and maybe worse. The absolute WORST cruiser I ever drove came from the "Blue Oval"....FORD. We were equipped for a short time with the 77-78 LTD II's (351ci/4bbl/single exhaust. Top speed was about 90mph....if you could ever get it there...and acceleration like a mud-logged tortoise. If you ever got involved in a chase and had to brake hard, you had better hope you didn't have to do it twice, because the second time....there weren't any left to speak of. Handling was as pathetic as everything else.

[@lilibethdoherty295]

I had the 440 in my Winnebago and it drove like the Fury III that I drove in my Drivers Ed Class !

[@unklebobosaurus]

I live in Canada, my town had an RCMP ghost car that had quite the reputation... Fury.

[@captkirk6145]

Thank you for your service! Where did you serve? In your time how many high speed chases were you involved in? I have friend that used to he was never in one.

[@jdw174]

Pa State Police from 1972-1993. I had a few chases involving cars and motorcycles@@captkirk6145

[@timsharpe3498]

The 1985 LTD with a 140 horsepower 302 TBI was good for a top speed of 85 MPH if it had a good tailwind.. They also had the hideousy clunky AOD transmission that failed at 30,000 miles or less and tilt steering columns that broke often.

[@ricksradioiowa5689]

So, back in 1981, as a teen, I bought at police auction one of their used Interceptors for $500. It was a 75 Torino with 460 Interceptor engine. 4 Door, but was highly factory modified with what they called SVO and DSO options. None of the suspension or over sized brakes and bearings were same as regular Torino. 9 Inch rear, beefy tranny, 140mph speedometer, extra cooling systems such as engine oil cooler, hydraulic, trans, 4 row radiator the whole works. Package was called Desert Rat cooling from Ford. Ride height was very high. Used to dirve down dirt back roads and mountain forest roads in Arizona at speeds well over 90mph, jumping cattle guards, railroad tracks , ditches and much of the dukes of hazards in this thing. Could pull itself up the grades north of Phoenix at 130mph without over heating. Learned to drive in this car. Got pulled over a couple times by Az Highway Patrol, not for speeding, but because they loved the car and was curious who wound up with it. AZ apparently only bought about 4 of them for the whole state just for hunting down high speed chases on interstates. So, if I was to vote, the best was the 75 Torino Interceptor.

[@ricochetey]

That is awesome I hope the car was saved but sounds like you drove the wheels of it so that's pretty cool too

[@hendo337]

I would have said that I would prefer a 351C in a Torino from this era but, I think production was over in '75, certainly '74 was the last year the 351 was any good, before cats and 2bbl 351m, 351w and 400s. The 460 was a slug stock by then too in stock form, if it at least had D3VE heads on it, it was workable, take off the cats, either advance the cam timing 4 degrees or do a cam swap, swap the intake, de-cat true duals, possibly headers, possibly pull the heads give them some porting, mill them down, re-install with shimm gaskets to get the compression up from like 8.0:1 to 9-10.5:1, you could still get leaded gas until 1985-1986 I believe. Could probably get 400-500hp at the crank out of a 460 with all the tricks back then. Of course a 351c with all the tricks would make 500-600hp.

[@ricochetey]

@hendo337 What about the interceptor 460 or was there not much difference between the two

[@craigpolinski8955]

Ford offered TWO 460 Cid engines in their police package cars from 1973 to 1978. The mid size Torino from 73 to 76 was available with either one. So many including avid Ford guys don't realize this. The first 460, the common garden variety (station wagon, Lincoln, Marquise, TBird, LTD), malaise tune engine was identified by an A code in the vehicle identification number

[@craigpolinski8955]

The A code 460 is the one that is advertised around 200-224 ish NET horsepower with the retarded cam timing Yada, Yada Yada. Incidentally it often came with dual exhaust on torino, Montegos and big Fords, trailer tow packages and also police package cars. The presence of dual exhaust doesn't ID it as the REAL Police Interceptor 460 like many like to claim. The real PI or Police Interceptor 460 engine is identified by the letter C in the cars VIN number. I've never seen an official Ford Motor Company published horsepower/torque figures for these engines. Even in Ford Police Car specific brochures, shop manuals etc. Although some Chiltons books list estimated figures to be 275 Net hp which is comparable to same year high performance Mopar 440 engines of the era. Along with 2.5 dia dual pipes w/ h pipe and a specific dual inlet ( or "triple" inlet") air cleaner not much else external to ID it as a C code PI 460. This engine depending on the year had several internal upgrades over the A code 460 similar to the earlier CJ, SCJ engines of the previous years and the retarded cam timing didn't apply to any of the PI specific 460 engines up through 1978.

[@donaldperrotta8514]

Good friend of mine is a retired police officer … said that the Plymouth Fury cruisers with the police 440’s were absolutely animals on a high end chase …

[@bjazzgguy7849]

1973 movie " White Lightning " with Burt Reynolds driving a 1971 429 police package Ford Galaxie is a great movie , lots of car chasing.

[@deborahchesser7375]

Hell yeh brown with a 4 speed, plain hubcaps and white letter tires that’s a great one.

[@johnjackson8401]

​@deborahchesser7375 The four speed manual you see in the movie was actually a brown Mustang that was used for interior footage. There is a shot of Burt putting the Galaxie 4 door into park on the column in one scene. This was the give away that the Galaxie actually had a 3 speed automatic.

[@deborahchesser7375]

@@johnjackson8401 ah man , I thought it was a rare Galaxie with a 4 speed. Lol thanks

[@dukecraig2402]

​@@johnjackson8401 The magic of Hollywood, last year I had to explain to a guy who was claiming that since you can't hear the rocket engine on the LEM during the audio transmissions of Apollo 11's decent to the moon that it's proof it was faked that just because the sound editor of Star Wars was trying to win an Academy Award doesn't mean that rocket engine's actually make noise in the vacuum of space.

[@johnjackson8401]

@dukecraig2402 Yes, I was 11 when Apollo 11 astronauts walked on the moon in 1969. I can't believe that there are conspiracy nuts who think it was staged.

[@paulrose6359]

Back in the early 70's I shared a house with a mechanic for the LAPD. He said the Matadors were pretty good all around patrol cars. He also said that the late 60's Plymouth (68/69), "B" bodies were basic Roadrunner's with four doors.

[@MrKoaz72]

My father bought a 72 Plymouth satellite cop car i learned how to drive in it and I loved that car

[@tremayne3]

My favorite cop car!

[@rt_goblin_hours]

Arizona's Lacj of rust keeps the crown Vic here eternal

[@Buddycoop1]

Tough call. I'd take the 440. I had a customer, former Chicago cop, had a Coronet 440. He said he couldn't believe he got paid to drive that car.

[@nucleargrizzly1776]

The AMC's were so durable some stayed in service well into the '80s. I bought one in the late 80's (for the block) that still ran.

[@johnchildress6717]

They were better than most people thought.

[@glenbard657]

My favorite TV show of the 1970's is The Rockford Files and they always had a lot of AMC Matador police cars, so they would be my favorite.

[@marinegunny826]

Picked up a 78 Plymouth Fury a few years back. It was a North Carolina state interceptor. Powder blue with all the equipment still on board. 440 engine with 750 cfm thermoquad carb, factory headers, dual exhaust mated to a 727 trans. A very fun and comfortable car to drive. Still have it. Needs a complete restoration but would be a great car to restore.

[@nota-fj8qo]

Offering this almost completely unrelated comment: In the Australian Capital Territory circa 1975, I recall being chased by the Feds whilst hooning around Canberra in my ‘64 Studebaker Cruiser, which had the Stude 289 V8 (and btw retrofitted with a 4-speed ‘Moss’ gearbox - ex Jaguar). The particular marked Police car that was chasing me, yes with lights and siren, was a Volkswagen Kombi van with the air-cooled 4-banger and automatic transmission. Good times!

[@nlpnt]

No doubt they were resigned to keeping an eye on you while radioing for backup in a V8 Holden or Falcon.

[@michaelwhite2823]

Great research. You made this a lot more interesting than one would think. You know in 72 they switched to net horsepower so that explains the huge drop. I was a kid in the 70s and mostly remember Dodge and Plymouth police cars. Most of my family and friends had GM and Ford cars. So as a little kid I assumed all dodges were made to be police only. I inherited a 1978 LTD Landau with a 460. Even with detuning that boat was a rocket.

[@landonbenford8369]

I bet it was a gas guzzler, though. 😎

[@patrickmcgoldrick8234]

​@@landonbenford8369eEeeeeeewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

[@patrickmcgoldrick8234]

​@@landonbenford8369Unfortunately almost all the Fullsize cars of the early to mid seventies were very hard on fuel.

[@GreenHawkDrive]

I appreciate that, thank you for watching!

[@jasonyoung3690]

My dad was in The California Highway Patrol from 1967 until he retired, and he says by far the best cars they used were the 1969 and 1971 Dodge Polaras. Every single one of these cars was ordered with the 440 Magnum engine, with special up-jetted carb, hotter cam and beefier transmission from the factory. These upgrades for police use were not available to the general public from the factory, so basically, you got a much hotter engine in these cars than was available in the usual lineup. These cars were very quick for their size, and flat out FAST! It was very popular to buy these older cars at auction just for the engines and transmissions, as they were direct swaps for most any Mopar that had the same Mopar big block engine (383 and 440). The engines in the patrol cars were far better than the standard 440s found in Chargers, Road Runners, 'Cudas and Challengers. I bought a wrecked 1971 Polara that was former CHP in the 80s just to get at that engine and rebuild it, as they were getting harder to find in that horsepower rating. Spike Helmick, former CHP commissioner said that by far his best patrol car was the 1969 Polara. I know this isn't a 70s car, but they were still in service in the 70s. I wouldn't mind at all having that very 1969 or 1971 Polara 4 door for myself. I'd restore it to CHP specs and colors, and show it.

[@413x398]

The first time LAPD chased me (1972) they had a '71 401 Matador. I was 16 piloting a '67 289 Cougar. I lost him by turning into a twisty neighborhood that I evidently knew better than he. The second pursuit saw me in a '68 442 Olds (street racer) with a built '70 455 in it. Night pursuit; all I saw was the red lights, so I don't know what car they had. I had the taillights and brake lights on cut-off switches, so I lost him in the darkness. In between, I had picked up a black-and-white '68 440 CHP Polara. What a tank! So many stories with that car. My vote for best squad, although not in the time frame of this vid. Side note: there were, in fact, civvy versions of the Matador. There was a local light yellow 4-door Matty with 401 badges on the fenders, owned by some lady. Tried to buy it, but no go.

[@74SD455TA]

Love it

[@scav3155]

You're full of shit

[@stevemiller1517]

My dad had 1968polara, 440 mag. Speedometer 160mph

[@michaelatoz580]

You made this up. I saw this episode of Adam 12. lol

[@413x398]

Nope. I became a died-in-the-wool street racer in the Van Nuys Blvd scene. So many stories there is no need to make shit up. Today, I have 61 cars, 56 of which are era muscle cars. @@michaelatoz580

[@zelphx]

The Matador was the biggest star on Adam-12. When I saw one in LAPD livery in 1971, I screamed like a little girl (not much difference at my age). Disneyland and Universal Studios were #2 and #3 on my biggest SoCal thrills!

[@jamesstark8316]

I agree the early 70's Furies were the beast. Quite a few NYS troopers chased me down in them while I was speeding in my GTX.

[@danielkeene1623]

While hitch hiking through Arizona in 1971, I saw one of these AMX cop cars near Flagstaff. A couple years later I had the chance to spend quite a bit of time behind the wheel of a 72, 401 4 spd AMX. Damn that car was FAST!

[@guyintenn]

Wait, you saw an Alabama Javelin/AMX police car in Flagstaff, Arizona in 1971? They were only used by the Alabama Highway Patrol.

[@danielkeene1623]

Well, I saw a gold Arizona AMX/Javelin. Sitting on an on ramp heading south just outside flagstaff. I know my cars and I know what I saw. @@guyintenn

[@jamiedunlap7718]

I personably like anything made by Chrysler . They looked so different from anything else and handled better than most.

[@mikeks8181]

Thank You for the Memories! Keep it going and go on from the mid Seventies to the 2000's.

[@GreenHawkDrive]

I appreciate that man! Certainly:)

[@davidphillips5395]

I've actually owned two of these. 1971 Ford Custom ex Maryland State Police. 429 4V. It came off Kennedy Expressway duty and had a really high rear axle ratio. A total dog to about 35 MPH and then it came alive all the way to the top of the 140 MPH speedometer! Interestingly, it had a factory Rochester Quadrajet carburetor. The Ford 4300 piece of crap carb wasn't able to provide enough CFM to feed the beast. The other was an ex Alaska State Trooper - 1972 AMC Matador 401. Originally equipped (converted) to run on propane. I converted it back to gasoline. Great car. Handling was excellent!

[@BloodRaven1969]

I had a 1971 LTD with the Interceptor 429 4v, same as yours with the highway gears when I got it and same dead to 35 or so. The township swapped to a Holly manual secondaries for duty use and I'm told that really woke it up. A swap to 3.23 gears evened things out. I wound up selling it to the sheriff that had drove it and bought their 1977 LTD full size. That 400 2v in that tank was a SLUG.

[@davidphillips5395]

That 3.23 swap had to have made a big difference. I think mine had 2.73's@@BloodRaven1969

[@BloodRaven1969]

@@davidphillips5395 When I got mine had 2.73's, the 3.23 swap really got it going better from a dead standstill but it did cut top speed a bit, not that the 140 speedo showed any difference. It peg the speedo either way.

[@mallardfilmore4194]

Having had two of the LIMA Series Ford Engines myself(a 429 and 460. Replacing a 390 In a 71 F250 and a 400 in a 79 F350 That Started Life As Two Wheeler And I Converted It To A 4x4 Deleting The Front Leaf Springs And Using After Market Radius Rods And Custom Made Coil Springs. It Definitely Made It Ride Better And Was Much More Capable In The Rocks. I’ve also done tuning on a few other Q-Jets for friends back in the day: I found using a Q-Jet vastly improved the performance and it helped a bit in fuel economy too. IF You Could Keep Your Foot Out Of It. But then I happen to like those Carburetors A Lot. I Personally would Only have a Holly if it’s been converted to Weber Metering Blocks. A different story for a different time. The Rochesters Are Very Versatile And Perform Wonderfully But You Have To Be Patient And Understand Them. They work great On And Off Road. Of course the newer ones that were being used in the later versions that were changed to meet ever more stringent emission standards finally got to the point where they were almost impossible to do anything to them performance wise. But you must take into consideration if FOMOCO Used them in certain applications over a multiple year period it means something. Not throwing rocks or insults at anyone: I’m simply saying in certain applications the Q-Jet does an excellent job where other carbs couldn’t. Even Chrysler used them on many applications in the late 80s to mid to late 90’s especially in their trucks…

[@roberthughes2805]

Regarding the full size fords: 1971 police 429 was identical to the cobra jet. 1972 was the first year of the official 429 police interceptor. Slightly lower compression, but better flowing heads. In 72, due to emissions, horse power became a “dirty word” and compression began to drop across all manufacturers. By 74 ford’s police interceptor received the new 460 PI and still used the heads from 72. Ford refused to publish the hp/tq ratings for 72-74 police interceptors. while the civilian big blocks were rated around 200 hp, the PI engines still made numbers closer to the 71 CJ. Even until 1978, the 460 PI was still using parts from 429 cobra jet. 460 PI engines had an in-tank electric fuel pump because the block mounted fuel pump would starve for fuel when vehicle speeds exceeded 120mph. Ford wins best police car of the 70s.

[@413x398]

Yes. The 1972 Police cylinder heads carried a D2OE-R casting number, which had a bit more of a refined flow than the 1970-71 D0OE-R CobraJet heads that had oversized ports that did not work well until you were at 500 inches.

[@JeffFrmJoisey]

When I was in college back then, Campus Police used Matadors 3 out of 4 years. The odd year they used the briefly available Pontiac LeMans Police package.

[@The1cdccop]

The AMC 401 was no slouch. I vote for the underdog.

[@ronniewatkins]

In the late 70s in Catoosa County, Ga, they used a fleet of detuned Trans Ams for patrol cars. Locals knew to keep their speeds down on I-75 in those days for sure! It was the firat speed trap coming south from Tennessee into Georgia 😅

[@eddiestanley135]

All late 70's Trans Ams were sadly detuned!😢

[@thud9797]

Detuned? How? They were just normal 4-speed base Trans Ams with vinyl seats and no air conditioning. That county always had cool cars, in 69 they used GTO's. Today the have some Chargers which is the only American police car left and now as of the end of 2023, it's out of production.

[@thomasrichardson9401]

My Uncle was A Virginia State Trooper. He had a 71 Plymouth Fury that would go 180 MPH. Clocked using radar.

[@kennewickmanatgmail]

That opening screen gave me a jumpscare from growing up in Washington State; that logo is imprinted in my brain as dangerous like the outline of a hawk is to a squirrel.

[@olikat8]

AMX, the '76 Dart & Valiant A38 (with the 360 option), the Nova, Matador (with the 401) and the Pontiac Enforcer were fairly rare and underrated. My favorite? The Chrysler A-body; the newspaper article in the video? Appears the tire shredded apart & he lost control...the tires were not what came from AMC, which is also noted

[@brentoswald8093]

I had a 1976 Dart police package. It had been an unmarked cruiser for the Edmonton Police Service, 318, 727, 3.21 axle. A powder blue grandma car, it surprised many a BMW on the onramp.... It was pretty quick for the era, tough and durable. I drove the shit out of it and never had any problems. Wish I had known how rare it was, or I would never have let it go.

[@88SC]

In Olympia, WA when I was in high school, OPD had the Dart A38 and the LeMans. I’ve always been keenly interested in the Dart and the Nova 9C1, I’d love to have one of each.

[@JTA1961]

Driver (wished for a second) he would have retired early

[@olikat8]

@JTA1961 true...I'll bet there were a lot of "Sudden tire changes" following this incident

[@hendo337]

I have owned 4 Crown Vics and 2 Grand Marquis 92-05 years. Only one was a P71, it was a 1996 that I paid $600 for in Elkton, KY, I had just gotten out of the Army in 2006, I put $300 worth of maintenance and tune up into it. Had the 3.08 open diff and the balanced aluminum driveshaft the later cars lost, it would do every bit of 136mph coming down I24 from Clarksville, TN to Nashville, I knew every speed trapping spot the entire way both directions, I knew exactly where to slow down, then as long as it was an open road, I could run until I hit traffic again. I had a 2005 Crown Vic LX that was significantly more powerful but it was limited to 108mph. After that I had an '05, '10 and '11 Mustang GT, then I got my second police car, a 2013 Caprice PPV 6L it was my all time favorite car, only had 800miles whenI bought it, Alto Grey, looked like a civilian car, was limited and would hit between 158-160mph, after that I had a 2016 Chevrolet SS 6.2L it was much more luxurious, I didn't notice that it was much quicker, limited to the same top speed, all I have left now is a cam, headers 2004 GTO 6 speed it's limited to 163mph.

[@dustin_4501]

Personal favorites would be the Dodge Monaco and the Plymouth Fury but they would came into the picture in the late 1970's.

[@smoketr41]

1996 Caprice LT1 to date my all time favorite to work in. Would still drive it today.

[@ella71971]

love learning about these forgotten cars, great video!

[@GreenHawkDrive]

Glad you enjoyed!

[@kevineich5029]

Keep in mind that 1972 was the model year the auto manufacturers began reporting horsepower in net vs. the gross HP rating of 1971 and earlier. The gross HP was without belt driven accessories, exhaust, etc. so the HP numbers were higher.

[@jamesmccullough1395]

I am a 57 year old Canadian and I can tell you how many different police cars over the years of which we had. Most were decent and actually quite good. The only exception was in the mid 80s where detectives were driving K cars...lol. Good stuff.

[@Stinger430]

This was such an ambitious video! Great Job Hawk, as always.

[@GreenHawkDrive]

Thank you, Stinger!

[@user-vx1wo3fs7v]

The AMC had 4 piston front disk brakes as compared to the drum brakes found on most other cars. The Ford Custom with the 429 was a monster and that would be my vote.

[@timsharpe3498]

When I was a cop car mechanic the Chevrolet Caprice was the best car available from 1988 to 1996. After 1996 many agencies would rather refurbish their Caprices than buy a new Ford.

[@AledPritchard]

Another great video. Thanks for this. The amount of American films that I’ve watched and loved from this period, and the cars within them too. But being from this side of the pond 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 I didn’t really know much about them.

[@GreenHawkDrive]

Thank you for returning and commenting!

[@billbernhard3582]

The 429 Ford V8 was an especially fine engine, mated to the Ford C6 AT. In Mustang form, this could out-perform most of the competition from other makes. Chrysler 727 AT was a beast - capable of tolerating enormous torment. The 440 engine did have lower-end success @ high rpm, due to the short stroke. Chevy's 454 and Th400 AT was a fine combo too. I had never heard about handling problems with short wheelbases however. Sounds like a problem with the drivers, primarily. Good video !

[@nrakma]

The 429 motor was fine, although low end torque was mia. And the C6 does a poor job of imitating a 727. But the 1970 CHP Mercury with that motor & trans had so many other flaws, no one wanted to drive them as they were just not a good car.

[@tomtbi]

I built the AMT 1/25 scale 70 Ford Galaxie Squad Car Model Kit about a few months ago.. It came out quite nicely I think..

[@splender88]

The early 70's Mopars like the Furys and Polaras were probably the best having the 440's IMHO.

[@jameswalsh6131]

Excellent video Green Hawk! These do bring back memories. I had no idea that some Javelins were used for LE service. Please keep the great videos coming!

[@GreenHawkDrive]

I appreciate that man, thank you!

[@davidwilliams3749]

Nice job on the comparison! The best car I drove hands down was the Chev. Impala that came out in 1977 with the detuned Corvette 350. We also had 1975 Plymouth Fury's with the 440. They were heavy cars, it took a while to get past 100, and you couldn't make a three point turn to chase someone going the opposite direction. We had Ford Crown Vics starting in 1982 which ran good, but couldn't touch the Chev. 350 for top end or braking. The Chev. Impala's prior to 1977 were slow and drove like a boat when taking corners. Nothing compared to the downsized Chev. Impala that came out in 77 and had the same body style until 1988.

[@FrankF-vp4pt]

My neighbor had a retired Illinois State Trooper 70-71 Fury 440. He gave me a ride and we were running 140 mph quicker than I could believe. Car was very solid.

[@OLDS98]

You had a difficult time, but you did a great job! You put effort into the video. You pulled up some good footage too. I recall all those cars being used on films and on television during that time through the 70's. I recall the many shows and films like the Chevrolets used in the James Bond film. I recall sheriff JW Pepper. I recall all the Dodges/Plymouths used in The Blues Brothers as well. I recall the Matador being used on Adam 12. I would take the Chevrolet Impala/Bel Air. You did mention the later Caprices too. The name of the Chevrolet wagon at the time was Kingswood before it became Estate wagon. I know Pontiac had a few and Oldsmobile had some police cars as well. They had Eighty Eights. You keep learning and growing as you do the work to run your channel. I did not see any poll. I keep missing it as I never can locate the poll. You have a great weekend.

[@GreenHawkDrive]

Thank you for coming back every week and adding to the information. The poll is in the community tab at the top. There's home, videos, playlists, and community. Click that and you should see the poll. If you have trouble feel free to send me a message back. Again, thank you for your support!

[@plunkett68]

I didn't see a poll neither. I think he did show a Pontiac Lemans. I remember on TV but don't remember any of the local cop shops with any. In Louisiana they mostly stayed with Ford and Chevy. Great remark above enjoyed the read. Thanks

[@OLDS98]

@@GreenHawkDrive Thank you. I will look for that. You are most welcome about your video efforts. I appreciate the fact you are willing to learn and have an open mind and not focused on one market or segment or certain year. You are sharing what you are learning.

[@OLDS98]

@@plunkett68 Thank you and you are welcome.

[@jasoncarpp7742]

I was born in 1973. So some cars I remember from the 70s. Strangely enough I don't recall seeing that many police cars other than the *"Dukes of Hazzard"* or other action movies of the decade.

[@petestaint8312]

Another killer video! I remember these beasts.

[@GreenHawkDrive]

Thank you man!

[@vicv.2720]

Growing up in Maryland in the early 70's, we didn't see as many Mopar cop cars. It was pretty much all Fords for the local and state police, until Chevy Caprices started popping up in the 80's and well into the 90's.

[@danielkatzel895]

i also lived in maryland in the 60's & 70's - strange, but i recall the same lack of mopar cars - one of my dad's friends got ahold of a 429 police ltd around '74 or so - good memories...

[@robertmaybeth3434]

I used to work for a government fleet, of a large city government on the west coast. The fleet had all sorts of cars, probably at least a thousand in all, and included several hundred Crown Victorias in the fleet used by the police division of that city government. So I had occasion to drive these constantly. And whatever performance package, upgrade, or mod offered by Ford these Crown Vics had it. Including 4 wheel disc with the largest vented rotors they make, brakes so powerful that if you were at speed and stomped on the brakes, you could put yourself through your own windshield with ease. And the engine so powerful you could smoke the tires in every gear if you wanted to. But none of this was what made these cars so formidable compared to any other car they were likely to be chasing. What made these cars so massively powerful had nothing to do with the car's mechanicals, it was the guy/gal officer behind the wheel! You better believe not only was that car powerful, the guy behind the wheel literally could not care less about the car he was driving. They all knew whatever damage they did to the car - trying to light the tires, casual drag race with their police buddy, or just plain old flooring it "to see what she'll do!" - so long as it wasn't cosmetic or something that showed - they faced no consequences and no costs, no matter what they did to beat up on their own cars.

[@BobSebring]

Growing up in Los Angeles during the 60s/70s, I'm a big fan of the Adam-12 cars, the Plymouths and the AMC. My favorite though is the 1969 Plymouth Belvedere.

[@ohnoohyeah3205]

Lol, Michigan State Troopers still use an LED version of that same single red rooftop blinker.

[@Pedroisanickname]

There was an AMC dealership in my hometown. Consequently, we had all AMC Matador or Ambassador Cruisers. It was the early seventies. Eventually, the Ford LTD replaced them.

[@landonbenford8369]

WOW!! Didn't know Pontiac sold Three different police models, plus the Trans Am. I thought that Pontiac in Smokey & the Bandit was just dressed up. My granny had a civilian Catalina when I was in my single digits. That car was Big!!! My understanding is that Plymouth, Chrysler's division, made the best police cars EEEEEVVVER!! How in the World did Chrysler fall off the map?!?!? My vote goes to the 1974 Dodge Monacos used in "The Blues Brothers" (1980), filmed right here in Chicago!!! Fact: The Blues Brothers made the '74 Monaco And its cousin cars collectors items and these cars and their parts are not easy to find. And as usual, Great background music!!!!!

[@ramblerdave1339]

The parts are hard to find, because of the Blues Brothers movie.

[@hendo337]

From '76-'78 the Pontiac 400 was one of the last engines from the factory that still had performance potential and strength besides the 360,400 and 440 Mopars. The Chevy 350/400(454 was truck only), Ford 351w/400/460 and Buick 350 from this period can be built but, tend to require more extensive modifications. The Olds 260, 350 and 403, AMC 304(360/401 were truck only), Pontiac 301/265, Ford 255/302, Chevy 262/267/305, Caddy 425 were all junk with weakened, lightened blocks, junk heads and very little potential.

[@JamesJohnson-ok1hn]

dude i grew up in the 70s with family who were cops till the late 80s . i saw a lot of cool big fast cruisers. it made me love the big 4dr sedans over the coups. if i had a coupe it was a caddy ltd merc. but ill tell no lies that the matadore was a real beast. their suspensions wernt great but had a massive powerplant that would move that car along with a rear end that would give it the advantage at highway speeds. love this video, brought back a lot of memories. thx.

[@williamjameson478]

at 74, i know alot about the cars of the 60's and 70's. Chrysler products were by and far the most popular police cars!

[@Eagledriver442]

The 1970 Ford Custom 500’s that Fairfax County Virginia used were strong cars. I bought one from a group of cars at a junkyard in 1976 and it had a factory 428 with a solid lifter cam. Also the front upper control arms had bearings with grease fittings. Brakes and suspension were very good. With headers this car ran 13.78 at 75/80 dragway. Unfortunately the 428 was not as strong on the bottom end and eventually gave way. I replaced it with a 460.

[@truckertae9725]

The dodge polar 440 pursuit is my favorite especially by the CHP The amc matador is a adam 12 bring back I love

[@ChatGPt2001]

Determining the "best" police car from the 1970s can be subjective and depends on various factors such as performance, reliability, durability, and overall suitability for law enforcement duties. Several car manufacturers produced popular police vehicles during that era, each with its strengths and characteristics favored by different police departments. Here are a few contenders for the title of the best cop car from the 1970s: 1. **Chevrolet Impala:** The Chevrolet Impala was a common choice among police departments during the 1970s. It offered a combination of robust construction, powerful V8 engines, and ample interior space for equipment and passengers. The Impala's performance and durability made it a popular choice for patrol and pursuit duties. 2. **Ford Crown Victoria:** While the Ford Crown Victoria gained prominence in later decades, its predecessor, the Ford LTD, was also used as a police vehicle during the 1970s. The LTD offered solid performance, a comfortable ride, and a spacious interior suitable for law enforcement needs. 3. **Dodge Monaco/Plymouth Fury:** Dodge and Plymouth produced several models that were used as police cars during the 1970s, including the Dodge Monaco and Plymouth Fury. These cars were known for their powerful engines, sturdy build, and large trunk space, making them practical for police work. 4. **Chrysler Newport:** The Chrysler Newport was another full-size sedan commonly used by law enforcement agencies in the 1970s. It offered a smooth ride, robust construction, and options for high-performance engines, making it a reliable choice for police fleets. 5. **AMC Matador:** Although less common than other models, the AMC Matador was used by some police departments during the 1970s. It had a distinctive appearance, good handling, and decent performance, making it a viable option for law enforcement duties. The "best" cop car from the 1970s would depend on factors such as the specific needs of the police department, budget considerations, performance requirements, and the availability of spare parts and maintenance support. Different departments might have had different experiences and preferences, leading to a variety of choices across the law enforcement community.

[@49commander]

I have read that the AMC cop cars were way better than anyone gives them credit for, they had extra strong Unit Bodies, great handling but most local enforcement organizations chose their cars based on local dealers and AMC dealers weren't aggressive at getting the sales.

[@johnelliott7375]

I will say that the way you showed them at the end is spot on. Great afternoon to you.

[@GreenHawkDrive]

I appreciate that man, thank you!

[@johnelliott7375]

@@GreenHawkDrive Good morning and your more than welcome 😁!

[@patrickmcgoldrick8234]

Nicely done, great information

[@GreenHawkDrive]

I appreciate that, thank you!

[@sharptoothtrex4486]

The fact is "Which of these 1970s cop cars most reliable and last longest?" is the tough complex question to swallow.

[@5_qm610]

1:26 Peak Nova, 73 and 74 sexiest years imo

[@soyounoat]

I have an older brother who became a police officer in the early '70s. Years ago I asked him which cars he liked best. The 440 Chrysler/ Plymouth/ Dodge from '71/'72/ '73 were his choice. He particularly recalled going airborne over certain railroad crossings...

[@johanbrand8601]

Well done on this awesome video! I enjoyed it very much!

[@GreenHawkDrive]

I appreciate that man, thank you

[@Slugg-O]

I worked at a gas station way back in 1975, and we had a deputy sheriff who was well into his 70's bring in his Plymouth Fury with a 440 Magnum in for oil changes. The dual exhaust were huge, probably 3 inches, and I know this because I would stand behind the car and listen to the sound when he drove off. It was like rolling thunder. I know that engine had to be a monster looking for a meal, but he drove slower than my grandmother in her Rambler American so I never heard it much above idle. As an employee of the station I was allowed to drive it from the parking lot to the service bay and that was it. I really wanted to drive it around the block and feel those the secindaries open just once. Nope. Not allowed.

[@paulwillard5924]

My best patrol car was a 1979 Dodge Cornet, 360 engine, 747 torqueflite trans, fastest unit in the fleet until the Watch Commander got a Chevy Caprice… loved that unit.

[@themagus5906]

Back in the late 60s / early 70s we used to have what we called "spit cars". You stole a car and had a mech modify it slightly with hopped-up engine, front shocks and brakes. Ford LTD or Plymouth Satellite were cars of choice. When a job was over the "hitch" (we never called them "getaway drivers" or "wheelmen") would usually dispose of the car in any one of various ways. Those guys really knew their shit.

[@MarvinHartmann452]

I had a 1994 caprice police car as a winter car. It had the 350 and a 4 speed. It was really fast for its size.

[@markdellacqua1038]

1971 Ford Custom 500 for the first 6 months of production it came with a 429 Cobra Jet. The 429 PI wasn't ready until mid-production for 1971.

[@robertbenson9797]

Boy, does this episode bring back memories! As a senior in high school in the summer of 1969, I was chosen to attend Boys State in Missouri. This was a program from the American Legion, that gave young men practical experiences in how the American political system worked. We could sign up for classes dealing with different aspects of everyday political life in our communities. I signed up for Law Enforcement, I was thinking that I wanted to be a police officer. I don’t remember what the other class was that I had signed up to attend. Law enforcement was put on by two Missouri State Patrol officers. One was a young corporal and the other was a veteran sergeant. Both were stationed in the Kansas City area. The Missouri State Patrol was and still is, a respected law enforcement agency. The Patrol had the best equipment and training. Local police and sheriff officers looked up to the Patrol, too. Sometime in mid-1969, the state of Missouri approved a contract with AMC for new patrol cars for the Highway Patrol. With the abundance of muscle cars at that time, to boys going into their senior year of high school, this seemed like a joke. During one of our class discussions about law enforcement equipment, someone asked the veteran sergeant what he thought about trying to chase a GTO or Road Runner with a Matador. He leaned across the podium and said, “ Boys, there isn’t a car has been made that can outrun the Motorola!” That was a sobering thought! A great movie for ‘70’s police cars is, “The Sugarland Express”. Lots of Mopar law enforcement vehicles in that!

[@Slade677]

It wasn't a police car, but I learned to drive in a 1970 Chrysler Newport with a 383. It was huge, but I couldn't believe how powerful it was. Its top speed was only 110 (don't ask me how I know), but it would snap your head back when you floored it. I can't imagine how powerful the 440 would have been.

[@WPGinterceptor460Interceptor]

My 80+ year old uncle said the Dodges were faster to 60, But the Fords blew the doors off the Dodges after that! The pontiacs were a close second! If he had to pick just 1, he says BY FAR the 1971 Ford 429 police Interceptor with its 11.3-1 Compression 150 Mph !!!!

[@SoloPilot6]

Of the 1970s cars, the Matador was my favorite, with the Plymouth Satellite coming in second. These weren't just LAPD, other agencies in SoCal tended to pay attention to what LA bought, and often followed suit. Never liked the GMs or the later Chryslers, but fortunately got onto a Kawasaki about the time the Matadors were going away. In later years, I liked the Lead Sled (Crown Vic), and the FPIU is also highly capable.

[@michaelmcdonald395]

my dad had a 1970 Ford custom 500 with the 429 police interceptor

[@megmolkate]

My dad started with a Great Lakes region sheriffs department in 1971 and stuck around for 43 years in patrol. He also had a 65 coronet with a 426 wedge. (He ran at the local drag strip which is still in operation). Anyway I asked him why their patrol cars used 440s rather than the speedier 426’s wedge or hemi. He said that the sheriffs department mechanics (dad and contemporary officers as well which were composed of more than a few gear heads) was that while the 426 could be more finely tuned the 440 was much more easily maintained on a fleet level.

[@kurtwise7356]

Also the 68 Ford Galaxy 500 I drove had no top end! At 140 mph the front end would start coming off the ground with plenty of throttle left!

[@beefjerky444]

My favorit is the dodge Monaco 1977 patrol car.

[@nmtoc]

The light on the roof is called a 'beacon', not a 'siren'. Sirens were either mechanical or electronic back in those days. If the siren was electronic, it was connected to a speaker mounted on the roof or behind the grille. I remember seeing GM, Ford, and Chrysler police cars back in the early 1970s. From 1970-1973 they just had a single beacon on the roof, and from 1974 onward they either had a light bar or a roof rack with two beacons and a speaker.

[@braddietzmusic2429]

A great feature, thank you.

[@GreenHawkDrive]

I appreciate that!

[@guillermojimenezcastelblan8456]

Hi, a salute from Bogota, Colombia, nice video and lots of information as well. We saw many police tv Shows and many Movies featuring them, Earthquake, Dirty Mary Crazy Larry, Cannonball!, Hill Street Blues, Hunter, Adam 12, TJ Hooker, The A Team, Emergency! , The Dukes of Hazzard, etc, etc, the most of starring police cars were Chrysler Corp. models, a parade of Monaco, Satellite, Coronet, Belvedere, Grand Fury, Fury (the M 80`s Aspen/Volare based units), and even the infamous R body Dodge St Regis. I`m a real Mopar police car fan, I love them, they were ok and up to the duties and assignments. Here at Chrysler Colmotores assembly plant (CKD componentes, by the way), we had on the road the 66/67 Coronet, 66/68 Belvedere, Dart (4 door model), Demon, and finally the duo Aspen/Diplomat body frames between 1978/1981 when Chairman Lee administration sold the plant to the GM. So sad, Colombia loves Mopar, that`s for sure.

[@jasonburdette9921]

Hey my car is in this video. That you for the honor.

[@albertbordelon2342]

Mopar hands down. My brother worked with a part time small town sheriff deputy in the mid 70s . They only had 1 car and old dodge with a 440. The cop told my brother the top speed was 150 mph , now this is with a 727 3 speed automatic transmission no overdrive that’s crazy.

[@ljprep6250]

My vote goes to the Dodge Polara Pursuit. I have the most experience with the 1970 Dodge Polara. My 70 y/o GRANDMOTHER bought one with the 440 Magnum and I got to drive it. They were screaming boats which could pull 6 skiers, and they were a helluva lot of fun to drive. I had a '70 AMC Javelin later on, and rebuilt the 390 into a 400+hp/425lb-ft BEAST and outran a CHP Interceptor in the twisties. That car once spun a manhole cover off and half a block down the alley when my throttle stuck WFO. I thought I had broken a leaf spring when the car dropped 6 inches, but then it was back up and I was in 3rd gear before I could hit the ignition switch. Fond fun memories.

[@DanielOrtegoUSA]

In 1974 I drove a 440 Dodge Coronet and it was a lot of fun. The only major drawback was the high torque and short rear end. It would fishtail very easily. 🚓

[@frankkalbacher]

US Park Police 1971-1975. Drove ‘72 Ford not sure of the model but it was the full size sedan 429. In 1973 we got 50 Chevrolet air bag cars to test I believe they were Impalas. They were fast and handled great. Had corvette engines. I saw a survivor at a car show a few years back. Great car.

[@Spacejunk57]

NY State Police ran Plymouth Fury's in dark blue and yellow... they looked pretty cool.

[@michaelyounger4497]

Plymouth with the 440 engine. I bought a retired state patrol car as a teenager. My abuse, stunts and plain stupidity couldn't hurt that car and it still saved my life several times with its handling, toughness and that 10% extra that good engineers quietly add in.

[@megmolkate]

As an addition my old man started running 440 satellites. He also considered the LT1 caprice the best pursuit car ever, it was a slight bit slower than one or two of the 70s muscle cars but the improvements to aerodynamics made the cars much more controllable when you got over 100 mph and especially a little over 140.

[@peterdaniel66]

You would think that the US Govt would exempt the cop cars from any emission standards.

[@hendo337]

They weren't technically allowed to buy them that way, I have heard enough stories about departments removing cats, re-jetting carbs, advancing cam timing and more.

[@AlexanderGreb77]

Without a doubt the best was the B-Body Doge Monaco / Plymouth Fury.

[@jondstewart]

Something about the Matador and Ambassador cars was they were very authoritarian in appearance.

[@donaldthetruthseeker-es3nu]

My Dad was a car dealer in the 1970s for awhile, one time he bought a 1971 Plymouth satellite with a 383 moter at a police auction. It was a retired state patrol car. But it could get up go if it had too.

[@tremayne3]

I wish I could get a 71 Satellite sedan. My dream car.

[@miloswanson9646]

I grew up in the western suburbs of Cleveland OH back then. Different cities' departments used different cars. The one to the north had Plymouth Furys, one to the south had Ford LTDs, one to the east used Buick LeSabres, Another used Chevy Biscaynes, while where I grew up used Olds 88s. During the mid-'70s gas crisis years, one department even used Dodge Darts, but equipped with 383s! Another department even experimented with the downsized (yet still considered 'full-size') '79 LTD-S with 255 V-8s - talk about a gutless wonder! Those were promptly replaced with new LTDs with either 302s or 351s under the hood after just one year.

[@TheSpritz0]

MY vote would go to the Ford LTD!!!

[@user-km8zp3ns8u]

My grandfather loved the Dodge Polaras 440 for his patrol cars / he was the chief for a small west Texas town

[@okexotics7576]

Definitely would like to see this continuing! 1930s-40s-50s-60s-80s-90s-00s-10s

[@GreenHawkDrive]

I don’t go past the ‘70s unfortunately, but definitely ‘80s-‘10s

[@okexotics7576]

@@GreenHawkDrive yes I love this hopefully I will see my patrol car

[@GreenHawkDrive]

@@okexotics7576 What do/did you have?

[@okexotics7576]

@@GreenHawkDrive 2013 Twinturbo V6 Ford police interceptor sedan (Taurus)

[@GreenHawkDrive]

@@okexotics7576 Those are incredible man!!!

[@Atheist100]

Crown Vic isn't from the 70s, but is clearly the best all-time cruiser.

[@gregrudd6983]

Ford in Australia did, The XY's were close to being GTHO's in civilian drag with the later XA-XC still had the 351 Cleveland with 4 wheel discs and 9 inch diff and fmx transmission. The Falcons effectively replaced the Mini Cooper S as the Highway Patrol cars in many Australian states.