How to Restore Police Vehicles
Police cars are driven hard during their lives on the force and are usually retired to civilian life at around the 100,000-mile mark. The cars still work well for folks who want to drive them to work, though, and for collectors of classic law enforcement vehicles. Regardless of the intended use, police cars need to be restored to a good condition before they are parked in a civilian garage or driven in a parade. Obviously, the light bar and radio should be torn out of the car, but a mechanic should also take a hard look under the hood and at the tires.
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Instructions
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Research your state's laws that govern replica police cars. Some departments have copyrighted their insignia and some states prevent replica police cars altogether. It's illegal, for example, to drive or possess a car with the Florida Highway Patrol black-and-tan color scheme in Florida.
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Inspect the car for mechanical defects, including the radiator, brakes and air conditioner. The wear on the tires can provide clues as to whether an alignment is needed or the suspension is damaged.
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Search for dents in the car's body, which can lead to rust and detract from the car's beauty. Slip a dent-removal tool behind the car's panels and slowly massage small dents out using the "paintless dent method." Dent-removal tools can be purchased online or at local automotive stores.
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Hire a mechanic to inspect and fix any problems with the engine. Police cars are sometimes driven 24 hours a day, idle for long periods of time and occasionally pushed to their limits at high speeds. This wear and tear can seriously limit the life of police car engines.
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Remove the law enforcement accessories with a wrench if you plan to use the car every day. These include the mechanical arm that held the officer's laptop, loud speaker, siren box, glass or steel cage that divides the cab and the two-way radio. Sell the parts on an online auction site or to a scrap yard.
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Evaluate the upholstery type, such as leather or vinyl, and use the appropriate cleaner. For instance, coffee spills can be removed with glass cleaner; scrub dirty carpets with stiff bristle brush and a solution of vinegar, hot water and dish-washing detergent. Police cars are host to all sorts of people, so don't be surprised by what you find between the seats.
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Get under the hood, find the electrical panel and enable the power windows and rear door locks. The rear doors of a police car do not open from the inside to prevent suspects from escaping; that's also true for the power locks and windows. Sometimes the interior dome light is disabled so that cops are not illuminated when they open their car door. Turn this back on using the "on/off" switch on the globe light.
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Tips & Warnings
Cover the insignia and the power bar when driving the car to classic car shows or parades. Go a step further if you want and slap a "out of service" sticker on the car. Do whatever it takes to make it clear that you are not impersonating a police officer, which is a felony offense in most states.
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Comments
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Not all police cars are driven hard. Although most have high mileage they are used for a variety of purposes, including transporting prisoners, court appearances, crime scene collection among other things. Generally police vehicles are sold at auction and police equipment is stripped out at that time. Some dealerships, such as ours, plug the holes where the equipment was to prevent moisture, dirt, insects from getting into the holes. We have sold thousands of used police vehicles to satisfied customers and most appear well maintained with much life left in them.
