As a retired NYPD detective this brought a lot of pleasant memories. I was a young rookie in the mid-80's and a Plymouth Gran fury was my first ever steady ride as the 81st Pct. TOPAC(Total PAtrol Concept) auto. The choked up 318 V8 with that two barrel carb with that electronic module attached still provided quite a bit torque if not power to move relatively light chassis around. For me the biggest improvement came when the department switched tires from the hard as stone Goodyear Blue Steels to the more modern H-Rated Eagles Way more grip and great wet performance.
A friend I know has a 1986 Plymouth Caravelle Salon. It was a detectives car used by the Toronto Police Department being the Gran Fury name was not used there. There was the Chrysler LeBaron police car which was available from 1980-1981. 1981 was the last time the Chrysler name was used.
I worked at an auto parts store way back in the mid-80s down in Hollywood, Florida. There was a local mechanic who would frequent our store for his repair jobs, his name was Sal. Sal would occasionally purchase or order the Edlerbrock dual-plane manifold, Edelbrock cam and lifter kits, a Holley 650 carburetor, and a set of headers for the small block Chrysler V-8 back then. I asked Sal one day what he was doing with all these items and he told me he was installing them on the Seminole Indian Tribal Police cars; they used these 80s Plymouth Fury and Dodge Diplomat police cars.
@@Gunsncarsnstuff Not MY honesty, but there are a lot of used car sellers that will get a car all warmed up before the buyer comes over so it starts easy and hides a lot of cold start issues.
I became a Philly Cop in 1990 & we drove these as marked patrol cars and unmarked cars as well. They were excellent handling, reliable and good for tight corners and small streets. Chased alot of cars in that type of cop car & loved them, but the Ford Crown Victoria's we got to replace them were even better since they were faster and bigger interior room.
@@Cascadiaclassic What?! You just did something that every young adult (then) would regret doing today before cars like these became valuable? I'm just pulling your leg; can't keep em all, but keep as many as you can hold and drive them equally.
These were luck to have a 4-bbl, malaise-era 318 with 185 hp. They can be woken up, but the best these got were 360's with the dual exhaust (both exited out the th side). Killed in the early '80's. The Valiants & Darts with the 360, A38 package were giant killers
Incredible - 15,900 miles - other than a touch of exterior rust on the engine block, it is absolutely brand new. I've always thought that particular model of of Grand Fury, that grill design, was especially pretty and elegant looking. Congrats on a great find!
Im not a fan of too much technology lane swerving assist and having a truck back a trailer up because people are either too incompetent or lazy to do it but fuel injection for example has advantages over carbs
@@TheCoolred60 Slow is a relative word. They are not slow compared with a lot of cars around the world throughout history. There are many cars that people drive every day that are a lot slower.
Sweet ride! The iconic old police cars of the 70's and 80's are super rare these days. The best part of those cars is taking them to shows and having retired guys come up and say "I used to drive these back in the day" and you get to hear the best stories. One of the most common stories I hear is how officers used to flip the air cleaner lids upside down to "improve performance". My dad (may he rest in peace) always regretted not holding on to any of his old Mopar cop cars. Even though his dept. primarily had Ford's and Chevy's, he personally had a Diplomat, 80 St.Regis, and multiple 70's Gran Fury III's with 440's in them. He did (luckily for me) hold on to an unmarked 87 Chevy Caprice that he bought at auction in the 90's which i'm working on. It's got the 350 with the quadrajet.
These get more attention than the rows of lookalike Camaros and Mustangs. I'd walk past those, or even older Benzes and exotics, and talk to the cops with these. I relate better to the working man's classics! The '87 is a keeper, the first LM1 with roller cams and 180 hp--and the slow but steady climb to LT1 greatness and 260 hp by '94.
I have to say, it does seem to genuinely handle better than the standard Gran Fury. That U-turn had no drama at all! That is a lovely car, awesome to see it still drives so well :)
My dad purchased a 1988 Chrysler Fifth Avenue brand new... It's the insanely luxurious version of the Grand Fury! He drove it until about 2010...Rode and drove smooth! He gave it away to a couple in need. Only thing I can remember him replacing is the a/c compressor....Car had well over 100,000 miles...Still ran great!
Me, too, Mr. Tyrone. I drove a beautiful black 1988 Fifth Avenue (inherited from my late great-uncle Charles) from 1995 until 2002 when I had to replace it because it's steering and front suspension were tottaly worn out. It was a wonderful car so easy for an amature mechanic like me to care for.
in FBI service till 2009? damn son! i do remember being told DC had M body cabs much later than other nearby cities. be cool to see its in service look.
I drove all the 80s Chrysler cop cars. I recall those things had fridged AC which was needed in S/E VA in the summer. The 318 engines were slow however, but so was everything else back then
i watched this video because i had an 87 that looked so much like yours. although mine wasn't a police package it did come with a 318 which was plenty for me. i got the car with about 80K miles and put another 50K on it and other than routine maintenance, never needed any real repairs. enjoy your new car!
Thank you for your videos. I stumbled on your Chanel yesterday and absolutely love it. I love old cars and enjoying watching interior driving videos and you have the perfect angle I’ve seen on TH-cam. Greetings from Russia.
So many of those police cars were then bought by taxi companies after police service ended, so they were very durable. 3-4 hundred thousand miles easily. Torsion bar suspension, hardened valve seats, Goodyear blue streak tires. You had to carry an extra ballast resistor with you as they tended to blow out regularly.
As I recall, I think they made at least some of these cars in AMC's Milwaukee Capitol Drive plant, after Chrysler acquired AMC. That plant was demolished and later replaced by a Builder's Square. A Walmart is now on the site.
Wow, the FBI used this car until 2009, and sparingly. I remember these growing up in the 80’s, and how the cops would pop the hood ajar while idling for a long time so the engine wouldn’t overheat, lol.
Great example of a vintage ride that lets be honest no one back then thought to save. This is a classic sedan, in a boxy style which will never be made again
These cars came with the 318 2 barrel or the e48 318 4barrel engine. None of them would do 125 in stock form but they were tuff as nails. I used to soup up a couple for the county. Put in an e58 360 with special tuning, then you had something.
I shot a documentary in the mid 1980s for the Lubbock Police Academy where I was imbedded with a cadet class for their entire training period. They drove both the Plymouth Gran Fury and Dodge Diplomat versions of these cars. After shooting the car driving training, the Academy Commander let me run one of their cars through their lane-light obstacle course. I remember how solid these cars were and the torque and horsepower they had! They taught their officers to “shuffle” the steering wheel through the fingers with the hands at nine and three and never cross one hand over the other.
I follow GSA auctions it is VERY VERY VERY rare to see a old car like this at auction. But about 10 years ago I saw a FBI/Secret Service '91 B4C Camaro that was JUST retired from service !!
They're more apt to pop up at municipal auctions as they went into second and third term service in small towns, I see them pretty often in the midwest and down south. With the GSA it's ridiculous how much stuff the DRMO doesn't even know exists at shuttered bases. When they actually ran the auctions I was buying CUCVs at Ft. Drum 3-4 for 1000 bucks.
@@jimmartin7881 Ya back in March I visited a small town in New Mexico for business and the local Fire dept had 2 old square body P71 Crown vics in MINT condition !!!! One was gray another was maroon. They were all decked out with strobes in the back window and truck antennas !! I couldn't believe 30+year old cars like that still in service
Easy upgrade? Use the Canadian Y-pipe to remove the front 2 "Pre-cats"- also, check the cradle & rear leafs for rubber iso- mounts. Yes, I know it's an AHB car, but if not specifically optioned with solid mounting it will still get that mess. Always fun to have to plan your turns in advance because the wheels would turn and the body felt disconnected. Like steering bubble gum
One of the best police models I drove during my career. Rode great in the rain, I once maneuvered around an collision that occurred directly in front of me spinning the car around the accident. The brakes were great but required excessive servicing. Only drawback was the uncomfortable bench seating.
Clean car , any parts on dodge and Plymouth from 50s to 90s are hard to fine People just trashed and wrecked most of them , by time the got to junk yard they were ready for crusher I have not seen a car like yours in say a good 15 years , and yours looks better than when they came out of factory I wish u all the luck with this beauty,
i like when i see h ow it goes over the bumps when turning the corners, looks that suspension is soft enough to make it look like its gliding like sailboat over low waves,..niiicee... were all of cop Plymouts Gran Furys had front seat as bench like this or newer version had 2 front seats as separate?
The Montgomery County Sheriff's Department, City of Dayton Police, and Kettering Police had the Diplomat, with the 360 High Performance engines.The police cars came with hood pins and tuned exhaust. I loved to see them come in for service.
I have a friend who owns two of these cars. Both were "plain wrappers" and from Canada. One is a 1981 Chrysler LeBaron that was used by the Vancouver Police Department, the other was a 1986 Plymouth Caravelle, the latter was sold in Canada and used by the Toronto Police Department. Those were used by detectives, Inspectors, superintendents. All of them "plain clothes" officers or constables.
I had a 1985 Plymouth Caravelle Salon it was a ex Canadian Police car from Windsor Ontario it was blue with blue interior and had the 60/40 split bench and it had the 318 and it ran on propane but it had the tough suspension with big brakes and it was a great running car. I wish I still had it but the salt that is used here in Southern Ontario is not nice to anything made of steel and so I junked it but kept the engine that went into a D100 and lived it's rest of it's life in it.
Diplomats and Gran Furys were cars bought the most in the 80s by the Kansas City, Missouri police. Only a couple of years did they buy the Fox Body LTD (I.e. the 4 door Mustang). After 1988, Caprice and the Crown Vic, with a handful of Tauruses.
There's an old police interceptor in a field nearby. Still has the hubcaps and looks mostly intact. Couple broken emblems but seems in good condition other than sitting for years. If I had the money I would try to buy it. It's not worth restoring but it's worth making into a driver.
Nice car. Has low mileage but probably has a bit of idling hours. Is that a 5.2L ( 318) or a 5.9L ( 360)? I've seen those engines get over 500,000 miles on them when these were popular for police use and then many went on to Taxi cab use after that.
Back 'in-the-day', I had all sorts of 'classic muscle cars'...GTOs, Trans Ams, Camaros, Corvettes...but the ONE CAR I could NEVER get ahold of, was a Diplomat/Gran Fury of the 80's variety, that wasn't thuggishly trashed out! I had a really-nice 350-hp 360, Muncie M20 powertrain, completely gone-through, ready to drop in one, if I could find it. The 4-speed pedals from most early 60's Plymouths would fit (with a slight amount of custom metal work)...and those cars came with ALMOST EVERYTHING ELSE you could want! I'd come across a couple in scrap yards, that got me interested to start with...thick-core radiators, 115-amp alternators, 9.25-inch Corporate rear axles with 'Sure-Grip' (Posi), dual exhausts, large fuel tanks, oversized brakes and COLD A/C! BUT...I could NEVER find a single car that was 'rust-free' and in 'non-rattling' junk condition! They were completely ragged...ALL OF THEM! The only Diplomats I could find that weren't completely trashed were what I called 'granny cars'...318's with all 'light-duty' components...65-amp alternators, single exhaust, 170-hp throttle-body injection, no (or not working) A/C, thin-body radiators, open carrier 8.25-inch rear axles, etc. The more I looked, the more it became completely 'maddening'! How could SO MANY of these be made, especially on corporate / law-enforcement 'bulk-orders', and not a ONE OF THEM was still in decent shape with the HD/Police Package? I mean, this wasn't two years ago I was looking! This was around 1990! Some weren't 2-years old yet, and ALREADY, they were completely JUNK! They were good cars...the light duty ones seemed to last for DECADES! I came to the conclusion that law enforcement drove them like they were stolen...EVERY ONE OF THEM! That you found this with a history of 'undercover work'...just convinces me I was right. If they were 'on the down-low', then they WERE good cars! That one looks almost new! I figured that if I could ever build the one I wanted, I'd have it for cross-country trips, light towing (motorcycle on trailer), little bit of a 'conversation piece'...that could 'take the long journeys'...but, once again, when you don't respect what you have, then you don't have it long...such a shame. They really were the perfect size for turning into a 'sports car', and made great 'sleepers', at that! (smaller than the comparable year Novas)...
This or a Diplomat I'd love to own. Such awesome cars! We had a Gold colored Diplomat at the automotive shop when I was a teenager. We'd do burnouts in the parking lot with it sometimes lol. Decently quick cars with the police package.
That orange box on the passengers side fender well is the best upgrade you could've done to that car. Those electronic lean burn systems were the worst idea Chrysler ever had
I love my Mopars! I had a 2door 77 318 cid and my sister had a 78 w/Slant 6! Used to love playing cat & mouse with the local police and even raced a Statie in a Grand Fury! I think he let me win! Beautiful condition, thanks for sharing!
Had the lusher version , 87 Fifth Ave......that "Lean Burn" computer module hanging on the air cleaner assembly was the weak link.....mine went bad a few times.......I still don't think anyone knew how those darn things worked or what they did, they mostly held the engine back from its true potential...........
Yes, that Lean Burn was definitely the Achilles Heel on these cars. Fortunately on this one it's been unplugged. A new distributor and ECU kit from Mancini Racing eliminates it forever and does a world of good.
Beautiful car! Lowest mileage I've ever seen on a car with the police package. I had an '87 Diplomat with the police package, regret selling it. I recently bought a 2011 Crown Vic, former Fairfax County PD, VA, vehicle. I love old police cars- drove a few as a deputy-sheriff in Virginia long ago.
I drove the 1988 Grand Fury as a patrol car in the Sierra Nevada mountains at 6,500’. Handled fantastic, could catch anyone in the twisties, but was a dog in the straights with its 2-bbl 318c.i. plant. What a great vehicle otherwise especially with the factory buckets.
Audio wasn't too bad - I think the following year the deck(for Chrysler) had a small joystick for RFLF-RRLR & the only radio I've used that supported AM Stereo! I remember making tapes, encoding in Dolby/Metal ever so slightly tweaking the quality over years...lol
Back in 86 I was chased for speeding by one that gravitated to two of these cars in Norwalk Ct....I outran them in a 1979 280ZX and got away.....I moved on to a 280ZX Turbo and was chased by another in Fort Lauderdale in 88 and pulled away easily and escaped capture..This was back when fleeing was only a misdemeanor...Do it now and you will go to jail for several months,,
The Police Chief had that same car in my hometown back in the day. Happy to say l never rode in it. I did pull it out of the ditch one very snowy and icy night.
Wow. We used those cars when I first went into plain clothes and after two to three years those cars would rust and run like crap. How in God's name did you find that car in that condition? Awesome video brother. Thanks for sharing.
How in god's name could you work for a department that couldn't properly maintain one of the simplest police vehicles ever made? And did the Department not have a wash bay and a can of wax? Did the officers not give a shit about maintaining a good vehicle appearance with weekly cleaning?
@@gavinvalentino1313 Wash bay????? LOL!!! That city failed to pay their gas bill and we had to go to the adjoining city's DPW garage to gas up. Wash bay LOL.
Love to know is that a 318, or a 360? Just this past weekend I saw one at the drags, but that one had a honking 440 Super Commando engine! With open headers, hi rise with big Holley Double Pumper, great 3:55 posi upgraded to an overdrive automatic out of a truck! He was running 12’s with pump gas.
@@kevinvoyer5053 NO sir...ALL the cop cars after 1980 had 318's. Most had 318 with 360 heads...and eventually the swirl port heads in '87 I believe... and intake with 4 bbl but no 360 in ANY car after 1980 only trucks and vans. Got a Mopar book that states that to be a fact. I use to go to police auctions for ex cop cars so looked at many of them never saw one with a 360 so did the research...because they didn't build them. That being said I will add that there were RUMORS to the fact that Chrysler did put the 360 in a FEW special edition factory police cars after 1980 but you go find one....
@@bultacowally - correct about the 360 heads...my ‘88 had no lean burn, don’t know why. It was a Diplomat ex NY State pd car with cloth seats and rubber floors. Very rugged car, loved it ✅
My dad had a 1978 gran fury he got for $450 in 83'. He cut off the exhaust and it was so loud it was illegal and he got alot of tickets. But he said that thing could burn rubber like a champ.
I have had 2 Gran Furys , an 87 Gran Fury with a full patrol car package, vinyl buckets, 4 barrel carb etc. my 88 Gran Fury was just like this one. Great car just did not like the computer controlled 1 barrel carb. It killed performance. My 4 barrel car was much more fun and responsive. Cool video!
As a retired NYPD detective this brought a lot of pleasant memories. I was a young rookie in the mid-80's and a Plymouth Gran fury was my first ever steady ride as the 81st Pct. TOPAC(Total PAtrol Concept) auto. The choked up 318 V8 with that two barrel carb with that electronic module attached still provided quite a bit torque if not power to move relatively light chassis around. For me the biggest improvement came when the department switched tires from the hard as stone Goodyear Blue Steels to the more modern H-Rated Eagles Way more grip and great wet performance.
ACAB
Fuck you copper !! Naw just kiddin. Thanks for serving the community brother
Thank you so much for caring for and showing this wonderful vehicle off. It's a piece of American automotive history often forgotten.
Agreed! Thanks for watching.
Those were definitely one of the most popular cop cars back during the 1980s.
A friend I know has a 1986 Plymouth Caravelle Salon. It was a detectives car used by the Toronto Police Department being the Gran Fury name was not used there. There was the Chrysler LeBaron police car which was available from 1980-1981. 1981 was the last time the Chrysler name was used.
I worked at an auto parts store way back in the mid-80s down in Hollywood, Florida. There was a local mechanic who would frequent our store for his repair jobs, his name was Sal. Sal would occasionally purchase or order the Edlerbrock dual-plane manifold, Edelbrock cam and lifter kits, a Holley 650 carburetor, and a set of headers for the small block Chrysler V-8 back then. I asked Sal one day what he was doing with all these items and he told me he was installing them on the Seminole Indian Tribal Police cars; they used these 80s Plymouth Fury and Dodge Diplomat police cars.
Great story!
@@Cascadiaclassic I doubt the local police agencies would have been able to get a way that on their police vehicles.
I rode in a few of these, in the backseat though.
That's not such a bad thing it's like being driven around by your own personal chauffeur. Except they take you to their house.
I think I ran into you there a couple times
You could of said the back seat of a Dodge Diplomat back seat 😉😉
Me too....I remember they were fast
Same thing with me and the crown vics pretty fast definitely reminds me of watching cops
I thought I was the only one who demonstrated a cold start by touching the exhaust manifolds, good job.
I do it on the cold start too. I laughed when I saw him do it.
Why? Do a lot of people question your honesty when it comes to your vehicle temperature? That seems weird.
@@Gunsncarsnstuff some times viewers do but not all the viewers.
@@Gunsncarsnstuff Not MY honesty, but there are a lot of used car sellers that will get a car all warmed up before the buyer comes over so it starts easy and hides a lot of cold start issues.
@@JimmyLoose I see
Haha I was a deputy sheriff in Arizona in the 80,s. Same car I had, good running machine. Great car on those long western roads.
Very cool! Thanks for watching.
MESA AZ pushed those....as a kid i thought they looked so cool and still do it was maybe 1988.
I became a Philly Cop in 1990 & we drove these as marked patrol cars and unmarked cars as well. They were excellent handling, reliable and good for tight corners and small streets. Chased alot of cars in that type of cop car & loved them, but the Ford Crown Victoria's we got to replace them were even better since they were faster and bigger interior room.
Very cool! Thanks for watching.
I love how this car looks and drives. This is when the cars were simple and easy to drive and work on, no high-tech gizmos on these!!!
Agreed!
just the lean burn sitting on top of the exhaust manifold dodge wasnt very smart doing that
Now that's an amazing piece of art !
Thanks! I probably never should have sold it!
You did what
@@Cascadiaclassic What?! You just did something that every young adult (then) would regret doing today before cars like these became valuable? I'm just pulling your leg; can't keep em all, but keep as many as you can hold and drive them equally.
"It's got a cop motor, a 440 cubic inch plant, it's got cop tires, cop suspensions, cop shocks"
Fix the cigarette lighter.
These were luck to have a 4-bbl, malaise-era 318 with 185 hp. They can be woken up, but the best these got were 360's with the dual exhaust (both exited out the th side). Killed in the early '80's. The Valiants & Darts with the 360, A38 package were giant killers
Made before catilac converters, so it will run good on regular gas. So is it the new blues mobile or what?
@@wilde.coyote6618 no that car came from factory with three cats , I know I have one
@@wilde.coyote6618 catalytic converters started around 1975
Incredible - 15,900 miles - other than a touch of exterior rust on the engine block, it is absolutely brand new. I've always thought that particular model of of Grand Fury, that grill design, was especially pretty and elegant looking. Congrats on a great find!
Thanks, yes, I've always like this design too.
When cars were cars. When Dodge/Chrysler were decent. Ahh those were the days. Thank you for posting this
Agreed! Thanks for watching.
Im not a fan of too much technology lane swerving assist and having a truck back a trailer up because people are either too incompetent or lazy to do it but fuel injection for example has advantages over carbs
Slow ass cars
@@TheCoolred60 Slow is a relative word. They are not slow compared with a lot of cars around the world throughout history. There are many cars that people drive every day that are a lot slower.
Sweet ride! The iconic old police cars of the 70's and 80's are super rare these days. The best part of those cars is taking them to shows and having retired guys come up and say "I used to drive these back in the day" and you get to hear the best stories. One of the most common stories I hear is how officers used to flip the air cleaner lids upside down to "improve performance". My dad (may he rest in peace) always regretted not holding on to any of his old Mopar cop cars. Even though his dept. primarily had Ford's and Chevy's, he personally had a Diplomat, 80 St.Regis, and multiple 70's Gran Fury III's with 440's in them. He did (luckily for me) hold on to an unmarked 87 Chevy Caprice that he bought at auction in the 90's which i'm working on. It's got the 350 with the quadrajet.
Nice! Thanks for sharing the story.
These get more attention than the rows of lookalike Camaros and Mustangs. I'd walk past those, or even older Benzes and exotics, and talk to the cops with these. I relate better to the working man's classics! The '87 is a keeper, the first LM1 with roller cams and 180 hp--and the slow but steady climb to LT1 greatness and 260 hp by '94.
That is insanely well kept!
The engine was immaculate!!!
I have to say, it does seem to genuinely handle better than the standard Gran Fury. That U-turn had no drama at all! That is a lovely car, awesome to see it still drives so well :)
This car is gorgeous man. Don't ever give it up.
Did you not listen at all?
My dad purchased a 1988 Chrysler Fifth Avenue brand new... It's the insanely luxurious version of the Grand Fury! He drove it until about 2010...Rode and drove smooth! He gave it away to a couple in need.
Only thing I can remember him replacing is the a/c compressor....Car had well over 100,000 miles...Still ran great!
Me, too, Mr. Tyrone. I drove a beautiful black 1988 Fifth Avenue (inherited from my late great-uncle Charles) from 1995 until 2002 when I had to replace it because it's steering and front suspension were tottaly worn out. It was a wonderful car so easy for an amature mechanic like me to care for.
in FBI service till 2009? damn son! i do remember being told DC had M body cabs much later than other nearby cities. be cool to see its in service look.
Yeah, the Chrysler 318 and the TorqueFlite 727 were a pretty unstoppable combination...
@@brentboswell1294 A lot of stifled potential under the hood...
LOL!!!!!!!!! I thought the same!!!!
Yeah I figured it would be in service for about 5 years at the most but nope lmao !
Maybe they still have some...
I drove all the 80s Chrysler cop cars. I recall those things had fridged AC which was needed in S/E VA in the summer. The 318 engines were slow however, but so was everything else back then
i watched this video because i had an 87 that looked so much like yours. although mine wasn't a police package it did come with a 318 which was plenty for me. i got the car with about 80K miles and put another 50K on it and other than routine maintenance, never needed any real repairs. enjoy your new car!
I have no idea what it is about the Grand Fury but I love it.
Thank you for your videos. I stumbled on your Chanel yesterday and absolutely love it. I love old cars and enjoying watching interior driving videos and you have the perfect angle I’ve seen on TH-cam. Greetings from Russia.
Glad you like them! Thanks for watching.
So many of those police cars were then bought by taxi companies after police service ended, so they were very durable. 3-4 hundred thousand miles easily. Torsion bar suspension, hardened valve seats, Goodyear blue streak tires. You had to carry an extra ballast resistor with you as they tended to blow out regularly.
As I recall, I think they made at least some of these cars in AMC's Milwaukee Capitol Drive plant, after Chrysler acquired AMC. That plant was demolished and later replaced by a Builder's Square. A Walmart is now on the site.
Wow, the FBI used this car until 2009, and sparingly. I remember these growing up in the 80’s, and how the cops would pop the hood ajar while idling for a long time so the engine wouldn’t overheat, lol.
That sounds like a handy tip right there. Never heard anyone doing that, not even with police cruisers. Not hating. Actually not a bad idea.
@@trickyricky12147 we popped the hood alot working crashes c
@@richardwanamaker9080 Interesting stuff
This car was in storage at the FBI due to evidence that it produced and how it was used as a Taxi
One of the worse pos cars ever used for police work
Had one as a patrol car when I was in the Marines. Loved it. I wish I could find one like that.
Great example of a vintage ride that lets be honest no one back then thought to save. This is a classic sedan, in a boxy style which will never be made again
Well said!
These boxy cars are cooler now than when they were new, I saw them as patrol cars and taxicabs
These cars came with the 318 2 barrel or the e48 318 4barrel engine. None of them would do 125 in stock form but they were tuff as nails. I used to soup up a couple for the county. Put in an e58 360 with special tuning, then you had something.
I shot a documentary in the mid 1980s for the Lubbock Police Academy where I was imbedded with a cadet class for their entire training period. They drove both the Plymouth Gran Fury and Dodge Diplomat versions of these cars. After shooting the car driving training, the Academy Commander let me run one of their cars through their lane-light obstacle course. I remember how solid these cars were and the torque and horsepower they had! They taught their officers to “shuffle” the steering wheel through the fingers with the hands at nine and three and never cross one hand over the other.
Great story, thanks for posting!
I follow GSA auctions it is VERY VERY VERY rare to see a old car like this at auction. But about 10 years ago I saw a FBI/Secret Service '91 B4C Camaro that was JUST retired from service !!
They're more apt to pop up at municipal auctions as they went into second and third term service in small towns, I see them pretty often in the midwest and down south. With the GSA it's ridiculous how much stuff the DRMO doesn't even know exists at shuttered bases. When they actually ran the auctions I was buying CUCVs at Ft. Drum 3-4 for 1000 bucks.
@@jimmartin7881 Ya back in March I visited a small town in New Mexico for business and the local Fire dept had 2 old square body P71 Crown vics in MINT condition !!!! One was gray another was maroon. They were all decked out with strobes in the back window and truck antennas !! I couldn't believe 30+year old cars like that still in service
@@colombiandude8420 I'd love to p/u one of those!!
Easy upgrade? Use the Canadian Y-pipe to remove the front 2 "Pre-cats"- also, check the cradle & rear leafs for rubber iso- mounts. Yes, I know it's an AHB car, but if not specifically optioned with solid mounting it will still get that mess. Always fun to have to plan your turns in advance because the wheels would turn and the body felt disconnected. Like steering bubble gum
One of the best police models I drove during my career. Rode great in the rain, I once maneuvered around an collision that occurred directly in front of me spinning the car around the accident. The brakes were great but required excessive servicing. Only drawback was the uncomfortable bench seating.
I recall the front suspension on ours always needing work.
Clean car , any parts on dodge and Plymouth from 50s to 90s are hard to fine
People just trashed and wrecked most of them , by time the got to junk yard they were ready for crusher
I have not seen a car like yours in say a good 15 years , and yours looks better than when they came out of factory
I wish u all the luck with this beauty,
I drove one in the Army when I was an MP at Ft. Lewis WA in the late 80's. It was fast.
i like when i see h ow it goes over the bumps when turning the corners, looks that suspension is soft enough to make it look like its gliding like sailboat over low waves,..niiicee... were all of cop Plymouts Gran Furys had front seat as bench like this or newer version had 2 front seats as separate?
I've seen both seat configurations on these.
Stunning looking car! Go get 'em, G-man!
That's the plan!
The Montgomery County Sheriff's Department, City of Dayton Police, and Kettering Police had the Diplomat, with the 360 High Performance engines.The police cars came with hood pins and tuned exhaust. I loved to see them come in for service.
I have a friend who owns two of these cars. Both were "plain wrappers" and from Canada.
One is a 1981 Chrysler LeBaron that was used by the Vancouver Police Department, the other was a 1986 Plymouth Caravelle, the latter was sold in Canada and used by the Toronto Police Department. Those were used by detectives, Inspectors, superintendents. All of them "plain clothes" officers or constables.
I had a 1985 Plymouth Caravelle Salon it was a ex Canadian Police car from Windsor Ontario it was blue with blue interior and had the 60/40 split bench and it had the 318 and it ran on propane but it had the tough suspension with big brakes and it was a great running car. I wish I still had it but the salt that is used here in Southern Ontario is not nice to anything made of steel and so I junked it but kept the engine that went into a D100 and lived it's rest of it's life in it.
Royal Cab Assn. used these and the Dodge Diplomat as cabs here in Baltimore, Maryland years ago. They were red and white.
I need this in my life
It's becoming harder to find these in great condition. Yours is in great condition. Stay classy.
Thank you kindly
How much are you selling it for ?
As the description says: SOLD
Diplomats and Gran Furys were cars bought the most in the 80s by the Kansas City, Missouri police. Only a couple of years did they buy the Fox Body LTD (I.e. the 4 door Mustang). After 1988, Caprice and the Crown Vic, with a handful of Tauruses.
I loved the LTD’s ... try finding those anymore
@@JoeyP322 I know. My personal preference. But if I had the chance, I would take either the Diplomat or the Gran Fury as well.
Those Tauruses with the 3.8 V6 were terrible.
in canada, the gran fury was called caravelle salon, (like we would have if we had got a version of it in 1977)
These were based on the Aspen/Volare cars with improvements ! CHEERS ...
I've had an 85 diplomat. A 76 volare wagon, and a 79 Aspen wagon. Loved them all.
There's an old police interceptor in a field nearby. Still has the hubcaps and looks mostly intact. Couple broken emblems but seems in good condition other than sitting for years. If I had the money I would try to buy it. It's not worth restoring but it's worth making into a driver.
Nice car. Has low mileage but probably has a bit of idling hours. Is that a 5.2L ( 318) or a 5.9L ( 360)? I've seen those engines get over 500,000 miles on them when these were popular for police use and then many went on to Taxi cab use after that.
The 5.9 l 360 was discountinued after 1979 all Diplomats after that year had a 318 V8 engine .
Wow look at the couch in the front of that thing. I didn’t think it would have a bench seat for 1988. Awesome car
Brilliant car 😍
Amazing, how good she still looking
beautiful, hope it went to someone that will look after it
Indeed, it did, went to a good home.
i never loved a cars interior so much until i seen this
my first car was a retired 1989 gran fury police car....still miss that car
Impossível não ver um filme policial dos anos 80 e não ver esse carro ! Bela máquina !
I miss my Dodge Diplomat ❤️
Back 'in-the-day', I had all sorts of 'classic muscle cars'...GTOs, Trans Ams, Camaros, Corvettes...but the ONE CAR I could NEVER get ahold of, was a Diplomat/Gran Fury of the 80's variety, that wasn't thuggishly trashed out! I had a really-nice 350-hp 360, Muncie M20 powertrain, completely gone-through, ready to drop in one, if I could find it. The 4-speed pedals from most early 60's Plymouths would fit (with a slight amount of custom metal work)...and those cars came with ALMOST EVERYTHING ELSE you could want! I'd come across a couple in scrap yards, that got me interested to start with...thick-core radiators, 115-amp alternators, 9.25-inch Corporate rear axles with 'Sure-Grip' (Posi), dual exhausts, large fuel tanks, oversized brakes and COLD A/C! BUT...I could NEVER find a single car that was 'rust-free' and in 'non-rattling' junk condition! They were completely ragged...ALL OF THEM! The only Diplomats I could find that weren't completely trashed were what I called 'granny cars'...318's with all 'light-duty' components...65-amp alternators, single exhaust, 170-hp throttle-body injection, no (or not working) A/C, thin-body radiators, open carrier 8.25-inch rear axles, etc.
The more I looked, the more it became completely 'maddening'! How could SO MANY of these be made, especially on corporate / law-enforcement 'bulk-orders', and not a ONE OF THEM was still in decent shape with the HD/Police Package? I mean, this wasn't two years ago I was looking! This was around 1990! Some weren't 2-years old yet, and ALREADY, they were completely JUNK! They were good cars...the light duty ones seemed to last for DECADES! I came to the conclusion that law enforcement drove them like they were stolen...EVERY ONE OF THEM! That you found this with a history of 'undercover work'...just convinces me I was right. If they were 'on the down-low', then they WERE good cars! That one looks almost new!
I figured that if I could ever build the one I wanted, I'd have it for cross-country trips, light towing (motorcycle on trailer), little bit of a 'conversation piece'...that could 'take the long journeys'...but, once again, when you don't respect what you have, then you don't have it long...such a shame. They really were the perfect size for turning into a 'sports car', and made great 'sleepers', at that! (smaller than the comparable year Novas)...
Completely agree, these are impossible to find. It was a miracle that I found this one, and knew from the start that I should probably keep it!
This is a really really cool ass car the diplomat is very underated as far as I'm concerned.
Agreed, these are great cars
This or a Diplomat I'd love to own. Such awesome cars! We had a Gold colored Diplomat at the automotive shop when I was a teenager. We'd do burnouts in the parking lot with it sometimes lol. Decently quick cars with the police package.
Haha, nice!
I had 2 of these at different times. FUN to drive. Excellent handling cars.
Couldn't agree more!
It's got cop tires,cop suspension, cop motor, its gonna be quick
That orange box on the passengers side fender well is the best upgrade you could've done to that car. Those electronic lean burn systems were the worst idea Chrysler ever had
Agreed! Thanks for watching.
One of the few Chrysler products that i want.
I have two of them an 89 and an 86
WOW Complete Classic...................I want it!!!!! :)
I serviced these cars when new road tests were fun look for ahb on the vin plate to verify police package
I love my Mopars! I had a 2door 77 318 cid and my sister had a 78 w/Slant 6! Used to love playing cat & mouse with the local police and even raced a Statie in a Grand Fury! I think he let me win! Beautiful condition, thanks for sharing!
Very cool! Thanks for watching!
Had the lusher version , 87 Fifth Ave......that "Lean Burn" computer module hanging on the air cleaner assembly was the weak link.....mine went bad a few times.......I still don't think anyone knew how those darn things worked or what they did, they mostly held the engine back from its true potential...........
Yes, that Lean Burn was definitely the Achilles Heel on these cars. Fortunately on this one it's been unplugged. A new distributor and ECU kit from Mancini Racing eliminates it forever and does a world of good.
Hard to find a police package one in this great shape nowadays.
Beautiful car! Lowest mileage I've ever seen on a car with the police package. I had an '87 Diplomat with the police package, regret selling it. I recently bought a 2011 Crown Vic, former Fairfax County PD, VA, vehicle. I love old police cars- drove a few as a deputy-sheriff in Virginia long ago.
Very cool! Yes, I've yet to see another Diplomat with these kind of miles. Probably should have never sold it!
So, what exactly is/was under the hood on this one?
It's a beefed up 318ci V8
nice car. i had a diplomat which is pretty much the same. one thing i learned from owning many former leo vehicles. its not the miles, its the hours.
Very true!
I drove the 1988 Grand Fury as a patrol car in the Sierra Nevada mountains at 6,500’. Handled fantastic, could catch anyone in the twisties, but was a dog in the straights with its 2-bbl 318c.i. plant. What a great vehicle otherwise especially with the factory buckets.
Nice! Thanks for watching.
I had an 84 Diplomat ex detectives car. Great shape, a lot of get up and go. It was a tank. Tough car. Lost it in my 2nd divorce. That hurt.
Audio wasn't too bad - I think the following year the deck(for Chrysler) had a small joystick for RFLF-RRLR & the only radio I've used that supported AM Stereo! I remember making tapes, encoding in Dolby/Metal ever so slightly tweaking the quality over years...lol
that radio looks premium quality compaired to a factory radio in the latest P71
Back in 86 I was chased for speeding by one that gravitated to two of these cars in Norwalk Ct....I outran them in a 1979 280ZX and got away.....I moved on to a 280ZX Turbo and was chased by another in Fort Lauderdale in 88 and pulled away easily and escaped capture..This was back when fleeing was only a misdemeanor...Do it now and you will go to jail for several months,,
those were the fun days back then. I did the same around the same years and then they started getting Mustang's and Camaros and they were hard to beat
Esses carros eram vendidos para população comum ou somente para as polícias????
Holy mackerel, this is JUST LIKE my Chrysler 5th Ave. I had no idea this car had pretty much the same engine layout and body style and even interior!
Yep, basically just a stripped down version with beefier mechanicals
It's essentially a 1976 Volare with a bigger engine
NIKO IS ROMAN, IS SO GOOD U FINALLY HERE!
The Police Chief had that same car in my hometown back in the day. Happy to say l never rode in it. I did pull it out of the ditch one very snowy and icy night.
Wow. We used those cars when I first went into plain clothes and after two to three years those cars would rust and run like crap. How in God's name did you find that car in that condition? Awesome video brother. Thanks for sharing.
It took literally 10 years of looking to find one this good. A needle in a haystack! Thanks for watching.
How in god's name could you work for a department that couldn't properly maintain one of the simplest police vehicles ever made? And did the Department not have a wash bay and a can of wax? Did the officers not give a shit about maintaining a good vehicle appearance with weekly cleaning?
@@gavinvalentino1313 Wash bay????? LOL!!! That city failed to pay their gas bill and we had to go to the adjoining city's DPW garage to gas up. Wash bay LOL.
Beautiful, Sharp, and Simple , Car!
Love to know is that a 318, or a 360? Just this past weekend I saw one at the drags, but that one had a honking 440 Super Commando engine! With open headers, hi rise with big Holley Double Pumper, great 3:55 posi upgraded to an overdrive automatic out of a truck! He was running 12’s with pump gas.
Wow, that sounds like a monster! The stock motor on these was the 318.
no Mopar cars with 360 after 1980
@@bultacowally except for Police cars.
@@kevinvoyer5053 NO sir...ALL the cop cars after 1980 had 318's. Most had 318 with 360 heads...and eventually the swirl port heads in '87 I believe... and intake with 4 bbl but no 360 in ANY car after 1980 only trucks and vans. Got a Mopar book that states that to be a fact. I use to go to police auctions for ex cop cars so looked at many of them never saw one with a 360 so did the research...because they didn't build them. That being said I will add that there were RUMORS to the fact that Chrysler did put the 360 in a FEW special edition factory police cars after 1980 but you go find one....
@@bultacowally - correct about the 360 heads...my ‘88 had no lean burn, don’t know why. It was a Diplomat ex NY State pd car with cloth seats and rubber floors. Very rugged car, loved it ✅
Does it have a box of .38 Special in glove box like all FBI cars?
Black cars are 50’ hotter when parked in the sun than any other color. They get up to 190’f in Arizona in May at 1 pm
Got this a little late,but is the car still available🤔
As the description says: Sold - May 2020 - SOLD
You know where I can find a 1978 ford ldt?
God I remember these cars when I was a kid! Police and taxis all used them!
Love this man, I would love one of these.
My dad had a 1978 gran fury he got for $450 in 83'. He cut off the exhaust and it was so loud it was illegal and he got alot of tickets. But he said that thing could burn rubber like a champ.
What's under the hood? 318 or 360?
318
Look at this beauty! This is a real car. Shame on the car industry for today's toy cars!
Agreed!
Last few of the good looking American cars imo. Phil from the UK
Wow,only 16k miles. Beautiful
Castillo's car in Miami Vice?
what FBI agent was rolling around in an '88 Gran Fury in 2009?
It was put in evidence storage for many years, after the Marion Barry sting operation.
A rare classic. Cool!
How much are you asking if don't mind me asking?
Sorry, as the description says: SOLD May 2020
I did ride-alongside intense back in the late eighties in St John’s county Florida. Pretty fast for a four door sedan.
I have had 2 Gran Furys , an 87 Gran Fury with a full patrol car package, vinyl buckets, 4 barrel carb etc. my 88 Gran Fury was just like this one. Great car just did not like the computer controlled 1 barrel carb. It killed performance. My 4 barrel car was much more fun and responsive. Cool video!
Thanks for watching!
Should have neen 2 barrel computer controlled