Buyers issue all-points-bulletin for used cop cars

"One of the reasons they can [last so long] is that police cars are seldom turned off for the first 100,000 miles so your casehardening in all your running parts is really good," Duchene says. "Things wear out when they heat cycle. These things never cool down."

Working conditions do matter
Keep in mind, however, that some cars have definitely seen more action than others.

"You don't want to buy cars from some city where the streets suck, because they'll be beaten to death, or areas where there are a lot of high-speed chases," Duchene says. "You want to find a peaceful county with good weather and straight roads."

Individuals aren't the only interested buyers. When law enforcement rolls its old workhorses, the taxicab industry also comes running. Most police cars worth buying are acquired by guys like Bob Shelley, owner of Transportation Support Services of Portland, Ore., who handles all maintenance for Broadway Cab Company.

Like Duchene, Shelley is a proud squad car owner. He bought his 1999 Crown Vic with 38,000 miles on it for $2,100 and then spent an additional $9,000 for a new paint job, high-end stereo system, wheels, tires and plush "wrecking yard" interior.

"The civilian equivalent would have cost me more than twice that and I would have a lesser car," he says. "If you buy these and put a little money into them, you end up spending half what the civilian car would cost you for twice the car. You can't go wrong."

Well, actually you can.

Know your used-cop-car market
Although police cruisers are built to run and generally receive exemplary maintenance by both law enforcement and the livery trade, by the time they reach the civilian market they are, after all, used cars.

Police departments large and small buy the heavy-duty cruisers from fleet dealers at roughly two-thirds what they would cost the public. A new police car might run $24,000. A used one good for another 400,000 miles sells at auction for anywhere from $2,000 to $12,000 depending on condition and location.

Shelley recalls a woman who purchased a police car at an auction and then discovered it wouldn't move. Shelley knew with a glance at the fluid stick that its transmission was shot (not uncommon in police cars) and volunteered to install a new one for her.

Buyers familiar with the secondary market can tell at a glance if a cop car has seen years of action or led a sedentary life of donut crumbs and stakeout coffee. You might think the detective's car would be a better buy than a police cruiser, but it's not. In fact, Shelley won't even bid on them.

"I prefer the regular police car over the detective car," he says. "The detective cars don't get driven as often, and when they do, they're usually in city traffic, idling around. The exhaust systems are usually rusted out. They're more like a civilian car. Detective cars are cheaper than the police package. They won't have the lifetime silicone hoses or the heavy-duty radiator. It will be missing a lot of the important things."

Similar caution is required if you take a chance on the proliferating used-squad-car dealers out there in cyber-lots.

"There is a lot of online buying nowadays," Shelley admits. "The State of Oregon sells some of their cars online, but they're usually the ones that are in poor repair. And you're only seeing a picture of it, so it's buyer beware. You buy it, you own it."

For a less problematic purchase, consider calling a cab -- for a heads-up, that is, on available squad cars.

"The way I got mine, and the way I would recommend it, is to go and find out who does the taxi maintenance in your hometown and see if they will tip you to one," Duchene advises.

Shelley agrees. Taxi buyers not only know the cars, they know where to shop for the deals, generally smaller towns rather than big cities.

Turning heads, clearing roads
Although it may take some shopping around to find the used police car of your dreams, owners say it's worth it. There is, after all, that indefinable something about driving a former cruiser.

"You can't appear to be impersonating a police officer. You can't run stoplights, for instance. That's something that you have to bear in mind," reminds Duchene. "That being said, 75 percent of the drivers on the road give you some room.

"The other good thing about a cop car is, you can never really conceal them, so even when it's parked in your driveway, it's doing its bit for the neighborhood."

Jay MacDonald is a contributing editor based in Mississippi.