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I am not positive it was an actual cop car – but it was owned by the city. It just looks like it was used for law enforcement – it is white and has those huge spotlights on each side of the windsheild. It’s a 2001 Impala and is going to be at an auction this week. Has anyone ever bought a car from an auction or bought a former city-owned car? I was told I could pick it up for a pretty good price, but wouldnt it be in pretty rough shape if it were used for a police car? It doesnt have any siren-type lights or a cage inside, so maybe it was used for detective or undercover type work, i dont know. Can anyone give me some insight?

7 Comments »

1. 

   My friend bought a car from a similar auction for city owned vehicles. It worked out OK for him, but you never know what you are going to get. If the price is right and you know that it may need work , I’d say go for it. Good-luck!

   Comment by trybluvr — September 20, 2009 @ 1:56 am

2. 

   Former police vehicles are not a bad deal. They are well maintained because of the purpose they serve. Some may be a bit more banged up than others, but, you can find them that look rather good. They’re not the most luxurious inside, but don’t let that stop you. All in all, unless they’ve been wrecked, not a bad buy.

   Comment by aj1964 — September 20, 2009 @ 1:56 am

3. 

   I would’nt, it’s been used by everyone and anyone.
   it’s not their car so they do’nt take care of it.
   all the light’s etc are alway’s removed, before they sell car’s.
   how many miles has it ? how many high speed chases , etc etc,

   Comment by GOLDEN — September 20, 2009 @ 1:56 am

4. 

   It would have to be a REALLY good price for me to consider it. On the positive side, it would likely have the interceptor package, and be really fast. On the negative- they tend to have a TON of miles, have been driven really hard by multiple drivers who really dont care how well they treat the car, and will have just had a lot of use. If its a steal, then sure, if it something you want to last for hundreds of thousands of miles, then I dont think I’d recommend it.

   Comment by bmwdriver11 — September 20, 2009 @ 1:56 am

5. 

   I know I guy who had a ’96 plice interceptor impala bought from an auciton. The police keep good care of their cars and unless you see a problem, its probably ok

   Comment by northfielder24: The Napster — September 20, 2009 @ 1:56 am

6. 

   I own a shop, and think this; Back a few years ago, I purchased a former police car, and I had no trouble with it, except we did have to rebuild the transmission about a year later. We kept it about five years, and it ran good for the whole period. It is true; they are maintained very well, and probably better than a private vehicle would be. They are made to run fast, have heavy duty parts, and will take what one dishes out, so with all of this in mind; I don’t think you are going wrong here, as long as you can get it for a decent price. A huge drawback is; Don’t expect it to get great gas mileage, as they have big engines.
   Glad to help out, good Luck!!!

   Comment by musiclicker — September 20, 2009 @ 1:56 am

7. 

   Most police vehicles are very well maintained, however they are generally very used and abused by their drivers. The Impala 9C1 (police package) has the very durable and reliable 3.8L V6 "3800" motor, so you will definately get a lot of life out of the motor. The problem areas with these cars are their transmissions, Chevy didn’t see it fit to install HD transmissions in the 9C1 model, so a lot of ex-police Impalas do need to have their transmissions either rebuilt or replaced. If there is a time that you are able to inspect the car, check all of the fluids, and if available the maintenance records. Another thing to check is the condition of the body, make sure any holes from equipment (lights, antennas, etc) are filled/plugged. Other things that may need replacement but may not be immediately noticed are ball joints, shocks and struts, tie rods, and the brakes. There are tons of Impala 9C1s still on the road, both in police service and retired. I have heard some lasting over 250,000 miles with only a transmission rebuild as the major service incident. You can find more information about Impalas or ask the experts at NAIOA (North American Impala Owners Association) http://www.naioa.com. I own an Imapala and love it, so I say go for it!

   Comment by ganzhimself — September 20, 2009 @ 1:56 am

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