Would you buy an ex Police Car ?
Discussion
As i mentioned last week, i am now the proud owner of a 2007 Volvo V70 T5 ex-police car 
Bad points:
It has had nothing done to it since leaving the police, except having all the equipment (lights/sirens/data recorderss etc...) removed, theres still extra wiring which has been chopped and left, the paintwork needs some attention as its still in 'police' state (holes in roof/bumper etc...) and some of the interior trim is slightly worn.
All of the above will cost me approx £700 to sort out, which i had expected anyway.
At least by getting the work done myself (im in the motor trade) i know it will be done properly by people that do a good job.
Sure, its done 150k, but its got full service history, including 2 cam belts and 1 clutch. When i consider what i paid for it, that kind of mileage doesnt worry me
ANY second hand car is a gamble to some degree, no matter where it came from or who had it, and im (so far) very pleased with my purchase...
Bad points:
It has had nothing done to it since leaving the police, except having all the equipment (lights/sirens/data recorderss etc...) removed, theres still extra wiring which has been chopped and left, the paintwork needs some attention as its still in 'police' state (holes in roof/bumper etc...) and some of the interior trim is slightly worn.
All of the above will cost me approx £700 to sort out, which i had expected anyway.
At least by getting the work done myself (im in the motor trade) i know it will be done properly by people that do a good job.
Sure, its done 150k, but its got full service history, including 2 cam belts and 1 clutch. When i consider what i paid for it, that kind of mileage doesnt worry me
ANY second hand car is a gamble to some degree, no matter where it came from or who had it, and im (so far) very pleased with my purchase...
Elroy Blue said:
Good luck with it. I hope you have better luck than the examples we had on our fleet.
Thanks, from what ive read on PH and other sites is that it varies greatly depending on what police force owned the vehicle and what it was used for.Mine was an ARV, so im hoping it hasnt had the same level of chav scum in it as the majority of cop cars
focusguy said:
Thanks, from what ive read on PH and other sites is that it varies greatly depending on what police force owned the vehicle and what it was used for.
Mine was an ARV, so im hoping it hasnt had the same level of chav scum in it as the majority of cop cars
Rightly or wrongly, I was told that ARV don't have the level of degenerates in the cars, for obvious reasons.Mine was an ARV, so im hoping it hasnt had the same level of chav scum in it as the majority of cop cars
Friend was tugged by an ARV for drink driving, but he had to wait with them whilst a regular car turned up as they couldn't take him in.
In that time, the lucky b
d sobered up.Good luck with your car, will be keeping tabs to see how you get on.
Are Metropolitan Police cars exempt from the congestion charge? I recently bought an ex-Met car and if I try to pay the charge I get a message on the website that says:
"Based on the vehicle registration mark (VRM) details you entered and information received by Transport for London (TfL) from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) no payment of the Congestion Charge is needed to drive into or within the Congestion Charge zone when using this vehicle, at this time."
Do I need to pay? Should I pay?
"Based on the vehicle registration mark (VRM) details you entered and information received by Transport for London (TfL) from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) no payment of the Congestion Charge is needed to drive into or within the Congestion Charge zone when using this vehicle, at this time."
Do I need to pay? Should I pay?
tog said:
Are Metropolitan Police cars exempt from the congestion charge? I recently bought an ex-Met car and if I try to pay the charge I get a message on the website that says:
"Based on the vehicle registration mark (VRM) details you entered and information received by Transport for London (TfL) from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) no payment of the Congestion Charge is needed to drive into or within the Congestion Charge zone when using this vehicle, at this time."
Do I need to pay? Should I pay?
That's a difficult one, I know it would be wrong but if it was me I'd milk it while it lasts. Although I would try and pay the charge each time I went into the zone, just to make sure the exemption hasn't ended. "Based on the vehicle registration mark (VRM) details you entered and information received by Transport for London (TfL) from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) no payment of the Congestion Charge is needed to drive into or within the Congestion Charge zone when using this vehicle, at this time."
Do I need to pay? Should I pay?
tog said:
Are Metropolitan Police cars exempt from the congestion charge? I recently bought an ex-Met car and if I try to pay the charge I get a message on the website that says:
"Based on the vehicle registration mark (VRM) details you entered and information received by Transport for London (TfL) from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) no payment of the Congestion Charge is needed to drive into or within the Congestion Charge zone when using this vehicle, at this time."
Do I need to pay? Should I pay?
I'd keep quiet about that if I were you!"Based on the vehicle registration mark (VRM) details you entered and information received by Transport for London (TfL) from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) no payment of the Congestion Charge is needed to drive into or within the Congestion Charge zone when using this vehicle, at this time."
Do I need to pay? Should I pay?
tog said:
Are Metropolitan Police cars exempt from the congestion charge? I recently bought an ex-Met car and if I try to pay the charge I get a message on the website that says:
"Based on the vehicle registration mark (VRM) details you entered and information received by Transport for London (TfL) from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) no payment of the Congestion Charge is needed to drive into or within the Congestion Charge zone when using this vehicle, at this time."
Do I need to pay? Should I pay?
Have you personally taxed the car yet? If not, you'll find that it's most probably still registered as a Police car. Post Office won't want to know when it comes to tax renewal time, you'll have to get it re-registered as a private light goods (PLG) vehicle with the DVLA before you'll be able to tax it."Based on the vehicle registration mark (VRM) details you entered and information received by Transport for London (TfL) from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) no payment of the Congestion Charge is needed to drive into or within the Congestion Charge zone when using this vehicle, at this time."
Do I need to pay? Should I pay?
TEKNOPUG said:
Have you personally taxed the car yet? If not, you'll find that it's most probably still registered as a Police car. Post Office won't want to know when it comes to tax renewal time, you'll have to get it re-registered as a private light goods (PLG) vehicle with the DVLA before you'll be able to tax it.
I taxed it at the Post Office when I bought it last month, as a new keeper with the V5. Taxation class is "petrol car".Not in a million years.ragged out the yard from cold. Speed bumps.high revs low gears. Crap all over the inside.spew blood piss and on the odd occaision "man batter".heavy kit in the back shocks goosed.washed with stones once a week and generally flogged to death. It might be serviced but thats by monkeys who only do what's on the card ....nothing more. You can't polish a turd
Urban Sports said:
Really?
I'd be very surprised if modern police cars were modified, they may be but I'd be surprised of they were.
Surely rather than modifying a car the police would buy a model that was fit for purpose in the first place?
Define "fit for purpose" - no manufacturer makes a non-performance car thats suited to their needs perfectly.I'd be very surprised if modern police cars were modified, they may be but I'd be surprised of they were.
Surely rather than modifying a car the police would buy a model that was fit for purpose in the first place?
Lots of load area, big alternator, lots of room for extra electrical kit, designed to carry all the load in the boot without ruining the dynamics, and brakes / suspension that can handle extended hard driving...
I would think that performance of a 330d etc would be "enough", though - if someones trying to get away in a Ferrari the helicopter can always keep up.
Jakg said:
Define "fit for purpose" - no manufacturer makes a non-performance car thats suited to their needs perfectly.
Lots of load area, big alternator, lots of room for extra electrical kit, designed to carry all the load in the boot without ruining the dynamics, and brakes / suspension that can handle extended hard driving...
I would think that performance of a 330d etc would be "enough", though - if someones trying to get away in a Ferrari the helicopter can always keep up.
Some of them come in non-standard or non-available format. For instance, Vauxhall never made a mk1 Omega with a 3.0l engine and manual gearbox, which is why my V5 says that it's an automatic. They also never made non-sunroof models, but mine is. I've effectively got a 3.0l Elite with a manual box, no sunroof and GLS interior.Lots of load area, big alternator, lots of room for extra electrical kit, designed to carry all the load in the boot without ruining the dynamics, and brakes / suspension that can handle extended hard driving...
I would think that performance of a 330d etc would be "enough", though - if someones trying to get away in a Ferrari the helicopter can always keep up.
andym1603 said:
Once had a 24v Senator (ex Manchester). It was one of the best cars I have owned. Bought it with 155k on the clock and kept it
5 years when the timing chain snapped at 189k. It owed me nothing. If need be I would buy another.
Andy..
I've had several in the Senator format - best one was an ex Herts one - had 190K on the clock - turned out it had a complete new engine from Vauxhall at 160K due to timing chain failure - bought for £400 - leathered up from a scrap Senator I was breaking at the time5 years when the timing chain snapped at 189k. It owed me nothing. If need be I would buy another.
Andy..
Great car - bloody quick mainly due to very thin carpets and lots of missing sound deadening as well as manual windy windows.
thehappyotter said:
I think you'll find that's 'couldn't be arsed to take him in'.
Bunch of prima donna's!
or more to the point the FIM/ Inspector in comms wanted them available as an ARV not tied up in custody for several hours ...Bunch of prima donna's!
when you actually have a chance to discuss this with relevant bodies and take a service / system wide view it makes sense ...
it is also part of the differences between resourcing in The Met , vs the the other Metropolitan forces (WY/SY/GMP/WMids) vs a county force ... and then you have to remember
that some 'county' forces cover significant conurbation areas with 'big city' crime problems as Mr Green (CC of Notts ) is fond of pointing out
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