I added to the fleet.
Backstory: Jr. is about to get his Learner's Permit to drive. You're allowed to do that at 15 and a half here in Ohio. The Mrs. and I were talking about what is he going to drive. I was going to start him out in my wagon. Even when he gets his full license, I work from home and am home 90% of the time. So I don't need it a whole lot. But she said, "What about when you DO need it.?" Well I have four other cars but none of them go out in the winter. She was also concerned that the wagon doesn't have airbags, anti-lock brakes, or much metal around him should he get in an accident since most new drivers do at some point.
Basically what she's telling me is to shop for something else.
Wait..... WHAT??!!??!!
We've been together for 20+ years and this is the FIRST time she's ever told me to go out car shopping. It's usually the other way around. I've had to beg and plead and in some cases, just bought anyway and asked for forgiveness later.
OK... don't have to tell me twice. But what to get?
After some serious thought and discussion, I came up with 5 requirements:
1. It had to be affordable
2. It had to have a lot of metal around him.
3. It had to be good in the snow
4. Parts had to be easy to come by in the event he does bang up a fender or a door or a header panel.
5. And this is where Jr. is a lot like me. He'd like something a little different than the norm. He likes that when people see my cars on the road, even the daily drivers and beaters, everybody knows it's me.
So, after about 4-6 weeks of looking, I came up with a vehicle that satisfies all of those requirements: a 2010 Crown Victoria Police Interceptor. It has the 4.6 Modular Motor, overdrive trans, locking 3:27 rear axle, and it came with the alloy wheels that are on it now along with the original Cop Car steelies and "dog dish" hubcaps. It has 112,000 miles and we liked that it was all black instead of all white.
The seller was a Police Officer himself, and this car came from the department he was with. So he knew its whole history, that it was never wrecked and he got all the maintenance records with it.
I had a similar car about 15 years ago as a winter beater and the locking rear was an absolute beast in the snow, even without snow tires.
We're gonna give it a once over and change all the fluids, hoses, serpentine belt, filters, wipers, and mount the freebie snow tires I got from a buddy on the steelie wheels for the winter. I have a few things to tend to like an airbag warning light, a finicky starter, and a few lights out on the dash. The interior lights are currently in "Dark Mode" and I'm trying to get that sorted out. We're gonna upgrade the stereo and just give the whole thing a quickie clean up. I moved it from the house to the shop today in the heavy snow.
Backstory: Jr. is about to get his Learner's Permit to drive. You're allowed to do that at 15 and a half here in Ohio. The Mrs. and I were talking about what is he going to drive. I was going to start him out in my wagon. Even when he gets his full license, I work from home and am home 90% of the time. So I don't need it a whole lot. But she said, "What about when you DO need it.?" Well I have four other cars but none of them go out in the winter. She was also concerned that the wagon doesn't have airbags, anti-lock brakes, or much metal around him should he get in an accident since most new drivers do at some point.
Basically what she's telling me is to shop for something else.
Wait..... WHAT??!!??!!
We've been together for 20+ years and this is the FIRST time she's ever told me to go out car shopping. It's usually the other way around. I've had to beg and plead and in some cases, just bought anyway and asked for forgiveness later.
OK... don't have to tell me twice. But what to get?
After some serious thought and discussion, I came up with 5 requirements:
1. It had to be affordable
2. It had to have a lot of metal around him.
3. It had to be good in the snow
4. Parts had to be easy to come by in the event he does bang up a fender or a door or a header panel.
5. And this is where Jr. is a lot like me. He'd like something a little different than the norm. He likes that when people see my cars on the road, even the daily drivers and beaters, everybody knows it's me.
So, after about 4-6 weeks of looking, I came up with a vehicle that satisfies all of those requirements: a 2010 Crown Victoria Police Interceptor. It has the 4.6 Modular Motor, overdrive trans, locking 3:27 rear axle, and it came with the alloy wheels that are on it now along with the original Cop Car steelies and "dog dish" hubcaps. It has 112,000 miles and we liked that it was all black instead of all white.
The seller was a Police Officer himself, and this car came from the department he was with. So he knew its whole history, that it was never wrecked and he got all the maintenance records with it.
I had a similar car about 15 years ago as a winter beater and the locking rear was an absolute beast in the snow, even without snow tires.
We're gonna give it a once over and change all the fluids, hoses, serpentine belt, filters, wipers, and mount the freebie snow tires I got from a buddy on the steelie wheels for the winter. I have a few things to tend to like an airbag warning light, a finicky starter, and a few lights out on the dash. The interior lights are currently in "Dark Mode" and I'm trying to get that sorted out. We're gonna upgrade the stereo and just give the whole thing a quickie clean up. I moved it from the house to the shop today in the heavy snow.
