Here is an easy subject,,,

[Bill Carson]

I remember being in a fight with three suspects at about 0300 in the middle of the intersection of Norwalk Bl and 215th Street right on the border of Hawaiian Gardens and East Lakewood. I was by myself and this was before handheld radios. I was still on my feet, but the tide was turning against me and it was going to get very ugly, real fast. I heard the radio blast "Attention Lakewood Units, citizen advised of a deputy involved in a fight with multiple suspects, 215 and Norwalk. Units Code 3 in one or less?". At that point, I could hear the sirens firing up in the distance and the 4 barrels sucking in air. It was motivation to keep going.....

It started off as a possible DUI stop, but I had already decided the driver wasn't DUI and I was getting ready to send him on his way when the male and female passengers, both drunk, decided he needed to be rescued. Dirtbags are hard to subdue 3 on 1.

I drove thru that intersection today. I remember when the LASD came to Lynwood. There was nothing like watching those nova's rolling 6 or 7 deep on bullis and getting air at the tracks at fernwood.

[Ron-Solo]

Paramount was also known for a few railroad crossings that would make a Nova fly.

[Bobby Ricigliano]

We will keep our Crown Vics until the wheels fall off.

Then the mechanics, God bless em, will put them back on and we will go for another 20K.

[Ron-Solo]

Bobby, I know what you mean. When I retired last year, I was driving a 2001 Crown Vic with 140k miles on it. It was a slick car and was assigned to LTs only, so it was in pretty good shape still. The latest LT to work the spot is still driving it every day.

[The War Wagon]

If GM needs another bailout, Hollyweird should just make a "Blues Brothers 2012." I believe the ORIGINAL Blues Brothers WAS Chrysler's late '70's bailout!

Stockpiling Crown Vics sounds like a good idea. We stockpile ammo & mags - they stockpile police interceptors!

[Horton Fenty]

Here's your truly circa 1978 beside my trusty Nova!!! No comments about the tinted glasses and mustache!!!!

The CHP office here does "March Mustache Madness".

[oldmotor]

CHP is going with the Ford Interceptor SUV (confirmed). Some Taurus's will be purchased for unmarked admin roll's such as the uppers driving them. Both metropolitan offices, rural offices and mountain offices will get the SUV. Doesn't matter if it's LA or Lake Tahoe you will see the SUV. It has to do with the GVWR's, no other test vehicle could handle the CHP's equipment and gear. No this is not a rumor, expect to start seeing them cycled in anywhere from January to late March 2013 depending on the budget.

CHP is going 80% Police Suv Interceptors and 20% Police Sedan Interceptors. No Taurus's. I've sat in the SUV and it's pretty impressive.

[mej16489]

Paramount was also known for a few railroad crossings that would make a Nova fly.

Ditto for a few crossings in the days of Antelope Valley station.

[retired]

I rode in a Nova in 1976, when a cadet on a ride along at the old Malibu station. For some reason, while driving in the middle of nowhere, he decided to drive off the asphalt and onto a dirt road. Due to the low clearance, the car hung up on the asphalt. After a lot of rocking it back and forth switching gears, he got it back on the asphalt. I could tell by the look in his face he was happy he didn't have to call a tow truck and face the jokes from his fellow deputy. They probably would have blamed it on me anyhow since I was a cadet.

IIRC, they were the most neutral steering car we had up to that time and probably of any that came after.

SVT-40, without the mustache, you look about 16; with it, you almost make it to 20.

[BigDogatPlay]

When I was a cadet we still had Polaras (440 CI you could hear coming for miles) and Satellites. Saw and drove my first Nova in '76. Liked them so much that I bought a non-police package as my own commuter car a couple of years later. That was my wife's first car, and she still hates that we ever traded it in.

[KWalkerM]

CHP station in quincy got a bunch of new shiny SUVs, some dont even have decals yet and are unmarked

[556fmj]

CHP station in quincy got a bunch of new shiny SUVs, some dont even have decals yet and are unmarked

My dept just got about a half dozen of the Ford suv interceptors, 2013 models. I had a chance to check them out last week at a meeting with fleet personal and some equipment manufacture reps. Nice looking squads. The specs on them and performance isn't too shabby either.

[Ron-Solo]

LASD actually has 20 electric MINI Coopers they got from MINI as a test project. They don't use them for patrol but a few of the stations are using them for their community service officers. MINI provided the cars to the department for free, in exchange for evaluations on a variety of functions.

They have a very limited range of 100 miles, but they are amazingly quick. I OT to drive one once and it impressed me. There is even less room than a standard Cooper because the batteries take up what little back seat they had.

They look cool, since they had a couple decked out with graphics and lights for community relations events.

[yzErnie]

WOW, that brings back some happy memories!! Those were one of the best units I ever drove. Ours were all white with gum-ball light bars. The fastest unit I ever drove was am AMC Matador with a 403ci(?) engine. It would do a buck-25 in nothing flat but took you two miles to stop it because it had these little 3" brake pads!!! The Malibu's were good and then we went to the Dodge Aspen and Diplomats...they were the biggest piles of junk. Oh wait, the Ford Fairmonts with a 302 2bbl were right up there too as pieces of crap...88 mph down hill with a tail wind!!! I could go on and on!!!! lol

ETA: How could I have forgotten the first couple units I ever drove. A Dodge Polaris with a 440 and a Ford LTD with a 429...fast, heavy, decent brakes, premium gas guzzling cars that spoke of the last true era of law enforcement units.

[Blademan21]

I remember a Fontana sub-station Sgt. that broke the tilt on his Nova's steering wheel.Made it a e-ticket ride when he was rolling code-3 to a call in Lytle Creek.