All Ford Day - Part 2 - AFP Falcon Interceptor

Police car livery has come along way in a few years. Watch Division 4 (a Crawford Production) and you see a Victoria Police crest on the door of a white car, with a siren on the bonnet and a bubble light on the roof. That was the 1970's, now we see garish unmissable graphic designer fantasies adorning the sides of the average XR8 Falcon and SS Commodore.

At the All Ford Day on March 14, the AFP displayed one of their Falcon Police XR6 Interceptors.  In case you cant tell, there is a small AFP crest just behind the front wheels on the lower sills. I took some close up shoots to show how a police car is modified from the base car for its job.

Flashers mounted into the door mirrors. Note how dark the window tinting is. 

Better shot of the AFP crest. Nice mags officer! Look standard.

The light bar, various angles. The last shot of the rear of the light bar, shows a screen which displays messages with red led's. Very low profile light bar and mounting. 

Forward facing radar transmitter, photographed from behind. Interesting how it is affixed to the rear door glass. I guess this car doesn't cart 'suspects' back to the station 'to assist with inquiries'. 

All the windows were tinted, hopefully at legal spec, you can just make out flasher on the dash at front, computer screen, and two unknown devices above the heater/sound controls on the dash.

Side flasher in rear door quarter window

I dont know what modifications have been done to the suspension r running gear, but I imagine that Ford has a special order program for Police departments with specific components such as increased capacity radiators, oil coolers, alternators etc. 

The Ford Falcon is an excellent base for police car. Holden have had some good press recently announcing sales of a Statesman variant into the US to act as a US Police car. In the states last year I saw lots of Crown Vics, Chrysler 300's and Dodge Chargers used as police cars. 

Having driven around LA for a few weeks in a Lincoln Town Car (a badge brother of the Ford Crown Vic), I can state with absolute certainty that the Australian Ford Falcon is vastly superior in every aspect to its distant US cousin. Unless you like dated 70's ergonomics, 80's era plastic dashboards, 60's style liveaxle suspension (which Ford bizarrely use on the latest Mustang). If you like outdated engineering and packaging, then the Crown Vic is the car for you. If you want a modern car with good power, handling and levels of packaging, NVH etc, then go for a Falcon. 

Falcons are fairly robust bases for police cars, parts are readily available, the cars are built tough in the first place, and they are good comfortable cars to drive and ride in. The XR6 version used by the AFP for a chaser is a sensible choice. Cheap, fast, robust. Painted up like it is, it also serves as a visible deterrent to road miscreants, when parked in the middle road reserve facing oncoming traffic. 

Coming in Part Three - XA-B-C Falcons

All Fords Day 2010 - part one

I love car shows. I love walking around and looking at cars that owners love and admire so much that they will subject them to the admiring and critical eyes of other motorheads. Single make car shows are interesting, especially when the manufacturer is a multinational with manufacturing in many countries. 


Today I went to the All Ford Day on the lawns of Old Parliament House in Canberra. Country of origin for most cars was overwhelmingly Australian, with a smattering of US made cars, especially Mustangs, and some kitcar Cobras. There were a handful of hot rods as well, and a few English Lotus Cortinas, one Escort and an Aussie Cortina with an eight fitted. I didnt see any Customlines or Zephyrs. One guy brought an early 70's Transit with a camper body fitted! 

I enjoyed wandering around looking at outstanding examples of Fords, and will divide this series of postings into sections to make it easier for people to read (and load). 


This post will be about XDEF series Falcons. 

Nice clean XE. Probably the most attractive of the XDEF's.

Vyl's XD

Vyl and his mate. 

XF with XG Grille. It took me ages to find XF-087 (from the Xfalcon forum) to buy some stickers to put on my XF V8 Pano.

XE with more Xfalconers yakking behind it. I can make out Pinkie and Billy. Who gave me some good advice on how to fix a non wiping wiper. 

XE

Immaculate ZL running a 302. Paint was excellent, as was the interior. Wheels a bit bling for me, but still very nice. 

I had to queue for a hot dog token, then queue for a hot dog, then queue for sauce!

Nice XF with a 302 installed (like my Pano)

Attention to detail - babyseat in the same white leather as the rear and front buckets.

Nice XD ute, with Globes and a sunroof. Only XDEF commercial of the day, no wagons either. 

My favourite Xfalcon of the day. Look at that scoop. Will it work with LPG ? 

Clean XD with Simmons. very 80's. 

This looked nice in the drizzle with rain beading off the gloss black paint.

Most of the XDEF Falcons on display were V8's with only a few sixes. Most of the later model AU to BA Falcon XR's were sixes, several turbocharged.  I wonder in twenty years time whether the V8 will still hold the appeal that it does today. 

Next Post - XR6 AFP Police traffic chaser.  

matter of opinion

When you have been driving large cars for 20 plus years, you find that you can park in all sorts of places most sane people would not choose!