Warren MA PD Far From Home...

Warren MA Interceptor Utility about 47 miles from home, in Acton MA in a snow squall...

UPDATE: Sealed and Delivered...

Windshields for late Vics come with the black rubber trim already attached, unlike the '88 Grand Marquis I had, which involved prying off chrome trim.

About a month ago, I noticed that the black trim on Vic's windshield was loose at the top-center.  After all these years and multiple windshields, I've never had this happen.  I've seen the trim come off the bottom of the rear windows, but not like this.  At first, I thought it would snug back down and that would be that.  But that wasn't that.  I could see that water was seeming under the trim, instead of rolling over it.  Just a little, but enough to make me worry.  I couldn't decide if I should try and fix the problem myself, or call up my glass people.  Instead I decided to wait and see if the cold weather, ice & snow caused the trim to lift more.

It did.  So did a car wash.  Water got under the trim, iced up, and lifted it off.

So I made the call, and on a windy 17º day, a man from Precision Glass came out to see what could be done.  I didn't stay out there to watch, but I did periodically peek through the kitchen door to see what he was up to.  He seemed to use the same stuff that is used to do the actual window installation.  Sort of a black goo that they warm up in the van so it will flow.  It took him about 15 minutes, wasn't messy, and so far, has worked.  And it didn't cost me anything, either, which was a BIG help.

I need Vic to last as long as possible, and I didn't want water getting into the window frame and causing rust.  It has been too cold to really get a good look at the work he did, but so far, so good.

Just another chapter in the life of Vic...

The Worst States For Speeding Tickets in USA

Craig Fitzgerald of Yahoo! Autos/BoldRide has written an article about speeding tickets around the US.  Being New England based, I found some of the results very interesting.  The whole article can be read HERE, but if you'd like to cut to the chase, read excerpts below:

Most Expensive First Offense: (Tie) Georgia, Illinois, North Carolina, Nevada and New Hampshire

These five states all hold drivers liable for a fine of up to $1,000 for a first offense. The fine is up to a judge’s discretion and can be based on how many miles per hour you’re ticketed over the designated speed limit, or if you were caught speeding in a work or a school zone, both of which tend to double a fine. In addition to the fine, you can spend up to a year in jail. Granted, speeding in a work zone is bad for everyone concerned, but a few moments of inattention resulting in a $1,000 fine? What’s the first offense for a weapons violation in those states?

Most Expensive State to Fight a Ticket: Massachusetts

Back in 2005, Vincent Gillespie got a $15 parking ticket in Northampton, Massachusetts, a bucolic community in the Connecticut River Valley in Central Massachusetts. In order to fight the ticket, Gillespie had to pay $319.90 in filing fees with the Hampshire County Superior Court, which was non-refundable whether he won his case or not. His case went to the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial court, where Gillespie’s lawyers argued that the fees effectively negated his constitutional right to due process. In its ruling, the SJC noted that the plaintiffs hadn’t met the burden of proof that the laws weren’t in keeping with the state constitution, and that the fee system serves the purpose of discouraging “the filing of nonmeritorious appeals,” thus conserving scarce judicial resources.

Sneakiest Speed Traps in America: Vermont

Mt. Tabor is a one-horse dot on Route 7a in western Vermont that doesn’t even have a traffic light. What it does have is a speed limit sign that drops to 40 mph, and you will get rung up by its zealous constable, a guy who drives a Camaro and gets paid by the number of tickets he writes. And he’s not alone. One constable in the village of Island Pond made national news by writing 1,100 tickets, with fines totaling $100,000 – a tenth of the entire revenue of the town that year.

Most Unmarked State Police Cars: Connecticut

In all my years driving in New England, I’ve never seen a fully marked Connecticut State Police car. That’s because only one is assigned to every troop. Apparently, they’re white with yellow and blue markings. Most Connecticut State Police cars are silver, with a pushbar up front and a low-profile lightbar on the roof, which carries the only “State Police” marking on the car. Connecticut’s also been notorious for using Camaros, Mustangs, Grand Nationals and other non-traditional cars as unmarked patrol cars on the state’s highways.

HO Scale Auto Transport Truck With Crown Vics!

The Nashua Valley Railroad Association's club layout hosted its annual open house on April 7th, and I spotted this HO scale auto transporter full of Crown Victorias (and one Mustang)!  No doubt the club included this truck because of the "full scale" Ford unloading facility nearby. 

Brand New Littleton MA Ford Police Interceptor SUV



While heading home today, I found myself looking right at a brand new Ford PI SUV, belonging to the Littleton MA police.  Since it was parked in good light, I decided to ask the sergeant inside if I could take a photo of it.  Littleton always used to have Crown Vics, but then they started buying Dodge Chargers.  The Sgt. told me they are trying the new Fords now, but that he wasn't fond of the SUV.  He said it is slow, and doesn't like the seats.  So that makes one officer I've asked so far who doesn't like the new Fords.  Seeing as he is the first one I have asked, that isn't a very good track record!  Time will tell...



Littleton MA, 1/10/13 - © Jonelle DeFelice



Brand New 2011 Ford Crown Vic Police Interceptors For Sale WINCHESTER MA

Seeing as Bonnell Ford in Winchester MA sold me Vic way back in 2000, and it is Thanksgiving, I am giving them a bit of a plug here.

As of today, they have 7 brand new 2011 Crown Victoria Police Interceptors in stock, for sale only to  government agencies.  If you would like more information on these vehicles, please contact Allan Eydan at (781) 729-9700... and tell him Jonelle sent you!