Vermont State Police on the Prowl...

Vermont State Police on the Prowl, Rt89

Swapping Rear Seats in a 2013 Ford Police Interceptor Sedan

This post is for anyone wondering what the rear seat area of a 2013 Police Interceptor Sedan looks like!

My boyfriend started out by removing the bottom seat cushion to look for a missing seat belt latch.  A while ago, he bought a totaled cruiser for parts, including a fabric rear seat setup to replace the vinyl setup his car came with from the dealer.  So he decided to finally put the fabric seats in while he had the chance.

Interestingly, I noticed that the vinyl seats that were in the car were dated 3/2/15, making them newer than the car's build date of February 2012.  The fabric seats from the parts car were dated 7/24/13. 

Seat bottom latch

Seat back latch

In case you were wondering, the bottom cushions latch into two plastic parts on the floor that have a little release lever.  The backs have two bolts on each side to remove (13mm & 15mm) on the corners.  Then you need to somehow find the two red fabric tethers that release the upper latches, allowing the cushion to be removed.  Have fun with that...

You now have a good look at the structure that helps make these cars safe.

Once the seats were out, it lead to the removal of the center console base so he could put wiring in place for a scanner head unit, to be installed later.  Word of advice when removing/installing the metal parts:  find a socket that is magnetic!  Also, keep track of which bolts came from where...

Once the wires were firmly in place under the metal console, attention was turned to under the hood, where the differences between the Taurus and Crown Victoria became evident.  You can hide a small child under the hood of a Crown Vic.  In the Taurus, figuring out how/where to snake wiring will make you stare and ponder for about a week.  The wiring project was left for a later date...

Here you can see how far the trunk floor extends into the passenger compartment

Note the date written on the metal brace "2/15/13"

Foam of the bottom cushion

The vinyl seat back that was in the car...

... and the cloth one installed.  Looks like it needs a clean!

186,000 Miles...

SHOCKING! Front End Edition 2018

Wellp, after 12 years and 184,944 miles, the front shocks in Vic 2.0 were finally replaced.  A while ago I noticed a stain appearing on the driveway under the front passenger side of the car.  Then I noticed some odd handling characteristics.  Things finally got to the point I had to decide if I should replace the shocks ONLY, or the whole spring/shock unit... which I think is a strut.

After driving 1.0 for 15 years, I forgot that the front end of 2.0 is totally different.  In 1.0, you could easily replace the shock alone.  But after searching for new shocks online, and looking at my Ford shop manual, I came to the realization that no matter what, you need to take the spring and shock out TOGETHER, because to replace the shock you need to use a spring compressor.

SO, go with just new shocks to save money, but pay for more labor?  Pay more for parts, but for less labor?  I asked Taxi Guy and he said "get the complete units if you can", which I did.  The last 2 correct Motorcrafts that Rock Auto had in stock were shipped to me and the job was done on 5/28/18.

The maiden voyage with the upgrades wasn't what I expected.  The rest of the suspension was still worn, after all.  And I had to remind myself that this wasn't Ma's 1999 Town Car!  New springs and shocks on a police package car does not mean a "Cloud-like Ride"!  But I did notice improvements while banging over local potholes.  It was on the highway that I noticed the improvement more.

Bridge expansion joints are much better now.  And it seems that high-speed turns are better as well.  In fact, and I didn't tell you this, I managed to out-accelerate and out-drive a rather new Mercedes SUV in tight traffic.  He was attempting to make some stupid, aggressive moves and I sorta ruined that for him...................

While taking the photos for this post, I was surprised to see how clean things look under the front of 2.0.  I have had far fewer glances under this car than 1.0.  I only wish the body was as solid...

This Is One of the Last Ford Crown Vic Police Interceptors in Service | Feature | Car and Driver

This Is One of the Last Ford Crown Vic Police Interceptors in Service | Feature | Car and Driver:
Pour some out for this California Highway Patrol Ford Police Interceptor.

Ford and GM May Cut Several Sedans From Their Lineups

SOURCE:  http://www.foxnews.com/auto/2018/04/06/ford-taurus-and-chevy-impala-might-die-and-can-thank-suvs.html

Ford and General Motors may cut several sedans and small hatchbacks from their lineups, as Americans continue flocking to hotter-selling crossovers and SUVs.

A report in the Wall Street Journal cites sources at the two automakers saying they will discontinue certain models within a year or two. On the chopping block are large sedans like the Ford Taurus and Chevrolet Impala and subcompact sedans and hatches including the Ford Fiesta and Chevrolet Sonic.

The automakers won’t speak on official record, but the news isn’t far-fetched. Crossovers and trucks typically account for more than 60 percent of U.S. light vehicle sales. According to WardsAuto, through March dealers stocked 34 percent of their inventories on just crossovers, compared to 29 percent a year ago. Traditional sedan buyers have instead switched to similarly-sized crossovers, lured by a higher seating position, more cargo space, and the wider availability of all-wheel drive.

Traditional sedan buyers have switched to similarly-sized crossovers, lured by a higher seating position, more cargo space, and the wider availability of all-wheel drive.

The Taurus hasn’t changed in any significant way since the 2010 model year, but the Chevrolet Impala completed a major makeover for 2014. Still, sales in 2017 were simply so-so. The Taurus, at 41,236 sold in 2017, is propped up by its popularity among police departments. It’s been on an annual decline since 2013, the peak of this generation’s sales, when Ford moved 79,960 units.

Save for a small bump in 2010, the Impala has been on a much longer decline, from a high of 311,128 cars in 2007 to just 75,877 last year. The Fiesta and Sonic have been crowded by other small crossovers in their own lineups, like the Ford EcoSport and Chevrolet Trax. Sonic sales dropped to 30,290 cars in 2017, a 68-percent drop from its all-time high three years earlier. The Fiesta, at 46,249 cars, has lost 27 percent of its volume in the same time.

But for savvy new-car buyers, seeking these less popular models is one sure way to strike a good deal.

183,000 Miles