He was amazed the box when that long and he thought the original owner was crazy for putting points on a car he was still making payments on. Possibly a change in 9.25 to 3.23 or 3.55. Im not even sure the oven was allowed to pre-heat. Oh my gosh this is my CL post. I non the less fail to see how his bio could be inspiration for naming a car, I mean he was not a coach builder like LeBaron. The "St. Regis" name first saw use as an uplevel trim package on the 1956 New Yorker hardtop coupe and again on the 197478 Chrysler New Yorker Brougham coupe. (ABC Comedic, sarcastic Version of Miami Vice in the same time period). 1977 Dodge Royal Monaco Chicago IL Police photographed Aug 2007: 1973 Plymouth Fury I Delaware State Police . And the 318 is not my favorite Mopar engine. Back then I saw the RCMP use 79 Newports & 80 Gran Furies in service on the prairies. Although I was then and am still a total car nut, I dont recall these big Chryslers making any kind of a splash at the time. Last, but not least, the 1980-83 Dodge Mirada/Chrysler Cordoba. The ask of $8,995 is much less than the . I dont know of any St. Regis having leather seats. Yes, Gran Furies were more numerous back then for RCMP highway patrol. I did test drive a used one sometime in the mid-1980s. 1980 Dodge Police cars (Brochure). I was about to take issue with your comment then remembered the low idle vibration my 1975, Custom 500 had. Dodge St. Regis (1979-1981) Dodge Stealth (1991-1996) Dodge Stratus 1gen (1995-2000) . 0. Positioned above the Coronet, but sharing the same chassis, were the Dodge Royal and Dodge Custom Royal. We were not alone in these issues. He could probably have bought a new Omni with what he paid to fix the Audi. Like a 47 Chevy, an 80s LTD for pizza delivery, a Chevrolet Nova from 80s for delivery too. One of the more rare Chrysler cars to this day, as they were mostly used for cop cars back in the early 80s and most all of them were crushed. Man! Coinciding with the 1979 fuel crisis, high interest rates and the uncertain future of the company forced Chrysler into a high proportion of fleet sales for its full-size sedans. Alternators (Leece-Neville) that were well out of alignment to the crank pulley. Has Power drivers seat (a little of the leather separated from the seam as shown), All power windows (back right is stuck shut) all leather seats, Cruise control (works perfectly) Power steering and Brakes, stock radio turns on but only tunes into one station. But most of them had style. The dash pad is crack-free. Even nicer if you want to stay with a factory radio is to salvage the radio wiring harness from a later 80s-2000 era Mopar, retrofit it to the St. Regis and use one of the AM-FM cassette/CD players and it still looks good and it just bolts right in. Pickup trucks are used for truck enforcment. Dimensions: 13 x 4.61 x 3.41 cm. Dad bought a 1985 Audi 5000 demonstrator in late 1985 to replace the beloved Buick and that thing made the LeBaron look good. I have 253k and still rolling. Out of all the things you listed, Ive only experienced the mirror falling off the windshield, the hard plastic panel that went over the defroster and radio speakers cracking but only after the car well past 30 years old. The extra $500 must for being in rust belt. A lovely book of photos and descriptions of police cars manufactured by Dodge, Plymouth and Chrysler during the years 1979-1984. Software; Manufacturing; Industries . By 1994 however the performance of the full sized enforcement class vehicle (Chevy Caprice and Ford Crown Victoria) was near to that of the pony cars, so the CHP now longer needed to buy Camaros and Mustangs.The 1994 Caprice with its LT1 engine was faster than a 93 Mustang, with faster quater mile times and higher top speed. 1979 Chrysler Newport & Dodge St Regis Police Cars Press Photo & Release 0081 Opens in a new window or tab. Produced for a single generation, the St. Regis is one of the shortest-lived Dodge nameplates. Only owned it for 27 years, lol. He has been writing about cars for several years with a string of published books to his name. The A/C compressor turns on, ut it blows warm. The ability to accelerate to 80-100 mph quickly makes all the difference, and the 1981 318 equipped Gran Fury did that. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hed87QNchpw. After the Audi, he bought a Toyota Previa, which functioned beautifully, and never bought another non-Japanese car again. Dodge Coronet Police Vehicle (1959) Dodge Coronet Police Vehicle The Coronet was a full-size car from Dodge from the 1950s. The car runs fine and yard drives but will need fully serviced and probably the brakes gone through and of course new tires before it could be considered roadworthy. 1979 Dodge Mangum XE. It was comfortable, handled superbly, and had lots of room. The biggest engine available was the Chevrolet 5.0-litre V8 and it was produced until 1983. The Dodge St. Regis is a very rare car. Its engine is a naturally aspirated petrol, 5.9 litre, overhead valve 90 degree V 8 cylinder with 2 valves per cylinder. The Chevrolet Celebrity was a mid-sized front-wheel drive sedan employed by police forces from 1982, and the biggest engines hadsix cylinders. DECODED AS POLICE, Rare 1977 Dodge Monaco CHP Police big block 440 Magnum Police Pursuit Cruiser, 1973 DODGE POLARA POLICE CAR, THE REAL DEAL, TEXAS POLICE PKG. It came with a 4.9-litre V8 and a larger 5.8-litre unit (restricted for police use only), with electronic fuel injection later arriving for the 4.9while a carburetted 5.8was still fitted through to 1991. Of course I later learned that the Monacos performed far better than the St. Regis. In addition to its highway patrol duties, the CHP also provides other services including protecting state buildings, state facilities, and state officials. Print length 192 pages Language English Publisher Motorbooks Intl Publication date January 1, 1996 Dimensions 8.5 x 0.5 x 10.75 inches ISBN-10 0760301972 ISBN-13 978-0760301975 See all details The Amazon Book Review The Lynn Townsend era had seen many, many screwups in managementthe Sales Banks, the 1974 C-bodies that couldnt have come at a worse time, a strict no small Chrysler policy that blew up in their faces when the Cordoba (yes, it was a small Chrysler compared to a New Yorker) proved to be a sales blowout that the company had desperately needed, and of course the problematic quality control gripes had eroded Chryslers reputation. L-code 360, white with blue interior. For Sale: 1997 Subaru WRX P2 WRC rally car raced by Colin McRae, Video: Hoonigan releases update, tribute to celebrate the life of Ken Block, 2023 Summernats 35: Highlights and mega gallery. The featured car is in better shape cosmetically than mine and if I had room for it would be all over it, but since my car has been in the family for 30 years will put in the sweat equity it would take to get it back to where we had it looking years ago. He couldnt believe when he bought the car that someone put points in it. It has a clear California title and is being sold as-is with no warranty. piraf23, tim boone and 16 more people faved this It was the replacement for the Maverick which in turn was the replacement for the Falcon. Early versions of this generation Malibu had six-window sides and fixed rear door window glass. With the exception of a full-size Chrysler, the 440 was unavailable for public use, and even then, the civilian version was rated for 195 hp. Does anyone know why a car was named after a Saint? It was delivered with missing emblems, loose bolts, etc and it got worse from there. Alternatively (and preferably for my 17 year old self) you could just gun it enough to delay the upshift. The Diplomat . But my dad, who passed away in 2007, actively avoided Chrysler products for the rest of his life. We are always looking for good bang shifty stories, projects, photos & videos. Gets rid of a lot of headaches. I thought they looked cool (my best friends folks had bought a 69 Monaco). 1980 Dodge St Regis police car. The digital clock lights, ut does not reset. The Dodge St. Regis is an automobile that was marketed by Dodge from the 1979 to 1981 model years. . St Louis County Police dept. The Dodge St. Regis introduced in 1979 was a re-skinned dinosaur based on the old large Chrysler B-body platform which underpinned the classic 1960s Dodge Charger muscle car. It was probably easier to do this in my car because it was originally a single speaker AM radio and I ran the speaker wiring from the back and put in some front speakers in the factory holes and hooked everything up to the later harness. The best cure for Lean Burn is to pull it, replace it with a standard Chrysler electronic ignition and a matching non Lean Burn carburetor. And maybe some donuts somewhere out of sightand we dont mean Dunkin. For 1979, Dodge dumped he Monaco line altogether and unveiled this mid-size sedan called St. Regis. C $14.42. The neat clear-lens headlight covers are gone (most police departments ditched them) but everything else about this begs for a road trip. Some of the last police cars I had were the 1981 R bodies with the 318 four barrel. With 42,000 miles and a 360 V8, this chocolate bar is an unusually well-preserved car. One of the more rare Chrysler cars to this day, as they were mostly used for cop cars back in the early 80s and most all of them were crushed. In Canada, we only got the Medallion version, the top trim. 5.12 x 1.82 x 1.34 inches. We never had a noticeable increase in failed pursuits when we engaged with the 318. I can see dumping the lean burn but convert to points? Dodge Intrepid Police 2004 Dodge Intrepid R/T 2000 Dodge Intrepid R/T 2001 Dodge Intrepid R/T 2002 . The skimpy 7 1/4 rear end wore out prematurely. 1979 Dodge Car Lineup. Door handles coming off, seams tearing loose, dashes cracking in 2 years, the pad and horn switches falling out of the steering wheels, mirrors falling off, mechanical digital clocks failing, dash switches and knobs breaking, especially on the climate control and push button radios, headliners falling down, sunvisors breaking, etc. Being in my 20th year of St. Regis ownership, after my dad owning first for 10 years, I dont think the St. Regis was the worst looking of the 70s cars or that it was designed to fall apart. Learn how your comment data is processed. Always wanted to be a rally expert but never had the right car for the job? 360 L-code, was white with blue interior. 3) Horsepower/Torque Curve characteristic dimensions: outside length: 5593 mm / 220.2 in, width: 1958 mm / 77.1 in, wheelbase: 3010 mm / 118.5 in A new grille for its final year heralded the merger of the Fifth Avenue and New Yorker names in 1982, in the more successful luxury version of the M-body Dodge Diplomat. The CHP also works with municipal and federal law enforcement agencies, providing assistance in investigations, patrol and other aspects of law enforcement. For reasons we never diagnosed it couldnt get out of its own way, but handled like a go cart..fun car, and new enough that people got out of your way in a hurryor slowed down to a miserable fear soaked pace.. Where are the blinkers? Local police or the local sheriffs department having a contract with an incorporated city are primarily responsible for investigating and enforcing traffic laws in incorporated cities, but any peace officer of the CHP can still enforce any state law anywhere within the state, even though the agencys primary mission is related to transportation. police car fan 2012-09-05 18:16-- Last edit: 2014-03-24 14:42:15: police car fan 2013-11-07 20:50. The longest fresh water beach in the world couldnt hide a beater imperial. The car was light blue with a nice blue cloth interior but ran rough and had obvious problems. It was a strong rival to Chrysler and Ford models thanks to its then-new aerodynamic design, weight efficiency and resulting good fuel economy. Top Rated Seller . Mr_Brown99 writes: Bad on gas. Needs a L F manual window regulator; and the headliner re glued. (The siren and light bar have been disconnected per EBay policy.) Up to 1958, the California Highway Patrol would purchase vehicles 2 times a year, and many times it would be a different make. She is Catholic, however. The last thing, the original owner disconnected the headlight flip-covers, and Im unsure how to re-connect them. This car runs and drive's beautifully and needs nothing to enjoy. It was downsized and shed up to 450 kg in the process, and was styled to look bigger than it was. They are supposed to be down in the bumpers? Brakes coming totally unset from the factory! The rest of the fleet split the difference. Given the glacial maximum acceleration rate, there wasnt much of a visual cue it was being hooned anyway. 1979 Dodge LRT Express. (Jeff Hwang thought this might be of interest to you all. I still cant get past the way Dodge partially wrapped chrome bumpers with plastic, leaving exposed plastic edges. By many accounts, the Diplomat that Moms LeBaron matured into became a very sturdy ride. I liked the compact size but they were tight on space inside. The rims are all Chrysler snowflake rims, but the back two are from a 79 Lebaron and the front ones are for this car specifically. State inspectors snipped the police lights, including the spot light, and the wiring for the hideaway headlight motor. So, old perceptions die hard especially when large sums of money are involved. The California Highway Patrol tested the St. Regis: * After two miles 1978 Dodge Trucks. For the record, there were 360 M-bodies built through 1979. I got a replacement motor last year and Im happy to see those doors working again. Im really not feeling the love for this car. Air regulations imposed by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) required detuning the California destined engines to 190 horsepower to meet emissions standards. Following its introduction, the Dodge St. Regis saw heavy use as a police car in the United States. lol. Since these units werent built to dealer orders, it was almost as though the factory workers were being told to simply grab whichever parts were in the bins, and to just slap them on. The box he put on the car in 1985 finally failed about two weeks ago. Saw one of these, white over white, on my drive home the other day. The car was so gutless that they removed the mufflers and ran straight pipes out past the bumper. I wonder if they were actually any more comfortable? It has a newer battery. Your email address will not be published. Dodge would not market a rear-wheel drive sedan until the 2006 Dodge Charger. The next up was the Dodge Aspen. CHP Police Car Site. The carpet was removed and a heavy duty rubber floor was installed, he headliner was replaced, he sun visors recovered and the seats were reupholstered in a cloth that was nearly identical to that used in the police cars. Good Lord! hampered performance as did the loss of the 360 four-barrel after their first year; in 1980 and 1981, they used a 318 four-barrel. Here's the deal, I'm listing this for a friend who's dad just passed away, there having to clean the property up and get some stuff gone, I told him I would help him sell it has he's not a Mopar guy . Worked great for a long time until the display died. The domes on the Federal Signal Aerodynic lightbar are in excellent condition. As with most police cars, the suspension is stiff, and you feel any bumps; there is absolutely no body roll. 1979 Dodge Ram Charger. My car had its original Lean Burn ditched by the original owner, when my dad got it, he found it had been converted to points and he converted it to standard electronic ignition. I recall reading a quote from a Chrysler engineer once saying that the transverse torsion bar suspension was mandated for marketing reasons and there really was no way to model what it was doing in the computer or elsewhere. Call 916-661-8753 with any questions. A rebranded version of the Eagle Premier (adapted from the Renault 25), the 1990 Monaco was the first version produced with front-wheel drive, slotted above the Dodge Dynasty in size. My brother took it over, and when he sold it in the fall of 83 it was in better shape at 5 years old than when it was brand new!. This is a HEAVILY OPTIONED CAR with Power Seat, Power Window, A/C, P/S, AM/FM radio, Tilt Steering Column, Cornering Lights, Cruise Control. The Dodge St. Regis is a full-size Dodge automobile built from 1979 to 1981. A/C, Cruise, PWR seat, windows, Special handling package, 3 tag car. It would be the last rear-wheel drive model made by Chrysler until the Plymouth Prowler from 1997. Those St. Regis also wore out tires because they would not hold alignment (drastic negative camber), and three of them blew out their heater cores. The St. Regis was based on Chrysler's rear wheel drive R-body platform, itself based on a modified version of the circa 1971 B-body design that provided the underpinnings for such cars as the Dodge Charger and the Chrysler Cordoba. It's this last engine, the E86-coded 440, that was specified for Barry's Fury, along with a 2.71 rear gear, when it was ordered by the Kansas Highway Patrol. The RCMP used only a few of them for highway patrol duties back in the day. Historic Drag Video: Ultra-Rare Footage Of Art Arfons Green Monster And The Dud Jet Dragster, Great Read: The Man Who Would Be Greyhound: A 1986 Sports Illustrated Profile Of Big Daddy Don Garlits. Oh, fancy radio with glass like cover and chrome buttons from M-Body will be a nice swap with all the same connections. The St. Regis today is an exceptionally rare sight and comes in two flavors: babied or absolutely and utterly trashed. I dont know if they could have made a more low-rent industrial looking unit if theyd tried. The St. Regis was created during some desperate times for Chrysler. Case in point - the St. Regis cars used on T.J. Hooker had brocade seats. Which is why I have always wanted one. Thats the only connection I can think of. Besides that, thats pretty sweet ride. But, my aunt drove her late-1980s Omni for 289,000 miles and would have bought another one if they had still been in production. ( but I dont think many people thought of searching for St Regis in cars anyway ) and I regret for not saving the photos one year ago, but it popped up again few days earlier. Dodge St. Regis sedan: 1979: Dodge St. Regis sedan: 1978: Dodge Monaco sedan: 1977: Dodge Monaco sedan: 1976: Dodge Coronet sedan: 1975 . I ran the power wire from the later harness over to the original factory power wire. Bought from the original owner, an old veteran, who purchased it right out of the showroom in the local Chrysler/AMC dealership. I was always impressed with the ride quality and handling, even with the police suspension and police pack components. 1979 DODGE St.Regis Vintage Original 2 page Print AD White car photo Music USA Opens in a new window or tab. And as Brock Yates wrote in The Decline and Fall of the American Automobile Industry, the combination of options on these cars was sometimes a bit odd, to say the least. The car is offered for sale locally, nd I reserve the right to end the auction early. In the winter of 1993, I was hunting for a replacement for my ruined 67 Sport Fury and looked at a couple of Magnums, both with actual leather. Had one ,115 mph top end but handled great, took a tremendous beating and hung together quite well.. My buddy had an ex Town of Avon Gran Fury, it was pretty beat when he got it. $12,000 1-2 Search Tools Refine Search? 52,000. The car does well in 40-100+ accelerations but dead-stop launches tend to bog. These sites include nuclear power plants, government buildings, and key infrastructure sites. Twenty years later, at least two of my old compadres were still driving the old patrol units. By comparison, the downsizing of the GM A, B, and C-bodies in the preceding years were seismic events and the Volare/Aspen and LTD downsizing debuts were also rather big deals. Even then, these were unusual to see, but I remember thinking it was much nicer than I expected. The current bid is just over half that amount and this car is located in equally-beautiful Boise, Idaho. The 360 has been beefed up to a proper level and the car barks out through headers into Flowmasters. I think the St. Regis would have been rather like the beautiful bright red, with white vinyl top and white leather interior Mirada I got around this time, in that it would have been a comfortable highway cruiser, though not the greatest handling machine around town. 1979 Dodge St. Regis brochure 1979 Ford LTD - Australia 1979 Ford pickups 1979 Lincoln-Mercury 1979 Newport 1979 New Yorker 1979 Chevrolet 1979 Plymouth Horizon 1979 Pontiac. The agency is responsible for law enforcement on all public roads in the state. If you have something to share let us know. I believe 79 was when Lee Iacocca came in to clean house. 1978 Dodge LRT Express. 1978 Dodge Diplomat 4,804 mi $ 16,500 or $272/mo Gateway Classic Cars of Tulsa is proud to present this slick 1978 Dodge Diplomat Coupe. Replacing the Monaco, the St. Regis was the largest Dodge sedan, positioned above the mid-size Diplomat and Aspen. Tyler purchased an ex-Illinois state police 1980 St. Regis with a 360 with a limited slip rear-end. This is a 1979 Dodge St. Regis. Top Cars for Sale Locations. Its not in as good of shape as this one is. 1979 brought the CHP multiple vehicle test. Dodge Charger 7th-gen. He pulled the engine to put in a 53 Willys and sold the car before he finished it. Eventually, the linkage got worn enough that you could just press lightly down on the lever to drop into second and then tap it upward to catch third. 1968 Dodge Monaco with a 383 cubic inch motor. 1979 Dodge St.Regis Minnesota State Patrol Car Minnesota State Patrol 50th Anniversary car Website for MN State Patrol cars: home.comcast.net/~sgtsletten/site/?/page/MSP_Cars_1981-1990/ Thousands of car pictures at the link below: www.flickr.com/photos/greggjerdingen/collections/72157631. It was subsequently established as a separate department with legislation signed by Governor Earl Warren in 1947. Naming was equally odd: the Plymouth Gran Fury name was taken from that brands largest car, while the Chrysler Newport was based on that brands (former) smallest car and the Dodge St. Regis name was new. $16,500 Dealership CC-1603255 1984 Dodge Diplomat Gateway Classic Cars of Orlando is proud to offer this 1984 Dodge Diplomat Salon. A console from my deceased 67 Sport Fury is between the seats. Let's check out this unbelievable 40,000-mile survivor. So they always occupied a small space in my automotive memory banks. I made the mistake of buying one of these that was used by the Georgia State Patrol for six years. It was in a church parking lot and I took the picture through the fence from the next door Sports Authority. Copyright 2023 BangShift LLC. 1968 Dodge Monaco. My job as a little kid was to jump out and Fix the headlights as my grandpa would say, the covers would always jam. About the headlight doors: either the motor needs lubricating or the brushes are toast. Original paint, top and in . The Impala was found to rival other models well with good performance, decent interior trim and a large boot. Its north Michigan afterall, every town has an odd car, sometimes for odd use too. Hyundai RN22e concept (IONIQ 6 N, Video: Fernando Alonso thrashes Aston Martin DBX707 SUV, Top 10 best sports cars coming to Australia in 2023-2024. Something had to be done, and for 1978, something was done. In California, the St. Regis was fitted with a 190 hp four-bbl 360 V8. 397. Lol. That is me. I use the car only for shows and parades. However the 2nd space in my garage is zealously guarded by Mrs JPC. The first example of downsizing of the full-size Chrysler sedan line, the R-body is an evolution of the B-body intermediate chassis. The retracting headlight covers were a nuisance, too. The wiring in the tilt wheel shorted out, leaving us with no cruise or horn. For 1979, the 360 was available to cops in all fifty states, with a rating of 195 horsepower for everyone but those in California. The leather wouldnt have held up that well. . The St.Regis just like a car that was poorly built and designed to fall apart. I bought it in Pa. and drove back to Mi. New emissions controls, not yet countered by technology. It really needs at least a 4 bbl, mild cam, headers, and a 2.5 inch duals. If you had a variable-venturi Crown Victoria, you could guess whether it would come off at idle speed or tear out the rear end with wide open power. $9,495. 1980 Dodge St Regis (Canadian brochure). I have a 79 St. Regis. Summernats is MktoForms2.loadForm("//app-sn05.marketo.com", "979-LYJ-350", 1596); 707hp. I always suspected that might have been a feature rather than a bug. Wow, I dont think Ive ever seen a St. Regis that nice. The California Highway Patrol is the largest state police agency in the United States, with more than 10,700 employees, 7,500 of whom are sworn officers, according to FBI data. Base . 1978 Dodge Challenger. Not sure if I even drove it around the block, or just in the parking lot. It ran OK, nothing obviously wrong with it, but I realized I liked the looks of it more than I liked driving it. A staggering 25,000 examples were also built by General Motors to meet the requirements of a contract to supply the Iraqi government with a reliable taxicab. . It has been in California all its life and is rust free. The Plymouth Gran Fury was initially built using Chryslers larger R-body platform until its switch to the mid-size M-body in 1982, something a lot of ongoing larger Chrysler nameplates did. Turns out it could not even be certified for the road without spending a ton of $$$. Furthermore, CHP officers act as bailiffs for the California Supreme Court and California Court of Appeal, as well as providing security at buildings occupied by the State of California. The car starts up and runs nicely. You would think the full-sized cars would offer leather. Some continually blew transmissions. We had chunks of the black painted stripes just fall off the car. Police cars, unlike civilian ones, had the Lean Burn computer behind the glove box at first, then above the parking foot-brake. Prices shown are the prices you can expect to pay for a 1979 Dodge St Regis 4 Door Hardtop Pillared across different levels of condition. Although this model, like the Aspen/Volare and Omni/Horizon models, was conceptually fine and could have been competitive, new Chryslers launched at that time werent even half-baked when foisted on the public. Rear defrost. However, no factory 360 M-body cop cars were ever produced. Although it is not a police package car, have cloned it to represent the police department from the 1980s TV show "TJ Hooker" that starred William Shatner and Heather Locklear. 1979 Dodge Magnum XE ORIGINAL (Cordoba, St. Regis, 1978 Dodge Magnum GT) NO RESV.