By Police1 Staff
It seems more fans of the Crown Vic are popping up nationwide after Ford hit the brakes on production of the iconic car.
Many civilians see collection and renovation of the vehicle as a hobby to share with like-minded enthusiasts, according to The Los Angeles Times.
The Crown Vic Boys of Atlanta, for example, add elaborate speaker systems and interesting paint jobs – a couple of vehicles look like advertisements for Fun Dip candy or Cracker Jacks.
Southern Californian David McKenery, 25, belongs to Internet forum crownvic.net, whose members gather at local car shows and go on long highway drives together. He has spent at least $15,000 “jazzing up” his former Riverside PD squad.
The website is vigilant about banishing anyone who adds lights or sirens to their cars to impersonate cops, McKenery said, but certain police-like features — side spotlights, push bar and tinted windows — aren’t illegal.
Sometimes law enforcement agencies don’t clean out the Crown Vics all the way before selling. McKenery’s came with a spike strip on the floorboard and a traffic citation pad in the glove compartment.
“Eventually the car will be extinct,” he said. “Why not buy another and preserve it?”