Restoration Guide for FHP SSP Mustangs

Transcription

SSPMUSTANG.ORG’S Documentation Guide for
Florida Highway Patrol
Special Service Package Mustangs
Version 1.0 April, 2006
Introduction:
Can there be any cooler than a 5 speed, V8, 2 door Police car? Well, that depends on course what
your vantage point is! If you’re looking at one in your mirror, perhaps not...but that’s another subject.
Mustangs have been a natural for car buffs since the infamous 1964 ½ model, especially with all the
different drivetrain and performance options available over the years. The Special Service Package is
probably one of the more interesting footnotes to recent automotive events, since it not only captures the
essence of performance, being a light, fast, nimble sports car, but also has the added appeal for some of us
of being a ‘cop car’-two seemingly diverse sets of attributes! For those of us who have an interest in doing
‘something different’ from a restoration standpoint, this makes it both rewarding and frustrating when trying
to piece together a puzzle with no clear standards.
This document has been compiled as a reference for those interested in information on 1983-1993
Florida Highway Patrol SSP Mustangs. It focuses on the correct type of equipment, markings, and options
that FHP would have used when deploying these cars. Observations have been made from a number of
sources, including in-service vehicles, photos, and interviews with personnel associated with various aspects
of these vehicles while in-service. It is, like any document, a ‘work in progress’, and although all attempts to
ensure accuracy have been made, corrections, updates, etc may occur. We welcome all comments and
corrections, and will be happy to include any additional information not found here.
Although I have been fortunate enough to have much first hand information on these cars during their
active period with FHP, I would also like to thank Troopers Larry Coggins, Mike Halfpenny, Don King and
Mark Woodhouse for their assistance with specific FHP information. Also, thanks to Charles Ricks and Emil
Loeffler from Ford for their help in providing information and materials, and also SSMOA members Jim Young
and Mike McCullers for additional information and photos.
All information copyright.
Version 1.0 Feb, 2006
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SSP Documentation guide for FHP Mustangs
Section 1 - A history of Florida Highway Patrol Mustang usage:
In 1983, Florida became one of a handful of states besides California, Colorado, Wisconsin, Arizona
and Texas to try the new Special Service Package Mustang. Although this car had been ordered by CHP in
1982, 1983 marked the first year of widespread availability for other agencies and as such, many states were
eager to try this new pursuit package to replace the slower Diplomats, Caprices and other cars of the era
comprising their fleets.
Image #1, 1983 FHP Mustang, first year used, with CJ184 beacon. New 1984 Ford next to it with Jetsonic that would
become standard on Mustangs. (Alex Ginzburg photo)
The FHP Mustangs were ordered initially for use on the Florida Turnpike. This road runs from Miami to
Ocala, and because one Troop, Troop K, in responsible for covering its entire length, a vehicle to do it ‘in a
hurry’ was needed. The Mustang made the perfect choice for covering large amounts of ground, and after the
first batch was rolled out and were so well received, 1984 saw more personnel requesting the cars, so an
additional 50 were bought. Over the life of the SSP program, the total numbers of Mustangs used by FHP was
over 1600 vehicles, ranking only behind CHP and Texas DPS. Vehicles were kept in service as late as 1999,
and were then sent through the state auction circuit, with many examples being retired with mileage in the
very low 40-60K range!
Starting in 1983, there were 40 SSP’s purchased by FHP, then under leadership of Col. Bobby Burkett.
These early examples were all 4 speed SROD cars, 5.0 175 HP versions with the stock aluminum intake,
Holley 600 cfm carb, single ‘Y’ pipe exhaust, and 3.08 gears housed in 7.5” rearends. Because of the
newness of the Mustang, each car used the same roof light as all other FHP vehicles of the time - the bulky
Federal Signal beacon #CJ184, which dates back to pre-1965! In 1984, after evaluating the ‘less than
aerodynamic’ qualities of the CJ184, the switch was made to the Jetsonic lightbar which continued through
the program run into 1993. The photo above shows the CJ184 along with a new 1984 Ford with the Jetsonic.
The Unity S6 6” spotlight is clearly visible, and all marked Mustangs had them through 1993.
As a general observation (specifics are below) all marked FHP Mustangs used lightbars (with the
exception of a handful of vehicles with lightbar problems, where slicktops were used), and all were Jetsonic
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equipped (again, with the exception of a handful using the Federal Signal Vector). Also in 1984, the 5 speed
transmission became the choice for marked cars.
FHP cars were numbered in 4 digit unit numbers, and this was designated on the plate for the vehicle;
roof numbers also corresponded to the unit #. There is often found a DHSMV property tag in the glove box or
other interior location, but this is for inventory purposes and has no bearing on the unit designation. The cars
would go to a specific location when put in service, and generally stayed there when personnel changed
assignments. Most Mustangs were driven by only one or two Troopers during their lifetime and were takehome vehicles. Some did become pool cars in the mid 90’s after demand for them began to wane due to a
lack of new Mustangs coupled with the deployment of LT1 Caprices.
Because unmarked units went to supervisory personnel, these generally used an AOD instead of a 5
speed, although there are several documented instances of unmarked FHP cars with 5 speeds including a
Reef Blue ’93 and a light Blue ’91. There have been also several instances where marked units were
repainted in other colors and deployed as low profile cars. Unmarked units did not have spotlights unless a
Trooper added them, and there are several documented instances of this also. Unmarked colors included all
available Mustang colors, including Red, Blue, Beige, Calypso Green, White, Dark Blue, Reef Blue, as well as
Black. Of these, 3 Red cars purchased in 1992/1993 are among the rarest, and as of this date two are
accounted for.
DSO options generally included Silicone hoses, 2 pc VASCAR speedometer cable, HD alternator (1987
up) and bonding straps. All cars for FHP carry a 24 DSO prefix for the Jacksonville sales office. There were
several DSO lists for any given year, and marked and unmarked have a few different options, i.e. DSO 24
0254 for 1993 marked units, 24 0253 for unmarked vehicles. Most of the options for these overlap, i.e.
silicone hoses, 225/65VR15 tires, 2 pc. VASCAR speedometer cable, etc.
The Micor was used throughout the entire Mustang run for FHP. In some areas, a repeater system was
used, but this varied by Troop, and was largely a matter of how rural an area was. For example, Miami
(Troop E) did typically not use repeaters, but sections of Hillsborough County (Tampa-Troop C) did. In the
case of repeater usage, a ‘rack pack’ was coupled to the Micor in the trunk for handheld amplification. A
special bracket would mount the radio to the top of the Micor for charging. In later Mustangs, 800 MHz
programmable radios were used, but were limited to personnel who dealt with felony situations, and hence
had to change frequencies throughout the state.
The important thing to remember is there are widespread differences in how the cars were equipped.
When dealing with Radar units, even today there are a few different varieties of RADARs in use, that is
because of the vendor that was used at the time of purchase or if the RADAR was purchased by the county,
under a grant, or given as an award. Since all of FHP fines goes to the county, some counties have bought
us the RADAR since it is used to make them money, some federal safety grants supplied FHP with another
type of RADAR, and lastly, there have been a few award programs that awarded the top speed enforcement
Trooper with another kind of RADAR. The cars were ordered through Flammer Ford in Milton, Don Reid in
Orlando or Duval Ford in Jacksonville (now all cars go through Duval Ford) and shipped to each troop, where
the equipment was installed. This lack of consistency, as opposed to agencies like CHP or SCHP where a
central installation location is used, accounts for some vagaries in how equipment is installed and mounted.
An interesting note, when retired, the Mustangs were typically stripped of all electronics, yellow areas
sprayed with black (it is against Florida statute to operate a vehicle resembling an FHP unit on a public way),
antenna holes ‘duct taped’, decals either removed or sprayed over, but the spotlights were usually left intact.
In the 80’s the cars were often repainted in a cheap paint job before selling, but later on this practice was
abandoned for the less costly (and quicker) practice of simply spraying the tan areas and removing or
spraying over decals.
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Section 2 – Mustang exterior information
2.1) Markings/paint scheme
All marked Mustangs came in the distinctive FHP two-tone Black/Cream paint colors. This paint can be
seen coded on the vehicle buck tag as the example below shows specifying cream roof and rear deck. The
WT-1077 cream paint can be cross-referenced to a current DuPont Chromabase color as G8828. The door tag
will also stipulate the dual colors of black and cream.
Image #2, 1983 FHP Mustang bucktag showing special paint codes. (Mike Riley photo)
The paint was applied in two steps; the cars were painted all cream first, then black was applied over
the front, doors, and quarters. The ‘break’ on the color is clearly visible and uniform on the top of the rear
quarter and lower A pillar. Inside the trunk the cream is clearly visible, as well as inside the deck lid.
Doorjambs are black.
2.2) Decal usage
FHP decals measure 12 7/8” in diameter, and the ones used on SSP Mustangs (all years) were of the
non-reflective variety. Also, these decals are side specific, with the state flag waving backwards depending
on which door it went on. The border of the bottom of decal is placed directly over the side molding, which
was not deleted like some other states (CHP for instance) would require; deck lids used a driver’s door decal.
A drivers’ door (left side) door decal is pictured below:
Image #3, FHP door seal driver’s door. (Jim Young photo)
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Front fender lettering was also of the non-reflective type, being a 3” or 3 ½” sans-serif 3M product,
and is positioned along the break on the fender. The front fender lettering measures 38” long. There are
typically differences in the spacing between the words ‘State’ and ‘Trooper’; in some cases the spread may
range from 3” to 7” apart. Letters are ½” in width, and may vary to either 3” or 3 ½” in height. This was
applied as a single transfer decal.
Image #4, FHP fender lettering, typical, accreditation decal, door seal. (Mike Riley photo)
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The blue ‘Accreditation’ seal below started appearing approx. 1996 on FHP cars, therefore any car still
in service during this time may have had this decal affixed to the front fender. This decal measures 4” x 5 ¼”
and is affixed over the 5.0 emblem on the fender, and the location can be seen in the photo above.
Image #5, FHP accreditation decal used on post 1995 vehicles. (Jim Young photo)
Rear deck lettering was used only on later marked FHP vehicles, being a 2” black sans-serif letter. The
lettering was usually applied across the deck on either side of lock, although there have been examples that
have all the letters situated to the left of the lock cylinder, and also smaller letters in black were used. The
‘LX’ emblem was present on all Mustangs, unlike some departments that used decklid delete components as
part of the DSO.
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Image #6, small rear deck lettering, deck lid seal, Whelen rear deck strobes. (Mike Riley photo)
Roof numbers were used on all marked vehicles. These measure 38” long x 16” high, and are a 2 ½”
black sans-serif number. These were applied as a single transfer unit. The letters were situated behind the
Jetsonic lightbar, centered between the area of the rear quarter glass.
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Image #7, FHP roof lettering, 1993 Mustangs. (Photo c/o Jim Young)
For 1989, a 30th Anniversary seal was added, along with a 50 year commemorative rear plate, to all
FHP cars. The seal was added just above the 5.0 emblem, as seen on the close-up photo image below.
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Image #8, closeup of FHP Anniversary emblem.
Image #9, Late 80’s SSP with Anniversary emblem, front unit plate. (Alex Ginzburg photo)
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License Plates vary in usage, starting in 1983 with one rear plate only, to front and rear during mid
80’s with unit number, then back to single rear plate only with rear in the 90’s. There are at least 4 different
types of plates that were used, listed below are examples of two, a 1989 Anniversary Plate, and a later 90’s
blue/white single rear plate. Other variations include a matching front/rear in the same blue/white color and
yellow/dark yellow lettering. Note the Troop sticker affixed to the plate on the right. Plates stayed with the
vehicle during it’s in service deployment.
Image #10, 1989 Anniversary plate, later single blue/white plate with Troop decal and unit #. (Mike Riley photos)
Table A: Paint scheme/lettering and decals by year
Year
Door Decals:
1983
Standard, Non-reflective
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
*
**
***
****
Deck
Lettering:**
Gold Sans Serif
Non-reflective
Gold Sans Serif
Non-reflective
Gold Sans Serif
Non-reflective
Gold Sans Serif
Non-reflective
Gold Sans Serif
reflective
Gold Sans Serif
reflective
Gold Sans Serif
reflective
No
Gold Sans
reflective
Gold Sans
reflective
Gold Sans
reflective
Gold Sans
reflective
Roof
Numbers:***
No
No
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
Serif
No
Yes
Serif
No
Yes
Serif
No
Yes
Serif
Black 2” Sans
Serif Nonreflective
Yes
Other:
50th
Anniversary
fender seal
Accreditation
sticker****
Accreditation
sticker****
Letter size 3” high x ½” wide x 38” long
Rear deck lettering started showing up approx. 2000; any Mustangs in service at this time may have had it.
Roof number dimensions 16” high x ½” wide x 38” long
Accreditation decals would have bee found on any cars still in service after 1995
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Fender
Lettering:*
Section 3 – Mustang equipment usage
For FHP, SSP equipment was a fairly standard item, at least for lights and radio. The equipment was
installed locally in each Troop, hence there are some variations in brackets and locations, but by and large
most Mustangs were setup similarly.
3.1) Lights:
A Federal Signal Jetsonic 48” lightbar was used on all Mustang after 1983; for the first year, a Federal
Signal CJ184 Beacon with blue lenses was deployed. This lightbar was mounted just forward of the rear
quarter window and approx. halfway across the door window (see roof number photo Image # below). FHP,
up until recently, has used exclusively blue lenses. This lightbar used only blue and clear filters, and was the
rotator variety, not strobes. Clear filters on the ends, two clear takedowns on the front, and the rest are blue
on the Jetsonic equipped cars. The siren was a 100w unit mounted in the middle; unmarked units also used a
100w siren mounted facing down, just below the headlamp housing, on the right side.
These lightbars were unique in that they were chain driven design with 4 flashers. The "brain" utilizes
the rotators as flashers. They rotate to a predetermined spot, and then stop rotating and flash. There was an
old trick among Troopers to substitute a rubber band for the chain to ensure the rotators would turn much
faster!
Image #11, Jetsonic lightbars with clear takedowns, front plate. Accreditation decals place date circa 1996. (Alex Ginzburg
photo)
A Vector lightbar was used (and is still used by FHP on other vehicles) on a handful of Mustangs. The
1989 SSP in the image below shows the Vector with yellow lightstick. The CB antenna is also an interesting
note, added by the Troopers themselves. Notice lack of rear deck lights; roof numbers are present.
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Image #12, FHP fender lettering, typical, accreditation decal, door seal. (Alex Ginzburg photo)
On cars that did use rear deck lights, two different varieties of Dash-Master strobes were used, the
Whelen Dash-Master and the Tomar self-contained strobe. The Dash-Master, much more common, is shown
below; notice the two different mounting brackets, one which extends out. These were used with a 2 outlet
Federal Signal power supply, 2SPS, also shown.
Image #13, Rear deck lights, typical. (Jim Young, Mike Riley photos)
Pictured below, Tomar model DST self contained strobes, only used in 1992-1993 and on several
hundred cars. These were a ‘hybrid’ unit, as you’ll notice they are branded as Fed Signal but were
manufactured by Tomar.
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Image #14, Tomar self contained strobes. (Mike Riley photo)
Image below shows front and rear of unmarked FHP SSP Mustang with original equipment. Some FHP
cars used ‘pancake’ style lights on the dash, instead of Federal Signal mirror strobes, as did most unmarked
units. The round Tomar strobes can be seen to right.
Image #15, FHP 1992 unmarked Mustang. (Mark Woodhouse photo)
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Image #16, 1993 marked Mustang with pancake style light. Photo taken Troop C, Pinellas Park. (Photo c/o Alex Ginzburg)
Although wig-wags and corner strobes were not installed by FHP, they were on occasion added.
3.2) Radio:
Internally, equipment included a standard complement of radio, switch controllers, and microphones.
It’s usually easy to spot an ex-FHP car by the 3 distinctive holes that hold the crude ‘L’ bracket for the radio
head and lightbar controller on the dash. Although some units had Micor radios mounted directly to the dash,
most used this L bracket design. Here’s a look inside a 1993 Mustang with the typical placement of
equipment:
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Image #17, FHP marked unit equipment. (Mike Riley photo)
800 MHz radio head, Federal Signal JSS switch box, and PA 200 siren placement can be seen from
this view. Also the Motorola speaker mounted on the dash, L bracket held on 3 ¼”: bolts, and a larger hole
to the left for the radio wiring. Trooper had added extra cigarette lighter outlet below. PA-300 sirens were
used in mid-80’s and later, Whelen WS-295 or PA-200 units on older vehicles.
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Image #18, 1993 FHP SSP typical equipment layout. (Mike Riley photo)
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This 1983 Mustang photo from December 1983 Mustang Monthly shows placement of MPH radar,
VASCAR unit, and Micor low band radio system; Whelen WS-295 siren also pictured. Notice wires are simply
run down front of dash.
Image #19, 1983 FHP Mustang equipment. (Photo c/o Mustang Monthly)
Antennas ranged from a single to as many as 3 depending on which Troop the car operated in. The
Micor equipped cars used a 19” unity gain antenna. The 800 MHZ cars used the smaller 3.3” antenna. These
were usually mounted center of the decklid, and in the case of two, the second one in center of the roof. CB
Radios were not equipped by FHP but some Troopers would add them. Antenna placement also included
either side of the rear deck lid, on top of the quarter.
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3.3) Siren:
FHP Mustang siren usage includes Whelen and Federal Signal. As seen in image #18, a WS-295 is
mounted below the radio. FS PA-200 and later FS PA-300 (chrome and black face) units would replace the
Whelen as standard units. Image #16 and image #17 depict typical mounting locations for the FS units off to
the side of the center console.
3.4) Radar:
FHP radar varied in usage. Because money for radar units came from a variety of sources, there was
no standard unit, although Kustom K band units seemed to prevail during mid 80’s thru end of service life for
Mustangs. Most were single antenna but dual antenna units were used. Special bracket is shown for dash
mounted antenna.
3.5) Other:
This unusual item was found on many FHP cars...know what it is? Give up? It’s used to kill the engine
when toggled and if someone presses the brake, or the clutch on 5 speed cars. Mounted to the lower left of
the console, and also used on Caprices and Crown Vics. Mfg name ‘Pollack’.
Image #20, special kill switch used by FHP, taken from 1993 Mustang. (Mike Riley photo)
Additional equipment carried in the Mustangs includes shotguns, which were carried loose in the
trunk, unlike other agencies that used custom dash or behind the seat mounts, first aid kits, fire
extinguishers, flares.
Table B: Equipment usage for FHP Mustangs:
Year
Lightbar:
Deck lights:*
Dash
Lights:**
RADAR:*** VASCAR:
Radio:
1983
CJ184
No
No
Yes
Micor
18
Yes
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
Jetsonic
Jetsonic
Jetsonic
Jetsonic
Jetsonic
Jetsonic
Jetsonic
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
Yes**
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
1991
Jetsonic
Yes**
Yes
Yes
1992
Jetsonic
Yes**
Yes
Yes
1993
Jetsonic
-Whelen
Dashmaster
-Tomar/Fed
Signal*
-Whelen
Dashmaster
-Tomar/Fed
Signal*
-Whelen
Dashmaster
Yes**
Yes
Yes
Micor
Micor
Micor
Micor
Micor
Micor
Micor/800 MHz
Spectra
Micor/800 MHz
Spectra
Micor/800 MHz
Spectra
Micor/800 MHz
Spectra
*
Self contained unit. Approx 300 sets purchased for use 1992-1993 period.
**
Mostly unmarked units only, either Federal Signal Mirror strobe or Pancake style light.
***
Radar usage varies, Kustom K band most common, MPH also used.
**** Wigwags and CB were installed depending on request.
***** The JSS controller was initially used for the Jetsonic up through early 90’s, after which the Federal
Signal standard 4 switch toggle was deployed. This item had an amplifier box for the siren and designed to
support FHP’s new FedSig Vector lightbar, hence for later usage these were substituted when a replacement
was needed.
Table C: Wheel/tire usage by year
FHP substituted Gatorbacks for the stock Mustang tire on Mustangs. Tire and brands are listed below:
Year/Equipment Rim type
Size
Wheel Cover
Tire
Size
1983
Stock 14 x 6
14”
1984
Stock 14 x 6
14”
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
Police 15 x 7
Police 15 x 7
10 hole 15 x 7*
10 hole 15 x 7*
10 hole 15 x 7*
10 hole 15 x 7*
10 hole 15 x 7
10 hole 15 x 7
10 hole 15 x 7
15”
15”
15”
15”
15”
15”
15”
15”
15”
LTD II/Pinto
spec
LTD II/Pinto
spec
Special Police
Special Police
Ford Oval
Ford Oval
Ford Oval
Ford Oval
Ford Oval
Ford Oval
Ford Oval
GTII
GTII
GTII
GTII
GTII/VR60
GTII/VR60
GTII/VR60
225/65VR15
225/65VR15
225/65VR15
225/65VR15
225/65VR15
225/65VR15
225/65VR15
*1987-1989 and possibly some 1990 cars used black painted wheels, otherwise alloy.
19
Section 4 – Miscellaneous Information
Table D: FHP Mustang usage by year.
Years used:
Total:
Per Year:
1663+
1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992
0
40
50
66
147
X
270
354
196
179
197
1993
164
For a listing of FHP Mustangs click on our VIN registry page at http://www.sspmustang.org/vin_registry.htm.
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Restoration Guide for FHP SSP Mustangs

Transcription

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