The next up was the Dodge Aspen. I have a 1979 Chrysler Newport, 318 LA small block 2bbl, TF A 904, AC, PS, PB, AM FM, cruise control (works well), base interior. Of course, my perception may be influenced by the fact that my parents were having a rather disastrous experience with my moms 1978 LeBaron and I may have just tuned out Chrysler news at that time. I got a replacement motor last year and Im happy to see those doors working again. . Funny the Aspen was actually better. Poor quality, especially on the interior was common. St Louis County Police dept. Coinciding with efforts to expedite the retirement of the St. Regis from patrol service, the CHP adopted the 'Ford Mustang Severe Service Package' police pursuit vehicle (PPV) in 1982. Various party buddies employed numerous bubble gum and bobby pin repairs before we finally drove it to the wrecker at the direction of the police. 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. Original paint, top and in . Oh, and the car is luxurious enough to have cruise control, AC ( good chance of working or relatively easy fix ) and FM radio with more than one speaker, non cloth seats not falling apart. Remember, this is just before Chrysler nearly slips under the waveswhat quality control? He never even got it on the road, as he didnt even had a drivers license yet! Why? The longest fresh water beach in the world couldnt hide a beater imperial. The rest of the fleet split the difference. The St. Regis ended production in 1981 but was seen often thanks to TV cops including Sledge Hammer and T.J Hooker, and many were destroyed in such TV shows. 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. To further distinguish the model line from its Plymouth Gran Fury, Chrysler Newport, and Chrysler New Yorker counterparts, the front fascia was styled with transparent retractable headlamp covers (introduced on the 1978 Dodge Magnum). Saw one of these, white over white, on my drive home the other day. 1979 DODGE St.Regis Vintage Original 2 page Print AD White car photo Music USA Opens in a new window or tab. I remember Dabney Coleman driving one in the hilarious car chase in the movie Short Time, and wondering just how that thing held together. The change in powertrain was unpopular, as officers found the top speed of the vehicle was reduced to below 100 mph when fitted with a lightbar (or 65 mph on a grade). The leather wouldnt have held up that well. I have a Pioneer in it now because it has a USB port and Im running almost all my music off a thumb drive now. The Chevrolet Malibu was a mid-size model which replaced the ever-popular Nova. New Land Rover Defen, New 911 GTS, with 7spd manual You Be The Judge. There are only handful of St Regis around, and fewer of them is in heavily salted Michigan. The St. Regis was created during some desperate times for Chrysler. 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. (includes original 1979 License plate that came with the car when I purchased it). 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. 1979 Dodge Diplomat (Brochure). The Diplomat has been a long staple in American history mostly recognized as police cars throughout most Gateway Classic Cars Click for Phone O Fallon, IL 62269 (644 miles away) 2 27 1984 Dodge Diplomat 1979 Dodge St. Regis 89000 miles, Special order car intended for SD Highway Patrol Comissioner but never delivered. Alternatively (and preferably for my 17 year old self) you could just gun it enough to delay the upshift. I did test drive a used one sometime in the mid-1980s. For 1982, the model line was discontinued, with the Dodge Diplomat serving as the largest Dodge; the next full-size Dodge sedan was the 1990 Dodge Monaco (derived from the Eagle Premier, itself a version of the Renault 25). 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. 1979 Dodge Diplomat (Brochure). ACCOUNT 0. Unfortunately for Chrysler, their luck just straight-up sucked. Ok, this is painstakingly hard to do however I've decided to sell this original, never any rust or filler, 80 Plymouth Gran Fury E38 Police Package Unit with 80K miles, 360 HP, HD 727 and Rear. (Jeff Hwang thought this might be of interest to you all. Even the Chrysler Newport had vinyl as an option with no leather available .I often think Chrysler downplayed these models as the more economical versions of their larger cars so people would opt for the New Yorker if they wanted more luxury. Air Resources Board) to modify the exhaust for patrol duty. 1978 Dodge LRT Express. Brakes coming totally unset from the factory! It was the replacement for the Maverick which in turn was the replacement for the Falcon. Said Lean Burn also failed repeatedly, leaving you stalled out without warning at random times. The idle needs to be re-adjusted (Ill do that myself more than likely, before its purchased) and the suspension bar that holds up the rear trunk needs to be replaced. Like a lot of old Chrysler products they were driven for years and then simply became scrap. all combined to keep sales low. I experienced all three years of the R bodies, with a 1979 Newport, 1980 Gran Fury, and 1981 Gran Fury, two with the 360 pursuit and one with the 318 four barrel. The car was almost impossible to drive at 30 mph unless you dropped the transmission into second and held it until you got to 35 or so. 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. Oh my gosh this is my CL post. Perhaps push bumpers and prisoner partion screen (great for grandchildren or wife). I bought an estate out over the summer, this car was part of the deal, so I'll tell you all I know about the car. Looking at that last photo, he wore what appears to be a denim-like leisure suit to prom. I fixed it then and 20 years later it needs it again. The RCMP used only a few of them for highway patrol duties back in the day. The domes on the Federal Signal Aerodynic lightbar are in excellent condition. 2022 Ram 1500; 2022 Ford F-150; . Thats not leather, its vinyl. Tool Review: Is This Hand Tool The Budget Solution For LARGE WIRE CRIMPING? ( 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. There is a good chance that the following car may be an ex-prop from the show - it matches the main photo and the last thumbnail with . If you are going to go for the ultimate unloved unicorn, you go for the best. The neat clear-lens headlight covers are gone (most police departments ditched them) but everything else about this begs for a road trip. And Im sure thats the last time I ever saw one. The seats were a direct bolt on to the St. Regis seat tracks and even the headrests swapped over to the seats. Positioned above the Coronet, but sharing the same chassis, were the Dodge Royal and Dodge Custom Royal. The CHP uses other types of vehicles for special units, such as truck enforcement, or for use in areas where cars can go, like off road or mountain areas. I ran the power wire from the later harness over to the original factory power wire. My dad bought it in 1985, rebuilt the engine and the front suspension and drove it for ten years. The Dodge St. Regis is an automobile that was marketed by Dodge from the 1979 to 1981 model years. because the CHP had to petition the CARB (Ca. 1980 Dodge Power wagons (Brochure). The ability to accelerate to 80-100 mph quickly makes all the difference, and the 1981 318 equipped Gran Fury did that. The Ford LTD Crown Victoria was the main entry from the Blue Oval brand during the 1980s. As with most police cars, the suspension is stiff, and you feel any bumps; there is absolutely no body roll. It was based on the old trusted B-body platform and was the fastest police sedan in the quarter mile and was fastest through circuit testing when compared to rival models. 1979 Dodge LRT Express. 2021. It was maintained meticulously throughout the years, and everything from changing the oil to simply replacing a spark plug has been professionally done and documented by the local Midas. Police Cars . Got 340 engine with MP heads with the big valves, steel crank, KB 10.25 hyper pistons. There are some quirks like any car of this age. The California State Legislature originally established the California Highway Patrol as a branch of the Division of Motor Vehicles in the Department of Public Works, with legislation signed by Governor C. C. Young on August 14, 1929. They had replaced 1977 Plymouth Fury sedans powered by the 440 Magnum, and 1978 Plymouth Volares with 360 4-barrel (my favorite squad of all for city use). 1977 Dodge Royal Monaco Chicago IL Police photographed Aug 2007: 1973 Plymouth Fury I Delaware State Police . Learn how your comment data is processed. 1968 Dodge Monaco with a 383 cubic inch motor. 1975-1979 Chevrolet Nova 9C1 . Im surprised that any St. Regis survived. Alternators (Leece-Neville) that were well out of alignment to the crank pulley. I was about to take issue with your comment then remembered the low idle vibration my 1975, Custom 500 had. Original MSRP $6,847. The car starts up and runs nicely. The leather was cracked and looked horrible. Thank you all for the wonderful comments, and this is just so crazy to see my ad all these years later! 1979 Dodge Diplomat Station Wagon - Million Mile Dodge / The Green Machine. We had chunks of the black painted stripes just fall off the car. The way the seat has the tear in the photo looks like vinyl to me. The CHP gradually assumed increased responsibility beyond the enforcement of the State Vehicle Act and eventually merged with the smaller California State Police in 1995. The wipers need a near impossible to find nylon bushing, a c compressor clutch is bad. 1979 Chrysler Newport & Dodge St Regis Police Cars Press Photo & Release 0081 Opens in a new window or tab. (never used personally, I only drove in summer). I havent seen this kind of car in years, I always felt they should have sold better than they did, I absolutely love the blue leather seats in this car, I always thought the Dodge St. Regis was the best looking of the R-body cars, how many of these cars were produced in the 1980 and 1981 model years? 1979 Dodge St. Regis Pricing Original MSRP N/a Price range N/a Average price on CG $0 YoY price change N/a Date Sep 22 Oct 22 Nov 22 Dec 22 Jan 23 Feb 23 Price (US $) $28,500 $29,000 $29,500 $30,000 $30,500 $31,000 1981 Dodge St. Regis 1980 Dodge St. Regis 1979 Dodge St. Regis Index Price See more price trends Trims & specs 1979 Dodge Trucks. Even AMC, the perpetual fourth-place finisher, bowed out at the end of 1978 with no real replacement in sight. I thought they looked great, and kind of reminded me of certain TV shows set in the US Southwest, where this color of patrol car was often seen. I only had the car at 135 once. This car should be seen and driven to fully appreciate it. 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. Its north Michigan afterall, every town has an odd car, sometimes for odd use too. 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. A console from my deceased 67 Sport Fury is between the seats. This gorgeous full-sized survivor is listed on eBay with an almost laughably-low buy it now price of $4,250! There is a small piece of trim missing near the drivers door, unnoticed until close to car. I still cant get past the way Dodge partially wrapped chrome bumpers with plastic, leaving exposed plastic edges. Those plastic piston brake cylinders were a nightmare until fleet figured that out (swelled up and stuck). A lovely book of photos and descriptions of police cars manufactured by Dodge, Plymouth and Chrysler during the years 1979-1984. But at Chrysler, things were a bit more convoluted. It was subsequently established as a separate department with legislation signed by Governor Earl Warren in 1947. My mechanical skills at the time were far from what they are now so the issue was never solved and the car remained in my possession for a couple more years. I remember seeing the odd St. Regis around when I was younger; I really liked the clear headlamp covers. the GSP not only puts over 100,000 miles on their cars but they also bounce them across medium strips and accelerate as fast as they can to speeds well over 100 MPH. Its not a perfect car as I would have done some things differently design wise, especially around the windows, window regulators, wiper linkage attachments and door seals. The thing that has to be remembered about these R-bodies is that they got a very small piece of the development pie compared to the Omnis and the upcoming K cars which result in things like noisy frameless windows, pieces of plastic partially covering the shock absorber front and rear bumpers. The extra $500 must for being in rust belt. Pre-Owned. Lol. Rough rider since it is older and it handles OK. Great in snow, and mud since it is 4 wheel drive. A/C, Cruise, PWR seat, windows, Special handling package, 3 tag car. Those St. Regis very rarely, come up for sale, if ever. Insanity! 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. Powered by a 318-cubic inch V8, that car was so slow that the agency feared it stood no chance of keeping up with the old muscle cars still on the highways. I hope the featured car goes to a good home. Dodge, Plymouth, and Chrysler Police Cars 1979-1994 notes that the 360 powered St. Regis, Newport, and Gran Fury were the fastest and best performing police cars of the era. 1979 Dodge St Regis Police TJ Hooker R Body Year: 1979 Mileage: 60,100 Location: Davis, California, United States 1979 Dodge Magnum XE ORIGINAL (Cordoba, St. Regis, 1978 Dodge Magnum GT) NO RESV Year: 1979 Mileage: 52,000 Location: Broad Brook, Connecticut, United States I recall reading in a story of the early days of CNN, Ted Turner met Lee Iacocca. Even the grille pattern looks more Buick than Dodge. 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. In California, the St. Regis was fitted with a 190 hp four-bbl 360 V8. Top Rated Seller Top Rated Seller. This list also features many cars enjoyed by other government departments and taxi operators across North America, and in some cases represented some of the last full-size traditional rear-wheel drive sedans in America for some time until the configuration became popular again. Nowadays, I have my 2012 Chrysler 300c (Hemi of course), my 1977 AMC Gremlin, and my 1969 Toyota Corona. Im from Saskatoon originally. Skip to content. 1979 Dodge St. Regis Michigan State Police Find this Pin and more on police by dan gordon. In this case, it's a 360-powered St. Regis worked up to represent a Michigan State Police car. That is me. I replaced the standard 85 MPH speedometer with a certified speedometer (120 MPH) that was set to the car's original odometer mileage. The car would go both fast and handle. 1979 brought the CHP multiple vehicle test. Given how much Chrysler was copying Buick styling with these R Bodies, Im surprised they didnt offer a version with rear fender skirts. 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 Shorter than the 1977 Royal Monaco by five inches, narrower by three inches, and lighter by almost half a ton, the Dodge St. Regis (and its platform mates Chrysler Newport and Plymouth Gran Fury) shouldve worked in the market. She is Catholic, however. This car runs and drive's beautifully and needs nothing to enjoy. In the future Ill be equipping it with period correct equipment as a Chiefs Car. This car brings back a lot of bad memories for me, sadly. The interior of the St. Regis got beat up pretty easily and the frameless door glass got kind of loose but I dont remember having the glass fall out. I had one in a 70 Challenger. One of very few Mopars that I have had zero contact with. 1978 Dodge Omni. I know the J-yards in Saskatoon circa 1991-ish were just lousy with them. On Diplomat SE, the heavier steering improves the handling much, with smaller steering wheel. By 1989 it was very outdated with its three-speed auto and carburetted engines but was the first Chrysler model to feature an air bag and tilt-adjust steering wheel. Buy It Now +C $44.54 shipping. And worse yet, that cover was made out of aluminum, which quickly corroded through, allowing coolant in the oil and oil in the coolant. Call 916-661-8753 with any questions. Good Gravy: Ride On This GSXR600 Hill Climb Bike Running 100% Nitromethane! Do you remember who you sold the car to? Your parents experience with a 78 LeBaron mirrored mine. Check with your state to see how replica police cars can be operated on roadways. When I turn off the lights, the doors now make a satisfying thunk as they close. That year the CHP put a limited number of Ford Fairmonts, Chevy Malibus, Plymouth (I guess thats the lean in Lean Burn.) Its very hard to tell the rust problem though, as the thick chrome trims cover up the door seals and rocker panel, where is most suspicious to rust. Because lower priced F-Body Dodge Aspens and Plymouth Volares were designated as the mid-size squad cars through 1980 - not M-bodies. For 1980, the 360 was replaced by a 155 hp 318 V8 4-bbl with California emissions to comply with state emissions regulations. Competing against the downsized General Motors B-body chassis and the all-new Ford Panther chassis, the R-body is the longest-wheelbase of the three. In the fall of 80, a wheel bearing failed, causing the front wheel to part company with the rest of the heap. After 2 tears, a 50 cent piece sized flake of paint departed the quarter panel, leaving scabbly rust. 1979 Dodge St Regis TV Hooker replica photographed Oct 2014: 1932 Ford Coupe Hot Rod Troy MI Police photographed Aug 2015: 1932 Ford Coupe Hot Rod Troy MI Police They should change the breather sticker to Lean Burn of Death. 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. The LTD switched to the mid-size Fox body platform from 1982 and also gained a fuel-injected 302 V8, then was phased out from 1986 when the new aero-styled front-wheel drive Taurus arrived. 1979 Dodge Magnum XE ORIGINAL (Cordoba, St. Regis, 1978 Dodge Magnum GT) NO RESV, 1979 Dodge Magnum XE ALL ORIGINAL (Cordoba, St. Regis, 1978 Dodge Magnum GT) 52K, 1979 Dodge Magnum XE ALL ORIGINAL (Cordoba, St. Regis, 1978 Dodge Magnum GT), 1963 DODGE POLICE CAR, ORIGINAL AMARILLO TEXAS POLICE UNIT. It was a very traditional full-size model based on the Panther platform built until 1991 when it morphed into the iconic aero-styled Crown Victoria. Wow, we really do have some things in common, although I think your LeBaron experience was even worse than ours. Switch to inches. They are supposed to be down in the bumpers? Dodge St. Regis sedan: 1979: Dodge St. Regis sedan: 1978: Dodge Monaco sedan: 1977: Dodge Monaco sedan: 1976: Dodge Coronet sedan: 1975 . The Chevrolet Celebrity was a mid-sized front-wheel drive sedan employed by police forces from 1982, and the biggest engines hadsix cylinders. It had the 360 4 bbl and the rare open road package. BTW that is some of the best looking vinyl I have ever seen it fooled me! Model WC WC-12 1979 Dodge St. Regis For Sale. For 1982, Dodge began marketing the Diplomat as its largest four-door sedan; nearly 16 inches shorter than the St. Regis, the mid-size Diplomat was the final rear-wheel drive sedan marketed by Dodge during the 1980s. Its no wonder you dont see these cars around. 1979 Dodge LeBaron (Brochure). My original seats are in storage while Im actually driving around in bucket seats salvaged from a 1985 Dodge Omni that had low back buckets with adjustable headrests. Bought from the original owner, an old veteran, who purchased it right out of the showroom in the local Chrysler/AMC dealership. The department usually kept their cars three years, but the St. Regis were so bad, they replaced them after only two. I think their sales would have been much greater. It has a clear California title and is being sold as-is with no warranty. Didnt know they retracted, since they were clear to begin with. Dodge Durango SSV (Special Service Vehicle) 2021. Up to 1958, the California Highway Patrol would purchase vehicles 2 times a year, and many times it would be a different make. Select a vehicle trim below to get a valuation. I believe 79 was when Lee Iacocca came in to clean house. The Dodge St. Regis is a full-size Dodge automobile built from 1979 to 1981. In contrast to both the Monaco and the Diplomat, the St. Regis was offered solely as a four-door sedan. Dodge Coronet Police Vehicle (1959) Dodge Coronet Police Vehicle The Coronet was a full-size car from Dodge from the 1950s. Primed us for Iacoccas rescue package. I made an error, but hey. I bet that car is rare with leather interior. It has buckets from a 1985 Omni that were a direct bolt on to the original seat tracks. The name Ford Fairmont was a long-running nameplate in Australia, but in North America it was produced only from 1977 to 1983. While police units who used the cars praised handling and had positive things to say about the 360-powered cars, when things are falling off, breaking, or worse, showing up on new cars not put on properly, the damage was considered done. It was only produced from 1979 to 1981 and most of the 58,000+ cars produced went to fleet use. 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 I drove a later model Volare a few times for work and it steered much better, so I suspect it may have just been our cars particular set up. The Ford LTD was built on the companys new downsized but still large Panther platform and featured 4.9-litre and 5.8-litre V8 engines, with the optional 351 being restricted for police operators only from 1981. 1979-1981 is the correct yearrange. CLICK the 1700 isnt crazy for this one, though it seems more like maybe a $1200 car to me. No St. Regis, but the Sask Highway Traffic used them, the guys who enforce truck& commercial vehicle stuff, weigh scales etc.The cars were a kind of dark brass color, Id totally jump on it if it were a Newport. I use the car only for shows and parades. At the time I thought it was the best looking car Dodge ever produced. Some continually blew transmissions. Sure is, just looked at the brochure and vinyl was optional, no mention of leather at all. Ten years earlier the full size Chrysler cars came out with the cockpit styling and hoods long enough to land a plane on. Given the glacial maximum acceleration rate, there wasnt much of a visual cue it was being hooned anyway. Just seemed like a neat feature to my younger self. Seems really tacky. The test led to the purchase of Ford Mustangs in 1982, for use as traffic enforcement cars. The front suspension continued to offer Chryslers signature longitudinal front torsion bars, called Torsion-Aire, and anti-sway bar with a solid rear differential connected to leaf springs. By 1980, restrictive anti-emissions regulations meant that it was a dog to drive, with many police officers complaining about its poor performance. 1979 Dodge St.Regis Maryland State Police Roof hardware: Federal Signal AeroDynic light bar D Dech Sayyasavee 103 followers More information 1979 Dodge St.Regis Maryland State Police | Roof hardware: F | Flickr Emergency Vehicles Police Vehicles Old Police Cars Sports Car Racing State Police Police Department Fire Trucks Plymouth Undercoating must have good protection despite its limit. The Ultimate Unloved: 1980 Dodge St. Regis Police Cruiser. It was delivered with missing emblems, loose bolts, etc and it got worse from there. I wonder if they were actually any more comfortable? The car does well in 40-100+ accelerations but dead-stop launches tend to bog. That car is long gone and sold away, but I originally coveted a St. Regis because my favorite show at the time was Sledge Hammer. Goodyear GT+4 tires were installed at 58,500 miles. But, I am still haunted by the specter of that old LeBaron and have this nagging fear that things will start going wrong at any moment. American Brands: AMC, Jeep and All Others, Tractors, Lawn Mowers, Off-Road Equipment, Runway Classic Video: The Mighty Convair 880 Takes Off Again, http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2006/12/chrysler-bank-on-it/, http://www.allpar.com/cars/dodge/R-bodies.html. lol. 1979. But you know, a funny thing happened. Nor have I tried. 1979 Dodge Truck Color Chart. For mountain and bad weather areas of the state, the CHP has used vehicles such as Ford Expedition, Chevrolet Tahoe, Chevrolet Suburban, Jeep Cherokee, Ford Bronco, Dodge Ramcharger, Chevrolet Blazer, and AMC Eagle. This is a 1979 Dodge St. Regis. There is a St Regis hotel on Grand Boulevard rather close to the headquarter of Chrysler at that time. 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.

Melton Fabric Characteristics, Articles OTHER