If you saw my post on the GOTL Police Chevy Caprice 9C1, it’s no secret that these cars are by far my favorite police cars. If I was to own or restore an old police car, it would likely be one of these. That is, if I could find one. It’s hard to believe that the 1988 9C1 Chevy Caprice you see here is 38 years old. And while you can still find vehicles from 1988, finding a police car from 1988 isn’t very common. Police cars have a pretty rough life. Many of these old cruisers we’re either sold to smaller agencies or auctioned to the public who then used up what remaining life was in them.
Imagine discovering this car on ebay with only 33,000 miles and the claim that it never saw police service. That seems like a bit of a stretch but possible if the car had been used as a fire chief’s car. It could also be that the car was an unmarked car assigned to a high-ranking officer of a law enforcement agency that commuted to work in it but never saw true ‘police service’. Whatever the history was behind this car, it eventually ended up in the hands of a former police chief from a small-town police department. The chief had outfitted the car with period correct emergency equipment and markings from his old police department but had decided to sell the car on ebay. The car was purchased by a former deputy sheriff living in Missouri that like me, loved these old 9C1 Caprices and was sad to see them leave service.
The push bumper with blue lights, blue and amber lights in the rear window, and the siren and radio came with the car. The new owner had the wheels sand blasted and powder coated, used a heat gun to remove the police markings, and added the blue dash light and the radar gun. I personally don’t like seeing radar guns mounted in police cars. This car really needs an old MPH K55 radar on the dash. Especially if you can find one of the older versions that allowed you to dial in the violation speed.
The 1988 9C1 Chevy Caprice was powered by a 5.7L (350 CID) V8 and was the last year of the carburetor. If you like that deep sound of the secondaries opening on a 4bbl carb when you step on the gas, then this car is for you. These engines were rated at 180 horsepower, and the cars came with a 3.08 differential ratio. In the 1988 Michigan State Police Tests, the 9C1 Chevy Caprice had a top speed of 116 MPH and went from 0-100 MPH in 34.91 seconds.
For comparison, the 1989 9C1 Chevy Caprice received TBI fuel injection which bumped the engine up to 190 horsepower and was now available with a 3.42 rear differential ratio. Those changes bumped its top speed to 122 MPH and it’s 0-100 MPH time to 29.35 seconds. That means the 1989 Caprices got up to 100 MPH 5.56 seconds faster.
This is definitely a great looking car. I also like it without the markings. Many state police and highway patrol agencies used unmarked cars for traffic enforcement during this time period, so it definitely has the right look. Well, aside from the radar gun. But that’s just me. I realize that there were many police departments that used radar guns because they were cheaper and easier to move from car to car.
I hope the new owner enjoys this car for many years to come.
About The Author
Code 3 Garage
I started my career as a police officer in 1989 with the Geneva on The Lake Police Department. I worked part time as a police officer and full time as a Security Sergeant doing armed mobile security patrols for a local security company. In 1990 I became a State Trooper with the Ohio State Highway Patrol. During my career as a State Trooper I was certified as a Technical Crash Investigator, OPOTA Police Instructor, OPOTA Police Driving Instructor, LASER Instructor, and received awards for ACE (Auto Larceny) and Post Trooper of The Year. Code 3 Garage is a mix of my inner automotive gearhead, and public safety background. I hope you enjoy it!
