Why are police interceptors so cheap

This is a definitive guide that will tell you much of what you need to know as well as when and where auctions are taking place. As well as ex-police cars some of these auctions sell vehicles from other federal and local agencies as well as vehicles confiscated from criminals.

You have to approach buying these cars with realistic expectations. If you want to inspect the vehicle in person before you bid, which you absolutely should do if at all possible, a jump box would be a useful piece of kit to have with you unless the auction can help in that direction.

Cars that are used by the police in the line of duty will usually have cloth front-seats and a vinyl back-seat combination and you should expect to find wires and holes wherever there was police equipment that has been removed.

This also applies to the dash where police computers, radios and other equipment will have been installed and removed without any thought to the cosmetic mess left behind. Black and white versions of these vehicles will usually be cheaper at the auctions than all black models, or other single color variations such as white, gray or silver.

If you fancy something a little swankier you will be able to find Police Interceptors that have a full cloth interior and none of the hanging wires or gaping holes that blight active duty models. Due to their lower mechanical wear and interiors that are a lot more retail-friendly, these models inevitably command higher prices at auction.

Perhaps surprisingly to some people, police equipment left on the vehicle often adds value to the selling price rather than diminishing it. Features such as push bumpers, spotlights, rear window bars, and even the odd model with a full rear cage can all add value to the price these vehicles bring at auction.

Former retail auto industry professional for almost a decade and an automotive writer and journalist for the last 8 years. Why buy a used police car? This makes repairs and maintenance both problematic and expensive. Depending on where you live, a police car might not elicit positive responses from your neighbours.

And as you drive around town, you may notice civilian drivers acting differently around you. Typically, people tend to drive slower and more safely around cop cars out of the fear that they could be pulled over. This might be good news for cautious drivers and folks who get impatient about stoplights and switching lanes. However, it could also be annoying if you just want to get around like an average person. Unfortunately, this means having to deal with stuff like street-legal fittings that have not been removed from the vehicle, such as rear prisoner cages and spotlights.

Many of these cars also come with industrial-grade vinyl seats in place of rear cloth seats because vinyl is easier to wipe down and clean in case of any accidents. You might also have to deal with sticky glue residue from decals and black-and-white patterns that make it hard to be subtle about the fact that you just bought a police car. Where should you start looking? Here are some of the best places to shop:.

The GCSurplus website used to be the place to find decommissioned law enforcement vehicles. However, a shooting incident involving a gunman who used a replica police vehicle in Nova Scotia has halted sales of RCMP vehicles. According to Public Safety Minister Bill Blair , "During this moratorium, the Government of Canada and the RCMP will examine the policies that are currently in place and work towards long-term solutions that further ensures these vehicles are not improperly outfitted or otherwise misused.

Buyers in search of older law enforcement vehicles need not worry, though. This means removing official police logos and decals from your car. A full-sized, gas-guzzling V8, with rear-wheel drive, and more cheap plastic bits than the off-brand Lego store usually doesn't translate into a highly sought-after used car. Throw in exposed wires from all the police-only parts that were removed, couple that with well worn seats, and you wind up with a car that is sometimes bought for as little as 10 percent of its original purchase price after seven years.

The ones that the City of Roswell had listed on Govdeals were older and cheaper. I hate closed markets with a passion, especially when it comes to cars.

So I decided to open up this market a bit by offering my friends on Facebook the opportunity to use me as their bidder for these vehicles. After 15 years of inspecting, appraising and liquidating government vehicles, I knew what they should expect. At the end of the day, four cars were bid on and two were bought.

Both had front and rear cloth seats, and both were worth the selling price. But, as you can see, it took a long time to get there. So if you want a cop car, take your time, and please, try to avoid locking yourself in the back seat. The original Tesla Roadster helped put the company on the map, and one is for sale. See the newest GT trim up close with our exclusive gallery. Teams plan to work through the night to prepare for Friday practice.

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