SMPV Mustangs?

[28HopUp]

I saw this posted in another thread (http://www.specialservicemustang.net/forums/showthread.php?t=1517)...

http://images27.fotki.com/v984/photos/4/438439/1947960/85SMPV-vi.jpg

...and thought I'd ask. What's the story on these cars? I assume these were for commercial enforcement use. I looked, but wasn't able to find out much info on these SSP's. Any idea how many were made or how to ID them?

[ImEvil1]

Mike C. can give you the name of the book that covers these in great detail, but you are correct about them being commercial enforcement. CHP painted the cars, converting black & white cars. I don't think anyone has usage numbers published on these, and I don't think anyone in the hobbyist circles has found one (that's actually been confirmed as one) to restore yet.

[predator20]

Here is a color pic of the same car. I think it would be cool to take a CHP and clone it into a SMPV. You could drive it around and not look copish. It would just look like you had to replace your doors with white ones and couldn't repaint.

[28HopUp]

Cool color pic! It kinda reminds me of my car when I first saw it -

http://www.erols.com/hopup/ssp1.jpg


I never figured out why all of my window trim was blacked out. I've got another question -

What does SMPV stand for?

[ImEvil1]

What does SMPV stand for?

Specially Marked Patrol Vehicle

Check out this link to a report on the pilot program.

http://ntlsearch.bts.gov/tris/record/tris/00479146.html

[Rhino]

My former 1992 CHP mustang was thought to have been an SMPV car, but was never confirmed (paperwork could not be found). Had the all white paint over the black and white and no whip antenna on the rear quarter panel. Would sure be cool to see one restored one of these days - even better if someone found one with documentation. :)

[28HopUp]

Thanks for the info guys. The SMPV acronym sure makes sense now. Any idea how many of the 155 1985 CHP's were repainted into SMPV's? Makes me want to find an inconspicuous spot on the body and sand though the paint to see if it's black or another color. I guess documenting an SSP as a SMPV would be next to impossible.

[WSP-SSP]

washington state patrol ran a similar program, commercial enforcement vehicles, which they still use today. The numbers of non marked mustangs were stageringly low compared to CHP

[mac88chp]

As the old saying goes, "What we don't know about (SMPV Mustangs) could fill a book!" Not much documentation has surfaced so far about these unique CHP units. There were SMPV versions of both Mustangs and regular sedans which debuted on the roads in the later '80s. The first batch of Mustangs were '85s and besides the unique paint jobs, they also featured many custom touches:

* smaller, body color 5" spots
* low profile deck lighting
* custom, lay down shotgun rack
* single Sti-Co undercover antenna

A second batch was produced using '89 models and they were similarily painted and equipped as the '85s with the exception that the outside spots were deleted and replaced with a single red halogen mirror light (first install in a Mustang) and a hand-held mag-mount clear spot that was kept inside the car.

http://images110.fotki.com/v560/photos/4/438439/1947960/chpmagJul90-vi.jpg

No production numbers are available but it's generally thought that perhaps as few as 25-50 total early SMPV Mustang units were built. Paint colors mentioned as used or observed for both the '85s and the '89s include blue, maroon, silver, gold (or copper) and white.

In the early '90s, it was decided to standardize all future SMPVs with all-white paint and to equip them with pretty much all of the standard items found on the B&W cars. This included the full size, black spots and the regular shotgun rack, deck lighting and antenna. No production numbers are available for the '90s SMPVs either.

http://images116.fotki.com/v709/photos/4/438439/1947960/chp_1992_smpv-vi.jpg

Note: one custom touch on the above '93 is that the beltline moldings have been painted black.

As mentioned, all the Mustangs started out as B&W units and were repainted after they were received from Ford. So far, not one confirmed survivor of any year has been located by anyone in the hobby.

[28HopUp]

Wow Mike - thanks for the detailed response.

So far, not one confirmed survivor of any year has been located by anyone in the hobby.

Hypothetically speaking, how would one go about trying to confirm if their 85 CHP was one of the units made into a SMPV? The reason I ask is because I found something out about my car. Some time after it was marked as a black and white, the body (but not the doors) was painted silver. A subsequent paint job made the entire car (including door jams) dark "Toyota" gray.

This morning, in the doorjam, I used a pocket knife to pull off a small area of the top coat of paint. Although the revealed color was black, the underside of the dark gray paint chip I had stuck on the knife was SILVER! Also, the plastic push button door striker is painted silver, having not been masked off when painted silver (but covered up when the dark gray paint was applied). I also found a paint chip in the rocker panel, which revealed silver paint. However, the silver was not found on the doors under the gray paint.

So now you've got me thinking about this car in a whole new way. If it is indeed a SMPV, then how do I proceed with it? How can I verify its authenticity? I was only planning to rebuild it as an unmarked daily driver, but that may not be the best plan of action for this car. Frankly, I hadn't had any desire to own a marked SSP, but this car MAY be a SMPV. If it is, then it deserves to be restored. If so, then am I the one to do it, or would I be better selling/swapping the car with another SSP enthusiast who would restore the car properly.

I'm kinda at a loss at this point. Any advice?

[mac88chp]

Bill - did you check both doors and the roof for the paint layer composition? I'd also take a close look at the interior for any unusual equipment mounting holes, esp. around the transmission tunnel area as that is where the lay-down shotgun rack was installed. That means removing most of the interior to do it right and hopefully that's in your plans anyway.

What you found so far is intriguing but not really conclusive of an SMPV pedigree. That can really only be verified by either CHP documents or in-service photographs and the CHP has told us that records for vehicles this old have been disposed of and very few in-service photos of SMPVs exist. It is still possible that a photo of your car may surface in the future but in the absence of the above type of proof, your car is probably not worth any more than a normal '85 CHP to a hobbyist.

As to how to proceed, I'd personally hold off on making any firm restoration plans until you have a chance to poke around the car for more clues. In the meanwhile, I'll try yet again to drum up photos of any SMPV Mustangs.

[28HopUp]

Mike -

No, I have not checked the roof for silver paint or both doors for the absence of silver paint. I did find silver paint on the inside of the gas door, under the gray paint. It would be GREAT if somebody uncovered a picture of an SMPV with the tag E408395, but I won't be holding my breath.

I'm not really sure how I want to proceed with my SSP now. I really do not want to own a marked police car, yet I don't want to destroy the car's value if it was a SMPV. I guess I could repaint the car silver, and if another owner wanted to they could paint the doors white and add the star/lettering to the door. Too bad it wasn't painted another color, cuz silver is boring IMO. But repainting the car would erase the best evidence that I have right now as to the car possibly being a SMPV - the layered paint.

I really enjoy driving the thing, as it has alot of character as it sits. But it needs to be repainted and fixed up. A full-blown in-service restoration is NOT what I am looking to do, cuz the way I'd do it, I'd have the black & white paint scheme applied first, and then repaint it silver to replicate the layered paint. That kind of paint job would cost more than I paid for the car. I don't know. This isn't why I bought the car. I just wanted something fun to knock around in.

[chp1982]

I have never seen those pictures before. The copper and white one looks so good.

[28HopUp]

Well, having slept on it and giving my situationsome more thought, I'm inclined to do NOTHING! :)

Well, sort of. Without verifying documentation, the best proof I have to the car being a SMPV is the layered paint, so repainting the car now would be foolish IMO. Although the current paint job could best be described as a "20-footer", repainting the car now would be a mistake. I MAY decide later to repaint it (and take pics as the paint comes off) in SMPV colors (matching the silver & white underneath). Or I could paint the entire car in that matching silver, and let another owner worry about repainting the doors white if they so choose.

But without having documentation, and the fact that the car is not exactly 100% stock, I figure I can still address other aesthetic needs of the car to make it more enjoyable (i.e. interior and weatherstripping).

I wonder if the CHP has an FOP Lodge (or similar organization)? My thinking would be to contact their Lodge and see about placing an ad in their newsletter to solicit info from officers who used SSP's in their duties. Has anybody tried that before?

[FHP813]

*DISCLAIMER* The following is my opinion and is not intended to bash anyone, their cars or what they plan to do to said cars!!

If indeed this car was a SMPV would it be worth more than a "regular" CHP? If the car was special ordered for the CHP in the different color then yes, but if I understand correctly these cars were CHP cars that were painted and some equipment added\changed. I say enjoy it as you would any ssp and don't let the perception of it being something stop you from that. My .02

[28HopUp]

I say enjoy it as you would any ssp

Bernie, no disclaimer needed. You and I certainly are in agreement on that! :D

Bill Jr.

[ImEvil1]

Bill,

Is there anything unusual about the antenna placement on your car (ie the repaired holes)?

[28HopUp]

Bill,

Is there anything unusual about the antenna placement on your car (ie the repaired holes)?


Mike,

The repaired holes appear to be in the proper place for a black & white CHP. Once I pull down the headliner I'll be able to see the roof patch from the underside. Other than my unit number being written on the side glass, the most unusual thing about my car is that the window trim is all blacked out.

Bill Jr.

[jarhed123]

Mike,

... the most unusual thing about my car is that the window trim is all blacked out.

Bill Jr.
Bill don't get too hung up on this. I have bought more than one 4 eye car that previous owners have painted the trims black or gray so it can look newer or just the way they prefer it to be. While incorrect for '85 and earlier cars, I plan on painting the upper most trim of the car and the sail panel accent gray. The same way '86 car would have come.

[28HopUp]

UPDATE:

I have determined that E408395 was not a SMPV. The silver paint was the one applied by the CHP prior to auction, and the darker gray must have been applied by a subsequent owner.

After receiving a suggestion, I checked a spot on the door inside of the jam area and lifted a section of the topcoat. The backside of that dark gray chip was silver. Although I had done a similar thing to other parts of my door which didn't show the silver, that area proves to me that the car was ALL silver at one time. So the car was not a SMPV.

That revelation is not a disappointment. I can now proceed with my plans to repaint the car without worrying about it possibly being a SMPV.

[stadair]

How are you going to paint it? B&W? Another color?

[28HopUp]

How are you going to paint it? B&W? Another color?


I don't want to restore it to in-service condition. Now that I know it's not a SMPV, I can paint it any stinkin' color I want! :D

Seriously, I would probably go with black or another shade of gray. My wife isn't 100% happy with me bringing home another project, so the smart money is on me picking a color that she likes! :yes:

[stadair]

I don't want to restore it to in-service condition. Now that I know it's not a SMPV, I can paint it any stinkin' color I want! :D

Seriously, I would probably go with black or another shade of gray. My wife isn't 100% happy with me bringing home another project, so the smart money is on me picking a color that she likes! :yes:

That's right! Keep the Mrs. happy!:yes:

[Va 5.0]

http://articles.latimes.com/1986-12-30/news/mn-1304_1_highway-patrol

It looks like there were as few as 15 total cars, I wonder how many were Mustangs.
Used on Interstate 5 San Joaquin Valley and I-5 and I-10 in Los Angeles and San Bernardino area beginning Jan 12,1987.


From Feb 1986:

http://articles.latimes.com/1986-02-16/news/mn-8556_1_commercial-truck

A bill now before the Legislature would allow the California Highway Patrol to use unmarked patrol cars for officers to detect safety violations by commercial truck rigs, an enforcement move unprecedented in the agency's 60-year history. At present, the CHP uses unmarked units in auto theft and some undercover investigations. But a bill introduced by Sen. John Seymour (R-Anaheim) would authorize the use of unmarked cars to nab heavy commercial truck speeders, weight violators and other commercial truckers who are not driving safely. Elmer Brown, the head of government relations for the California Trucking Assn., the trucking industry's statewide lobbying arm, said the industry supports the Seymour bill as a way of getting irresponsible, "'cowboy" truckers, who are dangerous to motorists, off the road.

Both articles from the LA Times.....

[28HopUp]

Thanks for sharing that with everyone, Jack! :)

[03cobra]

I dont have a CHP SSP , but that was very intresting about the SMPV SSPs. Thanks for all the posts! I just got seriously schooled and enjoyed it! Very cool.

[Va 5.0]

A couple more:


1990 article:
http://articles.latimes.com/1990-03-19/local/me-394_1_chp-cars

1990 Article:
http://articles.latimes.com/1990-11-06/news/mn-4001_1_highway-patrol


Both from LA Times

[mac88chp]

Thanks very much for posting up all those articles. There's a good bit of more background on the early SMPVs in there but still we don't have any firm count on how many total Mustangs were part of the '87 pilot deployment or the following one in '89. Getting closer though. :thumbsup:

[Va 5.0]

Another good one from 1987:

http://articles.latimes.com/1987-01-24/local/me-9674_1_highway-patrol

From the article SMPV'S were : a mixture of Chevrolet Celebrities, Ford Mustangs and Dodge Diplomats.

The side-mounted spotlights remain, but they are smaller, painted the same color as the car and from a distance appear to be rear-view mirrors. The shotgun is mounted out of sight between the rear seats.

I wonder if these articles had pictures?




credit to LA Times

[mac88chp]

I wondered the same thing about photos. They forgot to mention that Crown Vics were also used in the pilot program. Here is one appears staged that I bet was used somewhere in the press:

http://images38.fotki.com/v1212/photos/4/438439/6434762/EarlySMPVs-vi.jpg

A better shot of one of the Vics:

http://images39.fotki.com/v1228/photos/4/438439/6434762/chp1465-vi.jpg

The article didn't mention the use of chrome pushbars (Buddy Bumper brand) or even the last little touch of stealth - dealer plate rims!

These are the only SMPV Diplomats I've ever seen:

http://images61.fotki.com/v384/photos/4/438439/6434762/SmpvDip-vi.jpg

http://images38.fotki.com/v1220/photos/4/438439/6434762/SMPV_88Diplomat-vi.jpg
If they made any in the multi-hue paint scheme, I'd love to see a photo.

[litsnsirn]

Mike, that first Diplomat picture is a federal 55 mph car and not an SMPV, right?
Would the white one be a SMPV that was repurposed or a car from another agency that was dissolved into the CHP? It appears to have regular spotlights and a regular pushbumper.

When I went to the Ripon show a few years back somewhere between SJO and Ripon I remember having seeing an all white CVPI CHP car, are those still called SMPV's?

[mac88chp]

Mike, that first Diplomat picture is a federal 55 mph car and not an SMPV, right?
Would the white one be a SMPV that was repurposed or a car from another agency that was dissolved into the CHP? It appears to have regular spotlights and a regular pushbumper.

When I went to the Ripon show a few years back somewhere between SJO and Ripon I remember having seeing an all white CVPI CHP car, are those still called SMPV's?While not part of the original SMPV program, I've heard of those Federal 55 cars being referred to as such just because they weren't traditionally marked vehicles. Yeah, the white Diplomat definitely looks to be a repurposed car, most likely it was from an SMPV.

I don't hear the term SMPV much anymore from the Chippies. There are still white commerical enforcement units and those typically have pushbars and CB antennas. The new category of white cars lack both of those, sport chrome 5" spots and are referred to as "PCF" units. That stands for Primary Collision Factors, which are defined as speeding, tailgating and unsafe lane changing and according to the CHP are among the leading causes of accidents. These stealth units are supposed to concentrate on these types of enforcement , which I suppose is how they got authorized to use them. But the stealth helps for all types I guess, huh?

SMPV (commercial enforcement) unit, slightly wrecked:
http://images116.fotki.com/v715/photos/4/438439/6434762/P1010583-vi.jpg

PCF unit, about as stealthy as you can get with a Vic:
http://images54.fotki.com/v626/photos/4/438439/6434762/P1010581-vi.jpg

[litsnsirn]

The one that I remember seeing was like the one on the top, it had a white pushbumper on it.

[Va 5.0]

Here are a few more SMPV articles:


http://articles.latimes.com/1987-01-24/local/me-9674_1_highway-patrol

http://articles.latimes.com/1987-03-05/news/mn-7911_1_speedy-cars


http://articles.latimes.com/1987-07-22/news/mn-3400_1_highway-patrol

[Va 5.0]

Pilot program SMPV Equipment:

[28HopUp]

So COOL!!!!! :cool:

[28HopUp]

As mentioned by Va 5.0 (Jack), he found a 1988 CHP report to the California State Legislature about the original SMPV pilot program. The document is over 80 pages long, and goes over all aspects of the program that first year. Jack sent me photocopies, which I scanned into a PDF file. The file was 18 MB in size (!) which proved to be too large to load quickly (roughly 3 minutes, depending on connection speed). So I condensed the report down to 23 pages, at just over 4 MB in size. It is in PDF format, and takes about 30 seconds to load -

http://www.specialservicemustang.net/1988SMPVcondensedreport.pdf


It is interesting reading. The condensed version still talks about the program, the cars, officer opinions, and its findings. Although the report says that all five SMPV Mustangs were 1985 models, one picture shows a white 1984 CHP Mustang (no plate number though). There is also an interior shot of a non-Mustang, showing the lay-down style shotgun rack.

Thanks Jack!!!! :D

[mac88chp]

Invaluable stuff! Too bad there isn't a more clear photo of that Mustang interior, Ken could really use that right now for his '89 SMPV resto. One of John's retired CHP buddies who came with him to the Ripon show last weekend worked out of the Hayward office and told me he clearly members a white early Mustang test unit that was assigned there. :cool:

From this document I can now identify these SMPV photos as being the Oakland office test units:

http://images38.fotki.com/v1212/photos/4/438439/6434762/EarlySMPVs-vi.jpg

http://images39.fotki.com/v1228/photos/4/438439/6434762/chp1465-vi.jpg

[28HopUp]

Attached is a cropped pic (done by my scanner) of a picture I purchased recently from Darryl Lindsey (hope I got his name spelled correctly). It sure is a great photo from the original program. Only one Mustang was painted silver, so that is E408445 on the left. No other license plate numbers are visible.

[Mustang Kid]

Cool stuff!!

[28HopUp]

Ken, aka E435300_SMPV, sent me photos of the issue of The California Highway Patrolman he recently won on eBay that shows the two SMPV Mustangs on the cover -

http://www.specialservicemustang.net/images/HighwayPatrolman-SMPV1resized.jpg

http://www.specialservicemustang.net/images/HighwayPatrolman-SMPV2resized.jpg


Interesting stuff! By 1989, the SMPVs were a permanent program with the CHP. "Eagle-Eye" Ken also found the following picture in this issue showing a four-eyed CHP Mustang in the background -

http://www.specialservicemustang.net/images/HighwayPatrolman-SMPV3resized.jpg

[mac88chp]

I've also got a copy of that issue in my collection, it's a great one.

I just talked with Ken and it sounds like he'll have his '89 SMPV ready to go for the Ripon show in October. Maybe to the CHP Retirees Day event the week before too if he can get the time off and plugged in there in time. Can't wait to see his car! :2thumbs:

[kapracing]

Good stuff...

[MOstang]

:thumbsup:

[E435300_SMPV]

Huge thanks to Brad (NightHawk756) for heads up on this. Nice magazine to add to my SMPV data.

[nighthawk756]

Huge thanks to Brad (NightHawk756) for heads up on this. Nice magazine to add to my SMPV data.

You're very welcome Ken! It went to the right person. :2thumbs: