DC's '85 Utah SSP resto thread
 

Hey guys, I hope you don't mind, I'm going to start a new thread here so that the "New Member" thread doesn't keep getting bumped.

Car Info (as much as I know):
1985 Utah SSP Mustang (5/85 build)
VIN # 1FABP26MXFF206805

For Brian:
Sorry, I could not get the small buck tag off of the car. The screw angle in relation to the front clip is pretty awkward. So I tried to take some better pics for you with the tag still attached..

http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/k...l172008005.jpg

http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/k...l172008003.jpg

Large buck tag:

http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/k...l172008004.jpg

Small tag reads:

DSO 76-0057 UTAH
SPECIAL SERVICE PKG.

Large tag reads:

MUSTANG
206805 66B M 0006 (the 6 is cut off in the pic, my photo skills suck)
9L DF ST
SK AC 02 HB
MBW 01
Y 02 1 X 1

And that's what I have for right now.

That's a great pic. Yours actually list Utah on the tag. Some of the other cars with the small tag do not list the State on there. http://www.specialservicemustang.net...ead.php?t=1043

No biggie starting a new thread.

Excellent info, Doug, especially so since we were just discussing the smaller buck tags.

A member from 4-eyed pride recently sent me a set of tags from an '85 OSP car he grabbed from a totalled car in a junk yard, which I recently posted pics of.

So, we are seeing two separate tags for special-paint cars from inception (1982 CHP cars), but it appears that the solid color cars may have only received one. There have been a few early '85s (solid color, non-special paint) surfacing with these smaller tags, while later '85s are popping up with the typical, two full-sized tags. Still too early to call this solved, but the more we find and document like this, the closer we are.

This has been bothering me since I first bought my '83 CSP car. The car is still in original paint, down to the date stamps in yellow underhood and in the trunk, yet has only one bucktag, and no signs of there ever being another.

When you say early, are you speaking of actual time? If I'm not mistaken, (and I probably am :headscratch: ) May is getting fairly close to the end of the production year, isn't it?

You aren't mistaken...what I wrote was misleading. You got me there. :)

Earlier VIN numbers. 206XXX (your UHP and the 2 OSPs) versus the other full size tag in the the 234XXX range. I'm still waiting on several guys to get back to me with VINs and pics of tags on their '85s for comparison.

Mike, thank you for your patience with me. :) I hope my doesn't explode with all the stuff I'm going to learn during this project. :)

Went to go start the old girl this evening, and no love. (been sitting for eight years) I have lights (all lights still work :) ) but when I turn the key, nothing. No clicking, just nothing. I tried cranking it with the headlights on when it got dark, but it looks as if there is no current draw when I turn the key. Guess I'll be doing some troubleshooting tomorrow. :yes:

Notice anything different? :D
http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/k...l192008006.jpg

http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/k...l192008007.jpg

Got her started, and mover her around a bit. I need to chase down a gremlin between the starter switch and solenoid, and the water pump is kaput, but she fired right up. Pretty amazing, since the car has been parked since '00.

Nice. :thumbsup:

Quick question for you guys...

Were SSP Mustangs only relegated to Highway Patrol service, or did local agencies acquire them also? .org info states that 25 SSP Mustangs were sent to Utah in 1985, and I'm wondering if there is a way to find out how they were alloted, if that makes sense..

Yes local agencies used them also. Just not as much.

would those be included in the actual number of SSP's sent, or would they fall under a different category of car? (non SSP)

Sometimes local police would piggyback orders with the larger state police. This not factual but an example Utah order 25 for '85 needed only 20 and the remaining 5 is used for a local agency.

Doug are you thinking that your Utah car was used by a local agency?

Also not everything on .org has been documented and may be subject to change.

Brian, thank you for your replies :cool: I really don't know whether it was or not, but I was just thinking about the allotment of the cars when they were ordered. The area in which I live may have justified the use of one (or more) of these vehicles. The county is quite large, in terms of square miles, and the weather is pretty much suited for this type of vehicle. I'm wondering if maybe our local Sherrif's office might have used one or two. ( I know we have a couple of the new Chargers :D )

Doug,

Pretty much any agency could order as many as they wanted. As Brian mentioned, some agencies piggybacked orders or took leftovers from the state orders, but individual agencies could order at will.

Hey Mike!

But if a different agency ordered the car, would it still be tagged as an SSP? ( which may or may not change the total # of SSP's sent to Utah, for example )

Yep.....any police agency (and some governmental, non LEO ones, for example) that were able to order them would have received the same cars as the state agencies, save for the differences in individual options ordered.

Also...Charles Ricks put those usuage numbers posted on .org together. The "25" means that he contacted the UHP, and they told him that they ordered 25 for their use that year. Some of the numbers posted are spot-on, and others are not so accurate, or are missing altogether. I don't think that it's been updated in awhile, either.

Mike, thank you very much for that info!

Okay, so, now how do I go about identifying where the car may have been used? Could I just call the UHP or my local Sherrifs dept. (maybe a records division) with the vin # ?

You are certainly welcome.

As for the usage of your particular car....welcome to the fun! Seriously, though, it can be challenging to figure out when, where, etc a particular car served. Carfax may be of help, contacting the agency and asking is certainly another way to go.

I found out the history of my CO car by contacting the trooper who drove it in-service (after finding his business card under the rear seat). Also, several members recently found out their FHP unit numbers after checking with the DSHMV in FL for traffic crash records (which list the tag numbers..which are the unit numbers, and the trooper driving), after we had a similar discussion here.

There are many ways to start, and with a little luck, and a lot of determination, you have a good chance of finding what you're looking for.

Thank you, sir! I guess I better put my sleuthing skills (haha) to work! I'm pretty excited, I hope I can find the history behind this car. :)

See if you can do a title history on the car and that should give you a large clue as to who owned it first.

carfax is a bust :(

Date: Mileage: Source: Comments:
05/21/1985 NICB Vehicle manufactured
and shipped to original dealer

11/04/1991 45,834 Utah
Motor Vehicle Dept.
Marysvale, UT
Title #5043784 EXCEEDS MECHANICAL LIMITS TITLE ISSUED

CARFAX Advisor™
An EML title is issued when the owner discloses an odometer rollover to a DMV. Rollovers occur on vehicles with 5-digit odometers that go from 99,999 to 00,000 every 100,000 miles.

Mileage reported after this reading is potentially unreliable.
11/05/1999 Utah
Motor Vehicle Dept.
Enterprise, UT
Title #9188152 Title or registration issued

^^ My registration

EXCEPT there was only one other registration before ours. Does the state not register vehicles? ('85-'91)

That's a good starting point, with the second owner's title number on there. Most cars that came out of service have similar Carfax reports. On face value, it looks like your car was in-service from '85-'91.

Mike, what can I do with the other title number?

http://www.dmv.utah.gov/privacy.html
For use in research activities and for use in producing statistical reports, so long as the personal information is not published, re-disclosed or used to contact individuals.

Like Matt suggested, you can try a title search. It depends on Utah's laws/policies for record storage/release of info, but you may be able to find the person who originally bought your car at auction, for research purposes, using that title number. Some states keep copies of the original titles on microfiche, and you also may be able to find the title number (or a copy) of the original title from UHP using that second title number.

EDIT. Brian beat me to it. :)

Brian, that is awesome! Thank you! You guys are the best, thank you!

That is what I did with my '86 FHP, found the owner who bought it at auction.

Utah does not mention anything about a cutoff on the years going back, it's worth a shot either way.

Also, I pulled the bottom back seat out and lifted the carpet this afternoon, and the little plastic "pouch" that I assume held the build sheet was empty. Oh well...

No pouches that I have ever seen. Have you checked behind the rear trim panels? (the ones on either side of the rear seat, with the built-in armrests) I have found 3 in cars, taped up on either side (driver or passenger, inside the trim).

Here is one from the buildsheet section on the site, still taped in place when I found it.

http://www.specialservicemustang.net...82chpbuild.jpg

I did not check there, but I sure will :D I'll take a pic of what I'm talking about probably not tomorrow or Thursday because I'm busy those two nights, but I should have something on Friday. It's not a "pouch" pouch, but more of a plastic baggie type thing. It looks like it would hold some such item.

Check the carpet behind the front seats too. Bad thing about them being there, they're usually stuck there forever.

Will do. :cool: I hope that's not the case.. unless I can at least photograph it.

That is where mine was and all I could do is take a picture (look on my photobucket). Also after you find a name on the owner(s) of your car, you can find their address and or phone number by going to Zabasearch.com. That is a public search engine.

this is a pic of what I thought was pouch at first glance, but it just appears to be some backing. Hopefully Sunday, I'll have some time to pull the carpet and look for my build sheet :)

http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/k...pril252008.jpg