Steve, a really touching story of a man in search of his lost stallion....

I think we got the story line, might even have a video guy that could produce this too!

I admire your determination to get this done. I look forward to a positive end for this story, then again, it seems that you will continue to seek out the cars that you've driven. As a police car historian, this is a great story and should be a real nice restoration when you are done no matter what.

Good luck on your search and hopefully your journey getting there is pleasant!

If the body is gone but you can get the engine (and you dont want to create another car around the engine), you can do a full resto on the engine, then paint an engine stand black/white along with smaller than normal "highway patrol" decals on and the cars # brushed on it, and take that to shows (it would be very interesting, at least I think it would be:yes: ) as it is what is left of an actual 82 CHP. That would be a nice way (along with stories :) ) to preserve what is left of the car:thumbsup: . Thats my idea for the motor.

870255 Officially Dead
 

It is time to declare 870255 officially deceased. It was an organ donor, with it's engine residing in a nondescript 82 Mustang, but the rest is gone forever.
There's really nothing more I can do about it. I have exhausted all possibilities.

Sorry Steve. At least its engine and stories are going strong. Thank you again for sharing.

That is sad news on the '82.... any leads on the '84?

Steve, it's like losing a family member.. i do feel for you. How about '84?

Thanks for those in service stories, it truly inspires me!

Thanks everyone, again for the encouragement and moral support. My next stop will again be motor transport, in an attempt to see if the replacement vehicle listed on 870255's assignment card just might be that 84 I was assigned in Los Banos. If so, and I can get its VIN, I'll look for it. I have some other information requests to work on and next time I go by the Los Banos area office I certainly will stop in and get some info there for Wolfe.

What makes me saddest of all is the thought that 870255 met such an inglorious end. Ended up in the hands of owners who never appreciated or cared what it was or about its history. It was just another pony car to them that they rode hard and put away wet. Could have done that with any generic fast car. They were careless with something of value that could have been a museum exhibit. I was even thinking, after full restoration and showing the vehicle for years, of donating it to a museum, like the CHP Museum at the Academy, when I got too old to do anything more with it. Now that will never happen.

Best wishes on your search for another one. Sounds like you had some real nice plans for the one with the unenviable end...unfortunately many SSPs and old police cars have met a similar unglamorous ending, I'm afraid. Like you said from people who just didn't know, or appreciate, or care, what they had. :headscratch: :banginghead:

Yes, it's sad but true that way too many of these old ponies were driven to death by folks that just viewed them as cheap speed once they completed their primary purpose in life. The alarming attrition rate observed for these cars was one of the factors that gave impetus to the formation of the original SSP interest group in the late nineties. One of the goals formulated was to ensure the history and documentation of the breed was saved with the second to provide encouragement and to facilitate the preservation of as many actual examples as possible for posterity.

That work is being carried on right here and elsewhere and to that end, I hope you'll join in and find a special unit out there that you can call your own and ultimately contribute your part to this cause. I spent 2 years finding the right car, 5 years hunting down parts and restoring it and the last 5 years showing and sharing it and have never had more fun or learned more things in my life.