1982 CHP Mustang E870255
 

I wonder whatever happened to CHP E870255? Below is a picture of it, taken on February 21, 1984 at about 1 pm in the afternoon, on a very windy day. The location is in the Los Banos CHP area, on I-5 about 23 miles South of Highway 152. I am the CHP officer in the photo (age 27); this Mustang was my assigned vehicle. It was assigned to me in 1983, early in its career with the CHP. In this photo it has about 60,000 miles. Within a few months it had reached 70,000 miles, which in those days was when CHP took them off the road and sold them at auction. I was then assigned a new 1984 SSP Mustang.

I have often wondered whatever happened to E870255; it was a good car. I drove it fast, but never beat it up or was involved in any collisions and it was meticulously maintained. Everything we did in the Los Banos area was high speed; we covered a huge area consisting of parts of 3 counties. You could get an emergency call and it would be 70 miles away. Even at 120 MPH it still takes more than 30 minutes to get there. I drove this vehicle in more than one high-speed pursuit. Even with the 4-speed manual transmission it was no problem to manage driving, shifting, and using the radio because once the pursuit started in a wide-open area like this it was all high-speed in top gear. My favorite was one day just before noon I was pulling out of a roadside restaraunt East of Los Banos on State Highway 152, with a large to-go cup of coffee, ready to check the beat. I spotted a vehicle that caught my attention; I don't remember why but the important part is I turned on the red spotlight and attempted to make a stop. Instead the driver accelerated to 100 MPH and the chase was on. That chase went all the way into the Fresno area (about 65 miles), where additional units joined, and ended when the driver finally figured out he wasn't going to get away and just pulled over and surrendered. Turned out he had a high-bail warrant and just didn't want to talk to me that day. The best thing about this: 1)Nobody crashed and nobody got hurt, 2) I finished that large coffee and never spilled one drop!

Top speed for E870255 on level ground was 120 MPH. The top speed for the new 84 assigned to me was 137 MPH. E870255 was completely reliable, never broke down, and all the miles were highway miles. It was in perfect operating condition when turned in. Somebody got a good car. I probably could have bought it at auction but back then I just wasn't really thinking about it. Now I occasionally wonder what ever happened to it. If anyone out there has this vehicle and wants to know anything more about it, post here and let me know.

Interesting story. Nice pic. Thanks for sharing. That would be awsome if someone came forward with info on the car.

Great pic, Steve and awesome story. Welcome to the site!

You never know - someone may surface with it sooner or later. I know that many of us with we could make contact like this, but the odds are just not in our favor given that most paperwork, etc. has been purged.

Good luck with reuniting with it. :D

Steve, welcome to the site. Thanks for sharing your story and picture of the car! I hope your old car turns up and finds its way into your garage.

Welcome , Steve... Great story and picture! any other pics???
Best of luck on your search... That's part of the fun in this hobby.:yes:

Thanks and More Information
 

Thanks, everyone for the welcome and encouragement. I have at least one other picture of this vehicle somewhere; when I find it I'll scan it and post. The pics were taken by the trucker who owned the big rig visible in the background.

If I ever found this vehicle and it was for sale I'd buy it and restore it, but if just for someone who had it and restored it I thought the picture and history would be useful. That's why I posted here when I ran across this forum one evening.

The Mustangs were a very fun and cool time in CHP history. They were used mostly in rural areas where high-speed operations and lots of miles per shift were typical. The lack of a push bumper on the front rendered them useless for pushing cars, which is a must on congested urban freeways. Most CHP area offices had at least one and they were highly coveted to drive. Los Banos area had several and I was fortunate to have an assigned Mustang the entire time I was there.

The 82 was fast but was not a muscle car. With the two-barrel carb it didn't have that extra kick when floored, so off the line it would accelerate fast through the gears but didn't have the extra punch. The 84 did, with different gearing (the 5th speed being overdrive), the 4 barrel, and additional horsepower. The 84 was a musclecar. The 82 was still fast and fun and I really enjoyed it.

The thing about driving these cars at high speed was you had to really pay attention and hang on to the steering wheel. Being so light and with a short wheelbase, they were much less stable than the big 440 Dodges (Dodge Monaco and Plymouth Satellite) used before the Mustangs and the Dodge Diplomats replaced them. The effects of cracks, potholes, discontinuities, irregularities in the roadway were magnified and would substantially affect stability at high speed. I believe the later Mustangs had improvements to the suspension to improve this but I can't say from experience as the 84 was the last one I drove.

As you can tell, I like talking about this and I believe the Mustang era was a unique time in the history of CHP and law enforcement vehicles. If you have any questions I'll answer them if I can.

Welcome
 

Great stories to read and thanks for sharing them. It is these recollections and experiences that really add to this hobby niche. Welcome to the forum and I hope someone has info on one of your old SSPs.

Steve, welcome aboard. I'm the proud owner of an '82 CHP Mustang that I picked up last summer. It's unit # was 0567. Does that ring a bell? I've been trying to find out as much about it as I can. It was retired and stayed in the Sacramento area for a while before moving to Colorado and changing hands a couple more times before I got it from a retired trooper friend. He painted it back to black & white from the yellow it had retired to. So, I'm working on a full restoration. Money's tight, so it's going to take a while.

I love your stories. Let's keep in touch. You're the first CHP officer I've encountered that drove the '82. I'll be waiting for the other photo. If you can tell us about any other details of the car, that would be great. Was there a variation in equipment for the '82s? Mine doesn't have the holes in the center of the dash by the heater and a/c controls for the bracket that held the mics and the top of the shotgun mount.

You'll find my car's thread under the 1982-1986 section.

Greg

I didn't see the edit button to edit my post. Sorry, but I miss-spoke, my car's thread is in the Welcome section here... http://www.specialservicemustang.net...ead.php?t=2950

You will find a couple other posts in this 1982-1986 section about my car.

I'm going out to do a little work on it now. :)

Greg

Steve,

Welcome to the site. Good luck on locating the 82' and we'll keep an eye out for it. Thanks for sharing the story and photo.

Mike

Hi Greg,

I don't know anything about 0567. The only reason I remember 870255's number specifically is because I wrote all that info on the back of the photo.

Now about the 82 Mustangs, as I recall all of the units on patrol duty were configured the same way. They had the bracket mounted to the dash that held the shotgun, the radio and PA mics, plus a metal plate on the far left with a clip on it to hold a small notepad (about 4"x5"). That note pad was very handy for writing something down while driving. This was the same setup as used in the other patrol vehicles in CHP use at the time, the Dodge Diplomat. It is possible that some of the Mustangs were used for other activites, perhaps in Sacramento HQ or a Division HQ and did not have the shotgun mount and this bracket. That could explain the absence of dash mounting holes.

Patrol Mustangs were all slicktops (no lights or light bars mounted on the roof), and they had a red spotlight on the driver's side, with the white spotlight on the passenger's side. The red spotlight was controlled by the switch on it's control/aiming arm. The white spotlight had a switch on its control arm, and it also could be turned on by a remote rocker switch mounted on the emergency equipment control head. This was useful because it was not practical to operate the white spotlight from the driver's side. So I would leave the spotlight switch on and just use the remote. During hours of darkness I would tilt the white spotlight up and forward and position it aimed at the height of a vehicle rear window, at about the typical distance between cars on a stop. The spotlight would be left in that position. Then when making a car stop, As I pulled in behind the other vehicle I would reach down and hit the remote switch, turning on the light. Using the spot of light as a guide, I would simply position the Mustang so the light was shining where I wanted it and stopped in that position. Never had to touch the spotlight control arm itself.

On the rear deck, the driver's side as I recall, were two rear facing floodlights, one red and one amber. The red light burned steadily when on, the amber flashed. These were controlled by rocker switches on the same panel as the white spotlight remote. The amber warning light, the "porch light" as we used to call it, was used mostly while driving at high speed or other emergency situations to let other drivers know you were doing something official, really a courtesy light. It was also originally intended in all patrol cars to be used as a warning light when you were stopped on the road but after a number of tragedies where drunk drivers crashed into stopped patrol cars on the freeway CHP did a study and figured out that something about that flashing amber light attracted drunks like moths to a flame. From then on it was recommended on a car stop not to use the flashing amber but instead shut it off and use only the car's normal emergency flashers (tail lights).That's why you would see so many CHP units on car stops on the freeway with only tail lights on or tail lights flashing. No flashing amber to the rear.

The red floodlight was supposed to function like a stop sign, meaning when you turned it on approaching traffic was supposed to stop. But nobody ever used it for that purpose because motorists didn't understand that and so it didn't work. The only time I (or anyone else I knew) ever used it when I was at an accident scene that was a hazard to approaching traffic and I had to quickly get all the lights I could facing to the rear to warn approaching traffic until I could get flares down or more units would arrive. You might have even seen a slicktop at an accident scene with the red spotlight turned to the rear; that was to get as many warning as possible facing oncoming traffic.

That was one limitation of slicktops (and so the Mustangs) in general; not much in the way of warning lights, unlike cars with the lightbars. Cars with lightbars also had both spotlights white, which was an advantage. But I wouldn't have trade the Mustang for any car with a lightbar; the Mustang was just too much fun.

870255 also had a multi-channel scanner mounted on the floor transmission hump, behind the radio and emergency equipment control head. This was something CHP did only that year, maybe as an experiment, I don't know. I don't know if this was just for rural areas, or all of them had it. I programmed it to monitor various frequencies, including the CB Truckers channel. And man, was that an eye opener! It didn't matter where I was, any time I got within binocular's distance of Interstate 5 the truckers knew it for 20 miles in all directions. Truckers exchange so much information; they know what's going on. It is a good thing, because if there is an accident ahead, they know to be cautious, slow down, and deal with it, even in the worst conditions. Or if something else is going on they can help, and they do.

I remember the time truckers helped me out, catching a reckless driver on I5 who had certainly stressed out and endangered quite a few other drivers before I spotted him. It was daytime, the roadway was wet from an earlier rain, and I had just pulled into a rest stop. I observed a vehicle pass by at a very high rate of speed and by the time I got 870255 rolling and past several other vehicles trying to get onto I5 in front of me the reckless vehicle was way ahead. I accelerated to 90, but the vehicle was pulling away fast. 95, still pulling away. Then 100. At 100 it was still pulling away; this guy had to be doing at least 115, and using all both lanes to thread his way through traffic. With a wet roadway, and a light rain adding more, I was not going to exceed 100 MPH. Maybe I wouldn't catch him after all, but I did not want to pose a danger to other vehicles myself just to catch this guy. I put it out on the radio, hoping there was another CHP unit or another agency closer, but this was in the middle of nowhere. Nobody else was within 30 miles...except for the truckers. They must have been talking about this guy and when they saw me going after him, they put it out on the CB. Two big rigs ahead positioned themselves side by side, blocking both lanes. The subject vehicle was forced to slow down as it reached them, and I was on it within seconds. Stop made, reckless idiot removed from the roadway, mission accomplished. If I would have had a CB I would have broadcast a huge thank you to those truckers, but I am sure they knew it anyway.

Hope everyone doesn't mind the story; if you don't like it blame Greg...he said he liked them!

We like 'em....keep 'em coming!

Hi Steve,
I just wanted to include another welcome from an '82 owner, E870366(as well as a '70). Good luck on your search and keep the stories coming.

Picture coming Tomorrow
 

Thanks again, really for the welcome and I hope the information and perspective I can provide is useful and interesting to members of this forum.

I found another one of the pics in the series of photos taken of the 82 Mustang at the same time the first one I posted was taken. The photos got separated over the years and mixed in with boxes of other old pictures I have been going through to find them. I'll scan and post it tomorrow; it is a clear shot of the the car itself.

In those days it was ten years before digital cameras and cell phones were available, and CD technology was still a newfangled thing. All that exists now are a few film prints from that time. It's time I find and scan them all so they will achieve digital immortality regardless of what happens to the old prints!

Steve,

With your permission, I'd like to add the pics of your car to our in-service CHP gallery, located here: http://www.specialservicemustang.net/Gallery/CA.htm

Also, if you get a chance, could you take a look at the CHP Resto doc located here: http://www.specialservicemustang.net/CHP.htm

Any input that you can provide there that we might have missed would also be greatly appreciated.

I was at the show this weekend and only on the site via my phone, but I truly enjoyed your posts (and the pic) and I'm very glad you stumbled upon our site.

Great stories Steve. Thanks for sharing!

Another Photo of 870255
 

Here is another photo I located of 82 Mustang 870255. It was taken on the same occasion as the first one I posted. By the way, I should note that the correct number for this vehicle is actually 255,not 225 as I had originally recalled. 27 years will do that to your memory! In the interest of accuracy, Mike has corrected this throughout this thread.

A couple of interesting things for restorers; note the antenna mount. I have seen some discussion over the types used. Also, note the hook mounted on the driver's side edge of the roof. This was to hold the antenna if you wanted to bend it forward in an arc. I never did it, I didn't care for the look, a personal preference. I don't recall seeing that done more than a couple of times on any cars.

The passenger seat top and headrest look dark because I had my jacket draped on it; this was typical practice in cool weather because it kept the jacket close and available from the passenger side if you were going to be out of the car for a while, yet kept it from falling on the floor and getting dirty.

The mud on the side behind the front tire was from driving through the center divider of the highway to turn around. At that time, in February, the dirt center divider was wet and this would happen. That could probably be photoshopped out to give a perfect view of the Mustang.

Mike, you can use any of the photos as you like. I have TIFF format versions of them (lossless format) that I can email you if you want.

When I have time I'll check on the that list you wanted me to look at.

Keep it coming, Steve!! Thanks for the photos.

I cleaned up my instrument cluster this weekend and replaced ALL 10 bulbs. One was out, so I replaced them all since they're a little more work than the others. Also cleaned up the cluster surround trim piece. Those vents were dirty!

Little by little, I'm making progress on mine.

Greg

That is a fantastic picture! Being a huge fan of the '82's in particular, I really appreciate you sharing some of your thoughts and experiences while driving one.

More Info
 

Some of you may be curious about transportation of prisoners using the Mustangs. The Mustangs did not have wire mesh screens behind the driver's seat as you may have seen in other patrol cars. It would not have been practical to try to put anyone in the small back seat. With the Mustang, the subject (handcuffed) would be placed in the passenger seat, then wrist-wrapped with the seat belt. Wrist-wrap means the hands, handcuffed behind the subject's back, are brought to the right side (toward the door) and the buckle of the waist and shoulder strap is physically wrapped around the hands. It then goes across the subject's body in front and connects into the latch near the console, as it would normally do. I always preferred, in whatever car I drove in my career, to transport arrestees this way because I could keep an eye on them and wrist-wrapped and secured there wasn't much they could do if they were really unhappy but holler and maybe spit at you. To deal with that, I kept several large paper shopping bags in the trunk. If I had someone who was giving me a hard time, I would simply explain to them that they were going to be treated exactly as they acted. If they acted like a civilized human being, they would be treated accordingly. If they chose to act like an animal, that could also be accommodated. The shopping bags were for spitters; a shopping bag placed over the head renders that tactic useless. I only had to take a bag out, display it, and explain how it would be used and that always took care of any potential problem. Never actually had to use it.

870255 handled its share of arrestees; in a wide-open area like that, where you could be miles from the nearest civilization and backup you had to be prepared to do everything by yourself. You could not afford to lose control and let anything get out of hand or you could be in real trouble.

One summer evening, well after dark, I was patrolling on a two-lane state route when I came up behind a vehicle that was driving slower than normal and weaving, occasionally crossing the lines on both sides. I couldn't see much other than to observe there were numerous subjects in the vehicle, but it seemed very likely the driver was impaired. It was several miles to the nearest town, and I would have preferred to just follow this vehicle into town and make the stop in a well-lighted area where there was plenty of room. But I couldn't; this guy was driving so badly there was a chance he'd drift over the center line and take somebody out head-on, or go so far to the right he would roll down off the raised roadway and crash. I had to get him stopped. As soon as we got to a place that had some, if not much, shoulder area, I activated the red spotlight and flashing hi-beam headlights and managed to get the vehicle stopped. I made my approach on the driver's side and smelled the unmistakable odor of alcohol as I made contact. I also observed three other subjects in the vehicle that looked as though they were in a similar condition. I got the driver out and to the rear near my car. He was obviously seriously intoxicated; he was disoriented and confused as though things were happening too fast for him to process. Then I noticed the passenger's door starting to open as though he was going to come out. This I did not want; the situation was deteriorating rapidly. I quickly handcuffed the driver, searched him, and wrist-wrapped him into the Mustang. I went back to the driver's side, reached in and took the keys, then got back into my car. On the PA speaker I told the passengers to get out and start walking, then put 870255 in gear and took off like a bat out of hell before they even had a chance to all get out. The next day the vehicle was still there, minus its passengers. I think the long walk might have done them some good, maybe it helped them sober up.

As for the driver, he got to ride in an SSP Mustang! I'm certain he didn't fully appreciate it at the time, but now he has something to tell his grandchildren!

Love seeing the latest picture and hearing all the additional tidbits.

I like the paper bag approach! I'll have to put some in my '82 when it's done. :)

I used to use the pull the shirt over the head method. Of course, that was only good if the person was wearing a shirt.

I seriously can't remember ever reading posts like this from someone who drove the early cars, much less an '82. Great stuff!

drooooolllll..........

great pictures, great stories.....thanks for sharing and keep them coming.. !!

Finding an SSP Mustang
 

I have been thinking about how i might find 870255 and I came up with an idea. CHP Motor Transport in Sacramento surely has records of all these vehicles, including the VIN numbers. I believe most, if not all, State DMV records are linked by LE computer systems. If I go to Motor Transport, get the VIN, then run it, if the vehicle is registered it should come up.

I'm going to work on this. Wouldn't that be cool if it was owned by a little old lady who only used it to go to church on Sundays and was in excellent condition?

I'm thinking about posting another story. Either the Twilight Zone story, or perhaps how the SSP Mustangs, like their namesakes, could be used to round up cattle.

If you go there, can you please let us know? Several of us are still looking for our assignment cards. Another LEO (out of state) had mine pulled for #0559 and was kind enough to send me a faxed copy of it. Only problem is that it's mostly illegible. Another CHP employee has looked for it, but I heard it wasn't filed back correctly and couldn't be located? I'm sure it's still there somewhere, and a bunch of other guys would like to have theirs also. Maybe they'd be willing to give you the entire lot of 'em. :)

Imagine how bad it would suck if the car was entered stolen and the originating agency had a locate and contacted you to see if you had the vehicle in your custody.

Yeah...most places will let you run it for a small fee, as long as it's for research purposes (with the appropriate paperwork). It differs in each state, but I figured that's what he meant (since he's retired), not that a friend was going to run it in NCIC (which violates policy and shouldn't be done).

I've seen LEEDS being used for that in the past when cars are being checked out for disposal which is borderline in my mind but is a good historical research tool not so much for checking for a current owner. I thought that California DMV had some tie in with emissions checks records and the VIN or tag number so if you get one or the other you might be able to see if the car is still in Cali.

Here is the online link to check smog records:

http://www.smogcheck.ca.gov/mobile/S...searchType=LIC

Unfortunately, the E-plate has been purged. Further, the site will no longer provide plates (current or historical)

Steve, if you can find the car's VIN, then you may be able to get some information on the car from California DMV. Check out this thread:

http://www.specialservicemustang.net...ead.php?t=2676


In terms of going to Motor Transport, you (being retired CHP) may have better access than an out-of-state LEO or civilian to the Assignment Cards. I think many of the Mustang cards have been tossed, but some still remain. The source I've used in the past has about a 17% success rate in finding the original cards. So the odds aren't great, but it's possible. As a reference, here is a copy of mine (with the VIN removed):

http://www.mustangcollective.com/ima...d3e779bb24.jpg
http://www.mustangcollective.com/ima...aa52b7c2ce.jpg


If you can gain access to the Assignemnt Cards, it would be great if they would allow you to search through them to find all of ones for Mustangs (listed on the front of the card under "BODY") and pull those. That way they could refer any future inquiries to you rather than wasting time looking through them. I have seen the following years with these prefix numbers ahead of the unit number:

1982 E85_ _ _ _
1982 E87_ _ _ _
1984 E??_ _ _ _
1985 E40_ _ _ _
1986 E41_ _ _ _
1987 E42_ _ _ _
1988 E43_ _ _ _
1989 E??_ _ _ _
1990 E88_ _ _ _
1991 E38_ _ _ _
1992 E40_ _ _ _
1993 E89_ _ _ _

I've also seen exceptions to the above prefixes, but that's a general listing. If you can gain access to all of the cards, then let us know. I suspect that we could locate a member or two that would be willing to assist you in your efforts.

Well, that's what I was trying to indirectly get to.

When I started with the state, every Trooper had to be LEADS certified in case there was no dispatcher and you had to 'sit desk'. Using LEADS, NCIC, etc for non-official use is a major violation and miss use could result in the loss of your terminal. I don't know anything about agencies running something for a small fee. OSP was overly anal about everything. They'd probably put someone in jail for accepting a fee at the post to run something.

I think the important point here is, I don't want someone to get the idea that they can get their buddy Joe Cop to run something, and then have that officer get in a jamb trying to help someone out.

I have to admit though, if I wasn't retired, I'd be having a field day doing my 'own' research.

All good information and ideas and you are right, unlawful access to NCIC is a no-no. I wasn't suggesting anyone do anything wrong or get someone else in trouble.

I'll see what more I can find out. If I can help anyone else with records, I'll do so.

Thanks much for coming up on this forum and sharing your experiences Steve. The history you are providing is beyond valuable and will live on with these cars. :cool:

I think you're on the right track with starting your research at Motor Transport. They were very helpful to me and I think they will be receptive to your inquiries, esp. if they would let you do the footwork with the records in lieu of them expending the effort.

My car spent it's entire service life in the Valley. First two years down in Bakersfield where surely it was no stranger to I-5 then almost 10 years back at the Academy as a training vehicle. It was sold still in its (mostly) original B & W finish. From the scratches I could make out on the deck lid, it was outfitted with a mag mount antenna which I'm told was used with a CB. Here are a couple of small in-service pics of one with a similar setup:

http://images22.fotki.com/v813/photo...60/chp2-vi.gif

http://images21.fotki.com/v840/photo...60/chp3-vi.gif

Steve - does the office location in these photos look at all familiar to you?

I also spent a ton of time in the early-mid '80s driving between the Bay Area and Fresno right through the Los Banos area. I have vivid memories of the Mustangs from your office and how I had to really work to keep from getting nabbed for speeding on those long and desolate streches of 152 that I mostly drove late night. Good thing I had young eyes back then and a thorough recognition of the forward light signatures for the Mustangs and Dips...saved me everytime! ;)

Well, I did receive a novel warning one night around the fall of '84. I was headed east just past the Dos Palos exit at about 70-75 when I caught a vehicle quickly entering the roadway about a mile back. In short order I recognized it was a smaller car and slowed right down to 65 then ducked into the slow lane at 60 as I could confirm it was a indeed Mustang as it closed in. The officer came up on me slowly in the #1, paused alongside as he passed and gave a quick on and off of the ruby right in my direction then he floored it into the night. I'll never forget that move and haven't seen it used since. Was that one you used?

Same here....we had to originally be FCIC/NCIC certified (with it I worked OT in the Comm Center when they were extremely short) and misuse was a big no-no. Eventually, everyone had to be certified when we went to laptops in the cars.

Many state DMVs will run them for a fee...NOT individual officers or offices. We did do inspections for compliance and collect fees ($8 "fix-it" tickets), but we'd only fill out the form and send them to the courthouse to take care of the fines.

Here is a link to FL's form, as an example (with their fee schedule):

http://www.flhsmv.gov/dmv/forms/BTR/85054.pdf

We know...we got you covered. :)

Any help you could throw our way would be greatly appreciated!

Hello Mac88,

Can't say for sure where that CHP area office is, but the carports look much like those in the back of the Los Banos office.

When you mention Highway 152 East of Los Banos and Dos Palos it brings back lots of memories. Having driven through there, you know how wide open and vast that area is. I (and 870255) spent most of our time out that way. I used to cover that entire area, East to the Madera County line, plus Highway 33 South through Firebaugh all the way to Mendota.

Occasionally we would work on Interstate 5 or on the West side of Highway 152, from the Santa Clara County line at Dinosaur Point to Los Banos. It depended on how many units were available that shift. They tried to have at least 4 for the area on day shift. There was one day shift where I was the only unit 10-8 for the entire area because of court, vacation, and illness.

It was a very different place from the urban areas and because of the Mustangs it was special. In looking back I remember it as one of the most enjoyable experiences I had.

Mac, regarding the red spotlight "warning', yes, that was one way to do it. Another way was to just pull up alongside and match the speed of another vehicle, and look over and give a nod. Or if someone was speeding but not enough for a cite pull up alongside and match their speed until they slow down, at which time you give the driver a stern look then accelerate away. All ways of giving a "white-door warning". I'm sure Mike and others in LE in this forum know all about these.

Glad you like the paper bag technique. If you put some in the trunk of your '82 it will be a great conversation piece when you show it!

A Mustang Story
 

In a way not completely unlike their namesake an SSP Mustang could be tamed and used to manage cattle, harkening back to the days of the Old West...

One early morning while patrolling I was dispatched to Interstate 5 to check on a report of livestock on the roadway. Interstate highways are fenced on both sides to restrict access and especially in rural areas where livestock graze it is especially critical. Colliding at 65 mph with livestock will ruin your whole day.

Overnight a vehicle had gone off the roadway, through the wide shoulder area, and taken out about 50 feet of barbed-wire fencing. Probably someone fell asleep; lucky they didn't roll over which happened frequently. They were long gone and so only the physical evidence and damaged fencing remained to tell their story. Some nearby livestock had taken advantage of the opportunity to sample the grass on the freeway side of the fence and several of them were grazing about a hundred feet from the breach in the fence. I reported the damage and advised dispatch to contact CalTrans to get a repair crew out asap, then went to work on getting those cows back onto their side before they decided the grass in the center divider looked even better. Using 870255's siren and PA system and with some deft maneuvering I was able to safely herd them all along the shoulder then back onto their side. CalTrans soon arrived and took over and the safety of the motoring public was restored; the Mustang had done its job.

With a wave and a hearty "heigh-ho Silver!", I put 870255 in gear and we accelerated into the traffic lane, looking ahead to the next adventure...

alright, I added the "heigh-ho Silver' part for effect. But the rest of the story is absolutely true :-)