Texas fender/trunk lid lettering existed pre-1993

[Cobra Jet]

Originally Posted by ImEvil1

DPS went to the fender lettering starting around 1993. Your pics show that at least several vehicles were run as slick-tops with the fender lettering.

Are these '90 models or 93 models without lightbars? Impossible to tell from the pics.

Variations exist, and sometimes agencies put newer decals on cars that were already in service. Here's an example from FHP in the mid-late 90s. http://www.specialservicemustang.net...P813in1999.jpg

FHP put trunk lettering on the S FL cars. I saw some of these go through the auction, while at the same time, the cars up north, both in-service and at the auction, didn't have these.

My '93 FHP never had these and won't if I ever mark it back up.

While I will agree model year in the (2) images is hard to determine, but if going by the "Agency Restoration Doc", then there are inconsistencies where the doc needs to be modified to accept those inconsistencies, rather than putting it forward as "facts" when people are trying to restore these vehicles "to the doc".

I'm in no way trying to start any argument, but if we're going by the TX Agency Doc, was TX also putting A-pillar spot lights on the 93's? According to the doc again 93's wouldn't have spots, however the vehicles in the images have the spots too. And as stated earlier, the "Highway Patrol" door decal lettering would also be inconsistent with the doc where it's stating that "Highway Patrol" would be at the top of the door rather than at the belt line IF those were 93's in the images.

I guess what I'm trying to understand and point out is that the Agency Resto Doc is stating "specifics" as facts, when the findings of period photos are showing otherwise.

IMO, the doc should be amended in those sections so there is awareness there are and can be inconsistencies, rather than how it's currently written. I only ask this so that if others in the future are searching for resto help and just hitting the doc rather than searching these forums, then at least the doc is more accurate based on new findings.

[ImEvil1]

The agency docs are a guideline. If followed, any cars restored using them would be considered correct.

There's absolutely no way, barring in-service photos of any given car someone is attempting to restore, to do so with the level of "correctness" you are attempting to impose. I''ll argue that even an in-service photo of a particular car isn't the standard, either, as they sometimes changed during their service lives and any given photo is just a snap-shot of the car at that particular point in time.

Many of these cars were crashed in-service, repaired, and put back into service. Variations exist.

BTW...these docs don't really exist anywhere else. Please utilize them as they were intended and appreciate them for what they are. My .02c.