Copcarsonline Open House in Largo FL, Sat, Nov 6th

[ImEvil1]

Originally Posted by CNTLOSE

The FHP SSP was mine and Doug's (FHP0739) before me. It should not have any deck lights as they were not ran on them until around 1990...this car is a 1988. So if your car is a 1989 you more than likely should not have any deck lights. Check for the holes in the rear deck and that should give you your answer...pending it was not used by another agency when retired from the FHP. The one photographed was used by two other agencies after retired by the state.

From two FHP retired Troopers I have spoke with you were allowed to add lights to your car if you wished. So pending the light on the windshield is period correct one might have seen one on a FHP of that era. Each Troop was a little different as one inservice photo shows a red light on the front of a SSP (I believe it is also on a video for True Stories of the Highway Patrol). A retired LT from FHP told me when he was a new Trooper in the mid 80's they were told if they wanted red lights on their car, go join the fire department...so no cars out of their Troop had red lights.

The cars could have had decklights, depending on when/where/how long they were in-service for. MJ's car was more than likely NOT an FHP car.

The adding of equipment back then was frowned upon, and this information is from Troopers that I personally worked with, as well as department policy of the time. Obviously, there were variations, and supervisors who allowed it or weren't as strict in enforcing the policy. The pic below is from 1996.