Advice sought for a B-body: '68 Satellite Unmarked Cop Clone

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cudak888

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Hello fellows:

I realize this is probably better on forbbodiesonly.com, but I'd appreciate the advice of my fellow A-body friends (you fellows convinced me to buy my '69 Valiant, and I don't regret it - in fact, today was the most fun I've ever had driving it!)

That said, I had an interesting experience today - I went to see a fellow in the south end of town to buy his used SBP 14" rims for my Valiant.

Unfortunately, it turned out that the rims were LBP from a '68 Satellite 4-door. However, next to the rims sat the Satellite itself - it is a very accurate clone of an unmarked/undercover '68 Belvedere from our local police department, and - strangely enough - I'd actually seen photos of it on CopCarDotCom's Fotki page and SERIOUSLY lusted after this thing.

I had no idea I'd actually wind up driving right to it today!

Problem is, I'd always thought it was a genuine cruiser, and the owner didn't say it was a clone from a civilian Satellite. I decoded the fender tag as follows:

CAR: Plymouth Belvedere 4 Door Sedan
ENGINE: 318cid 2-bbl V8
TRANSMISSION: 3-Speed Automatic
TIRES: 7.35x14
BUILD DATE: November 07.
AXLE: 2.76 Rear Axle Ratio
INTERIOR: High Trim Grade
PAINT: Monotone Medium Green Metallic Paint.
OTHER: Medium Tan Metallic Upper Door Frame Color.

MOLDINGS:
25: Drip Rail Mouldings
55: Body Side Mouldings
78: Wheel Lip Mouldings

ABC OPTIONS:
A1: 26in Radiator
R1: AM Radio
S1: Air Conditioning
X1: Tinted Glass (all)

abc OPTIONS:
m6: Driver's Outside Remote Operated Mirror

The body side and wheel lip mouldings are long gone. It was put together as a pet project of a vocational auto engineering school, so it's not that bad. Missing headliner, trans pan needs attention, A/C disconnected, needs exhaust. Paint job looks like good paint, but the application has been amateurish. Needs weatherstripping.

He told me he wants $4,000 for it. I was game if it had been an actual RK41 car, but it's an RH41. The police radio, gun rack, and siren are all period pieces; I assume sourced from retired department units. Radio blankoff plate is also in place.

Question is: Would you do $4k for a rough civvie cop car clone? The clone bit kills me, but I realize that the chances of finding the real thing are highly unlikely, and even if I do find one, it'll probably be a marked unit, which I would rather not have (a restored police car makes for a strange and conspicuous daily driver, and I'd constantly have to worry about some idiot trying to remove magnetic covers over the lettering). That said, I'm sorely tempted, even though I have no right to spend $4k right now. It also fits me WAY better than the Valiant, and the coke bottle hips of the '68-70 B-body 4-doors are probably my favorite bit of automotive styling in history.

Advice MUCH appreciated!

-Kurt
 
even though I have no right to spend $4k right now.


that kinda sums it up don't it?

but if you are serious about liking it better then the valiant consider how much that car is worth and see if the seller want to trade

or go to the bank, take out 100 20 dollar bills and go count them in front of the seller, see if he'll take the cash
 
that kinda sums it up don't it?

Mountains can be moved. Just takes a bit more work than it should.

but if you are serious about liking it better then the valiant consider how much that car is worth and see if the seller want to trade

or go to the bank, take out 100 20 dollar bills and go count them in front of the seller, see if he'll take the cash

I really don't have any desire to get rid of the Valiant. It's the best car I own, and a fantastic garage sale-mobile. I already offered it in trade. No dice, the fellow is a GM fan.

Don't you think $2k is actually a bit low for a rust free civvie Belvedere, RK41 clone or otherwise?

-Kurt
 
Don't you think $2k is actually a bit low for a rust free civvie Belvedere, RK41 clone or otherwise?


sure it is
but if you don't want to get rid of the valiant and you don't have the 4Gs hes asking that pile of 20s might be your only option :D
 
Get it if you lusted after it.
Geez in Miami I'd want working AC.
Don't haggle over price just tell him to get the AC working.
Worst he can say is no.
 
Get it if you lusted after it.
Geez in Miami I'd want working AC.
Don't haggle over price just tell him to get the AC working.
Worst he can say is no.

My Valiant doesn't have A/C. Vent windows are just fine for me, and I can't stand the compressor in the way of everything under the hood.

-Kurt
 
Just a note here about the "clone" status-- it might not be a clone. Not all cop cars had a "K" as the second character in the VIN. My A38 package Valiants are not VK41, but rather VL41L6. Also, back about 1976, my dad had a 71 Fury police car, green on green umarked, 440 / 727 / 3.23SG 8.75, had the extra dome lamp, 140 certified speedo, manual fast idle knob under the dash, etc.. I still have an old registration from that car, and the VIN on it was a PH41 prefix.
 
Just a note here about the "clone" status-- it might not be a clone. Not all cop cars had a "K" as the second character in the VIN. My A38 package Valiants are not VK41, but rather VL41L6. Also, back about 1976, my dad had a 71 Fury police car, green on green umarked, 440 / 727 / 3.23SG 8.75, had the extra dome lamp, 140 certified speedo, manual fast idle knob under the dash, etc.. I still have an old registration from that car, and the VIN on it was a PH41 prefix.

Interesting, but it doesn't explain the extra brightwork on the build sheet and radio, both conspicuously gone. It would seem as if someone went through extra trouble to conceal the origins of the car.

I've attached the fender tag. Doesn't seem to have anything that would suggest that this car was ordered specifically for police work.

-Kurt
 

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If it's a car you love and you have the four grand (and it won't cause marital discord), buy it. You only go around once.

Or, if it eases your conscience, go with 27 100 dollar bills or something like that. Its being a clone doesn't seem that big a deal, as it's never going to be a big money car or anything. Where will you find a real one?
 
pictures would help determine if there is 4 grand worth of car there. condition is everything inside and out. of course im one of those guys that said a 4 door would never be worth that kind of money unless it was something special LOL . I used a 70 coronet 4 door that I bought for parts as a driver for a few years and I loved it.
 
how come nobody builds "taxi" clones

mission%20impossible%20TV%20series%20fury%20still.jpg
 
What's up with that bumper? Some sort of taxi-spec thing, or cobbled by the cab company?

-Kurt
 
"Problem is, I'd always thought it was a genuine cruiser, and the owner wasn't that forthcoming that it was a clone either".

While that's not immediately a "red flag". It certainly is a yellow caution flag.
 
This takes me back to my first car. A 1969 Plymouth Belvedere taxicab. That I bought for $200 in 1974. 225 slant six and after 50,000 of my miles on it (who knows how many it had as a taxi) it drove itself to the junk yard with a broken front frame rail. The dash was a radio delete solid steel dash that I had a hard time cutting the hole to install an AM radio in it. I loved that car and had many memorable times in it!
 
"Problem is, I'd always thought it was a genuine cruiser, and the owner wasn't that forthcoming that it was a clone either".

While that's not immediately a "red flag". It certainly is a yellow caution flag.

It was very hard to tell whether he was insinuating that it began life as an original City of Miami unmarked police car, or whether it is a "City of Miami unmarked police car" representation. I honestly don't believe his intent was to deceive - for him, its appearance today is likely much more important than what the car left the factory with.

FYI, these are a few archive photos of the car:

http://copcardotcom.fotki.com/contr...hrough_georgia/florida/fl-miami-police-5.html

He also built this very nice '66 Belvedere for the Miami Police Veteran's Organization. Again, I was aware of the car, but didn't put two-and-two together about the builder until I saw it photographed all over the garage. Again, it is a clone, which is what initially led me to believe that the green car is also a clone:

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSJ2Y_OzihA"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSJ2Y_OzihA[/ame]

-Kurt
 
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