Always seems to be a few PIs going through the sales at McKenzie's Auctions.
I'd rather a 9C1 Caprice if I was choosing between P71 and 9C1.
I never liked Fords they have the "return to center" steering.
LT1 9C1 340hp, P71 Ford has 245hp.
No matter which you pick, understand it will be heavy.
Any police package is intended to make a mediocre driver good, so they are performance based.
If you want to demo the car, it's yours, but I would think a '00 P71 is worth more than $200.
If you can afford a newer P71 Crown Vic, especially those built beginning the 2005 year, they are definitely worth doing so for several reasons:
Beginning 2004 year: 250 HP (rwhp)
Better cylinder heads (called PI for Performance Improved, for all 4.6 Ford Modular passenger cars). The PI heads were standard on Ford Mustang LX and GT models and Police Interceptors beginning 2005.
Improved oil pan baffling
Larger engine oil cooler
-it should be noted that these oil cooling systems are unique and can be intimidating to anyone that's not familiar with the 4.6 Modular V-8's.
Intake Manifold leaks long gone
Better pistons / cams
80 mm MAF intake platform
- on the subject of intake systems, the Police Interceptor versions had factory tuning that delivered maximum performance. This included the air intake baffling, air cleaner and all attached hardware. The system is fully integrated and works very well. Throwing away any of those components is asking for trouble - the ECM, sensors work in concert using the entire air intake assembly. All P71's were specially calibrated by Ford.
A few other side notes:
Premium fuel is NOT required
Platinum spark plugs DO improve performance in these engines.
For those looking in the scrap yards, the Ford P71 offered Kelvar protection in the front doors beginning in 2006 and interchange with any 2004 to 2009 P71 / CVPI 71 chassis. While scurring through the junkyard or checking out ex-police Fords, there were two rear axle ratio's offered, 3.55 and 3.27's. The 3.55 versions had a rev-limiter ECM (135 Mph @ WOT beginning with the 2006 model year. A buddy of mine in Calgary had one of these and got 'lifted' from the rear coming out turn 4 and it kicked in as the wheels came off the ground, which sounded like an M-16 firing off on full auto...he thought he blew the motor (it was fine) while at the same time, scarring the living daylights outta him.
Finally, the 2011 model year is the last year for the P71 platform (along with the P73 Taxi / fleet) Crown Vics, as the St. Thomas, Ontario plant shuts down permanently. The Ford Taurus will be the next Police Interceptor model offered by Ford. (which I must admit is a rocket ship compared to the Vic, especially the PI version).
Some Ford of Canada dealers have snuck a few out of fleet production to offer as retail cars, even though Ford has stopped offering them since December of last year and making them available only as fleet / police cars since 2009 across North America. They have been available for export as a regular retail car, which is their biggest market. Some 10,000+ units got shipped to the middle east last year, which wasn't enough to save the St. Thomas plant.
i picked the car up for $300 runs awosome. its just a retired cab car so it got lots of kms.for me the cleaner the body and frame are the better the motors dont matter to me because i would pull it and run an sbc in it for the demo anyways but when i noticed the car rann really strong when i was crusing around the farm i got thinking about making it an enduro car but my problem is is theres so much electronics in these thing that could screw up i dont know if i should. its not linke its your 3 wires to run a chevy
$300! You can get that back by selling the air bags and cat converter.