I think the St. Regis would have been rather like the beautiful bright red, with white vinyl top and white leather interior Mirada I got around this time, in that it would have been a comfortable highway cruiser, though not the greatest handling machine around town. The way the seat has the tear in the photo looks like vinyl to me. Sure is, just looked at the brochure and vinyl was optional, no mention of leather at all. One of the more rare Chrysler cars to this day, as they were mostly used for cop cars back in the early 80s and most all of them were crushed. By 1994 however the performance of the full sized enforcement class vehicle (Chevy Caprice and Ford Crown Victoria) was near to that of the pony cars, so the CHP now longer needed to buy Camaros and Mustangs.The 1994 Caprice with its LT1 engine was faster than a 93 Mustang, with faster quater mile times and higher top speed. That year the CHP put a limited number of Ford Fairmonts, Chevy Malibus, Plymouth But, my aunt drove her late-1980s Omni for 289,000 miles and would have bought another one if they had still been in production. lol. Last, but not least, the 1980-83 Dodge Mirada/Chrysler Cordoba. The horn, ipers, auges and all the lights work properly. I never saw this until just now. My dad eased one in 1978 and it was junk with a capital J. It would be the last rear-wheel drive model made by Chrysler until the Plymouth Prowler from 1997. It was a compact-class model which was employed by police forces with either six-cylinder or 4.9-litre V8 engines. . Dodge St. Regis Base 1979 Dodge St. Regis Base 1980 Dodge St. Regis Base 1981 Dodge Stealth Base 1991 Pickup trucks are used for truck enforcment. Its so fortunate the car is equipped with FM too ( I bought a parts radio from ebay for my volare as I cant stand the AM radio in remote north Michigan countryside ) and more than one speaker is a big plus on St Regis. Something had to be done, and for 1978, something was done. My engine met its demise when all the teeth sheared off the plastic cam sprocket. Remember, this is just before Chrysler nearly slips under the waveswhat quality control? It was closer to old headquarter of GM though. New Land Rover Defen, New 911 GTS, with 7spd manual By 1989 it was very outdated with its three-speed auto and carburetted engines but was the first Chrysler model to feature an air bag and tilt-adjust steering wheel. Im sure you know that was also the first year they had equipped the Torqueflite with a lock-up torque converter. The wiring in the tilt wheel shorted out, leaving us with no cruise or horn. While the St. Regis is of little collector value today (alongside Chrysler/Plymouth R-body counterparts), the mechanical commonality of the R platform with earlier Chrysler vehicles leads collectors to search for scrapped examples for its front disc brakes to upgrade earlier cars (such as the Dodge Dart and Plymouth Barracuda)[citation needed] With the low number built (in comparison to its Ford and Chevrolet competitors) and the high percentage destroyed in film and TV work or retired after police use, very few examples survive today. Although I was then and am still a total car nut, I dont recall these big Chryslers making any kind of a splash at the time. My original seats are in storage while Im actually driving around in bucket seats salvaged from a 1985 Dodge Omni that had low back buckets with adjustable headrests. 1978 Dodge Magnum Color Chart. Even then, these were unusual to see, but I remember thinking it was much nicer than I expected. It was subsequently established as a separate department with legislation signed by Governor Earl Warren in 1947. Given the glacial maximum acceleration rate, there wasnt much of a visual cue it was being hooned anyway. A console from my deceased 67 Sport Fury is between the seats. The car was so gutless that they removed the mufflers and ran straight pipes out past the bumper. Overall the look is not bad, but it has a cheap look. The main problem with the LeBaron for us was that it just would not run right. A staggering 25,000 examples were also built by General Motors to meet the requirements of a contract to supply the Iraqi government with a reliable taxicab. It was the replacement for the Maverick which in turn was the replacement for the Falcon. Volare has feather like steering also makes it less comfortable to drive on interstate at 70, but its still possible. It has been in California all its life and is rust free. ** CHP testing reached the Chrysler numbers with a 445 pound load in the car but only after setting the shifts to factory spec and replacing the muffler with a straight pipe. 1979. It came with a 318ci (5.2 litres) or 360ci V8 (5.9 litres) V8 mated to a three-speed automatic, and its odd, narrow grille was the result of being forced to re-use the bonnet from the Chrysler LeBaron. This baby did it very well. 1979 Dodge Omni. Something that drives everyday. If you were feeling spacey, you could have sprung for this. Learn how your comment data is processed. dimanche 15 novembre 1981, Journaux, Chicoutimi :[diteur non identifi],1964-2017 Dodge, Plymouth, and Chrysler Police Cars 1979-1994 notes that the 360 powered St. Regis, Newport, and Gran Fury were the fastest and best performing police cars of the era. Software; Manufacturing; Industries . Not only is it essentially uselesswow its ugly. I think their sales would have been much greater. The car runs fine and yard drives but will need fully serviced and probably the brakes gone through and of course new tires before it could be considered roadworthy. DECODED AS POLICE, Rare 1977 Dodge Monaco CHP Police big block 440 Magnum Police Pursuit Cruiser, 1973 DODGE POLARA POLICE CAR, THE REAL DEAL, TEXAS POLICE PKG. Even nicer if you want to stay with a factory radio is to salvage the radio wiring harness from a later 80s-2000 era Mopar, retrofit it to the St. Regis and use one of the AM-FM cassette/CD players and it still looks good and it just bolts right in. Thats an operator error on my behalf Haha. In the book's survey, officers wrote that the 360 powered 1980 St. Regis was the best Mopar police car of all time. Oh, fancy radio with glass like cover and chrome buttons from M-Body will be a nice swap with all the same connections. Various party buddies employed numerous bubble gum and bobby pin repairs before we finally drove it to the wrecker at the direction of the police. In this case, it's a 360-powered St. Regis worked up to represent a Michigan State Police car. Some of the last police cars I had were the 1981 R bodies with the 318 four barrel. A lovely book of photos and descriptions of police cars manufactured by Dodge, Plymouth and Chrysler during the years 1979-1984. Ours was also a 318 with the super tall gearing. Naming was equally odd: the Plymouth Gran Fury name was taken from that brands largest car, while the Chrysler Newport was based on that brands (former) smallest car and the Dodge St. Regis name was new. Original paint, top and in . Or not. Weve made a few changes to it over the years to make it more comfortable and fun to drive. My grandpa had one as a police car. Cars used by California Highway Patrol 1929 to present. That car is long gone and sold away, but I originally coveted a St. Regis because my favorite show at the time was Sledge Hammer. Top Cars for Sale Locations. I have a Pioneer in it now because it has a USB port and Im running almost all my music off a thumb drive now. The reason I know this is because Ive got a 79 St. Regis. It was not a high speed pursuit car, but it was no slouch either. $26,900. Most of those wound up being wrecked on TV shows and movies. New Tri-Five Chevy Parts: Bolt-In Underdash Hydraulic Clutch System From American Powertrain, Not Stock Photographys John Jackson Takes Us On A Lone Star Throwdown Adventure, B&MS PRECISION SPORTSHIFTER WILL GIVE YOUR 2021-UP FORD BRONCOS 7-SPEED A SOLID SHIFTING FEEL, Lone Star Throwdown 2023: Is This The Baddest Truck Show Of The Year? Being in my 20th year of St. Regis ownership, after my dad owning first for 10 years, I dont think the St. Regis was the worst looking of the 70s cars or that it was designed to fall apart. Dodge Durango Pursuit (Police) 2021. Brakes coming totally unset from the factory! Local police or the local sheriffs department having a contract with an incorporated city are primarily responsible for investigating and enforcing traffic laws in incorporated cities, but any peace officer of the CHP can still enforce any state law anywhere within the state, even though the agencys primary mission is related to transportation. Based on the photo and the ad copy, Id say that young man is CC material. Im not even sure the oven was allowed to pre-heat. Good Lord! . 1979 Dodge Challenger (Brochure). The Dodge St. Regis was based on the rear wheel drive Chrysler R-body platform. It was delivered with missing emblems, loose bolts, etc and it got worse from there. Ten years earlier the full size Chrysler cars came out with the cockpit styling and hoods long enough to land a plane on. He never even got it on the road, as he didnt even had a drivers license yet! After the departure of my St. Regis, I made the mistake of purchasing a 95 VW Jetta GLI (my first new car) which spent more time at my VW dealer for repairs than it did in my driveway. I have since occasionally wondered how these models would have done if they had been kept in production and the bugs worked out. I wonder if anyones ever tried to fit one on. Dodge, Plymouth, and Chrysler Police Cars 1979-1994 notes that the 360 powered St. Regis, Newport, and Gran Fury were the fastest and best performing police cars of the era. Police Cars . I remember Dabney Coleman driving one in the hilarious car chase in the movie Short Time, and wondering just how that thing held together. [1] In total, 64,502 examples were produced. Its north Michigan afterall, every town has an odd car, sometimes for odd use too. I think he paid the difference in the MSRP between the Horizon and LeBaron. Base . But, I am still haunted by the specter of that old LeBaron and have this nagging fear that things will start going wrong at any moment. The Gran Fury was purpose-designed as a cheaper version of the Chrysler Newport and was aimed at taxi, police and other fleet operators, with police cars utilising the 5.2-litre and 5.9-litre V8s. L-code 360, white with blue interior. Like a 47 Chevy, an 80s LTD for pizza delivery, a Chevrolet Nova from 80s for delivery too. Pursuit Police Vehicle (2012-2014) Cars belonging to Dodge Charger 7th-gen. My car had its original Lean Burn ditched by the original owner, when my dad got it, he found it had been converted to points and he converted it to standard electronic ignition. The department usually kept their cars three years, but the St. Regis were so bad, they replaced them after only two. ( but I dont think many people thought of searching for St Regis in cars anyway ) and I regret for not saving the photos one year ago, but it popped up again few days earlier. If you compare them to GM offerings, there was much more flexibility in the GM line in comparison. The back seat was surprisingly roomy and compared well to Dads oh-so-broughamy 1980 Buick Limited, which was a beloved family vehicle. It's this last engine, the E86-coded 440, that was specified for Barry's Fury, along with a 2.71 rear gear, when it was ordered by the Kansas Highway Patrol. Ive known some people who still have working Lean Burn cars and even as a Mopar guy I consider them miracle cars to have one still working 35 plus years later. I recall reading a quote from a Chrysler engineer once saying that the transverse torsion bar suspension was mandated for marketing reasons and there really was no way to model what it was doing in the computer or elsewhere. I have a line on 5 other cars. 1979 Dodge Magnum XE ORIGINAL (Cordoba, St. Regis, 1978 Dodge Magnum GT) NO RESV. This is a HEAVILY OPTIONED CAR with Power Seat, Power Window, A/C, P/S, AM/FM radio, Tilt Steering Column, Cornering Lights, Cruise Control. To be fair so did most of the others. Its no wonder you dont see these cars around. It featured a unique retractable headlight cover, 5.2-litre and 5.9-litre V8s and a three-speed automatic transmission. In this form it was almost identical to the Dodge Diplomat except for badging. This is a 1979 Dodge St. Regis. Eventually, the linkage got worn enough that you could just press lightly down on the lever to drop into second and then tap it upward to catch third. Just bought my 1980 dodge st.regis with a 360 v8 engine. It is barely noticeable, nd another pair of taillights is included with the car. Im afraid it went beyond the rail yardsChryslers infamous sales bank occupied the Michigan State Fairgrounds, and anywhere else that unsold inventory could be stashed. The rear drums were resurfaced, ew shoes installed and the wheel cylinders overhauled. V8 (360 CI) Automatic. Front Seats Ranked 2002 Ford Focus ZX3 better. Ottawa :[Le droit],1913-jeudi 15 octobre 1981, Journaux, Ottawa :[Le droit],1913- Replacing the Monaco, the St. Regis was the largest Dodge sedan, positioned above the mid-size Diplomat and Aspen. The LTD switched to the mid-size Fox body platform from 1982 and also gained a fuel-injected 302 V8, then was phased out from 1986 when the new aero-styled front-wheel drive Taurus arrived. Police cars, unlike civilian ones, had the Lean Burn computer behind the glove box at first, then above the parking foot-brake. Up to 1958, the California Highway Patrol would purchase vehicles 2 times a year, and many times it would be a different make. The Dodge St. Regis is a full-size Dodge automobile built from 1979 to 1981. In Canada, we only got the Medallion version, the top trim. Tyler purchased an ex-Illinois state police 1980 St. Regis with a 360 with a limited slip rear-end. The more basic S model was produced for fleets which had no vinyl roof, no chrome roof band, no hood ornament and bench seats. The St.Regis just like a car that was poorly built and designed to fall apart. It looks pretty good for 36 years and 100,000 miles. The car would go both fast and handle. It has a newer battery. I did this to my St. Regis and ran a early 1990s AM/FM cassette and it blended right in. 1979 Dodge St. Regis Pricing Original MSRP N/a Price range N/a Average price on CG $0 YoY price change N/a Date Sep 22 Oct 22 Nov 22 Dec 22 Jan 23 Feb 23 Price (US $) $28,500 $29,000 $29,500 $30,000 $30,500 $31,000 1981 Dodge St. Regis 1980 Dodge St. Regis 1979 Dodge St. Regis Index Price See more price trends Trims & specs The interior of the St. Regis got beat up pretty easily and the frameless door glass got kind of loose but I dont remember having the glass fall out. (The siren and light bar have been disconnected per EBay policy.) In the book's survey, officers wrote that the 360 powered 1980 St. Regis was the best Mopar police car of all time. 4WD. 1979 brought the CHP multiple vehicle test. It has a clear California title and is being sold as-is with no warranty. We are always looking for good bang shifty stories, projects, photos & videos. She is Catholic, however. Undercoating must have good protection despite its limit. 1978 Dodge Challenger. The car does well in 40-100+ accelerations but dead-stop launches tend to bog. Aluminum bumpers, coated with a chrome-like substance that peeled right off when getting splattered with the chemicals for snow melting on the roads. 1979 Dodge Truck Color Chart. Ours were disabled early in their sad lives. The B-body platform was updated to replace the departed C-body cars. Only owned it for 27 years, lol. I got a replacement motor last year and Im happy to see those doors working again. Thats the only connection I can think of. These cars are a great deal for St Regis shoppers. There is a St Regis hotel on Grand Boulevard rather close to the headquarter of Chrysler at that time. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. One of very few Mopars that I have had zero contact with. The St. Regis was based on Chrysler's rear wheel drive R-body platform, itself based on a modified version of the circa 1971 B-body design that provided the underpinnings for such cars as the Dodge Charger and the Chrysler Cordoba. They had replaced 1977 Plymouth Fury sedans powered by the 440 Magnum, and 1978 Plymouth Volares with 360 4-barrel (my favorite squad of all for city use). I think they should put it back in limited service, maybe nice summer days, and mess with some peoples minds. Learn more before you buy, or discover other cool products in Vehicles. Bought from the original owner, an old veteran, who purchased it right out of the showroom in the local Chrysler/AMC dealership. The glass is good and appears all original due to some factory decals on the windshield and side glass. These were usually driven by police chiefs and fire chiefs. Just like this restored 80 model now residing in Edmonton. T.J. Hooker s vehicle of choice after season 2. The headlight doors have been manually cranked open. Its not a perfect car as I would have done some things differently design wise, especially around the windows, window regulators, wiper linkage attachments and door seals. Im surprised that any St. Regis survived. The CHP gradually assumed increased responsibility beyond the enforcement of the State Vehicle Act and eventually merged with the smaller California State Police in 1995. Never buy a used cop car. Those plastic piston brake cylinders were a nightmare until fleet figured that out (swelled up and stuck). Thats not leather, its vinyl. Cars for Sale in; Houston, TXCars for Sale in; Jacksonville, FLCars for Sale in; Miami, FL Even after it warmed up it would sputter and bog down on tip-in from idle. It was a very traditional full-size model based on the Panther platform built until 1991 when it morphed into the iconic aero-styled Crown Victoria. A Number of Police Departments weren't happy with the Dodge St. Regis Police Car. And maybe some donuts somewhere out of sightand we dont mean Dunkin. police car fan 2012-09-05 18:16-- Last edit: 2014-03-24 14:42:15: police car fan 2013-11-07 20:50. No leather seats in the St.Regis, just vinyl.. All windows roll up and down with the hand cranks. By comparison, the downsizing of the GM A, B, and C-bodies in the preceding years were seismic events and the Volare/Aspen and LTD downsizing debuts were also rather big deals. The only other thing was the headliner started coming down after the car was 20 years old. For 1982, Dodge began marketing the Diplomat as its largest four-door sedan; nearly 16 inches shorter than the St. Regis, the mid-size Diplomat was the final rear-wheel drive sedan marketed by Dodge during the 1980s. Dodge St. Regis (1979-1981) Dodge Stealth (1991-1996) Dodge Stratus 1gen (1995-2000) . Dude could of at least, got rid of the laundry basket in the front Hopefully, it wasnt the ad to sell the car. Brand New. 1978 Dodge Trucks. Even so, the original unit in the St Regis has FM radio that I really hope for ( AM only in North Michigan doesnt return many channels ). Many of these 1979-1981 police cars were sold with the 318 V8; others had a 360 engine with four-barrel Carter Thermoquad carburetor. February 21, 2015 78 comments. C $10.00. The car starts up and runs nicely. I purchased the car in 2004, ith 58,194 original miles, rom the son of the elderly woman who originally purchased the car in Northern California. The St Regis hangs around for over a year already, the poor kid has such a hard time selling it, even though it cant be better for a non-garaged car in North Michigan. I was always impressed with the ride quality and handling, even with the police suspension and police pack components. The St. Regis today is an exceptionally rare sight and comes in two flavors: babied or absolutely and utterly trashed. (ABC Comedic, sarcastic Version of Miami Vice in the same time period). It has buckets from a 1985 Omni that were a direct bolt on to the original seat tracks. The risks you take when buying a used fleet vehicle. The Impala was found to rival other models well with good performance, decent interior trim and a large boot. Gateway Classic Cars of Tulsa is proud to present this slick 1978 Dodge Diplomat Coupe. The longest fresh water beach in the world couldnt hide a beater imperial. The young guy he bought it from drove it home for him, then bummed $5 for a cab home! If you had a variable-venturi Crown Victoria, you could guess whether it would come off at idle speed or tear out the rear end with wide open power. (I guess thats the lean in Lean Burn.) Plastic over part of the chrome bumpers, body panels that do not line up right, rust on the body, wrinkles in the vinyl top, missing trim, broken interior door handles, the door panels and dash look very cheaply made, things dont line up, the dash design looks like a patchwork off pieces from different jigsaw puzzles. 0. Im apt to think that he means that the analog dial is stuck & turning the tuning knob has no effect. Switch to inches. Its not as heavily optioned as this one, but it currently has 253,000 miles on it. As Chrysler needed to expedite a downsized replacement for the 1974-1977 C-body to market (in response to the 1973 oil crisis), the R-body was developed from existing underpinnings at minimal costs. And Im sure thats the last time I ever saw one. The domes on the Federal Signal Aerodynic lightbar are in excellent condition. For mountain and bad weather areas of the state, the CHP has used vehicles such as Ford Expedition, Chevrolet Tahoe, Chevrolet Suburban, Jeep Cherokee, Ford Bronco, Dodge Ramcharger, Chevrolet Blazer, and AMC Eagle. If these are civilian cars mocked up as CHP units, they could be any year off the lot, including 1979 models. BTW that is some of the best looking vinyl I have ever seen it fooled me! 1979 Dodge LeBaron (Brochure). The agency is responsible for law enforcement on all public roads in the state. The 1981 318 was a decent police vehicle. 1980 Dodge Power wagons (Brochure). In each year a good proportion (30% or more) were for fleet (Police and other law enforcement . In this case, its a 360-powered St. Regis worked up to represent a Michigan State Police car. The rear tires are 80% Winter tires. Primed us for Iacoccas rescue package. So, if you took your eyes off the road for even a moment, you could find yourself halfway in the adjacent lane. Worked great for a long time until the display died. If GM marketing had their way, using Pontiac in comparison, there was a Catalina, Bonneville, Bonneville Brougham, all sharing the same basic body and dashboard. 1979 Dodge Ram Charger. It was 5 degrees outside or I would have followed it and photographed it when it came to rest. Furthermore, CHP officers act as bailiffs for the California Supreme Court and California Court of Appeal, as well as providing security at buildings occupied by the State of California. I was about to take issue with your comment then remembered the low idle vibration my 1975, Custom 500 had. New emissions controls, not yet countered by technology. the GSP not only puts over 100,000 miles on their cars but they also bounce them across medium strips and accelerate as fast as they can to speeds well over 100 MPH. Wow, we really do have some things in common, although I think your LeBaron experience was even worse than ours. Ever. I thought they looked much better than the 78 Dodge Monacos and Plymouth Furies used in Season 1 and also by Rick Hunter. They are supposed to be down in the bumpers? 136,000. Hes not real clear on the just what the problem is. The Diplomat . Cool there a Fury that model near me for sale ex Florida police 318 (can come with 440) swaybars the size of your arm handles ok according to the vendor some battle scars but hes had it there for sale for several years so its obviously priced ambitiously. American Brands: AMC, Jeep and All Others, Tractors, Lawn Mowers, Off-Road Equipment, Runway Classic Video: The Mighty Convair 880 Takes Off Again, http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2006/12/chrysler-bank-on-it/, http://www.allpar.com/cars/dodge/R-bodies.html. There is a small chip on the plastic of the right rear taillight (not the lens). I drove a later model Volare a few times for work and it steered much better, so I suspect it may have just been our cars particular set up. Out of all the things you listed, Ive only experienced the mirror falling off the windshield, the hard plastic panel that went over the defroster and radio speakers cracking but only after the car well past 30 years old.