CHP Car Owner from germany

[Henning]

Hi @all!!

I´m happy to be a member of this forum. Thanks for beeing here.

My name is Henning, 37 years old and I live in Germany. I´m very proud to own an ´89 Chevrolet Caprice from the CHP. My car is in a very good shape. According to my records that car has really been on duty at the CHP.

I want to learn more about the CHP, the cars (maybe my car), the interior and equipment. If I could "represent" the CHP in germany I have to do it correct.

And here it is:

http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/6462/p1040888b.jpg[/URL]

[SlowZ28]

Welcome. Did we have the "new" style door star for that year? What year did we get color in the middle?

[highwaybs]

Welcome. Did we have the "new" style door star for that year? What year did we get color in the middle?

You are correct, needs non color door logos

[Henning]

That would have been my first question. I bought the car with that star on the doors. I´ve got the old one and i will change it off season.

[Darkside213]

That's pretty cool

[Henning]

Now a picture from the interiour.


http://img805.imageshack.us/img805/7080/p1010006vi.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/805/p1010006vi.jpg/)


And I´ve got a question about the CHP uniform. Now the shirt and the pants are in silver tan. Has it always been though or was it different in 1989.

Here is a picture from my shirt and my pants. Is it correct??

http://img17.imageshack.us/img17/9066/p1060227i.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/17/p1060227i.jpg/)

[CAHPDist2X]

This might be confusing and if it is, I'm sorry. The pants and the shirt are the same tan color. The stripe showed up in the 1960's. What I see there looks correect. They don't change too often. With use they tend to change color into exactlly what your looks like. I don't think anyone will mind you having the uniform in Germany, but in the US it might be seen as impersonating an Officer.

I noticed you have mounts for both the shotgun and rifle. Someone may correct me it I'm wrong but I don't think they had mounts for both back then.

[Bones317]

You gotta love the German's love of the finest L.E. agency in the world. Ya, eine gross bier bita.

[Mac]

...I noticed you have mounts for both the shotgun and rifle. Someone may correct me it I'm wrong but I don't think they had mounts for both back then.
Correct. We didn't have rifles in the car in '89. We didn't even get AR-15s until the mid-90's - I believe we had a few Ruger Mini-14s floating around in '89, but they definitely weren't mounted in the cars (at least not anywhere I worked).

A couple other things I noticed:

Although it's pretty clean and may have been used somewhere in the state, I've never seen the radar unit mounted in with the radios like that. It was always mounted up on the far left side of the dashboard.

From what my fuzzy memory can recall, I believe we got rid of the siren/PA control head (third one down, directly below the radar unit) and separate PA mic with the advent of the new radio heads.

[highwaybs]

I think there were some Rugers in vehicles in '89.

I recall see the large radar unit on the dash.

Needs a three button microphone to go with the radio head.

Correct, the siren amp was in the trunk, controled via radio head

Badge needs "Traffic Officer" as rank, or higher to be accurate.

Any idea what the vehicle number was?

[Vinnie]

If that badge number is 15339, that's a late 90's badge, and although "Officer" is accurate for that ID, as was stated above, in '86 they said "Traffic Officer"

The pants and shirt look about right. Up until very recently the die lots on the varying fabrics never matched, and the pants always looked greener than the shirts.

[gabriel]

Correct. We didn't have rifles in the car in '89. We didn't even get AR-15s until the mid-90's - I believe we had a few Ruger Mini-14s floating around in '89, but they definitely weren't mounted in the cars (at least not anywhere I worked).

Just curious, the introduction of the ARs were a result of North Hollywood?

[CAHPDist2X]

I think that helped but there were other pressures. I recall them issuing them to those of us who went to L.A. for the second Rodney King trial in 1993. That would be the bulk purchase from the military that started the whole thing. Before that there would be one or two in an office.

[quaylie]

I think that helped but there were other pressures. I recall them issuing them to those of us who went to L.A. for the second Rodney King trial in 1993. That would be the bulk purchase from the military that started the whole thing. Before that there would be one or two in an office.

Just curious. When did they began training everybody with the rifle at the academy? Was it around the same time, 93ish?

[CAHPDist2X]

When they first issued them, Officers had to qualify independently from other range activities and only then were authorized to be able to take them out. They were issued each day and not left in the car. Later, when they got one per unit, everyone qualified. I think it was around 93 or 94 when they all finally got to the field and the cadets showed up with the new "skills".

[Henning]

Does anybody maybe got some pictures from the car or the old interior back then?

I bought the car 2 years ago from Florida at Ebay and I got the car as it shows on the pictures.

The radio receiving set at the top in the middle doesn't work any more. I do have the attendand control unit, but I can't use it in Germany. At least I will connect it up so that it can glow in the dark. For that reason I also have the PA300 to control the siren.

The former unit number was 5210 and the licence plate was E385210.

The Badge was the best I could find and I couldn't choose the Badge number. The little detail which is the number of the late 90s won't be figured out by somebody in Germany. :wink:

[E433035]

Does anybody maybe got some pictures from the car or the old interior back then?

I bought the car 2 years ago from Florida at Ebay and I got the car as it shows on the pictures.

The radio receiving set at the top in the middle doesn't work any more. I do have the attendand control unit, but I can't use it in Germany. At least I will connect it up so that it can glow in the dark. For that reason I also have the PA300 to control the siren.

The former unit number was 5210 and the licence plate was E385210.

The Badge was the best I could find and I couldn't choose the Badge number. The little detail which is the number of the late 90s won't be figured out by somebody in Germany. :wink:

The best I could get is an interior shot from the (now former) owner of a restored '89 Caprice that I believe has a fairly accurate equipment layout:

http://images55.fotki.com/v586/photos/4/438439/6434758/IMG_082512-vi.jpg

The GE Rangr control head looks a little different because it was modified with switches that were installed right into the face of the unit that control the lights/siren/pa via a separate control unit of a different make located in the trunk. (I probably would have left the GE head alone for appearance sake and instead try to hide a small switch set somewhere that would still be readily accessable but the the way it is done here does get the job done.)

Here are some shots of the trunk:

http://images60.fotki.com/v224/photos/4/438439/6434758/IMG_081012-vi.jpg

http://images16.fotki.com/v388/photos/4/438439/6434758/IMG_081212-vi.jpg

http://images56.fotki.com/v371/photos/4/438439/6434758/IMG_081412-vi.jpg

[Ex-PVI (Was A2717)]

the round black objects in the wooden box?
I recognize everything else.

Someone may need to explain the dog snare & the DOA blankets to our German friend.

[highwayjustice]

I have a question, Henning. Is that a bomb shelter in your back yard? :noidea:Way cooler than the car, in my opinion (but good job on the car, nobody else in the world would notice the minor "flaws" we've pointed out).

[E433035]

the round black objects in the wooden box?
I recognize everything else. Those are not CHP equipment. They're covers for the rear deck lights and the ruby spotlight. Us civilians can't have these cars on the road unless the emergency lighting (plus all insiginia) are covered up.

[E433035]

I have a question, Henning. Is that a bomb shelter in your back yard? :noidea:Way cooler than the car, in my opinion (but good job on the car, nobody else in the world would notice the minor "flaws" we've pointed out).My guess is it's an aircraft revetment (hardened shelter) located on some airbase. Pretty cool indeed.

Henning, it's OK to let some small details go but don't get too crazy with that sentiment. That's how crap like this (from down unda!) gets out there:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/50415738@N04/5409770221/

[The Highway Man]

Here are some shots of the trunk:

http://images60.fotki.com/v224/photos/4/438439/6434758/IMG_081012-vi.jpg

http://images16.fotki.com/v388/photos/4/438439/6434758/IMG_081212-vi.jpg

http://images56.fotki.com/v371/photos/4/438439/6434758/IMG_081412-vi.jpg


The traffic management equipment looked pretty basic back then compared to what we carry nowadays. :wink: We carry enough kit to completey close the motorway (freeway).

http://i511.photobucket.com/albums/s357/spare_folder/Toyotakit.jpg

[Henning]

So.. Ich hab das jetzt mal mit dem englisch versucht.....
Hier mein Ergebnis:
Nice!! Thanks a lot for the pictures. Now I have to get such a wooden box and these orange ..???.... . :smile:

Does the GE Ranger work in this car? I think it is nearly impossible to get my Ranger work.

The picture in front of the shelter was taken last year on a meeting from my "Police Car Owners of America" Club ( http://www.pcooa-ev.de/ ) on a closed part of an airport. In this area it is allowed for us to drive with Code 3. :biggrin:

@E433035: OMG... That car from down under... :hitwall:
But I know it from germany too. Some guys are really terrible. http://lh6.ggpht.com/conceptscars/Ry2mHHtIeJI/AAAAAAAAAYs/R9OS6PbblYI/s800/USA+Hummer+H2.jpg

[akabrek]

While this car is a different model, it is with in a year or so of your 89 Caprice. The radio set up would likely be identical to this... bascally take the board containing all the electronics and move it to your trunk.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/15926220@N02/6345730158/in/set-72157622566029556


The same could be said for the interior... in this case this has the scanner they used starting around 1990-91:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/15926220@N02/6344984381/in/set-72157622566029556/

[Unemployed]

My guess is it's an aircraft revetment (hardened shelter) located on some airbase. Pretty cool indeed.

Henning, it's OK to let some small details go but don't get too crazy with that sentiment. That's how crap like this (from down unda!) gets out there:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/50415738@N04/5409770221/

I drove of those old 82 Mustangs. It had a 4 speed manual. Didn't quite look that souped up. Fast, but hard to stop as it was equipped with Pinto quality brakes.:razz:

[Mac]

...The same could be said for the interior... in this case this has the scanner they used starting around 1990-91:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/15926220@N02/6344984381/in/set-72157622566029556/
That radio control head mounting is much more accurate than in the photo in post #17 - I never recall the control heads being mounted that low in the cars. They've always been positioned high on the dash within the driver's peripheral vision.

[Vinnie]

They were mounted in the center console on some of the early 90's Fords, and all the Caprices I ever drove (again, all late 80s early 90's), which was a nice convenient palm rest place, mounted low, facing up. Can't say if the under-dash mount is good or not, though. Seems a bit awkward a place to have it...

[highwaybs]

Isn't this the time frame we went to the center console and the gun tub between the seats.....I think the AIG bag mandated it

[KingFrankSam]

They were mounted in the center console on some of the early 90's Fords, and all the Caprices I ever drove (again, all late 80s early 90's), which was a nice convenient palm rest place, mounted low, facing up. Can't say if the under-dash mount is good or not, though. Seems a bit awkward a place to have it...

They were mounted that way in the last batch of Tahoes, also. It'll be interesting to see the Rockwell stuff in the restored cars 20 or 30 years from now... The Department should be surveying out a bunch of working GE stuff since its not going in cars anymore. Probably should buy a few complete sets to sell to these collectors...