150,000 miles ex police motorway patrol car

no_1_dave

no_1_dave

no_1_dave

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Still tempted to trade my car in for something cheap so there are a couple of idea's tempting me.

Idea 1)
Buy something like this for £6,500
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201120387523642

Then I still get the power I have now (after a £400 remap), miles aren't too high but has been recovered from theft...

Idea 2)
Buy something like this for £3,000
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201101376562191

Ex police patrol car, almost the same power as standard but with the £3,500 saving make sure everything is replaced that the 150,000 miles would have eaten. Can put an Insignia VXR turbo in it with full map for £2,000 here

I know i'll get ripped apart in this thread, but if you carried one of those idea's out, which would it be?
 
I'd do neither as both suck but if I had to pick one it'd be the non police one for sure.

You'd need to be bonkers to buy an ex police car.
 
Haha, I remember that Police VXR. Used to have crystal lights on the front for the blue lights, that's it. Nearly caught me out a couple of times till I noticed the lights hiding on the grille (It's local to me).

Police cars are just tools. They're not looked after and cared for by the driver like you would expect from a private owner. Sure they are looked after and they put the money in to keep them running legally but to what degree? There's safer places to put a few grand to be honest.
 
I would get the police car.

A wise head (MikeH) once said a totally thrashed track car that has been serviced properly would be in better condition than a car that had just been on tick over trundling along the motorway - that must mean getting an ex-police car is like the ultimate win.

Ps I'm taking the ****.
 
Hi, why would you send £400 on a remap when you can get a decent one for £250, then you have to think whether a ex police car that's done 150k would actually take it. Nothing seems to mke any financial sense...
Chris
 
Dup said:
Haha, I remember that Police VXR. Used to have crystal lights on the front for the blue lights, that's it. Nearly caught me out a couple of times till I noticed the lights hiding on the grille (It's local to me).
Click to expand...

I think you're mistaken, this one is ex-Thames Valley Police and would have been marked.
 
That's some performance for £3000! Though it would need going over with a fine tooth comb for sure.
 
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If you want something cheap and yet want to soup it up and rip it apart (as per the requirements of your first two ideas) then why not get a kit car? Ticks all the boxes, and it'd actually be fun!
 
The Vectra is an absolutely horrific car to drive even with a big lump of power as all that does is show up it's complete lack of ability sooner than the slower ones. Don't do it.
 
It's £3500 cheaper, it's at least worth a look IMO.

I guess it boils down to whether you want something mint or bang for buck. I suppose you can probably at least count on the police car being serviced properly and receiving everything it needed.
 
MikeHiow said:
I guess it boils down to whether you want something mint or bang for buck. I suppose you can probably at least count on the police car being serviced properly and receiving everything it needed.
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Yea, who cares that it's been repeatedly crashed into curbs, over speed ramps at high speed and into other cars for its entire life, its had a regular oil change!
 
The ex-Police one isn't a VXR - it just has the 2.8T engine.

Vauxhall build lots of Police spec cars - you'll probably find the rest of the spec is below what you would expect. It doesn't even look like its got a radio in it.
 
[TW]Fox;19227939 said:
Yea, who cares that it's been repeatedly crashed into curbs, over speed ramps at high speed and into other cars for its entire life, its had a regular oil change!
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You can probably add ragged from cold to that list as well.
 
Yep, and in the roof.

You obviously need to look at each car individually - if it drives ok and everything is straight then I see no reason to consider it, but if you're after a bargain I think you'd be a fool to dismiss it just because it's ex-police.
 
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