I think the original car is gone....and the drivetrain from it was swapped into the car Steve found.

Steve, I'm really sorry to hear how the story turned out. But what a quick search it was. About the fastest I've heard of.

You've found a new family here and we welcome your input as much as you can provide. Maybe he saved something that you can have as a momento to add to your photos, or maybe you can buy what's left.

Keep us posted on your reunion. This is the opposite of what I've always heard and done - the driver is searching out the car. I'm searching out the driver. Found one - my Colorado State Patrol Camaro - now I need to find the other one for my '82 CHP.

I missed my '95 Mustang GT so much that I ran a carfax on it a few years ago. It sat for a while at the dealership, then finally sold and went to Mississippi. It was reported stolen, then recovered with moderate damage. It sat idle for at least a year or more, then finally was registered and titled again. I was heartbroken. I took such good care of that car and had the inside looking so new that the dealership didn't have to do anything to ready it for sale when I traded her in. I don't know that I would want to see her today. Part of me really wants her back and if I had the space and the funds, I would track her down. It would be a tearful reunion and restoration.

So, best of luck to you.

Greg

Too bad it's gone but at least now you know. If you do find another '82 and restore it you can always plate it with your old number for display purposes. Not exactly like having the original back but it's an avenue you can take nonetheless.

Gotcha - I read his posting wrong. Steve, maybe you could use the original motor in the restoration of another 82 CHP?

Thanks
 

Thanks for all the encouragement and suggestions. I feel kinda depressed tonight, like there was a death in the family today.

I didn't ask the owner if the wrecked body was still around. But even then, if I could straighten it out, I'd need new running gear. With a complete different drive train, it's not quite the same.

I suppose now I could look for the '84 Mustang I was assigned. I don't have a plate number for it, but if it is the one listed on 870255's assignment card as the replacement, I could perhaps find it. But I only had that one for a few months before I transferred to the San Jose area, and left behind the SSP Mustangs on duty forever. So it would be a fallback plan, but still not quite the same as the '82.

Hang in there Steve! It would be nice if you could find the original body. Many times, these cars were dismantled because it was cheaper to swap the parts over to another car than it would be to repair the damage. However, cars like this sometimes can be saved these days, especially if the car has "value" (which this one certainly does for you).

Here is my understanding of the various symbols/codes on your Assignment Card:

• CHP Office Assignment - Here is a listing of CHP offices. Looking at the front of your card, your car was originally assigned to 401 Central Division Fresno (perhaps 450 Madera office). It was transferred to 461 Los Banos on on 1-27-83.
• R.F. Color - Orange would the color code used in the area where the car served. Here is a link for all of the color codes (keep in mind there may have been changes since the 1980's). ORG2 correllates with Madera and Los Banos.
• EQUIPMENT - The square with the dot in the middle allegedly means the car was a slicktop.
• SCHED. # - no idea what this means
• PR DATE - no idea what this means

Hope that helps a bit.

This morning I called the owner again and asked him if the body was still around. He got rid of it about a year ago. I am just too late again on this one. If I had found this site a year ago, I might have been able to get it!

So if I go visit the owner, I will probably ask where the body went to. Maybe it still somehow exists. I would probably put the extra work into fixing it, because of sentimental value if it existed.

Anything is fixable with the right amount of funds. If you did find the body, IMO I would buy it for the sentimental value and try to fix it. Hope you find your cars shell.

I agree with Sam (Mustang Kid). Even if you had to buy it with a salvage title, it wouldn't matter. The car has value to YOU. That would be one heck of a save on your part if the car was located and picked up by you. As much of a story-teller as you are Steve, resurrecting that car would be an incredible story. (I'm trying to keep your enthusiasm up)

This next Saturday (7/30) I am going to the Sonora, CA area to visit the owner of 870255's engine. I am going to find out if somehow, someway, the body still exists. If it does the possibility exists to salvage it. Then perhaps make the owner an offer on the '82 with the engine and get that back. I'd probably end up putting far more money into it than the finished restoration would be worth. But it would be a unique story. maybe get it on a reality TV show. Call it "SSP Mustang Archaeology".

If that doesn't work I'll hold a funeral ceremony for 870255 (lots of tears for sure) then start looking for the '84 I drove in Los Banos.