SSP Stories
 

I was just wondering how everyone here got involved/interested in SSPs? I saw one years ago in Michigan and thought it was cool but forgot all about them until I saw one on eBay last Spring ( which I bought ). Did anyone ever get pulled over by one or have any interesting stories?

I went to my first FHP (Dept of Transportation) auction in 1989, saw lots of '86-'87 cars there...didn't buy my first SSP until 1997, though (at the auction in Gainesville, FL).

I drove one in-service with the PD '96-'97 ('92 AOD car).

The more research I did back then, the more hooked I got (who am I kidding? It's still true today).

What PD did or do you work for that used Mustangs?

Gainesville, FL. They bought 3 in 1992 for the traffic unit. They repainted 2 of them and assigned them to the narcotics unit I worked for. Mine had 28K miles on it when I got it.

OH! Open the can of worms with me!!!! I have a flood of stories but it basically boils down to this:

I thought it was SO COOL that the Texas DPS began using Mustangs as patrol units. I took an interest in Mustangs around 1984 and began lobbying my dad for a Mustang for my high school car. I ended up with a new '86 GT in July of that year and by that time, the TXDPS had many Mustangs in the fleet.
In 1987, my interests changed with the cosmetic improvements of 1987 on the Mustang and my desire for a 5.0 sedan grew outrageously! Out of all the Mustangs I've had in 20 years, only 2 were hatchbacks and all others were SEDANS!!!! I guess my interest in Mustangs combined with a police package fueled my fire altogether more.

Just as "Smokey and The Bandit" sold thousands of Trans-Ams for Pontiac, the police agencies throughout America have sold many Mustangs for Ford. Don't you know that when kids saw the police using a Mustang for a patrol car, they thought: "If a Mustang is good enough for the police, it's good enough for me!"

Got my first SSP in July of 1990. A 1987 X-Texas DPS car. Awesome car. Wish I still had it of course. Loved them and screwed with them ever since.

I was driving along the interstate one bright but very early Sunday morning. I saw a car parked up on the overhead and didn't think much of it as I passed underneath. It seemed like only two seconds later, I looked in my rear view mirror and this WI Mustang was right behind me and pulled me over. We talked and I was given a warning. I expressed how impressed I was with the quickness of his squad. He gave me a quick look inside. A long time later, I saw one on eBay and after several tries, I bought one.

My Father has a good friend who was a Florida State Trooper, now retired with 33 or so years, who was assigned to the Orlando area for most of his career. My Father, and Grandfather before, owned a car repair shop that specialized in front end alignment and high speed wheel balancing. While I was in college and home on visits (mid 80s)I would hang out at the shop and this Trooper, Jack, would bring his car in for an alignment and balancing since the no one in the state barn, or anywhere, was as good as my Dad:) , seriously.
So Jack always had an FHP Mustang and that is what he brought in. When Dad aligned it he then did the high speed balancing and then road tested it. Often I rode with him. I wasn't really into the Mustangs at all, but remeber the cars being very strong. I also remember thinking how cool the black wheels were with the small caps. I also like the 60s stuff with the dog dish caps the best.
Anyway, that is my first memory of the SSPs, and Jack had 3 different ones over the years...
My buddy Todd, who many of you met in Birmingham, also came back to UF in the fall of 85 with a brand new 85 GT in black with A/C as the ONLY option. Did quite a bit of street racing and only a Buick Grand National could outrun it.
Then this guy at GPD I knew was all crazy about them and I just kind of started liking them more and more...I think he is on this board...lol

Oh yea, interestingly enough. Jack, the Trooper, has a sister who happens to be my Lt. at GPD. I was talking to her about the site, these cars etc and asked her to ask Jack if he remembered his unit numbers because someone might be restoring one of his cars. She pulls out her cell and calls him up. She says into the phone "Oh, no one would have one of yours" and I think maybe he wrecked all of them. The she says "oh-they are all in the barn in the back yard". He had 3, a 1983, a 1986, and a 1993 and he apparently bought all three from the auctions...more on that to come.

What a collection Jack must have.

I had always liked the Fox chassis Mustangs and was really impressed when the neighbor bought a new '84 5.0 notchback. That car was a ball to drive but with kids it was not an option then. When I retired from the military in '89 the wife and I bought a new LX 5.0 conv (we still have it). I wanted a notch 5.0 so was still looking for a good one when I saw Tom & Donna Gouldy's '89 FHP at the 35th anniversary show at Lowe's Motor Speedway.

I was hooked!! - I could buy a notch and have a police/Hwy Patrol unit as well.:dancingbanana: Tom & Donna gave me a world of information so off I went and soon found a '89 FHP of my own. Since then I have obtained three more SSP's. It's a sickness and I hope I don't get well.:thumbsup: