1987 FHP unit 1564 about face.......
 

Several years ago Gregg Henderson and I traveled to Florida to save another FHP car from a slow death from mice and rust. What we found was a mess of a car, but one with numerous positive atrributes. Both buc tags, cert speedo, door vin, all original body panels, original drivetrain, original wheels, single key lock set complete, stainless ventshields intact, and only minor rust in the drivers side floorboard. Seller said it ran, but the ignition key spun in circles and the ignition switch guts were on the floor. I could tell Gregg was thinking "egads" but I promised him I would give him the big old school Sun tach off the column and we pushed it on the trailer for the trip back to Ohio.

1987 FHP unit 1564 about face.......
 

Once it was in the barn at home I gave it a much needed gutting of the headliner, carpet, trash, dead mice, live mice, mice crap, mice beds, and stored mice food. The car had served at Fort Meade after FHP so they had painted the doors and roof white. They also drilled two extra holes in the deck lid for more antennas. Incredibly they also drilled four holes in the roof to bolt a light bar to the car. Bubba the police mechanic in action. The worst part by far was the massive hole in the dash. I think they used a circular saw.

1987 FHP unit 1564 about face.......
 

Bubba's handiwork on the roof.

1987 FHP unit 1564 about face.......
 

Last week I decided that it was time to make 1564 presentable. After making sure the engine wasn't locked up I put her on jack stands, drained the oil, transmission, and rear diff, removed the square spotlight and fancy fog lights, removed door panels, kick panels, console, rear sail panels and went and bought a heater core.

1987 FHP unit 1564 about face.......
 

Today I enlisted the assistance of SSP Anthony to tackle the heater core and install the pristine new tan dash I located for the car. No not this one.

1987 FHP unit 1564 about face.......
 

here is the old heater core. I couldn't buff it out so I decided to put in a new one.

The little round thing to the right is the original restrictor put in the heater hose by FoMoCo to regulate the flow of coolant.

1987 FHP unit 1564 about face.......
 

all buttoned up and ready to go back in the car. It went back together nicely. Yes we did a quick test on the blower motor to make sure it worked. It has been replaced in the past and worked well so we left it alone, other than repairing/refurbing the wiring harness.

1987 FHP unit 1564 about face.......
 

old dash out and heater box back in place. Anthony spent about an hour washing the heater box before putting it back in the car. I like his attention to detail!

1987 FHP unit 1564 about face.......
 

The replacement dash came out of a low mile convertible and all we had to do to it was refurb the wiring harnesses (tape deterioration) and drill a hole for the harness for the re-located deck lid popper.

1987 FHP unit 1564 about face.......
 

New dash in, along with a new tilt steering column and an ignition switch that works !!

Next up I will be refurbing the dash surround and putting the final touches to the rest of the dash assembly.

It was a good day in the barn, and a good day for 1564. Black and Tan, Tan interior with black wheels. Probably my favorite SSP scheme of them all. :2thumbs: