New Member w/ a SMPV

[28HopUp]

Welcome to the site Ken! Feel free to post questions, even if you think they're too dumb to ask (that never stopped me!). Your SSP is very interesting. Good luck on the CHP research - that's as much fun as restoring the mechanical stuff IMO.

[chp1982]

Welcome aboard! Yours and the copper colored SMPV are two of my favorites. What on the buck tags/car tell that it was an SMPV and how was the history tracked?

[NoDrama43]

W E L C O M E aboard. awesome car and can't wait to see it blue and white again. Great find for sure.

[sspanthony]

Welcome and would love to seeore pics...

[E435300_SMPV]

Question????? my car has auto window and locks. I heard that all chp cars came with roll up window cranks and mechanical door locks. Is that true???

[E435300_SMPV]

Here are some great pics of the blue paint shining through the junk white paint.



No Blue on the Doors.

Antenna hole and wire marks.

[CHP8336]

Originally Posted by E435300_SMPV

Here are some great pics of the blue paint shining through the junk white paint.



No Blue on the Doors.

Antenna hole and wire marks.

Ken, Your car has many things that are different than a std CHP car. Now that we know the car was shipped to the CHP as a std black and white I am assuming it was then the CHP painted it blue right away when it was new. The car has no antenna hole in the quarter panel, and has a antenna hole in the center of the trunk. The pic of your car shows no spotlights and you have spot holes in both pillars??? Maybe the CHP used the small SMPV 5'' spotlights at first then removed the spots at a later date??? Does anyone have any information on the equipment or pics of the CHP SMPV cars???

[mac88chp]

Originally Posted by CHP8336

Ken, Your car has many things that are different than a std CHP car. Now that we know the car was shipped to the CHP as a std black and white I am assuming it was then the CHP painted it blue right away when it was new. The car has no antenna hole in the quarter panel, and has a antenna hole in the center of the trunk. The pic of your car shows no spotlights and you have spot holes in both pillars??? Maybe the CHP used the small SMPV 5'' spotlights at first then removed the spots at a later date??? Does anyone have any information on the equipment or pics of the CHP SMPV cars???

Hard to say without some hard documentation but it's my guess that the CHP eventually added the spots and trunk antenna as both became standard equipment with the later, somewhat less stealthy, Mustang SMPVs. Perhaps they felt the need to replace the Sti-Co undercover antenna and mag mount spotlight that were originally used with something that would work better. Having no quarter panel or roof antenna holes tells me the car was never a standard equipped unit and was sent down the Motor Transport line to be done as a SMPV right off the bat after being received in factory B&W and having been repainted.

For equipment reference, here's some shots of an '89 Caprice SMPV built in the same spartan configuration as the same year Mustangs (less the pushbar of course):





Notice the modified shotgun/radio rack that has the mag mount spotlight attached and the modified mounting of the shotgun. The whole idea was to keep all the "goodies" low and out of view to maintain stealth. I've been told the Mustang interiors were generally set up the same as this Caprice. Also, the round PAR46 decklights were replaced with smaller rectangular lights set low on the package shelf.

Ken, what types and locations of equipment mounting holes are still present in your interior?

[ImEvil1]

Originally Posted by E435300_SMPV

Question????? my car has auto window and locks. I heard that all chp cars came with roll up window cranks and mechanical door locks. Is that true???

Pretty much. Someone probably added them.

[chp1982]

Again, how was this car found to be a real deal SMPV? The door was replaced so where are these records coming from. I am not questioning the authenticity of it, just curious how it it was done.