Of course we cant forget visual proof of why the St. Regis population dwindled rapidly in the Eighties.. Alternators (Leece-Neville) that were well out of alignment to the crank pulley. You really wanted the intersection to be very, very clear before you started to make a left turn. It was a strong rival to Chrysler and Ford models thanks to its then-new aerodynamic design, weight efficiency and resulting good fuel economy. The underlying platform dates all the way back to 1926 and had a number of major revisions over the decades up to 1991. In contrast to both the Monaco and the Diplomat, the St. Regis was offered solely as a four-door sedan. Door handles coming off, seams tearing loose, dashes cracking in 2 years, the pad and horn switches falling out of the steering wheels, mirrors falling off, mechanical digital clocks failing, dash switches and knobs breaking, especially on the climate control and push button radios, headliners falling down, sunvisors breaking, etc. Update: - edit some Textures - make own Dirttexture - edit Seatposition - add 3 new Lightbars - add Working Wipers - Sidemirror are now breakable and crash - Rambar are now breakable (both Side for his alone) - make good Mirrorreflection - add new Liverys For 1993, Dodge introduced its first Chrysler-developed full-size sedan with front-wheel drive, the Dodge Intrepid. Handling Ranked 2002 Ford Focus ZX3 better. From 1989 it received throttle body fuel injection and came with a 5.0-litre or 5.7-litre V8. For 1982, the model line was discontinued, with the Dodge Diplomat serving as the largest Dodge; the next full-size Dodge sedan was the 1990 Dodge Monaco (derived from the Eagle Premier, itself a version of the Renault 25). The leather wouldnt have held up that well. But you know, a funny thing happened. The interior of the St. Regis got beat up pretty easily and the frameless door glass got kind of loose but I dont remember having the glass fall out. Switch to inches. Thank you all for the wonderful comments, and this is just so crazy to see my ad all these years later! I think their sales would have been much greater. Never buy a used cop car. The biggest engine available was the Chevrolet 5.0-litre V8 and it was produced until 1983. Given how much Chrysler was copying Buick styling with these R Bodies, Im surprised they didnt offer a version with rear fender skirts. Following its introduction, the Dodge St. Regis saw heavy use as a police car in the United States. The 360 has been beefed up to a proper level and the car barks out through headers into Flowmasters. Either someone needs to use the antenna trimmer or the plug on the end of the cable is messed up and its not making a good connection. Appearances in The Blues Brothers and the television series T.J. Hooker assured the Dodge St. Regis would remain in the public eye for many years, though few were made and they quickly disappeared from the roads. If they had been rolling in cash, the R-bodies would have turned out much differently. While police units who used the cars praised handling and had positive things to say about the 360-powered cars, when things are falling off, breaking, or worse, showing up on new cars not put on properly, the damage was considered done. The rpm lock, when engaged, keeps the motor running at a desired rpm, to power the lights or for the air conditioning on those hot sunny highway days. Wow, we really do have some things in common, although I think your LeBaron experience was even worse than ours. Mileage: 33,430 . This list also features many cars enjoyed by other government departments and taxi operators across North America, and in some cases represented some of the last full-size traditional rear-wheel drive sedans in America for some time until the configuration became popular again. The young guy he bought it from drove it home for him, then bummed $5 for a cab home! Wow only am fm and no cassette no 8 track player and one station working. Here we take a closer look at those conservatively-styled box-shaped sedans, which were designed to Serve and Protect, to see exactly what police car fleets consisted of back in this decade. 1700 isnt crazy for this one, though it seems more like maybe a $1200 car to me. My favorite kind of Craigslist car ad: by someone who knows what the heck hes writing about. And maybe some donuts somewhere out of sightand we dont mean Dunkin. Although it is not a police package car, have cloned it to represent the police department from the 1980s TV show "TJ Hooker"that starred William Shatner and Heather Locklear. 1979 Dodge St Regis Police TJ Hooker R Body 1979 60,100 Automatic Davis, California, United States View 1979 Dodge Magnum XE ORIGINAL (Cordoba, St. Regis, 1978 Dodge Magnum GT) NO RESV 1979 V8 (360 CI) 52,000 Automatic Broad Brook, Connecticut, United States View 1979 Dodge Magnum XE ALL ORIGINAL (Cordoba, St. Regis, 1978 Dodge Magnum GT) 52K In California, the St. Regis was fitted with a 190 hp four-bbl 360 V8. Im afraid it went beyond the rail yardsChryslers infamous sales bank occupied the Michigan State Fairgrounds, and anywhere else that unsold inventory could be stashed. Definitely not police issue. Thats an operator error on my behalf Haha. police car fan 2012-09-05 18:16-- Last edit: 2014-03-24 14:42:15: police car fan 2013-11-07 20:50. My grandpa had one as a police car. Curtis Redgap: The R bodies weren't that bad! Has the trusty Chrysler 318 V8. It has a clear California title and is being sold as-is with no warranty. Oh, and the car is luxurious enough to have cruise control, AC ( good chance of working or relatively easy fix ) and FM radio with more than one speaker, non cloth seats not falling apart. But, I am still haunted by the specter of that old LeBaron and have this nagging fear that things will start going wrong at any moment. Ottawa :[Le droit],1913-jeudi 15 octobre 1981, Journaux, Ottawa :[Le droit],1913- Hope it goes to an owner who keeps it up and keeps it original! Dodge Charger 7th-gen. A lovely book of photos and descriptions of police cars manufactured by Dodge, Plymouth and Chrysler during the years 1979-1984. Just seemed like a neat feature to my younger self. The Gran Fury was purpose-designed as a cheaper version of the Chrysler Newport and was aimed at taxi, police and other fleet operators, with police cars utilising the 5.2-litre and 5.9-litre V8s. It was a silver 2 door with red leather guts and stayed nice for about 2 weeks. The original owner found a non Lean Burn Holley 2280 to put on it. I think a horizontal bar grille, as Dodge was introducing at the time, would have been a nice touch. I use the car only for shows and parades. 397. The RCMP used only a few of them for highway patrol duties back in the day. 1979 Dodge Ram Charger. 1979 brought the CHP multiple vehicle test. The higher rate springs and high effort power steering made for a pleasant driver. The Chevrolet Impala was a cheaper, trimmed down version of the B-body full-size Caprice and came with V8 engines of 5.0-litre and 5.7-litre capacities. The glass is good and appears all original due to some factory decals on the windshield and side glass. Still a 360, but it couldn't handle the big tires and beating, and, being lighter, you felt every bump around. I wonder if anyones ever tried to fit one on. For 1979, the 360 was available to cops in all fifty states, with a rating of 195 horsepower for everyone but those in California. because the CHP had to petition the CARB (Ca. 1-3. . Im surprised that any St. Regis survived. The California Highway Patrol tested the St. Regis: * After two miles Or not. I fixed it then and 20 years later it needs it again. For 1980, the 360 was replaced by a 155 hp 318 V8 4-bbl with California emissions to comply with state emissions regulations. At the time I thought it was the best looking car Dodge ever produced. Required fields are marked *. The next up was the Dodge Aspen. I dont know of any St. Regis having leather seats. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Dont know if Ive previously mentioned that like others, Ive seen rather few of these going all the way back to when they first came out. WRT to the RCMP, being Federal, they were very careful to spread the business around. No St. Regis, but the Sask Highway Traffic used them, the guys who enforce truck& commercial vehicle stuff, weigh scales etc.The cars were a kind of dark brass color, American Brands: AMC, Jeep and All Others, Tractors, Lawn Mowers, Off-Road Equipment, Runway Classic Video: The Mighty Convair 880 Takes Off Again, http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2006/12/chrysler-bank-on-it/, http://www.allpar.com/cars/dodge/R-bodies.html. Around the 50k mile mark, our LeBaron had definitely adopted a nose-down attitude and would bottom out against the suspension stops if driven across big dips with any gusto. I remember Dabney Coleman driving one in the hilarious car chase in the movie Short Time, and wondering just how that thing held together. I guess the heavy chemically-treated leather of that time had its benefits. This car runs and drive's beautifully and needs nothing to enjoy. They had replaced 1977 Plymouth Fury sedans powered by the 440 Magnum, and 1978 Plymouth Volares with 360 4-barrel (my favorite squad of all for city use). That year the CHP put a limited number of Ford Fairmonts, Chevy Malibus, Plymouth Volare Wagons, and Chevy Camaro Z28's on the road for an 18 month test. After the Audi, he bought a Toyota Previa, which functioned beautifully, and never bought another non-Japanese car again. Dodge, Plymouth, and Chrysler Police Cars 1979-1994 notes that the 360 powered St. Regis, Newport, and Gran Fury were the fastest and best performing police cars of the era. I was rewarded with a 1980 Aspen. Air Resources Board) to modify the exhaust for patrol duty. Even after it warmed up it would sputter and bog down on tip-in from idle. I non the less fail to see how his bio could be inspiration for naming a car, I mean he was not a coach builder like LeBaron. I used to see these on police shows on tv when I was a boy. Ill let the ad copy speak for itself.) I think they should put it back in limited service, maybe nice summer days, and mess with some peoples minds. ACCOUNT. Dodge St. Regis 1979, 4x6" (165mm) Rectangular Chrome LED Headlights with DRL by Lumen, 1 Pair. Early versions of this generation Malibu had six-window sides and fixed rear door window glass. 1968 Dodge Monaco. The CHP gradually assumed increased responsibility beyond the enforcement of the State Vehicle Act and eventually merged with the smaller California State Police in 1995. The R represented the best all-around balance as far as speed, power, braking and cornering were concerned. Undercoating must have good protection despite its limit. 360 L-code, was white with blue interior. In deference to fuel economy standards, the 400 and 440 big-block V8s were deleted from the engine lineup. The domes on the Federal Signal Aerodynic lightbar are in excellent condition. The Dodge St. Regis was assembled alongside the Chrysler Newport, Chrysler New Yorker, and Plymouth Gran Fury by Chrysler at Lynch Road Assembly (Detroit, Michigan), becoming the final production vehicles produced at the facility. Dodge St. Regis Base 1979 Dodge St. Regis Base 1980 Dodge St. Regis Base 1981 Dodge Stealth Base 1991 Even the Chrysler Newport had vinyl as an option with no leather available .I often think Chrysler downplayed these models as the more economical versions of their larger cars so people would opt for the New Yorker if they wanted more luxury. Shorter than the 1977 Royal Monaco by five inches, narrower by three inches, and lighter by almost half a ton, the Dodge St. Regis (and its platform mates Chrysler Newport and Plymouth Gran Fury) shouldve worked in the market. Has Power drivers seat (a little of the leather separated from the seam as shown), All power windows (back right is stuck shut) all leather seats, Cruise control (works perfectly) Power steering and Brakes, stock radio turns on but only tunes into one station. 4WD. gasoline (petrol) engine with displacement: 3682 cm3 / 224.7 cui, advertised power: 82 kW / 110 hp / 112 PS ( SAE net ), torque: 244 Nm / 180 lb-ft, more data: 1979 Dodge St. Regis 225-2 TorqueFlite (aut. I was about to take issue with your comment then remembered the low idle vibration my 1975, Custom 500 had. A gorgeous 1979 Illinois State Police Dodge St. Regis I made from Taigo's car on NFS Addons. Of course I later learned that the Monacos performed far better than the St. Regis. A quick trip to the junkyard and he had everything he needed to convert it to electronic ignition. Pickup trucks are used for truck enforcment. Dodge, Plymouth, and Chrysler Police Cars 1979-1994 notes that the 360 powered St. Regis, Newport, and Gran Fury were the fastest and best performing police cars of the era. The automotive landscape and world at-large is shifting away from petrol cars and towards electrification and political correctness. In addition to its highway patrol duties, the CHP also provides other services including protecting state buildings, state facilities, and state officials. Dodge would not market a rear-wheel drive sedan until the 2006 Dodge Charger. Its north Michigan afterall, every town has an odd car, sometimes for odd use too. I thought they looked much better than the 78 Dodge Monacos and Plymouth Furies used in Season 1 and also by Rick Hunter. The agency is responsible for law enforcement on all public roads in the state. I did this to my St. Regis and ran a early 1990s AM/FM cassette and it blended right in. He has been writing about cars for several years with a string of published books to his name. We'll give you credit for the submission (of course) and what is cooler than showing all your gang that you have a story on Bang Shift? 79 Dodge St Regis with 340 engine Hey, its time to sell my ride. I remember seeing the odd St. Regis around when I was younger; I really liked the clear headlamp covers. Positioned above the Coronet, but sharing the same chassis, were the Dodge Royal and Dodge Custom Royal. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hed87QNchpw. [1] In total, 64,502 examples were produced. A period correct light bar, iren, potlights, hotgun rack and non-functional police radio were installed. For reasons we never diagnosed it couldnt get out of its own way, but handled like a go cart..fun car, and new enough that people got out of your way in a hurryor slowed down to a miserable fear soaked pace.. Where are the blinkers? He couldnt believe when he bought the car that someone put points in it. Insanity! This baby did it very well. Volare Wagons, and Chevy Camaro Z28s on the road for an 18 month test. Replacement motors are very thin on the ground. Original MSRP $6,847. the GSP not only puts over 100,000 miles on their cars but they also bounce them across medium strips and accelerate as fast as they can to speeds well over 100 MPH. It featured a unique retractable headlight cover, 5.2-litre and 5.9-litre V8s and a three-speed automatic transmission. The Chevrolet Malibu was a mid-size model which replaced the ever-popular Nova. 1/43 1979-81 Dodge St Regis (BJ7UKP728) by rapidpro on Shapeways. . Although it is not a police package car, have cloned it to represent the police department from the 1980s TV show "TJ Hooker" that starred William Shatner and Heather Locklear. You would think the full-sized cars would offer leather. It was only produced from 1979 to 1981 and most of the 58,000+ cars produced went to fleet use. By 1994 however the performance of the full sized enforcement class vehicle (Chevy Caprice and Ford Crown Victoria) was near to that of the pony cars, so the CHP now longer needed to buy Camaros and Mustangs.The 1994 Caprice with its LT1 engine was faster than a 93 Mustang, with faster quater mile times and higher top speed. One of the more rare Chrysler cars to this day, as they were mostly used for cop cars back in the early 80s and most all of them were crushed. We were best friends in high school; hard to believe that 35 years later we are not even on speaking terms. The St. Regis was based on Chrysler's rear wheel drive R-body platform, itself based on a modified version of the circa 1971 B-body design that provided the underpinnings for such cars as the Dodge Charger and the Chrysler Cordoba. He pulled the engine to put in a 53 Willys and sold the car before he finished it. Model WC WC-12 1979 Dodge St. Regis For Sale. The "St. Regis" name first saw use as an uplevel trim package on the 1956 New Yorker hardtop coupe and again on the 197478 Chrysler New Yorker Brougham coupe. There is a small chip on the plastic of the right rear taillight (not the lens). Sometimes it would fire up again again sitting, sometimes not. . The thing that has to be remembered about these R-bodies is that they got a very small piece of the development pie compared to the Omnis and the upcoming K cars which result in things like noisy frameless windows, pieces of plastic partially covering the shock absorber front and rear bumpers. Yes, its really confusing to think why there is a transparent headlight cover. The St.Regis looks like one of the worst. All repairs are documented. Dad bought a 1985 Audi 5000 demonstrator in late 1985 to replace the beloved Buick and that thing made the LeBaron look good. I bought it in Pa. and drove back to Mi. The Caprice was Chevrolets mainstay for this period and was very popular, staying in production until 1990. New emissions controls, not yet countered by technology. Has the trusty Chrysler 318 V8. But word did get out that the officers positively loathed these things! photo for more information. C $14.42. Newly-installed CEO Iacocca went to Congress seeking loan. Dude could of at least, got rid of the laundry basket in the front Hopefully, it wasnt the ad to sell the car. The LTD switched to the mid-size Fox body platform from 1982 and also gained a fuel-injected 302 V8, then was phased out from 1986 when the new aero-styled front-wheel drive Taurus arrived.