This is the latest cop car I brought home. It is a 1977 Dodge Royal Monaco with a 440 HP engine. It is of course a real police package car that served with the Pierce County Sheriff's Office.

The two pictures are before and after shots, one after I got it home after sitting under a tree for several years, one after it got a pressure washer bath.

Interesting story behind the car...

We bought it from the guy who bought it from the auction. He still had the auction brochure from 1981! The gentleman bought three cars from the auction that day, two 77 Royal Monaco's and a 78 Plymouth Fury. All were 440 HP cars. Apparently a lot of the cars at the auction were "ash" cars. After Mt. St. Helens erupted in 1980 ash was spread all over the Northwest and was instant death to any car that drove through it. Since the 77 models were close to being retired the newer cars were parked while the older cars still got driven in the ash. The 77 I got apparently was one of the ones with a bad engine but a good body, so he took the motor out of the other 77 and put it into this one. All of the VIN's are on the auction brochure and checking the numbers on the engine confirms all of this (the 77 has the original tranny, 171 of the VIN, but the engine's number is 173, the last three of the other cars VIN number). Not sure what happened to the 78, shame it is probably long gone, but at least one was saved!

Been slowly working on the 77 and it runs and drives great, just has a few minor issues. The body is very solid but it seems like all the body take-off panels (trunk, doors) are rusty. Looking on the bright side it is a lot cheaper and easier to change doors than 1/4 panels!