Ford to Police: get lost!

|Despite all the complaints, and rightly so, which other car does the police |have to choose that is suitable for Highway Patrol. GM, Chrysler and Dodge |abandoned the full size rear drive platform, in favor of the FWD platform.

Watch for the Police Pursuit Package

|The real problem isn't ford, it's buyers in the USA who simply buy the |boring appliance vehicles and don't ever look at a technical spec sheet. |If people stopped buying the crapola maybe we'd get the nicer cars here. |That and only that is going to motivate the finance and marketing folks |who call the shots.

Gee, have you guys really looked around lately? We have a bewildering array of very good cars to choose from today. It's never been better!!

To pick on the CV is like picking the sheepdog out of the flock and saying "That's typical of the sheep we get -ugly as sin!"

The CV exists because people - fleets, cops, and business people - continue to buy. And they buy it because that's what they want. Simple supply and demand.

Other people buy cars like PT Cruisers and F150s. Different strokes etc.

Really? Where are the cars like the Aussie Ford falcons? OOps. You want an I6 and RWD you'll have to shell out the cash for a BMW. We'll see how badly GM downgrades that holden they are making into the GTO.

You cannot look at the Ford and GM line ups down under and say we get the best choices in USA with the boring front drivers they are feeding to the sheeple.

It applies to practically every domestic manufacturer's car outside a few limited possible exceptions. Ford does try occasionally to give us some decent cars from Europe on the low end of the market but messes up on the implementation. (Contour, Focus, Capri, etc)

Wow, rebodied neons and big pickup trucks. Wooptie friggin' doo.

Where can I get one of these *NEW* on the north american market from a "domestic" brand?

The "Dodge Hemi Charger" is not here as yet, it is still a way off, so how are they going to choose it..??? Despite all the CV complaints, it has proven itself many times over. However, as I have said, there is still room for improvement. As the only full-size RWD American car "Presently" available, Ford has a captured market. They should not take that market for granted.

In article , snipped-for-privacy@REMOVEtxol.net mentioned...

Speaking of Hemis.. Does anyone remember 'way back in the late '50s and early '60s when Mopar V-8s had the holes in the valve covers, and you had to use a 6" extension on your ratchet to remove the spark plugs? Yeah, those were the days..

"Hemi"... Normally a prefix understood to mean "half".

But being bandied about today like it's "*THE* *ONE* *HOLY* *TRUTH*".

Over the years, I've also heard it applied to quite a few cars that could be considered "big, bad, and beefy"...

But just what the hell does it mean when somebody says a vehicle is/has a "hemi"???

Googling did me no good - If the answer is there, it's buried in too many hits to things that (without spending who-knows-how-long chasing a ridiculous number of links) appear to have no relationship to my question.

So, can anyone give me, in understandable terms, a useful definition of just exactly *WHAT* a "hemi" is when the term is applied to a vehicle? Somebody *PLEASE* tell me it doesn't mean the vehicle has "half" an engine :)

My belief was always that a "Hemi" referred to a Chrysler Engine with a domed chamber on the head and a domed piston.

Dome, nown: A vaulted roof having a circular, polygonal, or elliptical base and a generally hemispherical or semispherical shape.

Frank

Hmmm... OK, I *THINK* I can buy that as reasonable. It at least kinda makes sense, although the reason for the geometry doesn't leap right out and bite me.

I can't help but wonder what, if any, benefit there would be to having the fuel/air charge mashed into the shape it would be with the setup you describe versus a more "normal" flat head/piston combination. All other things being equal, it would seem that one would have no real advantage over the other, since the compression would be either the same, or close enough to it that I can't see an obvious difference. The charge wouldn't be any larger, since the geometry of head and piston match, so what's the big deal?

Now if the piston crown were FLAT, and the head domed, I could see it being a larger charge in the cylinder, but that would lower the compression by a corresponding amount. Wouldn't it?

Assuming yours is the "right" answer, anybody want to try to tell me why a "hemi" is more desirable than a... ummm... conventional? ...engine?

Especially with the recent wave of commercials from (I think...) Dodge, that take great pains to make you aware that the truck is/has a hemi.

And while we're at it, is it more proper to say "That truck/car/whatever

(Yeah, yeah, I know... I'm hopeless... If I were *REALLY* a "gearhead", I'd already know. My apologies for spending the last 30-odd years not much caring what a vehicle has under the hood, who makes it, what fancy gadgets it has, or what it looks like, so long as it reliably gets me where I want to go faster than walking would.)

"Don Bruder" wrote

Blatantly copied from

Well, a Hemi head allows you to run more valve area than a typical wedge head. It also is slightly more resistant to detonation which allows a slightly higher compression ratio for a given octane rating. Both of these are Good Things(tm)

yes. the piston crown is not flat, it's actually shaped to fit the "dome" in the head.

More Power Argh Argh Argh ARGH!

Well, see, the term "Hemi" while referring to a shape of combustion chamber that anyone can use (and honestly, most high-performance engines probably do, or some variation thereof) has a special place in the hearts of MoPar fans since both the original Hemi (of which the 392 was the version to have) or the later 426 Wedge-based Hemi (a.k.a. "the elephant" due to its width) consistently kicked, and continue to kick to this day, the collective asses of just about every other engine available. (ever watch drag racing? The Hemi is *still* the engine to beat, nevermind that it hasn't been officially made in 30 years.) I think Dodge is just trying to cash in on the name recognition, although maybe I'm just being cynical and the new Hemi will turn out to be just as dynastic an engine as the old ones.

IMHO the term "Hemi" refers to the engine not the vehicle, although it's acceptable to refer to, say, a Hemi Charger (i.e. a Dodge Charger factory equipped with a 426 Hemi engine)

I'm trying to imagine life like that... IMHO you need serious professional help. Let us know where you're located and surely some regular will be able to suggest a course of treatment.

nate

I just Googled Chrysler Hemi and the first thing that came up was a description of the hemi history so you can't have tried very hard.

Great! That tells me all I needed to know. Gracias, mi amigo!

Don't waste yer effort on poor pathetic little me. I'm the screwball who thinks "horsepower per person" in a vehicle should equal *ONE*, top speed should be about 14MPH, the engine is SUPPOSED to fart and attract flies, runs on hay and/or oats, "coolant leaks" are no big deal, and "filling the tank" means nosing up to the water trough so the "engine" can take a drink. Never mind that "Emissions testing" involves a spoon, a magnifying glass, and the ability to recognize worm eggs... :)

Seen on the back of an Amish Buggy while travelling through Beaverton (one of Michigan's Amish enclaves): "1 Horsepower - Caution! Don't step in the exhaust!"

For those who'd rather not deal with a lengthy registration just to see a story, I'll post. What this has to do with the current thread though, I'm not sure.

Car crash hurts three responding city officers

BY AMANDA MILKOVITS Journal Staff Writer

PROVIDENCE -- Three police officers were hurt when two cruisers collided while rushing to a call about gunshots near a Broad Street nightclub at around 1 a.m. yesterday.

They were trying to help two other police officers, who were dealing with a disturbance outside Club Caribe, when someone fired a gun a few feet away on Lenox Avenue. The large crowd outside the nightclub heard the gunshots and ran, and one of the officers hit his panic button to immediately call for help.

And, help was on the way. Officers all over the district sped to the nightclub. But before they could get to the scene, Patrolwoman Marsha Pitrone and Patrolmen Martin Hames and Shawn Kennedy crashed their cruisers into each other just a few blocks away.

Pitrone drove down Elmwood Avenue, while Kennedy headed up Potters Avenue, with Hames in the passenger seat, according to a police report. Blue lights flashing and sirens going, the cruisers crashed in the middle of the intersection.

The impact sent the patrolmen's cruiser fishtailing up onto the sidewalk and into a van that was trying to turn onto Elmwood Avenue, the police said. Pitrone's cruiser spun around in the street.

All three were treated at Rhode Island Hospital and released later yesterday, Capt. Richard Tarlaian said. The other motorist, Stanley Johnson Jr., 32, of Cranston, wasn't injured. The cruisers were heavily damaged.

It was unknown yesterday when the three would return to work or whether any would face disciplinary action. Pitrone, 37, has been on the police force for four years; the two patrolmen graduated from the Providence Police Training Academy last summer. Kennedy, 29, is the son of Maj. Paul Kennedy, and Hames, 28, is the son of Capt. Martin F. Hames.

At the Lenox Avenue incident, the police never found the gun or the shooter. However, one officer at the nightclub ended up in a fight with one man while they were trying to apprehend his brother.

A woman had pointed to a man she said was the shooter, and when Patrolman Dwight Eddy saw him reach into his pants while holding an unidentified object, he drew his gun and ordered the man to the ground, the police said.

That's when Dion Robinson, 18, the man's brother, allegedly came after Eddy and told him to let his brother go. Patrolman Christopher Owens grabbed Robinson to move him away, but Robinson allegedly shoved the officer and tried to punch him. Owens struck Robinson with his baton, which Robinson allegedly tried to grab away from him. Owens and Robinson ended up fighting on the ground, until other officers arrived and helped subdue Robinson.

The police found that Robinson's brother wasn't involved in the shooting; however, Robinson was arrested.

Robinson, of 5 Dresser St., was charged with assault, disorderly conduct, and resisting arrest.

For those who'd rather not deal with a lengthy registration just to see a story, I'll post. What this has to do with the current thread though, I'm not sure.

Car crash hurts three responding city officers

BY AMANDA MILKOVITS Journal Staff Writer

PROVIDENCE -- Three police officers were hurt when two cruisers collided while rushing to a call about gunshots near a Broad Street nightclub at around 1 a.m. yesterday.

They were trying to help two other police officers, who were dealing with a disturbance outside Club Caribe, when someone fired a gun a few feet away on Lenox Avenue. The large crowd outside the nightclub heard the gunshots and ran, and one of the officers hit his panic button to immediately call for help.

And, help was on the way. Officers all over the district sped to the nightclub. But before they could get to the scene, Patrolwoman Marsha Pitrone and Patrolmen Martin Hames and Shawn Kennedy crashed their cruisers into each other just a few blocks away.

Pitrone drove down Elmwood Avenue, while Kennedy headed up Potters Avenue, with Hames in the passenger seat, according to a police report. Blue lights flashing and sirens going, the cruisers crashed in the middle of the intersection.

The impact sent the patrolmen's cruiser fishtailing up onto the sidewalk and into a van that was trying to turn onto Elmwood Avenue, the police said. Pitrone's cruiser spun around in the street.

All three were treated at Rhode Island Hospital and released later yesterday, Capt. Richard Tarlaian said. The other motorist, Stanley Johnson Jr., 32, of Cranston, wasn't injured. The cruisers were heavily damaged.

It was unknown yesterday when the three would return to work or whether any would face disciplinary action. Pitrone, 37, has been on the police force for four years; the two patrolmen graduated from the Providence Police Training Academy last summer. Kennedy, 29, is the son of Maj. Paul Kennedy, and Hames, 28, is the son of Capt. Martin F. Hames.

At the Lenox Avenue incident, the police never found the gun or the shooter. However, one officer at the nightclub ended up in a fight with one man while they were trying to apprehend his brother.

A woman had pointed to a man she said was the shooter, and when Patrolman Dwight Eddy saw him reach into his pants while holding an unidentified object, he drew his gun and ordered the man to the ground, the police said.

That's when Dion Robinson, 18, the man's brother, allegedly came after Eddy and told him to let his brother go. Patrolman Christopher Owens grabbed Robinson to move him away, but Robinson allegedly shoved the officer and tried to punch him. Owens struck Robinson with his baton, which Robinson allegedly tried to grab away from him. Owens and Robinson ended up fighting on the ground, until other officers arrived and helped subdue Robinson.

The police found that Robinson's brother wasn't involved in the shooting; however, Robinson was arrested.

Robinson, of 5 Dresser St., was charged with assault, disorderly conduct, and resisting arrest.

IIRC, Chrysler does NOT currently produce a factory police-package car. The last one they did produce was (drumroll) a K-code Jeep Cherokee.

Some police agencies do use Intrepids for cruisers, but they are NOT true factory police package cars like the K-code Polara, Monaco, Fury, Gran Fury, and Diplomat of years gone by.

Not sure about GM- their "9C1" package used to be the equivalent of Chrysler's K-code packages, and they might offer it on the current Impala.

But for real all-duty police work, its the Ford PI or nothing at the moment.

Or Ryan Newman's fire because the engine grenaded and flying connecting rods and block pieces cut a fuel line. That, too, can happen to an "ordinary" car on the highway. Not LIKELY, but POSSIBLE.

I wouldn't say the problem only recently developed. Probably more correct to say recently recurred. I still remember the exploding Ford scare in the late '70s. Same exact problem. Hit them in the rear and watch the explosion. In the summer of 1978, you could buy a used Ford for pocket change as everyone panicked and tried to unload them.