For 1982, Dodge began marketing the Diplomat as its largest four-door sedan; nearly 16 inches shorter than the St. Regis, the mid-size Diplomat was the final rear-wheel drive sedan marketed by Dodge during the 1980s. Coinciding with its usage in law enforcement, the St. Regis appeared on multiple 1980s police-based television series, including Sledge Hammer!, "The A-Team" and T.J. Hooker. Most disastrous of all was the 1980 Dodge St. Regis supplied to the California Highway Patrol. He certainly was worthy of sainthood. Hes not real clear on the just what the problem is. 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. It was based on the old trusted B-body platform and was the fastest police sedan in the quarter mile and was fastest through circuit testing when compared to rival models. It's this last engine, the E86-coded 440, that was specified for Barry's Fury, along with a 2.71 rear gear, when it was ordered by the Kansas Highway Patrol. Lol. Id do it myself, its simple. . The department usually kept their cars three years, but the St. Regis were so bad, they replaced them after only two. And as Brock Yates wrote in The Decline and Fall of the American Automobile Industry, the combination of options on these cars was sometimes a bit odd, to say the least. 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. Poor quality, especially on the interior was common. V8 (360 CI) Automatic. Dodge Coronet Police Vehicle (1959) Dodge Coronet Police Vehicle The Coronet was a full-size car from Dodge from the 1950s. Ive known some people who still have working Lean Burn cars and even as a Mopar guy I consider them miracle cars to have one still working 35 plus years later. It looks pretty good for 36 years and 100,000 miles. 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? Perhaps push bumpers and prisoner partion screen (great for grandchildren or wife). These sites include nuclear power plants, government buildings, and key infrastructure sites. Eventually, the linkage got worn enough that you could just press lightly down on the lever to drop into second and then tap it upward to catch third. ACCOUNT 0. I used to own a 79 St. Regis back in the late 80s. The headlight doors open and close. Some of the last police cars I had were the 1981 R bodies with the 318 four barrel. Because lower priced F-Body Dodge Aspens and Plymouth Volares were designated as the mid-size squad cars through 1980 - not M-bodies. Takes me back to my days in uniform. For 1993, Dodge introduced its first Chrysler-developed full-size sedan with front-wheel drive, the Dodge Intrepid. Dodge Durango Pursuit (Police) 2021. 0. Those St. Regis very rarely, come up for sale, if ever. 1979 Dodge Diplomat Station Wagon - Million Mile Dodge / The Green Machine. My mechanical skills at the time were far from what they are now so the issue was never solved and the car remained in my possession for a couple more years. Only owned it for 27 years, lol. 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). Then, there were the perpetual front end alignment problems. The biggest engine available was the Chevrolet 5.0-litre V8 and it was produced until 1983. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Insanity! The rest of the fleet split the difference. The Chrysler R platform was introduced for the 1979 model year. Switch to inches. Wow, we really do have some things in common, although I think your LeBaron experience was even worse than ours. Ours were disabled early in their sad lives. 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. It has buckets from a 1985 Omni that were a direct bolt on to the original seat tracks. The Dodge St. Regis was based on the rear wheel drive Chrysler R-body platform. 1/43 1979-81 Dodge St Regis (BJ7UKP728) by rapidpro on Shapeways. Coinciding with the 1979 fuel crisis, high interest rates and the uncertain future of the company forced Chrysler into a high proportion of fleet sales for its full-size sedans. The Dodge St. Regis is an automobile that was marketed by Dodge from the 1979 to 1981 model years. They could hit one hundred five mph. At the time I thought it was the best looking car Dodge ever produced. Original paint, top and in . Why? Mileage: 33,430 . GM Car Calibration Request; JEEP; UTV; GARAGE SALE DEALS. Towards this I have a Motorola radio, lights, federal pa 200 siren and speaker, sl-20 flashlight, radar, and other items to come. Michael Simonson wrote that 19,000 police St. Regis models were made in 1979, 6,000 in 1980, and 2,000 in 1981; most were ordinary police cars rather than special interceptors, and many were destroyed in movies. Furthermore, CHP officers act as bailiffs for the California Supreme Court and California Court of Appeal, as well as providing security at buildings occupied by the State of California. Cool Project Series: Full Boost Is Turbocharging A 351-Cleveland Powered 1976 Ford F-350 Ramp Truck. Deriving its name from a 1950s Chrysler trim package, the St. Regis was the first example of downsizing of the full-size Dodge sedan line. 52,000. But most of them had style. At 58,461 miles, he front brake pads were replaced, otors turned and wheel bearings repacked. 1979 Dodge Omni. Both the Chevy Caprice and Ford LTD of the time looked a lot better. This is a 1979 Dodge St. Regis. Full review an, Cool sound Newly-installed CEO Iacocca went to Congress seeking loan. Ive never actually seen one up close and in person. The more basic S model was produced for fleets which had no vinyl roof, no chrome roof band, no hood ornament and bench seats. If you had a variable-venturi Crown Victoria, you could guess whether it would come off at idle speed or tear out the rear end with wide open power. In the fall of 80, a wheel bearing failed, causing the front wheel to part company with the rest of the heap. What's in the box: 1-43 1979-81 Dodge St Regis. It is barely noticeable, nd another pair of taillights is included with the car. 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. May consider other trades of equal value as well. So, old perceptions die hard especially when large sums of money are involved. Needs a L F manual window regulator; and the headliner re glued. It's in pretty good shape. 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. Its no wonder you dont see these cars around. You really wanted the intersection to be very, very clear before you started to make a left turn. Learn how your comment data is processed. Nowadays, I have my 2012 Chrysler 300c (Hemi of course), my 1977 AMC Gremlin, and my 1969 Toyota Corona. Early versions of this generation Malibu had six-window sides and fixed rear door window glass. 1980 Dodge St Regis (Canadian brochure). Its been kept up mechanically and give me enough gas money, Id drive it coast to coast without worry. Shop millions of cars from over 22,500 dealers and find the perfect car. Those St. Regis also wore out tires because they would not hold alignment (drastic negative camber), and three of them blew out their heater cores. 1979 Dodge Truck Color Chart. Im 22 now, and that last photo is me when I was 15! By many accounts, the Diplomat that Moms LeBaron matured into became a very sturdy ride. Gateway Classic Cars of Tulsa is proud to present this slick 1978 Dodge Diplomat Coupe. $26,900. In contrast to both the Monaco and the Diplomat, the St. Regis was offered solely as a four-door sedan. 1986 Chevrolet C/K 10. #stunning #suv #astonmartindbx707 @astonma, RAM! Last, but not least, the 1980-83 Dodge Mirada/Chrysler Cordoba. T.J. Hooker s vehicle of choice after season 2. Only 34,434 St. Regis sedans were produced in 1979. Undercoating must have good protection despite its limit. Wow, what a cool find! 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. The rear tires are 80% Winter tires. The owner brought it to my place of business to let me see it and drive it. In the winter of 1993, I was hunting for a replacement for my ruined 67 Sport Fury and looked at a couple of Magnums, both with actual leather. Most of those wound up being wrecked on TV shows and movies. I thought they looked much better than the 78 Dodge Monacos and Plymouth Furies used in Season 1 and also by Rick Hunter. The car would go both fast and handle. 1979 Dodge Magnum XE ORIGINAL (Cordoba, St. Regis, 1978 Dodge Magnum GT) NO RESV. Hell, there was probably a time when a little junkyard combing could have gotten you all the spare ballast resistors & stuff you would need for life. 1979 Dodge St. Regis 89000 miles, Special order car intended for SD Highway Patrol Comissioner but never delivered. I have been showing the car for a few years and it has won some awards at car shows. Summernats is MktoForms2.loadForm("//app-sn05.marketo.com", "979-LYJ-350", 1596); 707hp. Rough rider since it is older and it handles OK. Great in snow, and mud since it is 4 wheel drive. At the end of the 1970s, the Big Three were all moving towards smaller, lighter machines. It was downsized and shed up to 450 kg in the process, and was styled to look bigger than it was. The best cure for Lean Burn is to pull it, replace it with a standard Chrysler electronic ignition and a matching non Lean Burn carburetor. I dont know if they could have made a more low-rent industrial looking unit if theyd tried. 79 Dodge St Regis with 340 engine Hey, its time to sell my ride. The Diplomat has been a long staple in American history mostly recognized as police cars throughout most Gateway Classic Cars Click for Phone O Fallon, IL 62269 (644 miles away) 2 27 1984 Dodge Diplomat For that matter, both the Chevy and Ford both got more development money than the Dodge and got it sooner. Out of all the things you listed, Ive only experienced the mirror falling off the windshield, the hard plastic panel that went over the defroster and radio speakers cracking but only after the car well past 30 years old. Ten years earlier the full size Chrysler cars came out with the cockpit styling and hoods long enough to land a plane on. The A/C compressor turns on, ut it blows warm. [1] In total, 64,502 examples were produced. . The CHP tried some marked Camaros in 1992, and used a few 1993 and 1994 (and 2001 and 2002) Camaros for truck enforcement. Cars used by California Highway Patrol 1929 to present. The Fab Forums Fox Body Project: Doing A Factory Mini Tub Build Part 3. The St.Regis looks like one of the worst. 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. The Encyclopedia of American Cars, 2006 Edition, Learn how and when to remove these template messages, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Detailed specs review of 1981 Dodge St. Regis 3.7L TorqueFlite offered since October 1980 for North America", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dodge_St._Regis&oldid=1135981790, This page was last edited on 28 January 2023, at 01:41. I remember Dabney Coleman driving one in the hilarious car chase in the movie Short Time, and wondering just how that thing held together. He pulled the engine to put in a 53 Willys and sold the car before he finished it. By 1989 it was very outdated with its three-speed auto and carburetted engines but was the first Chrysler model to feature an air bag and tilt-adjust steering wheel. The Impala was found to rival other models well with good performance, decent interior trim and a large boot. New Land Rover Defen, New 911 GTS, with 7spd manual It was very fatiguing to herd that thing on the open road for any length of time. Even the grille pattern looks more Buick than Dodge. In contrast to both the Monaco and the Diplomat, the St. Regis was offered solely as a four-door sedan. The featured car is in better shape cosmetically than mine and if I had room for it would be all over it, but since my car has been in the family for 30 years will put in the sweat equity it would take to get it back to where we had it looking years ago. Oh my gosh this is my CL post. It was not a high speed pursuit car, but it was no slouch either. I have owned a number of 70s cars. 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, It may be rare, but this looks like one of the crappiest built cars from that era. Local police or the local sheriffs department having a contract with an incorporated city are primarily responsible for investigating and enforcing traffic laws in incorporated cities, but any peace officer of the CHP can still enforce any state law anywhere within the state, even though the agencys primary mission is related to transportation. In Canada, we only got the Medallion version, the top trim. The Dodge St. Regis is an automobile that was marketed by Dodge from the 1979 to 1981 model years. Funny the Aspen was actually better. The dash pad is crack-free. Police officers also gave it better ergonomic ratings. My dad put a factory rear anti sway bar on it, I replaced the rims with factory 7inch and cop sized tires instead of the smaller tires my dad had on it. I told the BIL not to buy it but he didnt listen. The CHP also works with municipal and federal law enforcement agencies, providing assistance in investigations, patrol and other aspects of law enforcement. Outside of California, a 195-hp 360 V8 engine was available as part of the A38 Police Package; the option package was popular by law enforcement of the time. Ours was also a 318 with the super tall gearing. Alternatively (and preferably for my 17 year old self) you could just gun it enough to delay the upshift. The original owner found a non Lean Burn Holley 2280 to put on it. The Dodge St. Regis is a full-size Dodge automobile built from 1979 to 1981. The extra $500 must for being in rust belt. 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. The St. Regis is a motor car from Dodge, with rear wheel drive, a front positioned engine and a 4 door saloon (sedan) body style. Even AMC, the perpetual fourth-place finisher, bowed out at the end of 1978 with no real replacement in sight. I know the seats werent leather too. I recall reading in a story of the early days of CNN, Ted Turner met Lee Iacocca. I hope the featured car goes to a good home. 2021. Its hard to say. While shifting to an intermediate chassis allowed the St. Regis a smaller exterior footprint over the 1974-1977 Monaco, it remained far larger than its Ford LTD and Chevrolet Caprice competitors (at 220.2 inches long, an inch shorter than a Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham). Skip to content. 1979 Dodge St.Regis Maryland State Police Roof hardware: Federal Signal AeroDynic light bar D Dech Sayyasavee 103 followers More information 1979 Dodge St.Regis Maryland State Police | Roof hardware: F | Flickr Emergency Vehicles Police Vehicles Old Police Cars Sports Car Racing State Police Police Department Fire Trucks Plymouth The CHP uses other types of vehicles for special units, such as truck enforcement, or for use in areas where cars can go, like off road or mountain areas. lol. With the exception of a full-size Chrysler, the 440 was unavailable for public use, and even then, the civilian version was rated for 195 hp. Tyler purchased an ex-Illinois state police 1980 St. Regis with a 360 with a limited slip rear-end. I will include two cans of R12 refrigerant with the purchase of the car. In addition to its highway patrol duties, the CHP also provides other services including protecting state buildings, state facilities, and state officials. . No leather seats in the St.Regis, just vinyl.. So, if you took your eyes off the road for even a moment, you could find yourself halfway in the adjacent lane. There is a good chance that the following car may be an ex-prop from the show - it matches the main photo and the last thumbnail with . All Rights Reserved. I forgot the St. Regis had available leather. Said Lean Burn also failed repeatedly, leaving you stalled out without warning at random times. 1980 Dodge Aspen (Canadian brochure). Man! 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. In this case, it's a 360-powered St. Regis worked up to represent a Michigan State Police car. Cars for Sale in; Houston, TXCars for Sale in; Jacksonville, FLCars for Sale in; Miami, FL Good Lord! The ask of $8,995 is much less than the . lol. Oh, fancy radio with glass like cover and chrome buttons from M-Body will be a nice swap with all the same connections. I was rewarded with a 1980 Aspen. In the future Ill be equipping it with period correct equipment as a Chiefs Car. Rear defrost. It could work. The rims are all Chrysler snowflake rims, but the back two are from a 79 Lebaron and the front ones are for this car specifically. all combined to keep sales low. 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. A gorgeous 1979 Illinois State Police Dodge St. Regis I made from Taigo's car on NFS Addons. Check with your state to see how replica police cars can be operated on roadways. It was probably easier to do this in my car because it was originally a single speaker AM radio and I ran the speaker wiring from the back and put in some front speakers in the factory holes and hooked everything up to the later harness. Replacing the Monaco, the St. Regis was the largest Dodge sedan, positioned above the mid-size Diplomat and Aspen. I believe 79 was when Lee Iacocca came in to clean house. Chrome housing, clear lens. The Dodge St. Regis introduced in 1979 was a re-skinned dinosaur based on the old large Chrysler B-body platform which underpinned the classic 1960s Dodge Charger muscle car. Even so, the original unit in the St Regis has FM radio that I really hope for ( AM only in North Michigan doesnt return many channels ). As 70s interiors go, thats not too bad. That year the CHP put a limited number of Ford Fairmonts, Chevy Malibus, Plymouth Up to 1958, the California Highway Patrol would purchase vehicles 2 times a year, and many times it would be a different make. Im sure its simpler than I think. Ram 1500. Options $0. It would be the last rear-wheel drive model made by Chrysler until the Plymouth Prowler from 1997. If GM marketing had their way, using Pontiac in comparison, there was a Catalina, Bonneville, Bonneville Brougham, all sharing the same basic body and dashboard. (The siren and light bar have been disconnected per EBay policy.) Looking at that last photo, he wore what appears to be a denim-like leisure suit to prom. That would kick in around 28-30 mph, causing a massive ping/detonation/lugging event alarming enough to make you let off the throttle. Or not. A new grille for its final year heralded the merger of the Fifth Avenue and New Yorker names in 1982, in the more successful luxury version of the M-body Dodge Diplomat. I sold that car years ago when I was still a teenager and now I regret it! It was a compact-class model which was employed by police forces with either six-cylinder or 4.9-litre V8 engines. I did test drive a used one sometime in the mid-1980s. Never buy a used cop car. We were not alone in these issues. My car had its original Lean Burn ditched by the original owner, when my dad got it, he found it had been converted to points and he converted it to standard electronic ignition. It forms part of Dodge's Series EH range of cars. In this form it was almost identical to the Dodge Diplomat except for badging. Get the best deals on Parts & Accessories for Dodge St. Regis when you shop the largest online selection at eBay.com. Thats an operator error on my behalf Haha. After the September 11, 2001 attacks the CHP became responsible for securing and patrolling a number of potential terrorist targets in California. Dodge Intrepid Police 2004 Dodge Intrepid R/T 2000 Dodge Intrepid R/T 2001 Dodge Intrepid R/T 2002 . Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Details. Id totally jump on it if it were a Newport. The St. Regis trademark. Ive only seen them on the road as they drive by or Ive followed one on I-5 or I-405 freeway. This baby did it very well. Although I was then and am still a total car nut, I dont recall these big Chryslers making any kind of a splash at the time. I can see dumping the lean burn but convert to points? For 1979, the 360 was available to cops in all fifty states, with a rating of 195 horsepower for everyone but those in California. Does anyone know why a car was named after a Saint? The 225 Slant-6 inline-6 was now the standard engine with optional 318 and 360 V8s; a three-speed automatic was paired to all three engines. 360 L-code, was white with blue interior. It would be the last full-size Plymouth model ever built. "It sits lower to the ground, it is a car, and it is newer". Positioned above the Coronet, but sharing the same chassis, were the Dodge Royal and Dodge Custom Royal. So they always occupied a small space in my automotive memory banks. Its a decent engine with one fatal flaw. Your email address will not be published. As Chrysler needed to expedite a downsized replacement for the 1974-1977 C-body to market (in response to the 1973 oil crisis), the R-body was developed from existing underpinnings at minimal costs. I bought an estate out over the summer, this car was part of the deal, so I'll tell you all I know about the car. I made the mistake of buying one of these that was used by the Georgia State Patrol for six years. Top Rated Seller Top Rated Seller. While closer in exterior size to the Diplomat, the Intrepid nearly matches the St. Regis in interior room. A special waiver was acquired to remove the anti-smog equipment to restore some performance, but departments such as the California Highway Patrol dropped it for the Ford Mustang instead. What a nightmare.. My current ride is a 2007 Toyota Avalon with 135K and still humming along. I have 253k and still rolling. Im really not feeling the love for this car. The wiring in the tilt wheel shorted out, leaving us with no cruise or horn. 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. ACCOUNT. Historic Drag Video: Ultra-Rare Footage Of Art Arfons Green Monster And The Dud Jet Dragster, Great Read: The Man Who Would Be Greyhound: A 1986 Sports Illustrated Profile Of Big Daddy Don Garlits. By the time I sold my St. Regis it had 110k on the clock and still ran great. The skimpy 7 1/4 rear end wore out prematurely. The automotive landscape and world at-large is shifting away from petrol cars and towards electrification and political correctness. Besides that, thats pretty sweet ride. 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.