CHP Deals on Wheels : At Only 95,000 Miles, These Cream Puffs Are Just Getting Broken In

Looking for a clean, late-model, one-owner used car? Don’t mind a little mileage on it?

OK, how about a lot of mileage on it--say, up to 120,000 miles or so on a car that is only a couple of years old?

If you’re still game, then California Highway Patrol Used Car Sales in Torrance may be just the place to look. There, $8,000 or less--a lot less in some cases--will buy you a 1- to 3-year-old Ford Mustang or Crown Victoria that until recently was chasing speeders on the freeways.

“I think it’s a heck of a deal,” said Jay Dennett, a CHP civilian employee and the department’s chief used car salesman. “They’re nice, one-owner used cars. And the mileage isn’t really too bad. Remember, those miles are freeway miles.

“Hey, we just put some 1992 Mustangs on the lot,” Dennett added, sounding like the best radio pitchman, “12 to 14 months old, have about 95,000 (miles) on them, and we’re going to get $7,995 for them. I defy anybody to go to a ‘Blue Book’ and tell me that’s not a good deal.”

Every year the CHP sells about 700 to 1,000 former “pursuit cars” at its two used car lots, one on Hamilton Avenue in Torrance, the other in Sacramento. The CHP also sells its used motorcycles on the lots.

Most law enforcement agencies put their old vehicles up for auction, mixed in with other government-owned cars. Dennett believes that the CHP is the only law enforcement agency in California that operates its own lots. “We try to get the taxpayers’ buck back as much as possible,” he said.

CHP black-and-whites become eligible for sale after 95,000 miles, which usually takes about two years, although some stay on the road for 120,000 miles or more. The cars receive routine maintenance--oil change, brake check, etc.--every 5,000 miles.

Prospective buyers who imagine themselves driving down the highway in a black-and-white and avoiding speeding tickets are in for a disappointment. Before reaching the lot, the cars are stripped of all law enforcement gear, from flashing lights to two-way radios and shotgun racks. They are thoroughly cleaned of any coffee stains, doughnut crumbs or other cop remnants. Then they are painted in various un-cop-like colors: bright blue, maroon, green or white. They have air conditioning but no stereos--not even AM radios.

Contrary to popular belief, the pursuit cars have standard engines--302-cubic-inch V-8s on the Mustangs, 351s on the Crown Victorias. The only special equipment are engine oil coolers and beefed-up suspension systems.

Sales are by bid--a minimum of $6,995 for a ’91 Mustang, $6,495 for a ’91 Crown Victoria, and so on.

There are a couple of drawbacks to shopping at the Torrance lot, where about a dozen cars are lined up for sale on any given day. You are allowed to start the engines, but for insurance reasons you cannot take the car around the block, or move it so much as a foot. And there are no warranties--all sales, requiring cash or certified check, are final.

So who buys all those old CHP cars?

“We sell a lot to other (police) agencies,” Dennett said, adding that in those cases they do not necessarily strip off the police equipment. The CHP has also been selling its vehicles to the Mexican government for use as police cars.

“And we sell a lot of them to cab companies,” Dennett said. “They’ve been some of our best customers. And we sell an awful lot to just the general public--anybody who wants a good car.”

Browsing at the CHP lot recently were Bill McGuire, 73, and George Smith, 63, both of La Puente.

“One of the main attractions here is the prices,” McGuire said. “You figure $6,500 for a ’91 Crown Victoria, you can’t touch that price. Oh sure, there’s a lot of mileage, but you figure even if the motor goes out in a couple of months you can buy another motor for $1,500 and you’re still ahead.”

McGuire had visited the lot several times but had not yet bought a CHP car.

“Thing is, before, I always had two cars already, but now I don’t,” he said. “This time I might just buy one.”

He tried a test start-up, but left the lot in the passenger seat of his buddy’s car.