1973 Dodge Polara Mopar Police Car - $4995

[commando1]

??

 

[commando1]

This isn't a big deal. It's just that I'm a trivia nut.

 

[The Captain]

The CHP wheel was white because the black wheel gets hotter in the California sun. But that wheel you showed has a wrap on it which is not correct.

 

[1978 NYB]

The CHP wheel was white because the black wheel gets hotter in the California sun. But that wheel you showed has a wrap on it which is not correct.

I've never seen one before.

 

[Greg B.]

The CHP wheel was white because the black wheel gets hotter in the California sun. But that wheel you showed has a wrap on it which is not correct.

Exactly. I remember reading an article back when these cars were being put in service that mentioned that CHP specified a white steering wheel because it did not absorb the heat of the California sun and was easier on the drivers. I believe the article was a review or road test of the '69 Polara CHP cruiser. I cannot recall which magazine ran it - could have been anything from Popular Mechanics to Road Test to Motor Trend. Wish I could find it.

 

[tbm3fan]

Link to picture of wheel in a true to life restored CHP car

http://www.hemmings.com/mus/stories/2009/07/01/hmn_feature6.html

look at last picture on the right

 

[1978 NYB]

Very cool! That is a tough looking police car!!!

 

[commando1]

Says "Cons: Unsuited for city use"
Why? Not as far as I'm concerned.

(Sent using Forum Runner)

 

[1978 NYB]

Those Polara's were suited for any type of duty!

 

[polara71]

Those Polara's were suited for any type of duty!

Yes they were ... and I have had them through just about all of it

 

[polara71]

This one is in a 72 Polara, perhaps in the same car as the one previously mentioned.





This one is in a 71 Polara, like the CHP car but the wheel is in black

 

[commando1]

This week I learned more about Mopar cop steering wheels than 99.9% of the population learns in a lifetime.
That will get me far in life.
Yet, I'm extremely fulfilled.

 

[1978 NYB]

The more I think about the CHP steering wheel....I may of seen ONE before and just thought that it was an odd steering wheel.

 

[polara71]

It is odd and extremely rare

 

[kmccabe56]

The CHP cars were a fleet order (obviously) and Chrysler considered the CHP to be a very important and influential fleet customer. So when the CHP said "We want white steering wheels in our cars", it wouldn't have taken long for somebody at Chrysler to call somebody at Chrysler to call the steering wheel vendor and say "Make us XXXXX white steering wheels, and where you get the white plastic is your problem, not ours".

All of the rule books about what you could or couldn't "get" in a car were thrown out the window when it came to fleet orders. And the bigger and more influential the fleet customer was, the farther the books got thrown. About the only limits there might have been, related to what the assembly plant was physically capable of doing.

 

[70NPORT]

View attachment 6977

This one is in a 72 Polara, perhaps in the same car as the one previously mentioned.

I like that white steering wheel, kind of cool looking never seen that before.

 

[commando1]

I like that white steering wheel, kind of cool looking never seen that before.

I will admit that before this thread, if I had seen that, I would have thought: "pffftttttttt... stupid guy didn't even use a correct steering wheel"

 

[cm23uoc]

CHP was a big customer as far as police pusuits were concerned reportedly had 600 orders per year in two tranches by the early 60s. Seems also to have been some kind of prestigious customer as they were the most demanding together with Mo. as far as performance was concerned. They didn't accept cars under 122" wheelbase which caused Dodge to base them on the Matador/Polaras in the early 60s with some cheaper Dart and Station wagon trim added to clear the front doors for badging and the white steering wheels were mandatory back then as well. Just happened to drool over such an article in Collectible Automobile as a sidenote to their 60-61 Dodge article in Dec. 1999. I must have some more detailed article about a 61 Polara pusuit, don't know where it was featured though.
There were also two 2dr Matador/Dart hybrids mentioned built with the 122" wb. exclusively as pursuits, hardly to be called a fleet order.

 

[commando1]

The way I understand it, to this day, CHP pretty much sets the min. standards of which most states adopt.

 

[70NPORT]

I will admit that before this thread, if I had seen that, I would have thought: "pffftttttttt... stupid guy didn't even use a correct steering wheel"

well, ok. Matter of taste I suppose.