NOT MINE A couple of M-bodies with potential

commando1

Old Man with a Hat
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My head dances constantly with Sleeper cars. This is one of them if you had stupid throw away money.


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I have had a couple police detective Diplomat/ Caravelle/ Furys. I really enjoyed those cars, one of the detective cars got a Lil Red Express transplant. I was offered too good to pass up money and off it went.
 
Check frame by mini ox cars, heat by the rail right there kills any paint make the rail sweat in all kinds of weather conditions, causing rot at the kick up.
Dealing with this on that damn imperial I bought. Now more work to section in some 2x3 for repair.
 
I have had a couple police detective Diplomat/ Caravelle/ Furys. I really enjoyed those cars, one of the detective cars got a Lil Red Express transplant. I was offered too good to pass up money and off it went.
Was it a transplant, or a factory E58? I know the 360 was available in M Bodies not heading to California.
 
Was it a transplant, or a factory E58? I know the 360 was available in M Bodies not heading to California.
I owned a really nice running Lil Red and the Plymouth M, I removed the 318 and installed the 360. I also found an NOS Road Runner exhaust that fit the M perfect. The car was plenty of fun.
 
I’ve got this one listed and it couldn’t be any cleaner. There’s no rust issues at all but it likely needs some engine work or even better a 360.
$5750 would take it. It doesn’t need any body work or interior work.
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Mini oxygen catalytic converters. Damn auto correct.
Most of those cars have the 2 little cats right off exhaust manifolds and larger regular one underneath pass seat.
In the rust belt they made that frame section rust from inside out because of extra heat so close to the rail.
Sorry, bad proof reading.
 
I owned a really nice running Lil Red and the Plymouth M, I removed the 318 and installed the 360. I also found an NOS Road Runner exhaust that fit the M perfect. The car was plenty of fun.
I lived in the little town of Downieville CA from 1987-1991. The house next door to me was sold and bought by a man from Nebraska. He came with one of my favorite cars, the '81 Chrysler Wagon! I LOVE those. As I was talking with him, he told me it had the 360. ??? I was shocked! That's when I looked it up and learned that such a car, while available, was not available California. Smog Nazis!!
 
Most of those cars have the 2 little cats right off exhaust manifolds and larger regular one underneath pass seat.
I had those "pre-cats" on my '79 360 Cordoba. When I had the exhaust replaced my Exhaust man removed those and put a Supercat under the car. It ran great and added one MPG to the car. :D

However, here is Smog Naziville, cars 1976 and newer must pass a visual check as well as an emissions check. I was so worried when I had the next test. The car ran extremely clean! BUT!! Then came the mirror. I was almost trembling as he looked under the motor at the exhaust manifold. He didn't know what was missing and passed the car!! Whew!! He missed thef act that the heat riser was gone too. The valve was still there, and moved, but there was nothing on the inside except a nut that held the valve in place.

This was the same guy who told me he would fail the car if I drove in with dual exhaust, stating they didn't come that was from the factory. I told him how I can show it to him in a factory service manual. He looked at me, stammered a bit, and said, "I'd still fail it." Idiot! The '79 300 had duals.
 
I’ve got this one listed and it couldn’t be any cleaner. There’s no rust issues at all but it likely needs some engine work or even better a 360.
$5750 would take it. It doesn’t need any body work or interior work.View attachment 668234
Oh boy. Now you got me thinking. Was it a police pkg?
 
I had those "pre-cats" on my '79 360 Cordoba. When I had the exhaust replaced my Exhaust man removed those and put a Supercat under the car. It ran great and added one MPG to the car. :D

However, here is Smog Naziville, cars 1976 and newer must pass a visual check as well as an emissions check. I was so worried when I had the next test. The car ran extremely clean! BUT!! Then came the mirror. I was almost trembling as he looked under the motor at the exhaust manifold. He didn't know what was missing and passed the car!! Whew!! He missed thef act that the heat riser was gone too. The valve was still there, and moved, but there was nothing on the inside except a nut that held the valve in place.

This was the same guy who told me he would fail the car if I drove in with dual exhaust, stating they didn't come that was from the factory. I told him how I can show it to him in a factory service manual. He looked at me, stammered a bit, and said, "I'd still fail it." Idiot! The '79 300 had duals.
My Imperial will lose all that, nice blended Y pipe and 2 1/2 single, might drop to 2 1/4 after muffler. Gas tank sits off towards drivers side so dual exhaust would be more/too complicated for a stock 318.
 
My Imperial will lose all that, nice blended Y pipe and 2 1/2 single, might drop to 2 1/4 after muffler. Gas tank sits off towards drivers side so dual exhaust would be more/too complicated for a stock 318.
Have fun! The exhaust on my Cordoba remained single, but John Clay of Bakersfield did a great job!
 
I have had a couple police detective Diplomat/ Caravelle/ Furys. I really enjoyed those cars, one of the detective cars got a Lil Red Express transplant. I was offered too good to pass up money and off it went.

One of the best-riding/driving cars I've had was an '88 AHB. The seat was tremendously comfortable. I added 11.75" B-body discs and it stopped really well. It just needed about 75 more hp, 175 wasn't enough.

I’ve got this one listed and it couldn’t be any cleaner. There’s no rust issues at all but it likely needs some engine work or even better a 360.
$5750 would take it. It doesn’t need any body work or interior work.
I drooled over that one on FB and quickly determined it was you selling it, @detmatt. I wish I had garage space and time.

Was it a transplant, or a factory E58? I know the 360 was available in M Bodies not heading to California.
For specificity, there were no 360s in M-body copcars. Civilian cars - yes.
There are always a few people to pop up claiming a 360 M-body copcar, but there's never any proof that it was a a true A38/AHB, or that it was factory-built. Always conjecture only, strong assertions based on no facts.
 
For specificity, there were no 360s in M-body copcars. Civilian cars - yes.
There are always a few people to pop up claiming a 360 M-body copcar, but there's never any proof that it was a a true A38/AHB, or that it was factory-built. Always conjecture only, strong assertions based on no facts.
I saw this a couple times. I offer my recollection (not around my books) of M's and 360's.

I am pretty sure a 360 was available (as a factory option) in M squads like 1980 to maybe 1983(?). I owed a couple 25 yers ago. Very confident they were born that way and were authentic pursuit rigs.

Dunno regional avaiabilities at all, wouldn't surprise me that CA had different rules.

After whenever E58 was dropped, the 318 4V, with 360 heads, was the hottest mill after that in cop cars till EOP of M's in 1989 MY. That was a good powertrain, relatively speaking in the malaise era, for hard use/pursuit duty in the M's.

Later years, like '88-'89's, were IMO the best years for that mill in those cars. Smooth, strong running, reliable, etc.
 
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From a police book I have, don't know how accurate it is, but it seems well-researched and shows references.

1981 seems the first year for M-body copcars as A38s.
Prior years for police duty had A-bodies available, and then the F-bodies - which ended in 1980.

Were there M-body copcars in 1979 and 1980?
It's possible, but the opening of chapter 5 says no, at least not as an official A38. And it would've been foolish for Chrysler to release M-body non-A38 copcars when there were F-body A38s already released.

Highlighted is that 1980 is the last year of the 360 in 4-door sedans. (still available in truck/van, and IIRC maybe Mirada CMX?)

My conclusion is that there were 360 M-bodies in 1979, possibly 1980, but those were civilian cars. Did civilian cars get pressed into police duty? I'm sure that happened in small/rural communities. IIRC the older-generation of this book has a photo of a sheriff standing next to his 64 300 that he used as a police car.

But based on this book, I believe there were no factory-equipped 360 M-body official copcars.

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Here's the explanation of 1980-81.

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The book all of that is from:

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