Attn: Dean

[Motoring]

http://www.sspmustang.org/photos/smf_photo17.htm

Hey Dean...remember how you said there were no 5.0's in the NHP

[MattR]

I guess that settles that arguement

[Dean]

I din't say they didn't have them, just that they were not the "normal" car, and that I didn't think the term Five-O came from the displacement because nobody used liters back then in conversation.

Unless you can find an older reference, my first recolection of it was from "Hawaii Five-O" which first aired in 1968.

Originally Posted by The Hawaii Five-O FAQ

Why was it called Five-O, anyway?
Hawaii was the fiftieth state in the union. (The original title was "The Man," but producer Leonard Freeman changed his mind.)

Wikipedia agrees:

Five-O: Slang for police (derived from TV police drama Hawaii Five-O)

[MattR]

Yeah, I thought you said NHP never had 5.0's...hmm..

Anyway, the hawaii 5-0 reference is pretty good, I'm sure that's where the term came from .

I call this one a draw

Camaros are better anyway

[Dean]

I don't think I said that cause I ain't been here long enough to say something like that, but I'm OK with a draw.

[Ezdno]

Are you sure that car isnt the standard SVO that NHP were issued when the car was commissioned? Two of my close friends both took new SVO Mustangs as their cruisers.

[Dean]

I don't think so. How do you put a "perp" in a two door car?

[Pat R.]

A perp will fit in the trunk if you're not afraid of bruising him.

[Ezdno]

They were originally used specifically for intercepters to give tickets, if they had perps to arrest, they would call in a second unit.

[Dean]

And the second unit would be what? A mustang with a "Perp Trailer"

Intercepter <> Cruiser...

Again, I didn't say they didn't have them, I only alleged that they were not the primary vehicle, just like Camaros aren't primary today.

And it really doesn't matter, because the main discussion was the origin of the term "Five-O". Unless somebody has some pre 1968 reference linking the 5.0 liter engine with that phrase, we can stop now.

[MattR]

OK, copy.

[sperry]

Originally Posted by Ezdno

Are you sure that car isnt the standard SVO that NHP were issued when the car was commissioned? Two of my close friends both took new SVO Mustangs as their cruisers.

That's certainly not an SVO, no hood scoop for the intercooler:





And the term "five-oh" came from Hawaii 5-0.

And...

Originally Posted by Wikipedia

Also in 1982, the California Highway Patrol asked Ford to produce a capable and lightweight police car due to the bulkyness of current police cars like the Ford Fairmont and LTD/Crown Victoria and the problems incurred with Camaros with their camshafts at pursuit speeds. Taking the Fox 5.0 Mustangs in production at the time, Ford produced the Ford Mustang SSP (Special Service Package) and modified them to suit the needs of the police and law enforcement departments. Nearly 15,000 of these special units were made until their discontinuation in 1993.

Some of the options that came with the car included:

* Engine, 5.0 HO V8 with Sequential Multi Port Injection
* Forged pistons, roller cam (Hypereutectic pistons 1993)
* Engine oil cooler
* Aircraft-type Silicone radiator hoses and clamps
* 5 speed manual or 4 speed AOD transmission
* Auto transmission fluid cooler
* Brakes, power disc front/drum rear with rotor shields
* Stainless steel factory headers
* Dual exhaust system w/stainless tips
* Fuel tank capacity - 15.4 Gallons
* Heavy duty stabilizer bars, front and rear
* Full instrumentation with in-dash tachometer
* 130 Amp heavy duty alternator
* 2 Piece VASCAR speedometer cable
* Certified calibrated Police speedometer 0-160 MPH
* Non operational courtesy lights (safety feature)
* Steering wheel, leather wrapped
* Relocated rear deck release
* Single key locking doors/trunk
* Reinforced floor pans
* Full size spare tire
* 15" X 7" Cast Aluminum Wheels

Depending on which agency bought them, extras like Rollcages (Requested by Oregon State Police) and Power Windows (Requested by New York State Police) made each SSP unique to their respective departments. The small rear seat and manual transmission were generally considered ill-suited for a law enforcement vehicle.

Virtually all of the SSP Mustangs were of the coupe or "notchback" style cars; 5 examples made for the CHP in 1982 were of the Hatchback model.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Mustang

...the Mustang was never intended to be a "squad car"... purely an interceptor. In addition to being crappy duty cars, they were also crappy persuit cars because they were so hard to drive at high speeds due to the lightbar's aero effect (and I would guess the normal handling characteristics of those cars ), according to some interview I remember reading w/ a CHP officer a while back.

[Ezdno]

Didnt 5.0 originate from the viscosity of the oil in McGarretts hair?

I actually thought it was Precinct 50, didnt it say that on the badge?

[AtomicLabMonkey]

Originally Posted by sperry

In addition to being crappy duty cars, they were also crappy persuit cars because they were so hard to drive at high speeds due to the lightbar's aero effect (and I would guess the normal handling characteristics of those cars ), according to some interview I remember reading w/ a CHP officer a while back.

Yes, any Fox Mustang is hard to drive at high speed due to a number of (crappy) design factors. And no, that is not an SVO.