Saw this thing and just had to have it. Not sure why, but GRM probably understands if anyone does. It is an 84 LTD Crown Victoria. Maryland State Police car. Unmarked. 351HO and I think every available upgrade to the P72 Police package. 100k original miles! Drives amazingly well. Do have to find a way to lose the original VV carb but thats about it. Other than wheels that is. Looking for ideas...
I'd honestly be tempted to leave it as is for a sleeper look
Going to let my midwest flag fly on this one - 15" chrome Cragar S/S's.
Mr_Asa said:I'd honestly be tempted to leave it as is for a sleeper look
I agree: I think steelies and real metal hubcaps are the de rigueur wheel "upgrades" nowadays.
Go full interceptor with some late model p71 steelies
and I'm pretty sure they can be had in 17"
keep that sleeper look, while getting rid of those ugly covers.
Big Detroit iron cruisers always looks great on Detroit Steel Wheels. I wouldn't get carried away with diameter. I think I'd go for 18s to be a tad more subtle and 8-9" wide. Add center caps/beauty rings to taste. I might even try to color match the wheels
Minilites.
Basset D-Holes
In reply to NickD :
I prefer the Bassett Inertia myself, but the D-Holes are cool too. Wow that sounds kinda dirty when you read it out loud.
Be aware that 2003-up P71s had very different front offsets, so those wheels may not work. (Please consult an actual expert for details.) Personally, I like the existing wheel covers for the back-in-the-day look.
I'm intrigued that the MSP spec'd your car with extra gauges but manual windows. Great find!
I liked the 17" Dodge Charger steelies I had on the Falcon. eBay beauty rings and hubcaps and retainers from a Ranger made for an updated, classic look. Something similar could be done on an 80's car
My dad and bro both had interceptors of that era.
I'm a big fan of the period correct small dog dish hubcaps.
if only c4 sawblades were the right boltpattern...
With the burgundy, gold dayton wires.
My vote is for stock-looking steel wheels, with dog dish hub caps, but with much wider rims welded on in the rear to fit as much tire as you can.
Brotus7 said:My dad and bro both had interceptors of that era.
I'm a big fan of the period correct small dog dish hubcaps.
This, but find them in 9" wide or have them stretched. Add a blow-through-carb underhood supercharger if you can still find one. Throw the Hotchkis catalog at the suspension but don't lower it much. keep the sleeper look and give it the guts to run down any takers on the highway.
Just like the cops would have wanted it back in the day.
The VV carb must go. No 'if, ands, or Bs about it. Went through heck trying work those things back in the mid-late '80s as mechanic at an independent repair shop. Absolute junk imo. But then again, GM feed back carbs of that era were a pain as well.
A second for dog dishes.
In reply to Brotus7 :
Nothing to see here.... Just one of my favorite movies of ever. And Drebin crashing my car with the genuine fake air bags. Then he shoots the car. Hah! Such joy. As for the wheels,kind of leaning towards some larger steelies with these exact hubcaps. 17's, 18's... Have not found any other than Detroit Steel. They are a little spendy though... Sending appreciation to your family for their service!
Also, wheel nerd here, and I went through something similar with our old Pontic wagon. I wanted something cooler than the full hubcaps but didn't want to lose any of the car's character--basically didn't want to turn it into something that it wasn't.
So I scored some old GTO dog dishes. 
Love these. What a score.
I didn't think I had any pictures of my 79, found this last week. Drove it for 14 years, 1986-2000.
I vote for steel wheels with dog dish caps. I always regretted changing to the turbine wheels.
The photo is of my friend picking it up after I wrecked it and sold it.
Wow! That brings back memories. If that had dog dishes on it then it would be just like the one I had right down to the gauges,color and year.
I ran the VV Carb with no issues. I always had plans to change it but it always worked so I never did.
In reply to APEowner :
Runs and drives incredibly well. Especially for a car that mostly sat for years. Except for a way too high idle and genuinely poor fuel economy. Have adjusted up and down everything that I could find on the VV. There looks like some kind of device on the side of the carb to up the idle and I have no concept of how to adjust that. Did lube it in case it was sticking with little change in operation... Pretty much thinking that it will just be happier with a 600 or 650 Holley.
Performer intake and a holly 600 was the first modification to mine. Then dual exhausts, and then a lot more over the subsequent decade. Three engines in total.
Apexcarver said:if only c4 sawblades were the right boltpattern...
So high offset they can fit anything
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