Police Interceptor

[Ross in East Texas]

All my life I have heard talk of the "Police Interceptor". This was mostly in the "Y Block" years. Does anyone know what, if any, differences were in these engines?

[JeffB2]

In the 1952-54 Ford Shop Manual there is a special section for the Intercepters the 1954 Fords used a 1954 Mercury 256 with 4 barrell and dual exhaust rated at 161 HP as compared to the standard 239 Y-block 2 barrel single exhaust at 130 HP,the Ford-O-Matics were also beefed up as well.I have a 1954 Intercepter Intake& Carb listed for sale with pictures in the Swap Meet here.There is a ton of info on the net about the Intercepters in late 1957 they were also the first with the 332 FE block.Some of the 52-53 Police cars used the 255 Merc flathead rather than the 239.Another interesting story is the "Ghost cars" of the 1960' & 70's produced by the "Big 3".The first picture is the U.S. Army Highway Patrol used on the Autobahn in Germany in 1955.

[Ole Don]

The Interceptor was usually a Mercuruy powered upgrade. I worked at Ford in '73. We built 500 two doors for Nebraska. They had a special frame, different rear axle with 2.9 ratio, station wagon front end with big brakes, a roof reinforcement for a light bar, and the coolest engine ever to come down the line. It was a 429 with cast headers, finned aluminum rocker covers, some had Quadrajets and some had Holleys, a huge alternator, and a C 6 with a first gear lockout. I asked an engineer about the lock out, he said its to prevent uninteded wheel spin. These cars were built to fly.

[Ross in East Texas]

I have a friend that swears that his dad bought a '55 Ford with a 312 "Police Interceptor" engine. He even says that his father had to get permission from the local Sheriff before he could purchase it!
I just can not believe this. Every bit of information that I can dig up says the first 312's were not cast until late 1956?
What do all the experts here say?

[40cpe]

My family bought a new '58 Fairlane 500. '58 was the first year for the FE block. The 332 was the base FE and the 352 our car had in it was the Interceptor and rated at 300 hp.

[Kahuna]

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40 coupe is correct. In 1958 the 352 CI engine in the Fairlanes was called the Thunderbird Interceptor Special. It was the 300 Horse engine

[Lamar Wadsworth]

Originally Posted by Ross in East Texas

I have a friend that swears that his dad bought a '55 Ford with a 312 "Police Interceptor" engine. He even says that his father had to get permission from the local Sheriff before he could purchase it!
I just can not believe this. Every bit of information that I can dig up says the first 312's were not cast until late 1956?
What do all the experts here say?

No expert (an "ex" is a has been and a "spurt" is just a drip under pressure), but yo ur skepticism is well founded. The first 312 was introduced in late '56 calendar year, '57 model year. I don't doubt that somebody put one in a '55, as it's a bolt-in swap, and the '55 may well have been an old cop car, but it didn't start life with a 312. As far as having to get permission from the local sheriff to buy the car, I have my doubts about that. Any car that the owner wants to sell can be bought by any person who has the money to pay the seller's price.

[Ross in East Texas]

By the way, this was in the 50's and the car was nearly new I believe. But I agree with you, this is in all probability, pure BS.

[Daves55Sedan]

When I was a Junior in High school (1972) I bought my first car a 55 Ford I am still driving today (pictured at left). I had the only 55 Ford in the school parking lot. Another fellow had a 56 fordor sedan he thought was a police interceptor. It had a y-block engine with dual exhausts, 4bbl intake, dual point distributor with dual vacuum diaphragm and had steel valve covers like the ordinary Y-blocks but the had "Thunderbird Special V8" sticker on them. The car did have a spotlight and the running light wiring had been modified with a second flasher for flashing lights. The car had Master guide power steering and swift-sure power brakes. I dont doubt that the engine was a 312, but was it a police interceptor ???

[Ross in East Texas]

It definitely does sound like this was, at least, a retired police vehicle doesn't it?
Your 55 looks very much like one that I traded for in about 1965 except mine wasn't nearly as slick as yours. Mine did have a 292 in it but it came from a truck. I sold this car for $100, sure wish that I had it back now.

[Milt/Las Vegas]

The little town I grew up in police dept.had a 59 station wagon supposedly with a 361 police intercepter.They would never let us look at it.

[LOWRIDER]

"Had to get permission from the sheriff to buy it". I don't believe that one. I've worked for car dealers for 40 yrs and some of the deals that have been made would make you sick. Car salesmen aren't considered sleazy for no reason.

[rick55]

"Another fellow had a 56 fordor sedan he thought was a police interceptor. It had a y-block engine with dual exhausts, 4bbl intake, dual point distributor with dual vacuum diaphragm and had steel valve covers like the ordinary Y-blocks but the had "Thunderbird Special V8" sticker on them."
All 56 292's were called Thunderbird Specials with everything you mention. It was an advertising ploy of Ford as the 292 was the 1955 Thunderbird engine (though it was possible to get a 56 with a 312). They weren't really lying, just stretching the truth. The distributor you talk about is the standard dissy fitted to all 4 barrel cars but it didn't have dual points.
For their day the 56's were a pretty quick car with the 292 and all the accompanying fruit. The lack of the crossover pipe contributed significantly to power output.
Regards

[Paul's Garage]

My uncle ordered a '55 Ford new in 55 he said that for many years, you could always special order a Lincoln motor in the Fords if you could pay for it, so he put the biggest Lincoln motor in the '55. They had upgraded chassis and transmissions. Anyway long about 1960 he traded it in on a new Ford 4 door. At the time he was working for American Aircraft in Tulsa,OK. A guy called him and asked about buying the '55 and he told it was a good car but he had better be a good driver to keep it on the road. The guy told not to worry he handle any car made. At that time Oklahoma left the license plates on the cars, and my Uncle went to work one day and a co-worker was laughing about seeing a '55 Ford climb a light pole on the way to work. My uncle asked what color it was and it was the right color,then he asked if he saw the tag number and yes and he remembered it, needless to say it was my uncles old Ford with the big Lincoln engine. End of story.

[sanborn]

I don't know if my comments are really "germain" to the discussion. But, coming from a moonshine state(TN), I do know that the state had engines built for Ford trooper cars that were not stock. Example---55 and 56 Fords that had 3X2 intakes with aftermarket cams(Isky, I believe). A local shop did the engines. They also built some oval race engines---and probably for moonshiners too!

Later, in the 70s Georgia had Pontiac Trans Ams setup for moonshine chasing. They had 421HO engines, four speed, some with 2X4 intakes. I believe that Catousa County still had a couple about five years ago.

[40 Deluxe]

The '59 wagons with "361 police interceptor" engines were no doubt just ordinary Edsel engines with the Interceptor label. 9 more cubic inches couldn't be that big as deal anyway!

[dga1028]

Ford usually has a couple of 'packages' that can be installed which are for the most part heavy duty components such as stiffer suspensions and over sized radiators etc. These are usually made also as towing packages.

Also Ford will custom build an order such as three hundred unit for the XYZ State Police or Hertz. For many years back in the late fifties there was for example special engines for the NJ State Police which was a high performance engine except that it had lowered compression so that it could use the fuel that the state bought under a low bid system. Of course as mentioned above they were buying them by the hundred. I know that in that same era that there was a North Carolina design.

[Pat-New York]

I had a 1958 Ford Del Rio Wagon, which I believe had the 352 cu in it,I should have taken some pic's of it. It did say Interceptor on the air breather. That wagon would get up and scat ! I shure would like to find another one like it. It also had the cruisematic tranny. Are there any out there ???

[SSsssteamer]

In about 1975, I was restoring a 1957 Ford Convertible. I needed a 292 y block engine for it and a fellow said he had one that he thought that was a 292 that he had taken it out of a retired 1957 Ford police car that his brother had wrecked. After I got the engine home and I took it apart I found that it was a 312 engine with an over bore that took it out to about 330 cubic inches. It has an isky cam (stamped Isky), and Jahns high compression pistons. The heads didn't have the Thunderbird oversized valves. They had the smaller Ford valves with doubled up valve springs and solid push rods. Thinking that I would use this engine some day, I had the local rebuild shop rebuild it. The small valves still have me scratching my head, "why didn't they use the larger valves?" Because I have done it, I know that the larger valves can float easily and also bend their hollow light weight pushrods. Maybe they were building reliability into the engine? My 312 Interceptor is still in dry storage waiting its turn. This I am sure is one hot police interceptor 312 engine. I own a '57 Thunderbird and a '57 Ranchero and they both just keep on going. Hopefully some year one of them will need a fresh engine.

[paul2748]

No 312 in 1955, period.

Originally Posted by Ross in East Texas

I have a friend that swears that his dad bought a '55 Ford with a 312 "Police Interceptor" engine. He even says that his father had to get permission from the local Sheriff before he could purchase it!
I just can not believe this. Every bit of information that I can dig up says the first 312's were not cast until late 1956?
What do all the experts here say?

[OLDBULL8]

Originally Posted by Ole Don

The Interceptor was usually a Mercuruy powered upgrade. I worked at Ford in '73. We built 500 two doors for Nebraska. They had a special frame, different rear axle with 2.9 ratio, station wagon front end with big brakes, a roof reinforcement for a light bar, and the coolest engine ever to come down the line. It was a 429 with cast headers, finned aluminum rocker covers, some had Quadrajets and some had Holleys, a huge alternator, and a C 6 with a first gear lockout. I asked an engineer about the lock out, he said its to prevent uninteded wheel spin. These cars were built to fly.

I'm a new member here as of 11/30/10. I worked at Ford Lima Engine Plt. from 1957 to 1987, last 20 yrs. as Gen. Foreman of Maint. 460 block,crank,cam and Brg. cap, been a long time ago but I think that 429 you speak of was made there. I vaguely remember making a 500 run of them. We didn't make the cranks, they were steel forged cranks from Fostoria Crankshaft. Rods were forged steel, pistons ? special. 82 now and the memory is fuzzy.

The Lima plant was built to make the Edsel 385 engine.

[darrell]

the police engine for 55 was a 292.if you had he a friendly ford salesman he could order you one.55 fords all had 272 not 292s as you often see advertised.they built 1999 crown vics with the glass roof only one had a 292.it was ordered as a sheriffs car.hard to believe but the only thing they wouldnt do was two tone it.it was all white and he had the dealer paint green on to two tone it.he still ownes it.there was something about it in the fomoco times a few years back.

[graybeard]

Originally Posted by Pat-New York

I had a 1958 Ford Del Rio Wagon, which I believe had the 352 cu in it,I should have taken some pic's of it. It did say Interceptor on the air breather. That wagon would get up and scat ! I shure would like to find another one like it. It also had the cruisematic tranny. Are there any out there ???

Pat I went to look at a four door Ranch Wagon just this morning. It is a 332 two barrel carb. The introduction of the new FE series engine was confusing at best. The whole FE seies in '58 was referred to as Interceptors, 332 two or four barrel as well as the 352. I've never seen any Ford literarture that referred to them as Thunderbird Interceptor or Police Interceptor, just Interceptor. The 352 though did have the little Interceptor Special badge on the glove box lid. As late as a year ago, until I bought a NOS glove box emblem I would have bet money that the emblem said Police Interceptor Special, not so! Pat I found a beautiful Wikipedia page for the '58 Del Rio.

[Gerry]

[QUOTE=graybeard;142155]Pat I went to look at a four door Ranch Wagon

I thought Ranch Wagons were 2 door? Gerry

[graybeard]

[QUOTE=Gerry;142184]

Originally Posted by graybeard

Pat I went to look at a four door Ranch Wagon

I thought Ranch Wagons were 2 door? Gerry

Gerry, The vin plate identifies the wagon we're talking about as a 79A body type. My '49-'59 Parts and Accessories Illustrated Catalog identifies a 79A as a FORDOR RANCH WAGON. It shows 79A as only '58. In the serial number the fourth digit is a X, refered to in the body style codes as a Country Sedan. It must be a Fordor Ranch Wagon Country Sedan. That's not confusing! Now is it?

[Pat-New York]

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Originally Posted by graybeard

Pat I went to look at a four door Ranch Wagon just this morning. It is a 332 two barrel carb. The introduction of the new FE series engine was confusing at best. The whole FE seies in '58 was referred to as Interceptors, 332 two or four barrel as well as the 352. I've never seen any Ford literarture that referred to them as Thunderbird Interceptor or Police Interceptor, just Interceptor. The 352 though did have the little Interceptor Special badge on the glove box lid. As late as a year ago, until I bought a NOS glove box emblem I would have bet money that the emblem said Police Interceptor Special, not so! Pat I found a beautiful Wikipedia page for the '58 Del Rio.

Thanks Greybeard for the info. Do you have a web address for the Del Rio Wagon ? I'm not a young guy and have trouble getting into different sites. Also my old Del Rio did say Interceptor on the breather,don't remember if it had one on the glove box ? Also don't remember if it was 2bbl or 4bbl ? I didn't pay to much attention to those things, also it was nearly 50 years ago. I know time counts for something, but it gets a little fuzzy now and then. Thanks for the update, Pat.

[graybeard]

Originally Posted by Pat-New York

Thanks Greybeard for the info. Do you have a web address for the Del Rio Wagon ? I'm not a young guy and have trouble getting into different sites. Also my old Del Rio did say Interceptor on the breather,don't remember if it had one on the glove box ? Also don't remember if it was 2bbl or 4bbl ? I didn't pay to much attention to those things, also it was nearly 50 years ago. I know time counts for something, but it gets a little fuzzy now and then. Thanks for the update, Pat.

Pat, try this http://auto.howstuffworks.com/1958-ford-del-rio.htm

[T-Time]

"Ford Police Cars, 1932-1997", by Edwin J. Sanow, answers all these questions. The 1955-60 section of the bock is available on line at http://books.google.com/books?id=IpV...20ford&f=false.

For some reason (my search term, I guess), the link takes you to the chapter starting with 1958. Scroll up for the earlier years.

[Newc]

Hi all; Just a late post. The '58's had an 'interceptor' badge around the key button of the glove box door. Just for fun, we would put these badges on our '57's glove box doors. We only found these badges on 332'' equiped '58s. Newc

[Herman Munster]

There was a time when Police Interceptor meant something in Fords. Sadly my '01 Crown Vic Police Interceptor is not really much different from a civilian version under the hood. The only real differences is an aluminum driveshaft, a different TC stall speed and ungoverned top speed.

[parklane]

Originally Posted by Herman Munster

There was a time when Police Interceptor meant something in Fords. Sadly my '01 Crown Vic Police Interceptor is not really much different from a civilian version under the hood. The only real differences is an aluminum driveshaft, a different TC stall speed and ungoverned top speed.

and heavy duty suspension, alternator, rims etc. There is quite a bit different. Built right here in my home town, but sadly, no more after this spring.

[Herman Munster]

Originally Posted by parklane

and heavy duty suspension, alternator, rims etc. There is quite a bit different. Built right here in my home town, but sadly, no more after this spring.

Even with nearly 165K the car still rides and handles solidly.

[gerrald meacham]

built a lot of 428 state patrol engines they were high performance just needed lower geared rears and they were real fast on take of , they had a dui squad back then we done lots to there cars. . they came out of passing gear at 110 or had to go back in the shop ,

[REBEL43]

Great thread, a lot of info here

[Car54]

I was scouring the Web for a 1954 256 Interceptor engine when I stumbled upon this thread. Very interesting. The thing is there were a variety of engines used in Police Interceptors each year. Police Interceptor refers more to the vehicles equipped with a police package. Ford began offering a police package in 1950. The term interceptor first appeared in 1954 with the introduction of the Y-block engines. The inline 6 was the standard engine in the Police Interceptor. The 239 and 256 V-8s were options.

I'm one of the caretakers of the Minnesota State Patrol Troopers Association's vintage vehicles, including a 1954 Interceptor. Actually, it's a replica. But, it is equipped with a 256 Interceptor V-8.

Check my webpage for a history of Interceptors and other vehicles used by the MSP since 1929. www.marooncruisers.com

[graybeard]

The word Interceptor has been thrown on several different motors. In '58 all three versions of the (at the time new) FE got a sticker on the air cleaner proclaiming them Interceptors. It seems the 332 cubic inch two venturi and 4 venturi version, only had the Interceptor decal. The bigger cubic inch 352 had the big Interceptor decal, as well as an additional decal with proclaiming either Special or Thunderbird Special. We have original aircleaners from Fairlane's that had it both ways.

If that wasn't bad enough I've seen Chris Craft use a Interceptor decl on some it's
FE power plants.

[bowsawkid]

Originally Posted by Daves55Sedan

When I was a Junior in High school (1972) I bought my first car a 55 Ford I am still driving today (pictured at left). I had the only 55 Ford in the school parking lot. Another fellow had a 56 fordor sedan he thought was a police interceptor. It had a y-block engine with dual exhausts, 4bbl intake, dual point distributor with dual vacuum diaphragm and had steel valve covers like the ordinary Y-blocks but the had "Thunderbird Special V8" sticker on them. The car did have a spotlight and the running light wiring had been modified with a second flasher for flashing lights. The car had Master guide power steering and swift-sure power brakes. I dont doubt that the engine was a 312, but was it a police interceptor ???

It most likely was a 292 as the 292 and 312 thunderbird engines both looked identical, both had the same valve cover decal but there were only 47 4 doors built with the 312 and thousands with the 292.

[bowsawkid]

Originally Posted by graybeard

The word Interceptor has been thrown on several different motors. In '58 all three versions of the (at the time new) FE got a sticker on the air cleaner proclaiming them Interceptors. It seems the 332 cubic inch two venturi and 4 venturi version, only had the Interceptor decal. The bigger cubic inch 352 had the big Interceptor decal, as well as an additional decal with proclaiming either Special or Thunderbird Special. We have original aircleaners from Fairlane's that had it both ways.

If that wasn't bad enough I've seen Chris Craft use a Interceptor decl on some it's
FE power plants.

some Chris Craft engines were assembled by a company called "Dearborn" and the Ford V-8s were Dearborn Interceptors, they built 312s with an aluminum intake with 2 carter sidedraft 1 barrels in the valley mounted on the bottom of the manifold.

[Ralph sacramento]

I owned a '58 Ranchero that was factory "Police interceptor", lived at Lake Tahoe with it in '66 and at 6200 ft elevation that 2.90 diff sure didn't do it. Had to change the 3rd member to make it a towing truck for my flat bottom ski boat. My kids drove it thru their high school years and really finished it off, last time I saw it, it was on a flat bed truck heading down Hwy 50 squashed with 6 others on way to scrap yard. Some things you just don't get over.

[SquireDon]

The "Interceptor V-8" Decal is the cheapest upgrade you can get. For about $4 dollars anybody can have an interceptor.

The only one better I've seen is the 428 V-8 decal on an air cleaner.

[55Brodie]

The letter P in slot for engine in the VIN number for 54-56 designated the "Police" engine. For '54, it was the 256, '55 was the 292 and '56 it was the 312. Any schlub could order one (at least in '55 & '56) without permission from anyone except his wife.

[dale400]

Dose anybody know any thing about 1966 ford custom VA state police cars. These cars have a M engine code I was told they had 410 mercury. They where built at the norfork plant.

[streetdreams]

There's been a VA state police car on Ebay recently that has the M code and 410 according to the seller. He's got some history on the VA cars regarding the 410's in them.

[alt63bird]

Originally Posted by Ole Don

The Interceptor was usually a Mercuruy powered upgrade. I worked at Ford in '73. We built 500 two doors for Nebraska. They had a special frame, different rear axle with 2.9 ratio, station wagon front end with big brakes, a roof reinforcement for a light bar, and the coolest engine ever to come down the line. It was a 429 with cast headers, finned aluminum rocker covers, some had Quadrajets and some had Holleys, a huge alternator, and a C 6 with a first gear lockout. I asked an engineer about the lock out, he said its to prevent uninteded wheel spin. These cars were built to fly.

I recall hearing stories from people about the '71s built for the Nebraska State Patrol with 429s fitted with dual quads. When the State of Nebraska auctioned those cars in the mid-late '70s one of the first things they did for prep was remove the dual quads. My home town police department, a little 500-person village west of Omaha, got ahold of an ex-NSP '71 sedan. The town cop I was friends with, who also was a deputy sherriff and a big MoPar buff, couldn't wait until he got ahold of a NSP-surplus '75 Plymouth Fury with a 440 in the late '70s because of the high mileage and retro-fitted single 4v on the '71.

As for early-mid '60s Police Interceptors, from the Ford Car Facts binders that were published during the period there were quite a few differences between a PI version and the standard 300hp 390-4v, including: Holley 4v vs Autolite 4100, open-element air cleaner vs standard w/snorkle, hotter cam, stiffer valve springs, and I think dual point distributor and maybe mechanical lifters. They might have had cast iron headers as well, but I'd need to go through the binder for the full and accurate description. In short the PIs of the period were a step between the typical 390 found in a Galaxie/T-bird and the 406/427.

[Angry55TBird]

Friend has two y-blocks. Both has the "Interceptor" word casted in the block at the front top of the block. One block for sure was used in a marine application. Will post pictures soon!

[Y-Blockhead]

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Interceptor Marine engine, different animal. The "Interceptor" you see is probably cast into the aluminum front engine cover. Should be cast into the exhaust manifolds also.

[Oldmics]

Have not seen anyone mention the 1949- 1957 and also the 1949-1956 Ford Police Interceptor Parts Book

Recently on eBay

49-57 - http://www.ebay.com/itm/160917825738...84.m1497.l2649


49-56 - http://www.ebay.com/itm/1949-1956-FO...p2047675.l2557

The 49-57 printing has the blower and dual quad information in it.

Oldmics

[rick55]

The link for this site was listed on the HAMB. Interestingly, there are some brochures for Ford Police vehicle brochures if you want to check them out - certainly for the years I'm interested in - 1955-7.
http://www.lov2xlr8.no/ford.html
Regards

[KULTULZ]

Originally Posted by OLDBULL8

The Lima plant was built to make the Edsel 385 engine.

You mean the MEL Series, the 410 being the first (was supposed to go to 57 MERC but was late in production and went to early production 58 EDSEL). The 57 MERC received the 368 LINC Y-BLOCK for performance.