Odd prop car question

Funky

Master Member
RPF PREMIUM MEMBER
I've seriously been considering doing another prop car. My choice may seem odd, but it's from a show that I love.
I want to do Sheriff Andy Taylor's car from the Andy Griffith show. Of course I would do it it complete grey scale.
My question is, once finished, can I drive this about town and not get into trouble with the DFW police as it appears to be (although vintage) a police car?
Honestly, I'm not sure who to ask that's why I came to the all knowing RPF. Maybe someone can add some insight before I take on this project.
 
I think you might want to contact your local law enforcement just to clarify what restrictions there are. A friend of mine used to work at a paintball place in Toronto that owned a repainted crown victoria with ZOMBIE POLICE decaled on the sides as well as flashing lights ON TOP which are only used when it is parked. I do know that in some places you specifically can't have flashing lights while in other places anything resembling a police car to a degree, will get the attention of the real guys. Once you start the project I'm definitely excited to follow your build!
 
Where are you at? I can't place what Force DFW would stand for.

I can only speak from my own experience, simply driving around. I've seen a number of folks here in Florida with honest to God police surplus cars, with no light bar (but with the driver side spot light), and logos scrubbed off. We even have a blues mobile in town.

I'd honestly be shocked if that old car, even with the stand alone light on the roof gave you any trouble.

But, I certainly get the desire to know before buying a car; why not ask the police? Or see if there's a lawyer in your area that can answer some quick questions for you.
 
I'm by no means an expert, but I will say this. Even if you obey all the rules so it's street legal you will get stopped a lot, while police examine every inch of the car looking for anything that might be a violation. I have not known anyone with a police car replica, but I have known people with other custom cars that would get stopped all the time and police would get out a tape measure and check everything. Even if you don't violate the law, is it worth sitting on the side of the road for an hour while a police officer examines everything?
 
I believe that there is a TX chapter of the Police Car Owners of America who can give the straight scoop. Check here:

http://www.policecarowners.com/Club_Officers.html

A few guys had 80s vintage 5.0 marked Mustang pursuit cars at the local Houston car club back in the late 90s. I know that house bill 473 was signed into law in 2015 prohibiting the transfer of cop cars to private citizens before removing the insignia and flashing lights. As a plan B, I'd talk to your local car club in DFW. They'll know someone who has a vintage cop car that you can work backward from to talk with your local law enforcement.

https://www.allpar.com/squads/collecting/rules.php
https://www.hagerty.com/articles-vi.../01/the-andy-griffith-show-police-car-replica
 
I have heard that as long as it does not say "police" or have any emergency reference (e.g. call 911) it is ok, but don't quote me on that.

I remember seeing police car replicas of "Barricade" from the 2007 transformers movies that did not have the word police on them and other emergency related info was changed too and they were being driven in the street

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I would also suggest checking with your State Police not just your local police department. Your local police department might tell you it's fine and they will not hassle you but the minute you drive it out of your town and take it somewhere else you might have a problem

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I'm by no means an expert, but I will say this. Even if you obey all the rules so it's street legal you will get stopped a lot, while police examine every inch of the car looking for anything that might be a violation. I have not known anyone with a police car replica, but I have known people with other custom cars that would get stopped all the time and police would get out a tape measure and check everything. Even if you don't violate the law, is it worth sitting on the side of the road for an hour while a police officer examines everything?

my landlord has an exact "replica" of (my local) used po po car's, (minus the door sticker's... but the state has decided to not show them on EVERY single car :wacko) and the cop's say, and I quote " as long as you don't use your roof lights and siren, to pull someone over... your fine" also they actually APPRECIATE it as when he drives people don't speed... check your local law's and RIDE THAT RAZER'S EDGE :cheers
 
So my local Dallas Fort Worth cops are idiots. I called today and explained the situation and after getting transferred five times, that last guy told me to check with a lawyer!
Seriously? Can no one at the police station answer this question?
 
you might need to get special permission or a license to use the GIANT rotating spotlight on the roof of your vintage "replica" car.. it could distract people and cause accident's.... especially after they finish updating there facebook, twitter, etc. at the intersection... I would try the "donut" method... get a huge box of crispy cream's and "slowly"... present them to the officer's as you ask question's. REMEMBER these are your own tax dollar's at work, and these "public servant's" are out of there element's when you mention anything outside there own car that resemble's a black and white.. man that just sound's soo wrong but TRUE... :unsure
 
You'd have to get a cover for the light and also cover up any 'police' markings whenever it's being driven.

I've seen some cars with 'out of service' magnets that are used to temporarily cover up the markings.

I think the Mayberry car only had the door logos so it wouldn't be all that hard to do.
 
Just make sure 'police' or 'sheriff' can be completely covered while it's being driven. Best option would be to completely cover the logo with piece of white magnetic vinyl.

Just to be safe, make the gumball machine removable, and don't have it in place when being driven (or you may have to devise some way to cover it while driving).

Being that it will be a vintage car with vintage light on it, I doubt you'd have an problem with people mistaking it for an active cop car, but the legal issues will most likely be the logo/insignia and the light. iirc, in Texas, it's illegal to have red/blue lights on your car, and anything that actually says 'Police' or 'Sheriff'.

(This is all from a conversation I had once about having a more modern 'police car' with a cop... Just having a red and a blue light anywhere on the car will get you into trouble, even if it's turned off... They need to be physically removed (like, in the trunk), or covered with something that completely blocks the light if it was turned on. Conversation was 15 years ago, so things may have changed... :) But that's probably the minimum you should expect to have to deal with.)

Couldn't hurt to have 'Out of service' signs to put in the windows too...
 
Just FYI, I don't plan on activating the top light at all. I was just going to find a vintage one and mount it magnetically so it would be removable.
 
Just dress up as Barney if they pull you over they will be laughing so hard you won't get ticketed. I have seen lots of decommissioned cop cars here in Houston but none with lights. The bubble gum machines might at the very least get you pulled over and harrased.
 
Taking a look at images of the Mayberry Sheriff's car, there's no way that anybody is going to mistake that for a real police car. Between the make of the car, the single red light on the roof, and the old "tin badge" on the door it just screams not a real police car, or at least not something that's been used by an dept. for decades. But, it probably wouldn't hurt to be safe and take the precautions others have mentioned, but any cop that would stop you for driving that car around really has no sense of humor as well as clearly needs to find something better to do with their time than stopping people for having a replica police car from the '50s and from a TV show at that too.
 
You ain't met the Dallas Police Department. As for the car there are a few sheriff cruisers around here that are not too much more modern. Now if ya had an Aunt Bee in the front seat with ya.
 
I'm in Michigan and know some guys who collect, drive, and display old emergency vehicles, including police cars.

The universal standard they seem to follow is to cover up all "Sheriff" or "Police" or "911" or similar markings. They also put canvas covers over any red or blue lights or light bars. This is for when they are driving the vehicles to the events. Once there, they remove the coverings for display.

Your state or town may have specific restrictions on working red/blue lights as well. Depending on where you are just covering them may not be enough and there may be restrictions on actually having operable lights installed at all. You'll have to check state and local laws.

As to coverings, most guys use magenetic stickers. I did see one guy using tape the cover the markings before leaving the show recently. (Not quite duct tape, more like a cross between duct tape and blue painters tape).

Oh, and one of the local guys has a nice Mayberry replica. I forget the base model for hte car
 
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