Thread: 2011 Caprice PPV

Originally Posted by MEVS06

Yes, we want pictures... Lol don't be such a tease.

Ok, here ya go:

2012 Chevy Caprice - North Providence RI

Vermont State Police just put a couple of these in service. I'm not a fan, but maybe it will grow on me...

I'm seeing alot of hate on the shifter location, but I think it's just the way Holden has always done it. Our cops have always managed.
I've never seen (and believe me, I see ALOT of them, literally every 2nd car is a Commodore or Falcon) a Commodore/Caprice/Statesman sedan with a column shift. I've seen a couple of 90's Commodore utes with column shift (to allow for 3 seats), but that's about it.

It also irritates me that Holden will ship these to the other side of the world then sell them for half price, while if you want to buy a new Camaro here, it costs $130,000.

So I just started pulling apart the second Caprice and I find this:

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That's right, there is a large cable stuck in between the two parts of the heat ducting. I checked another car and it's a large ground wire that is supposed to be connected to the white connector tied under the dash panel(the left side of my pictures). How could this not be noticed?!!

Holden "quality"=variable from bad to "how the hell did this pile of crap escape the factory!".
I should know as I've had 3 Commodores and used to work for a Holden dealer as the warranty manager.
The radios turning on/doing random things is a known issue and should be brought to your dealers attention, know a few guys who's brand new Commodores have had a couple of stereos installed before the car has been a month old.

Was part of the Captured Test Fleet - purchased with just 4,000 miles on the odometer.

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I assume you bought it out of pocket since it says "my pov?" Not dept owned.

Aurora PD here recently started phasing out 5+ Year old Crown Vics (they have some up to 10 years old on the streets still) after getting the budget set aside to do so this year. They have chosen the Caprice to replace the Vics with and the reviews by the officers were favorable, at least at first. I'd like to see how they like them now that they've been out on the streets for a few months. Not sure if they ended up going with the V-8s or the V-6s. Maybe a mix of both. I also noticed Wyoming State Patrol has a few new Caprices out there as well along I-80/287 in addition to a few newer looking Chargers, and every once in awhile an older Vic. I think I even saw a Colorado State Patrol Caprice as well, but could not be 100% sure due to it being late at night. From what I've read, the Caprice takes top spots in performance, HP, acceleration, and fuel economy? But I too would be disgruntled about the transmission shifter lever being where it is at. Tough selling point. That and I don't like the styling of the rear tail lights on the Caprice as well, they could have done a better job there. But then again, no one liked the styling of the rear taillights on the 91-96 Caprice...

I used to be very loyal to GM vehicles, but after GM stopped the production of the RWD sedans in 96, I had to go with everyone else and join the Crown Vic club. Loved the Vics. Had 3 of em. A 1992 Touring Sedan, a 1995 P71 ex Montana HP, and a 1998 P71 ex Ohio state patrol. All three great vehicles. Engines and trannies went forever, just that everything else around them fell apart or rusted apart. Well technically 4. I also had a 1996 P71 that was an old fire chief's car for a volunteer department in Ohio. Had water leaks all over the place but engine and tranny were strong. Sold it after 6 months.

I see a lot of you installers are dealing with the Tahoes. I wonder what those are like to drive and have as a patrol vehicle? Plenty of room I am sure. Probably still the same 130ish top speed ratings as the 97-99 Tahoe police packages that had the 5.7L Vortec, but better acceleration and handling now than the older ones?

Originally Posted by strobecrazy

I assume you bought it out of pocket since it says "my pov?" Not dept owned.

Correct.

Awesome. What are your install plans?

There's a number of privately owned 2011 & up Caprices in private hands now. Lot of them came through the GM dealer auctions and were sold as used cars when the dealers were done with them as demo vehicles. I have one, mine is a 9C3 that was a GM fleet demo that was a factory vehicle, then sold at a dealership outside of Atlanta. Mods are starting to be developed and marketed for these cars, for example Kooks is preparing to produce prototype headers for them now. Not all things G8 will work on the Caprice. There's a new support forum just dealing with the Caprice ppv, it's New Caprice

Here's a pic of my car, it's a 9C3 so it has the full center console...

Eric

Nice ride, Eric.

Like the rims

Thanks Those are the 18" G8 GT rims, they were an exact changeout for the steel wheels, no sense getting rid of perfectly good RSA's until they're worn out. It's got a Rotofab CAI and a SLP Powerflo axle-back kit (with a custom extension for the Caprice to make the tips clear the bumper). Going to have Redline Motorsports down in Pompano Beach do the tune on it pretty soon, also have a WM Caprice OEM spoiler coming for the car from Australia. I got ambitious today and stripped out most of the garbage left over from the original upfitting, the car originally had a Whelen HHS2200 on the right side of the trunk compartment for siren & light control. Whoever did the work used red/black 14 gauge power wire for EVERYTHING! Try to figure that out in a bundle without tracing back to the source. Why do people NOT use correctly colored wire for installs.... sigh......

Originally Posted by elc32955

Thanks Those are the 18" G8 GT rims, they were an exact changeout for the steel wheels, no sense getting rid of perfectly good RSA's until they're worn out. It's got a Rotofab CAI and a SLP Powerflo axle-back kit (with a custom extension for the Caprice to make the tips clear the bumper). Going to have Redline Motorsports down in Pompano Beach do the tune on it pretty soon, also have a WM Caprice OEM spoiler coming for the car from Australia. I got ambitious today and stripped out most of the garbage left over from the original upfitting, the car originally had a Whelen HHS2200 on the right side of the trunk compartment for siren & light control. Whoever did the work used red/black 14 gauge power wire for EVERYTHING! Try to figure that out in a bundle without tracing back to the source. Why do people NOT use correctly colored wire for installs.... sigh......

Well they have to improvise when they run out of Red or Black I had to use Yellow and Brown and Orange and Blue and...

I've seen a number of these on the road and I'm not a fan. At least not yet. From my purely subjective point of view, the cars just don't look right to my eye. It may be that they are just too long for their relative width. That really long hood and very short rear deck make it look a little too coupe like. Then the roofline kind of looks like the bottom of a bowl turned upside down on top of the car (in profile).

But then if I really knew anything about car design I'd be in Detroit or elsewhere instead of where I am.

Maybe they'll prove themselves to be the best thing since sliced bread.

Originally Posted by NoVAFed

I've seen a number of these on the road and I'm not a fan. At least not yet. From my purely subjective point of view, the cars just don't look right to my eye. It may be that they are just too long for their relative width. [/B]That really long hood and very short rear deck make it look a little too coupe like. [/B]

That's exactly how I feel about the Taurus..

What's interesting is that parts from a few cars will interchange directly onto this platform. I'm seriously contemplating installing a full seat set of black leather Recaros from a 2012 CTS-V heh heh....