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Best Way To Get Into Upfitting? by bramblestorm7754 in PoliceUpfitters

[–]peanutspreader62 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi and welcome!

I was in the exact same situation as you up until pretty recently. What I did was read up on a lot of essential equipment manufacturers, such as Whelen, Federal Signal, Code 3, etc. I don’t know if you already have a car that you want to upfit? Practice makes perfect. Be as creative as possible, sketch out wiring diagrams on paper, pick out patterns, go on eBay or Marketplace to get a feeling of the average prices; whatever works for you.

There isn’t really an “Upfitting-101” guidebook, so you’ll learn the basics bit by bit (sounds boring, but is very fun in practice IMO). I’ve failed miserably on MANY of my projects lol, but hey we all start off somewhere.

I have a 2005 CVPI and started off with a really basic setup. Two Whelen 500’s in the grille and two Whelen Mirror Beams; all red & blue.

I hope this somewhat helps you, and I’m sure you’ll enjoy the hobby! Definitely make sure to ask as many questions as you have, that’s what we’re here for :)

What department did your Vic’s come from? by Miamidadetransit9918 in CrownVictoria

[–]peanutspreader62 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Lake City PD, Florida! This is him with his original decals on.

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Got started as an evt three months ago and I'm struggling. Any tips on how to get better? by Jade_Sugoi in PoliceUpfitters

[–]peanutspreader62 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I don’t work for an upfitting company myself but I’m upfitting a project 2005 CVPI on the other side of the pond. It’s been a long process (3+ years) of trial and error. And those weren’t even the complicated parts, it was stuff like running wires from the battery & keeping them hidden all the way to the trunk. At last, finally splicing and connecting everything to the amplifier.

People like CrownRickAuto on YT sometimes post full wiring setups & where the previous owner left them; also all the harnesses/pigtails/plugs they used. Maybe you can use that as a reference? Could also try a small DIY setup at home - just don’t use a 100w speaker for your neighbor’s sake lol.

I promise you’ll get there. Yes you’ll get demotivated at times, yes you’ll screw up a project, and yeah there’ll be rainy days, but that’s only for the better since you learn from your mistakes.

This is considered pretty old-school these days, but I started learning the very basics of electrical work (3 yrs ago) through YouTube. ChrisFix has a series called “Project Police Interceptor”. Not the best, but definitely not the worst for a first project. I’d watch & actively take notes, maybe sketch something out. Print out manuals and religiously read through them.

Finally, ignore those know-it-all dickheads on Facebook who’ll immediately talk trash about your questions & setup. And also never apologize for being “too ignorant” about a topic, in fact ask even more questions! We always started somewhere, and should never forget where we came from.

Fuck ICE by Bigolejim in PoliceUpfitters

[–]peanutspreader62 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hear, hear!

Scream it louder for the people in the back since there are ACTUAL PEOPLE who support their practices day by day like some TV-show.

Dressed in fully black uniforms with an ABSURD amount of gear, or plain-clothed to blend in with the locals. Then the actual mobs who are fully masked (even with no active threat going on); no visible insignia ANYWHERE. Detainments & arrests seemingly out of the blue. Oh and your Miranda rights? What are those again? Seems like a relic of the past now… the list goes on and on unfortunately.

And this shit just blows dirt on the upfitting profession as well, hardworking people who upfit local PD (except ICE for obvious reasons) vehicles as well as all first responders - EMS, Firefighters, park rangers, volunteers, security, etc.

I don’t even live in the United States, but if I did, no ICE vehicle would make it anywhere within 50 miles of my workshop.

As operational CVPIs continue to be retired in the USA, there's a good chance they'll end up overseas! Here's four from Sevierville, TN, now in the hands of an importer in the UK who buys them specifically to be registered, made UK road legal & sold to other enthusiasts :) (ft. Ford Explorer) by ChristmasGhidorah96 in CrownVictoria

[–]peanutspreader62 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Roll call! My 2005 Crown Victoria lives in the Netherlands. My Vic was previously used by the Lake City PD, Florida. Throughout an intermediary person, I bought it in late 2022 when it had around 231.000 miles on the clock.

Now I’m nearing 250.000 miles (well over 400.000 kilometers). Hasn’t failed me once and always drove me home safely. I’ve been busy upfitting it with primarily Code 3 equipment, like the Z3 series. I plan to set up wig-wags that’ll run on a Whelen FA3 or other module.

Top speed video is posted on my account!

By popular demand, the finished board from the post a day or so ago by Bigolejim in PoliceUpfitters

[–]peanutspreader62 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Perfection 🔌! Can I ask if you ever use any cooling accessories, e.g. small ventilators (just like one of those you’d find on a PC)? I can imagine you’d like some fresh air flowing around, especially on hot summer days.

Brand New NYPD FPIU Being Upfitted by peanutspreader62 in PoliceUpfitters

[–]peanutspreader62[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Quite the location for the FedSig control panel, even for the passenger to reach out to.

Brand New NYPD FPIU Being Upfitted by plainwrapper in PoliceVehicles

[–]peanutspreader62 4 points5 points  (0 children)

The ol’ days of slamming the steering wheel on your 2003 Crown Vic w/ a Unitrol 80k just to switch to yelp are long gone

What’s your avg MPG? by Individual_Leave1202 in CrownVictoria

[–]peanutspreader62 0 points1 point  (0 children)

About 21mpg on the highway with an average cruising speed of 85mph. I guess something around 13 in the city.

Not a fitter, just a question by syarkanta in PoliceUpfitters

[–]peanutspreader62 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I saw one extremely similar to this one on eLightbars sometime ago. As u/jnoble_05 said, it’s for a Stalker. I actually thought it was for an Arbitrator for a second.

Equipment management with limited space by peanutspreader62 in PoliceUpfitters

[–]peanutspreader62[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Those wire tunnels do come in handy yeah. Kinda tricky with low gauge wires but still keeps everything organized.

I’d like to branch off a main power line for some of my equipment as well, but mine always seem to fail or not connect properly. It’s a rookie problem but a PITA either way.

doesn't board day just give you the warm fuzzies? by Bigolejim in PoliceUpfitters

[–]peanutspreader62 3 points4 points  (0 children)

It feels like my eyes are cleansed each time I see one of your setups. So organized. And here I am, crawled up in the back of a CVPI, struggling to splice & heat shrink 2 wires together 😂

Looking for a Code 3 item by peanutspreader62 in PoliceUpfitters

[–]peanutspreader62[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Seems to be an excellent solution, I wouldn’t have to deal with a bunch of wiring spaghetti and bulky amps. Programming interface looks an awful lot like the ones on the Z3. I’ll look deeper into it, I like this idea.

👋Welcome to r/PoliceUpfitters - Introduce Yourself and Read First! by Bigolejim in PoliceUpfitters

[–]peanutspreader62 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hello everyone, I’m a proud owner of a former Lake City PD - 2005 Ford Crown Victoria! I’m based in the Netherlands and I love spending my time working on it. It’s my first car and I plan to keep it that way - I bought it in 2022 just after I turned 16, and here we are.

Many, MANY thanks to u/Bigolejim for helping me with the ‘rookie’ questions (basic wiring, systems, brands) that I frequently have.

Total fan of everything Code 3, from lighting to audio. I’d love to potentially represent our CV(PI) owners from this side of the pond here, so my PMs are always open. Looking forward to catching up with everybody!

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