The Project Car

The 1995 Caprice 9C1 that would become the Fallen Officer Memorial 9C1, nicknamed "Elanoir" by AJ, has travelled thousands of miles and been through several owners before coming to Indiana to serve in it's current role.  She was built, like so many thousands of others, at General Motors' Arlington, Texas vehicle assembly plant during National Police Week in May, 1995.  The car began it's service life with the Fremont, California Police Department, where it was assigned number 95563.  According to information later obtained from Fremont's Fleet Management, the car was assigned to a school resource officer, and spent much of it's time sitting at a high school in Fremont, California.

Unfortunately, Fremont upgraded their fleet management software in 1999, not long before 95563 ended it's tour of duty.  Thus, AJ was not able to get a complete picture of the car's entire life in service.  What he does know, he's written about below.

"Sometime after the adoption of this new software, something crapped out electronically on or near the battery.  Whatever it was, it cost the City of Fremont a whole $6.42 to fix.  After that, the car was apparently involved in some sort of collision that cost $1244.  The vagueness of these records really sucks because it doesn’t show a date or specify what was struck, all it says is “Body Door” which narrows it down to, well, four doors!

Sometime later there was an $18 repair for something to do with the light bar, which doesn’t matter, because I don’t have the original Vector light bar I’m sure it had.  I imagine that this was for a bulb, rotator, or mirror assembly.  Then there was an oil change and transmission service (I believe 2/8/2000), followed by a repair to the “exterior lighting system”, a problem which was apparently discovered during the PM or “Preventive Maintenance” session.  This cost $135.29.

Then Elanoir received a brand new steering wheel, Which is really cool, because usually used 9C1s have really ratty steering wheels.  This replacement cost Fremont $171.92.

Sadly, the next record is a show of Elanoir’s retirement.  It was decommissioned for $88.49 on 8/26/2000 with 88,563 miles on the odometer.

All in all, Elanoir was purchased for $20,469.08 and sold for $3,488.00.  Since the new software adoption in 1999, she cost the city of Fremont $1664.12 in repairs, if you include the purchase price, $22,124.20, not including the missing four years of records, which I’m almost certain include a new transmission and general maintinance, not to mention astronomically high gas prices in CA.

It’s not everything, but it’s something.  I’m glad to have what info I got.  I should have gotten all hard copies of records, as the City did provide them to the auction house at the time of sale, but I’m sure they got lost somewhere down the line.  I know that the previous owner never saw them."

Elanoir was eventually purchased by Jonathan Stephenson of Phoenix, Arizona.  He did quite a bit to the car, including a partial Impala SS clone job with Impala SS grille and moldings.  He also added some upgraded audio equipment, removed the rubber floor, removed the spot light, filled most of the antenna mounting and lightbar wiring holes, repainted the car solid black, and installed nice Buick Roadmaster power leather seats that were custom cut over the driveline hump to leave space for a center console.

In 2004, after a failed deal on a run-ragged 1996 9C1 just outside Philadelphia, AJ was growing weary in the search for a suitable project car.  Jonathan was nice enough to offer his car for a reasonable price in the interest of the project, and the deal was done.  Elanoir was shipped from Phoenix on a car trailer, on which she arrived in Indiana a few days later.  Since then, work has been ongoing.  Body and paint work has now been completed, and more improvements are forthcoming.  Check back for updates!