1. Police vehicles do NOT come factory equipped with emergency equipment- it is all added on locally.
2. The vehicle's factory warranty does NOT cover emergency equipment.
3. As per federal law, the dealer CANNOT void the factory warranty if you have your own installer or shop equip the vehicle... no matter what they may tell you.
4. You do NOT have to purchase any additional equipment when you order the car.
5. Many black-and-white cars do not come from the factory painted this way.  They are painted locally for half the cost, but you are charged the full factory price for the black-and-white scheme.  You can save money by having your vehicle painted at any reputable local body shop.
6. Most dealers' cars do NOT come with standard items such as fleet key, limited-slip axle, driver's spotlight, radio suppression straps, and side airbags.  You pay extra for these items, which are STANDARD EQUIPMENT on state-contract cars.  When comparing prices between local dealers and state-contract prices, be sure to factor in these options with the local dealer's price.  Don't forget to order an AM/FM radio on Crown Vics, since they are now deleted!
7. There is no dealer anywhere in southwestern Pennsylvania that sells police vehicles on the state contract.  They may tell you that they do, but they do not.  They sell on their own contract that is often referred to as "the state contract," but it is not.  They may also tell you that "it's the same as the state contract," but it's not.  And there is no piggyback of any other contract onto the state's.
8. Dealer-installed equipment is just plain unprofessionally installed.  Lift your hood and look at the non-weatherproof materials.  Lift the floor covering where the front seat passenger's feet normally rest and look at the mess.  This surely does not meet any SAE design or incorporate any SAE recognized materials.  (SAE is the organization which sets the US standards for all automotive wiring and other systems.)  If your auto insurance company saw this shoddy work, be assured that they would drop the fire coverage on this vehicle; this has already happened more than once.
9. Do any local dealers offer 24-hour emergency service for your police equipment?  How about a well-stocked mobile service unit to perform any repairs or upgrades?  Will they do things the way you want things done, or the way they feel like doing them?
10. Although dealers may give you an equipment and installation warranty, what good is it if you have to keep taking the car back to them to have it repaired over and over again?  If it were done properly in the first place, frequent repairs would not be necessary.  There is no reason that any cruiser should have constant failures.  In fact, when properly built, your electrical equipment should last the life of the vehicle (except for light bulbs and such, of course!)  We have proven to many police departments that over the lifespan of a properly built vehicle, you will end up saving money since you won't have to keep pouring more and more of your precious funds into unnecessary repairs.

PA State Contract Information:    973-463-3068

For more information, call J. Marcoz Emergency Vehicle at 412-816-2320