Option 20 cop spec Falcons. When did they start/finish?

[nothin suss]

Hey all.

At what models did the 'option 20' option start/cease?
I've heard of a stack of EF/EL cars but how many models either side were built as an Opt20 destined for police work?

Thanks.

[nothin suss]

Well i've been informed def ED-AU..

I'm pretty sure BA onwards dropped the OPT20 tag.

Were there EA-EB or earlier OPT20 cars built?

[Bipolar]

Is OPT20 anywhere on the car? Mine has all the gear except the ECU.

[wombi90]

Normally it's on the build plate well mine was on a Ef,

[pHaT`eL]

Pretty sure MRDOSE is an option20 EA?

[sexyr6]

found this on FordAustraliaForums.com

Found this intering bit:

It there Already a National Police Car?
Prior to 1978, there was no alternative for the Australian police forces but to purchase whatever available standard production vehicles best suited their requirements. Any modifications were an individual ’after market’ arrangement.
In 1978, representatives of the Ford Motor Company of Australia approached the New South Wales Police Service with an offer to build a ’Police Special’ sedan.
Consultation with each of the other Australian police forces soon followed. Eventually, the forces were able to agree upon what fittings and modifications should be standard items in the ’Police Special’. The ’Police Special’ entered production in 1978 and materialised in the form of the ’Falcon’ family size, six, or eight cylinder sedan. General Motors–Holden
introduced a similar option in the 'Commodore' sedan around 1981. The vehicle
enhancements form what is now known as the Police Pack, which consists of:

· An upgraded suspension suitable to high speed driving;
· 15 inch steel wheels;
· high speed rated tyres;
· a heavy duty all wheel disc braking system;
· an electrical/electronic system specially modulated so as not to cause
interference to police radios and other speciality items, and a system which
conversely cannot be affected by the police items;
· increased alternator output so as to accommodate the use of the police
speciality items; allied with a large heavy duty battery;
· battery couplings for the connection of police speciality items;
· apertures in the firewall and in the rear seat housing to allow installation of
cabling for police speciality items;
· manually-operated map reading lights, and disconnection of the automatic
door courtesy lights;
· map pockets;
· full dashboard instrumentation;
· an incremented speedometer, which is calibrated to the accurate detection
of speeding offences to the satisfaction of courts;
· additional automatic transmission oil cooler;
· removal of the transmission ’gate’ between drive and second gears, to
facilitate quick gear selection at speed;
· individual and ergonomic design front reclining seats, with lumbar support,
and lateral and height adjustments on the driver’s seat;
· separation of the front seats by a full length console which incorporates a
floor mounted ’T-bar’ gear shift;
· a long-range fuel tank allowing a minimum driving range of 450 kilometres;
· an optional V8-configured engine of around five litres capacity and an
optional limited slip differential for pursuit vehicles; and
· optional air conditioning.

Virtually all Ford Falcon and Holden Commodore sedans purchased by the New
South Wales Police Service are fitted with the Police Pack. The enhancements have proved most successful in New South Wales and there is universal recognition and appreciation of the benefits.
The standard Police Pack is reasonably priced at under $A1000 per unit and both Ford Australia and General Motors–Holden regularly consult the New South Wales Police Service as to the suitability of the Police Pack. The manufacturers convene a conference of representatives of each Australian police force if the Police Pack will be affected by major vehicle model changes.

Conclusion
· The Police Pack equipped Ford Falcon and Holden Commodore sedans already
constitute a national police car.
· Each Australian police force has ample opportunity to request improvement
of the Police Pack to suit any additional needs.
· The Police Pack is comparatively inexpensive and has proved successful.
· The Police Pack equipped sedans are suited to general duties, pursuit duties
and plain clothes duties.
· An acceptable range of colours, options and engines—and station sedan versions for equipment carrying—are available.
· The Police Pack equipped vehicles have a good resale attraction.
· The availability of the Police Pack equipped sedans does not restrict flexibility in the choice of vehicles for Administrative and Welfare, Surveillance/Undercover, or Executive purposes.
· While the Police Pack equipped vehicles do not incorporate all possible items,
the Australian economic climate precludes the immediate need for an exclusively designed and built ideal national police car.

Warren Hill Fleet Management Services New South Wales Police Service http://www.aic.gov.au/publications

[nothin suss]

Thats great sexyr6.. I missed that totally on Google...

I'll reveal the reasoning behind my question next week,,

[Kaddis]

I had an AU OPT20 ute, had extra interior lights, different speedo, back sat 2inch's higher than normal and was a 2 seater colomn auto.

[-fairmont-]

Thats great sexyr6.. I missed that totally on Google...

I'll reveal the reasoning behind my question next week,,

your either looking at buying one or have bought one

[Sunboost]

EA to AU I can say with certainty, unsure about others. You can see OPT20 on the build plate after the Month/Year of manufacture on the ex-Police cars.

There was also Option 36 for Taxi Pack.

More information would be available through 13FORD. I think they keep detailed records of stuff like this.

[nothin suss]

Part of the reason for my enquiries.

I purchased these and am considering offloading them.
Never been on a car. Nice subtle plate.

[craigt]

my ed has the option 20 on the plate befor build date,sept 93,stamped on the bodie near the passenger shock tower ius stamped 1/9/93,what date did the ed start production

[ronza]

I had an AU OPT20 ute, had extra interior lights, different speedo, back sat 2inch's higher than normal and was a 2 seater colomn auto.

Does anyone have anymore info on the opt20 au utes??

[raa4.0L]

My mate had an opt20 xd sedan with the 351 clevo.
We have an opt20 au2 sedan and my knephew has a Bf opt 20 sedan

[oneredED]

I had an AU OPT20 ute, had extra interior lights, different speedo, back sat 2inch's higher than normal and was a 2 seater colomn auto.

Does anyone have anymore info on the opt20 au utes??

I've got an AUIII opt 20 ute which I'm assuming was a divvy van, and this is what I've noticed so far:

Springs seem equivalent to one tonner springs (I changed them out on the first day I got it, they were super stiff).
Speedo is base model but with 1km/h increments, and from a post I found ages ago apparently it is calibratable.
Additional large looms running through firewall on teh drivers side, and there was a huge relay block near the brake booster (for lights, sirens etc I assume)
Column shift with a foldable middle seat instead of console, but the car is plated as a 2 seater and has no 3rd seatbelt.
Huge sump guard under the motor. Hangs about 20mm down under the lowest point at the front, and is around 6mm thick or so, it's pretty freakin heavy.
Button on dash above the "econ" button kills all interior lights, regardless of their setting.
No holes on the dash anywhere like opt20/bt1 vehicles sometimes have.
LSD, no idea what ratio.

I remember reading somewhere that dual airbags was opt20 related, but I'm not sure if all AUIII's got them?

Mine is limited to 180km/h (I don't have the factory ECU in it), but apparently all the leaf sprung vehicles were limited regardless of OPT20 or not.

That's all I've got. What do you need to know?

[craigt]

i ran my ed out to 6 grand the other day in first so i gess its still got the cop bits in it,i think it depends on its use mines got a fairmont rear pannel with the gli badging and where the blue ovel is its red instead of amber

[ronza]

I had an AU OPT20 ute, had extra interior lights, different speedo, back sat 2inch's higher than normal and was a 2 seater colomn auto.

Does anyone have anymore info on the opt20 au utes??

I've got an AUIII opt 20 ute which I'm assuming was a divvy van, and this is what I've noticed so far:

Springs seem equivalent to one tonner springs (I changed them out on the first day I got it, they were super stiff).
Speedo is base model but with 1km/h increments, and from a post I found ages ago apparently it is calibratable.
Additional large looms running through firewall on teh drivers side, and there was a huge relay block near the brake booster (for lights, sirens etc I assume)
Column shift with a foldable middle seat instead of console, but the car is plated as a 2 seater and has no 3rd seatbelt.
Huge sump guard under the motor. Hangs about 20mm down under the lowest point at the front, and is around 6mm thick or so, it's pretty freakin heavy.
Button on dash above the "econ" button kills all interior lights, regardless of their setting.
No holes on the dash anywhere like opt20/bt1 vehicles sometimes have.
LSD, no idea what ratio.

I remember reading somewhere that dual airbags was opt20 related, but I'm not sure if all AUIII's got them?

Mine is limited to 180km/h (I don't have the factory ECU in it), but apparently all the leaf sprung vehicles were limited regardless of OPT20 or not.

That's all I've got. What do you need to know?

That's awesome info thanks mate describes this ute I got its even got the LSD too does yours have centre roof mount aerial?

[oneredED]

That's awesome info thanks mate describes this ute I got its even got the LSD too does yours have centre roof mount aerial?

No worries!

No centre roof mount aerial on mine.

Out of curiosity, are you wrecking this one or is it a clean one?

EDIT: I sent you a PM regarding EF XR bits a while ago. I assume you had nothing?

[freerider]

so the main noticeable differences for an el is the ecu and dash cluster? reason im asking is im thinking of buying a salvage wreck coz all i really need is a block and a few small parts and a whole wreck goes for like $20, while i was looking through wrecks i came across an opt20, is there any point buying it over a normal el apart from the cluster

[downanddirty]

I just bought a 6 seat column auto ea because I had hopes of making it some kind of cool like cop car thing it puts off that vibe. Turns out it's an option 20.. It has a switch on the b pillar to turn the lights out inside an incremental speedo a 3:08 disk brake lsd diff a 4 speed auto behind a 3.9, no gate between 2/3/drive and a slightly bigger exhaust with what seems to be less mufflers, and it's stock. Not a bad rig. Will look dope dropped on some black 14's with a pillar mount light and a new beige paint job. So yes there are ea cop packs

[Sunboost]

I just bought a 6 seat column auto ea because I had hopes of making it some kind of cool like cop car thing it puts off that vibe. Turns out it's an option 20.. It has a switch on the b pillar to turn the lights out inside an incremental speedo a 3:08 disk brake lsd diff a 4 speed auto behind a 3.9, no gate between 2/3/drive and a slightly bigger exhaust with what seems to be less mufflers, and it's stock. Not a bad rig. Will look dope dropped on some black 14's with a pillar mount light and a new beige paint job. So yes there are ea cop packs

There was no police specific clusters for EA, EA has 2km/h increments from factory.

Never heard of or seen a B-Pillar mounted switch to kill lights.

Never heard of a factory 3.08 LSD. All base EA 4 speed were 3.08 open, S Pack 3.23 open, Ghia 3.23 LSD. LSD option only came in 3.23 ratio IIRC. EB moved to 3.27.

All EA were 4 wheel disc brake lel.

Exhaust definitely not factory lel.

[downanddirty]

I wasn't sure if they had drums in ea's that's all, i can take a photo of the 3:08 lsd tags If you want, and the b pillars switch. This isn't just a cop car it's a D car. So it was used by detectives as an unmarked unit, the exhaust is stock, it's probably just got a blown out muffler, just has less shit welded into it than my ed had. The limiter is higher rpm for sure because it fucking screams before it hits it.. Option 20's seem to be a bit of a hit and miss I think it would be because the options would vary depending on the cars use. My ea doesn't have cruise control, but why would a detective in Brisbane need it.. He wouldnt...

[nothin suss]

Hanging to see some pics of this elusive vehicle!!!

[Sunboost]

Pretty sure all EA's screamed before they hit the limiter. Screamed to stop revving.

[JohnnyGretsch]

Does anyone know if there were ever any option 20 NA Fairlanes built? My old NA was bought by the previous owner at a government auction and it was apparently a D-Car. It'd had wagon rear suspension put in, an EA analogue cluster instead of the digital one, extra aerial holes, holes cut in the firewall for extra wiring, 15" steel rims and like downanddirtys EA, a switch that kills all the interior lights.

[DJV8T5]

I doubt that someone would put leaf springs in a Fairlane. Waste of time and effort. Although happy to be proven wrong by photos

[Qwik6]

Would love to see pics