This might seem like a random and even silly question, but it's something I've passively wondered about forever. Does anyone ever think what became of certain things when they're no longer used for their original purpose. Let's say talk show sets when the show goes off the air. For instance, the set/studio they used for taping Ricki Lake in New York - I wonder what's currently there and how it looks now.

Even old vehicles used for professions. Like, where are all the former '80s Caprice police cars and taxicabs (I'm guessing the ones that are still operational are probably painted over and used as somebody's private cars). What do they do with limosines when they're "retired", etc? Stuff like this always interested me, for some reason. I guess because these things are all symbols of a certain time, so it's cool to think about where it all goes.

Interesting question--the only thing I know is, I saw on some news show (probably Inside Edition), that old police cars are sold used to the public.  I'm not sure where you can buy them, but supposedly they are a good buy because their engines are built really well (since they have to hold up well for cops).

^ Yeah, I've actually heard that, too, which makes sense. I'd guess after they reach a certain age (probably 5-8 years) the departments order new ones, just so they're in the best possible shape. I think it would be cool to own an ex-cruiser, just as a part of history. Their engines are stronger than regular cars, so I wonder if that's still the same when they sell them.

Yeah I hear the used ones are a tad expensive, but that it really pays in the long-run because the parts are all top-quality and specially-built.  So they don't break down much I guess. :)

I do actually wonder this all the time.  Infact, the one that goes through my mind a lot are the old TV shows that they seemed to have put in a vault or something. Like, all of those old cartoons and stuff...I would love to see a lot of those again!

Re: used police cars, they are usually sold at auctions. Some of these are advertised in local papers.

Police cars are by no means specially built (they are higher performance, but still have stock, assembly line engines), unless you count the lights, radios, decals, cages, gun racks, etc. that make them police cars, all of which have to be removed prior to auction.

While these cars are usually well maintained and not near the end of their lives, they do get the piss driven out of them while in service.

I remember that, back in 1993, a used police cruiser could be obtained for as little as $800. No idea now, but I imagine it's not much more expensive.

Ant

^ Yeah, I've actually heard that, too, which makes sense. I'd guess after they reach a certain age (probably 5-8 years) the departments order new ones, just so they're in the best possible shape. I think it would be cool to own an ex-cruiser, just as a part of history. Their engines are stronger than regular cars, so I wonder if that's still the same when they sell them.


When I was a taxi driver 10-12 years ago, the cab company that I worked for bought used Caprices and Crown Vics at police auctions. I was assigned an ex-Nebraska State Patrol 1990 Caprice which, I was told, had the same engine that Chevy used in the Corvette that year and that thing was an absolute monster. It was fast, handled well, and on the occasions when I got caught in a bad snowstorm it was virtually unstoppable. (I used to get quite a few tips from college kids who requested that I stage a burnout, and of course I'd happily oblige them.  ;))

The cab company bought their cars from both the Nebraska State Patrol and the Lincoln Police Department, and I can tell you that if you ever seriously consider buying a used police cruiser, the old highway patrol cars are definitely the way to go, they were in much better shape than the city police cars. The ex-state patrol cars had pretty much all highway miles on them, where as the ex-city police cars felt like they'd been wrecked and repaired several times, they definitely had taken much more abuse from all the stop-and-go city driving, plus God-only-knows how many drunks lost control of their bodily functions in the back of them while the cops were hauling them off to detox.  :P

When I was a taxi driver 10-12 years ago, the cab company that I worked for bought used Caprices and Crown Vics at police auctions. I was assigned an ex-Nebraska State Patrol 1990 Caprice which, I was told, had the same engine that Chevy used in the Corvette that year and that thing was an absolute monster. It was fast, handled well, and on the occasions when I got caught in a bad snowstorm it was virtually unstoppable. (I used to get quite a few tips from college kids who requested that I stage a burnout, and of course I'd happily oblige them.  ;))

The cab company bought their cars from both the Nebraska State Patrol and the Lincoln Police Department, and I can tell you that if you ever seriously consider buying a used police cruiser, the old highway patrol cars are definitely the way to go, they were in much better shape than the city police cars. The ex-state patrol cars had pretty much all highway miles on them, where as the ex-city police cars felt like they'd been wrecked and repaired several times, they definitely had taken much more abuse from all the stop-and-go city driving, plus God-only-knows how many drunks lost control of their bodily functions in the back of them while the cops were hauling them off to detox.  :P


lol that's what I was going to say. We are forever hosing down our units because of drunks vomiting in them on regular basis. 

With regards to TV shows some old sets are dismantled stored in the studio warehouses so parts of them can be used for new shows.
* note: The pilot of Hanging with Mr Cooper was shot on the set of Growing Pains. Once the show got picked up they got the series got their own set.