Cop back in old patrol car, 25 years on

The black and white has done 310,000km on the rural roads of Waitotara, Turakina and the Parapara. Photo/Supplied

Lance Patterson and his old traffic patrol car Turbo have been reunited after 25 years.

The former Ministry of Transport traffic officer was issued the Mitsubishi GSR Turbo in 1987 and drove it for about two-and-a-half years.

It was sold by the ministry and, after changing hands four more times, has just been restored by Hamilton man Lou Forhecz.

He had come across Mr Patterson while compiling a book on the MoT which marked the 20th anniversary of the merger with the New Zealand Police. Using the car's licence plate, Mr Forhecz tracked it to Hawera, where it was not far off being sent to the wreckers. He bought it and spent two years getting it back to how it was in the MoT days. Last week he drove it to Wanganui to reunite it with Mr Patterson for a day.

Mr Forhecz said: "He knew I had the car, but he had no idea I was coming down. He was pretty surprised. It goes very well. I drove it down and back in a day. It runs like a dream."

While it was in Wanganui, Mr Patterson was again able to take it for a spin around Wanganui's streets and had his picture taken with it; a recreation of a photo that featured in the Wanganui Chronicle in 1987.

Turbo, as he named it, ended up being Mr Patterson's favourite patrol car. But he recalls taking a while to warm to it when the ministry phased out the Commodore V8s.

"Economy was the order of the day then, and everything had to be trimmed down," he said.

But after a week or so behind the wheel he was sold on it. It handled brilliantly and could fly: "She lit up."

Mr Patterson was the Wanganui rural officer and Turbo was a regular on the roads of Waitotara, Turakina and the Parapara.

He recalls one successful chase when the city officers had lost a speeding motorbike. Mr Patterson and Turbo screamed south before the motorcyclist U-turned and headed back to the city. Mr Patterson caught up to him, pulling beside the bike on the straight into the city.

The police had put up a roadblock but had to scatter as Mr Patterson and the runaway motorcyclist sped through. A chase through Carlton Ave, Smithfield Rd and Alma Rd ended when Mr Patterson thought he'd lost the rider. But when he turned the car engine off, he heard the ticking of a motorbike behind a factory building. The motorcyclist emerged, helmet under his arm.

"Would you like a ride?" Mr Patterson said to him.

Mr Forhecz's restoration was impressive, he said. Driving it around the streets again felt like winding the clock back 27 years.

Speaking of clock, the car has 310,000km on it.

Mr Forhecz said the vehicle "is really just preserving a little bit of motoring history."

He intends to use it for car shows and fundraising such as child-cancer runs. And there's the nostalgia: "Former traffic officers certainly like to see them for old times' sake."