Lubrication and the classic police car

By Tyler Housel, Contributing Editor | TLT Automotive Tribology October 2026

Upper Gwynedd's 75-year restoration project reminds us that getting the right lubricant and the right approach can solve problems that seem frozen in time.

The restored 1951 Ford Deluxe now makes an appearance at community events and even takes an occasional turn on patrol.
In 1951, the small township of Upper Gwynedd in Pennsylvania purchased a 1951 Ford Deluxe for its first police car. That was also the year that the U.S. Census Bureau purchased the first UNIVersal Automatic Computer (UNIVAC I),1 CBS sold the first color television2 and NBC brought police shows to television, airing the first episode of Dragnet.3

We've seen a lot of changes in the past 75 years. Every modern car is outfitted with a computer, and everyone has a color TV with access to a steady stream of police shows with increasingly improbable plot lines. High tech policing makes for exciting TV, but when we meet an officer in person, we hope they aren't asking for "just the facts, ma'am." Sometimes communities benefit when officers have an opportunity to engage with the public like Andy Griffith instead of Joe Friday.

Police are often present at community gatherings like concerts and the annual carnival, making these events a great place for the public to meet their local police officers. But while everybody wants to climb onboard the fire truck, the public are less inclined to chat it up with officers and seldom volunteer to sit in the back seat of the police car. The township decided that a classic police car would make their officers more approachable, and so began the Upper Gwynedd Police Department's 75 Year Anniversary Restoration Project. With the help of donors, volunteers and students, the police department reintroduced a 1951 Ford Deluxe as the newest (and oldest) police car in the fleet.

Police Chief David Duffy tapped officer Brant Whisler to lead the project, and Whisler located a partially restored 1951 Deluxe in rural Pennsylvania. Soon the car was on its way to Upper Gwynedd so township fleet manager Rodger Smith could begin working on the restoration.

When the Deluxe arrived, its 100 horsepower, 239 cubic inch, Ford Flathead V8 engine4 was frozen, and some of the mechanical and electronic systems needed repair. Tribologists will be happy to hear that Smith successfully unfroze the engine with a combination of penetrating lubricant and elbow grease. He replaced any leaking seals and then filled the sump with a 15W40 engine oil, which had enough viscosity to keep the engine running with minimal smoke and leakage. Next, he carefully lubricated the hinges and mechanical linkages, and soon the Deluxe was in good working order as long as you knew how to operate the column-mounted, three-speed ("three on the tree") synchromesh transmission.

Smith then turned to the electrical system. The original six-volt Deluxe battery was never meant to power electric motors and other accessories that run the convenience features of a modern car, but a police car still needs special lights, sirens and communication equipment. The six-volt battery was incompatible with available replacement parts and was replaced with a 12-volt battery with voltage stepped down when necessary.

Of course, the appearance of a show car is just as important as its performance. Smith and Whisler entrusted the exterior to the North Montco Technical Career Center. The students did a terrific job detailing and repainting the car to match the original color scheme (see photo) and earned hands-on experience and school credit along the way.
Now that the Deluxe looks and runs great, Chief Duffy is planning to show it at community events, and it will even take an occasional turn on patrol. If you happen to see a 1951 Ford Deluxe police car at the Upper Gwynedd Carnival, feel free to engage with the officers. They might even let you sit in the back seat.

REFERENCES
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UNIVAC_I
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Color_television
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragnet_(1951_TV_series)
4. https://autohistorypreservationsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/1951-FORD-AMA-Specs-Deluxe%E2%80%93Custom-Wagons-I6-REV-Pg-1-10.pdf

Tyler Housel is a technologist for Hnuco Technologies and is based in Lansdale, Pa. You can reach him at tylerhousel@comcast.net.