Certificate of Registration
issued on September 17th 1999 to the
 San Joaquin County Police Department
for pride of ownership of the
1946 Streamliner Four Door Sedan Patrol Car
  identified below :
...........
 This is the 22,663rd Six Cylinder Streamliner, out of 34,238 to be built in 1946 at the Pontiac Michigan Plant. 
 Signup form Data:
 
Condition: Restored
Owned Since: 1998
Engine: Original Six
Transmission: Manual
Paint Condition: Color changed
PlateError: N/A		 San Joaquin County Sheriffs Department
Contact:  Mike Padilla 
Email=PIOMIKE@YAHOO.COM
(209) 468-4328
7000 Michael Canlis Blvd.
French Camp, CA 95231
Mike Padilla tells us about his Departments Pontiac:
    In 1946 the departments first marked patrol car was a Pontiac. It was the result of a campaign promise made by Sheriff Carlos Sousa in the 1946 Sheriff's election. Prior to 1946 deputies drove their own cars on patrol. In late 1997 during a conversation with our department historian Tod Ruse I (Mike Padilla) learned of our first car and began a quest to find one and restore it to match our very first patrol car. It was not until July 1998 that a sutable car was located. This car was in Pounding Mill Va. and had been barn stored since 1950, it had only 14,000 miles on it.

    There was one problem. We had no money and public funds could not be used on this project. Never fear, where there is a will there is a way. I started contacting local business people and was suprised when only 2 hours into my fund raising efforts I received $10,000 from Alex Spanos the owner of the San Diego Chargers (by the way the home office of the San Diego Chargers is in our town in Northern California).

    The car was purchased for $6,500 and shipped to California. The restoration was started immediatly but was slowed by things such as chrome work. The budget now down to $2,500 an $8,000 chrome bill was out of the question. Never fear, where there is a will there is a way and I met with the manager of Stockton Plating and explained way this was such a good cause. He agreed and the chrome work was donated (thank you Mike at Stockton Plating).

    We have a body shop training center at our jail so the inmates did a complete tear down of the car restoring it to its original beauty. Changes made to the car include a complete 12 volt conversion and vintage lights and siren. The interior was restored by Terry from Fowlers Auto Body at his own expense.

    The Car Is Now Complete.     -Mike Padilla

Mike and everyone who helped with the project,
    You all did a fine job! Good work on a great endeavor. I was real happy when Mike first contacted me and it was exciting talking with the officers on the phone while the pictures of the original patrol cars were being sent by email. All that I did was identify the car for them. I was real surprised that an exact model was found so quickly, and happier to see it looking so nice now!
        Thanks-Don 
 Here is a link to some original photos and past updates on the project: 
http://www.pcmagic.net/torpedo1/SJPDwanted.htm
       Home
Join the Registry               View the Registry              Get Pontiac Info                 Members Pages           Classifieds