Someone is restoring a 1988 Mitsubishi Magna police car

Some enthusiasts make it their life’s work to restore rare and classic vehicles. Some people restore 1988 Mitsubishi Magna ex-police cars.

In one of the more unusual automotive restoration stories we’ve heard, the New Zealand Police Museum is refurbishing a humble 1988 Mitsubishi Magna.

And much of the work will be completed by the former technician who fitted out the car for duty when it was put on the New Zealand police fleet.

Mitsubishi has begun work on the ex-police car, with the Magna – sold in New Zealand as the V3000 – already shown with its interior stripped.

“Stage one in the 1988 Mitsubishi V3000 [refurbishment] – pull all of the interior out,” The New Zealand Police Museum wrote online.

“Good bones, which is a relief, no rust.”

According to the museum, the original Mitsubishi technician who fitted the vehicle out with its police equipment is the one tasked with the restoration.

While the vehicle was originally made in 1988, it wears police livery from 1992 – when the Ministry of Transport and the NZ Police merged.

“The V3000 was a highly sought-after vehicle and many were deployed to [Armed Offenders Squads]. The New Zealand Police livery will remain on this car – because preserving history is what we do,” the museum wrote on social media.

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Interestingly, while closely related to each other, the V3000’s body wasn’t as wide as the Australian-made Magna’s – despite being fitted with a 3.0-litre V6 compared to the Magna’s 2.6-litre ‘Astron II’ four-cylinder engine.

The Mitsubishi’s 3.0-litre V6 produced 110kW, and was chosen to compete with the Ford EA Falcon and Holden VN Commodore of the same era.

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