jatPPV2012
Member
Hello fellow PPV owners,
Just introducing myself as a new owner of a retired FHP (Florida Highway Patrol) 2012 Chevy Tahoe PPV with 175,013 miles on the odo. I apologize in advance for the long intro, but I am excited to be a member and owner of these not so common special SUVs. A la The Blues Brothers, “It's got a cop motor, a 323 cubic inch plant. It's got cop tires, cop suspensions, cop shocks.…..”!
Although I’ve never owned a Chevy Tahoe before, I’ve always been a fan so this is my first, but I’m no stranger to the GM full size SUV. My family previously owned a 1989 and 1998 GMC Suburban years ago, so I do have experience driving these bad boys. I have driven a newer model Tahoe once as a rental in 2018 while on a family trip to the San Fran bay area. That was a nice truck I enjoyed driving, and hoped could get one sometime in the future, but I couldn’t afford to buy new so when the chance to buy this special PPV came up I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to get one for a bargain.
Original service model FHP Tahoe PPV with 2 tone black and beige paint.
Tahoe PPV on auction day. Yeah. I know it looks like an “ugly duckling” right now. When the FHP retires a vehicle, they remove all the light bars, etc., and hastily paint over the beige paint with flat black, as well as, hastily peel off the decals/emblems and paint over that.
Unfortunately, I was not able to do a PPI or test drive because the auction house doesn’t allow test drives so prior to auction day, I ran a history report (via Carfax) and everything checked out clear (no accidents, odometer rollback, flood damage, etc.). The good news is, the history report listed details on previous maintenance services, including the actual service centers the operator to took the vehicle, so I called those service centers and talked to the service managers. I did not ask for any names or personal information just information on the services that were done and the managers gladly looked up the VIN# to verify the service history info in the history report. Additionally, they gave me other service information which was not listed in the report. So based on all the information I got, the operator did a good job keeping the vehicle well maintained and I am able to recreate the entire maintenance service history log. The most recent service was done as of Oct 2019 at 174,515 miles. The vehicle was brought in for an oil change, lubrication, and everything (i.e. tire psi, Air filter, fluids, etc.) was inspected, but I’m still going to have everything checked, so I’m going to bring it to my trusted Indy mechanic for him to do a thorough inspection/shakedown to determine what else needs to be addressed, serviced, or replaced.
Driving home, the ride felt solid and drove straight as a bullet. Didn’t hear any unusual noises (i.e. squeaks, whines, hisses, humming, grinding, etc.), but I did notice it had a shake/vibration at highway speeds so I’m guessing it will need a tire balance. According to the history report, the front and rear brakes were replaced and the rotors resurfaced just recently (October 2019 172,638 miles) so I don’t think that has anything to do with it so I’m going to balance/rotate the tires first to see if that solves it. Once I got home, I cleaned up the window of all the markings and did a spot check of various things.
Interior:
1. Relatively clean and it still kind of has that new car smell.
2. Not too much scratches, stains, or wear and tear on the interior trim except for the typical small crack on the dash. It would be too expensive to fix the crack, or replace, so I’m going to get a dash cover to prevent any further cracking.
3. Driver and front passenger cloth seats in good condition. No major signs of wear or tear. Going to get seat covers.
4. 2nd row vinyl seats in great condition. Look almost brand new with so significant wear. Wiped it down with some Meguiars detailer.
5. Some dirt/sand and some small debris in the front and 2nd row seat floors and which I swept out.
6. The back of the 2nd row seats had remnants of dog hair, some paw scratches on the back window trim, and the cargo area mat was covered with remnants of dried mud so operator definitely had a dog.
7. Original owner’s manual, warranty booklet, and Tahoe Police and Special Service Package booklet were in storage compartment.
8. There is an extra dome light above the center console area that has 2 switch settings, bright white and red (must’ve used that when doing night patrols).
9. Rear passenger door handles working. Switched child safely lock to the ‘unlock’ position.
10. Rear passenger window controls working. I read in posts from other PPV owners that the controls were either disabled or disconnected, requiring a fix or replacement, but all I needed to do is deactivate the rear window lock on the driver side window control.
11. Radio sounds good and both front and rear speakers work.
12. All gauge instrumentation works. No CELs to be concerned about.
Exterior:
1. Definitely going to need to have all the decal adhesive and all buffed out and have the whole thing repainted, which I’m sure it’s going to cost quite a bite, but I’m planning to buff out as much as I can so as to minimize cost for when it’s time to get that done. This will probably be the last thing I’ll do.
2. Just a few light scratches and tiny dings in a few areas, but that will be gone once I get it repainted.
3. The tires (Goodyear RS-As) look like they still have a lot of tread. History report show they were installed not too long ago (Nov 2018 at 155,100 miles), but I know from experience Goodyear tires don’t last very long. So when it’s time replace them, I am going with a different brand (i.e. BF Goodrich) that’s better and has longer tread life.
4. All lights working including driver side spot light.
5. No major exterior or underbody rust besides a lttle paint flake and a little rust on the front end push bar. Thank goodness for FL we don’t have to deal with all snow and salty roads.
Decal remnants
So after doing my own inspection, I have come up with a few things that need to be addressed:
1. Minor water leak in back 3rd cargo area due to a tape patched hole (from removed light bar) on the roof
2. Horn not working: Definitely need advice on how to get that working. If not, I’ll have my trusted mechanic check it.
3. Driver’s seat is missing the plastic cover (inner finish panel) where the female belt buckle goes thru: Ordered via GM Parts Direct.
4. Cargo area tie town hook loops missing: Ordered via GM Parts Direct
5. Missing full size spare: Ordered wheel and received via LKQ online. Need to get tire installed.
6. Missing jack and tools: Ordered via Ebay.
7. Center console removed, of course. Bench seat to be installed.
As for my civilian conversion project, thanks to the great information I have searched and found in this forum and other similar sites, I have come up with a list of various things that will need to be done. Don’t plan to go all out with various cosmetic, performance mods, technical upgrades, etc., etc., as what others have done. I just want to get some of the main things done and then maybe later on I’ll add some other things I consider “Nice to have, but can live without” when I have the time or the money. So for now, this is my list.
Done so far:
1. Add DIC control switch: Ordered and received via Ebay dash bezel with DIC switch. Received and installed. Plug and play works as expected.
Things to be done:
1. Add OEM bench seat: Ordered via Ebay and received.
The bench seat ready for installation, but I have a question. I know that there’s some kind black plastic cover on the center console floor. Will the bottom of the bench seat storage compartment clear that plastic cover or will I need to do some cutting? I saw on a Youtube video of a guy installing this same type of bench seat on his 2012 PPV and he had to cut out part inside the bottom of the bench seat storage compartment in order to clear that plastic cover. For those of you who have installed this particular type of bench seat, have any of you had this problem?
Plastic cover
Screen shot of the Youtube video showing how the guy cut out an opening for the plastic cover to clear
2. Steering wheel W/radio controls: Ordered via Ebay. Shipping in progress.
3. Add 3rd row seats: Ordered via Ebay.
4. 3rd row seat mounting brackets and bolts. Ordered via Ebay. Shipping in progress.
5. Rear storage cover with 3rd row seat bracket openings: Husky cargo cover ordered via Ebay. Shipping in progress.
6. 2nd row seat OEM carpet mat to go over the rubber flooring. Ordered via Ebay.
7. AFM disabler/programmer: Heard AFM is a problem with earlier production year model Tahoes/Yukons (2007 – 2010?), but I’ll get one anyway.
8. Add TAHOE badge on the back lift gate door. After repainting.
9. Add OEM trailer hitch/wiring: Don’t plan on hauling anything big such as a boat or camper, but it’s a nice to have if I want pull a small trailer or attach a luggage carrier for excess baggage on long road trips (If needed). Not looking for a cheap aftermarket, but an OEM type that fits exactly thru the bumper opening.
10. Tow/Haul switch on the column shifter swap. After adding hitch assembly etc.
11. Exhaust: Don’t want it super loud causing inside drone, but a nice rumbling V8 sound.
Anyway, I apologize again for the lengthy intro post. Appreciate any of your input and advice on anything I may have missed, or be concerned, as I work on this project. Hope to get most of this done before summer while the weather here in FL is pleasant. Don’t want to be doing any kind of big installs outside in middle of summer when it’s hot and humid. UGH!
Will post updates as I go along.
JT
Just introducing myself as a new owner of a retired FHP (Florida Highway Patrol) 2012 Chevy Tahoe PPV with 175,013 miles on the odo. I apologize in advance for the long intro, but I am excited to be a member and owner of these not so common special SUVs. A la The Blues Brothers, “It's got a cop motor, a 323 cubic inch plant. It's got cop tires, cop suspensions, cop shocks.…..”!
Although I’ve never owned a Chevy Tahoe before, I’ve always been a fan so this is my first, but I’m no stranger to the GM full size SUV. My family previously owned a 1989 and 1998 GMC Suburban years ago, so I do have experience driving these bad boys. I have driven a newer model Tahoe once as a rental in 2018 while on a family trip to the San Fran bay area. That was a nice truck I enjoyed driving, and hoped could get one sometime in the future, but I couldn’t afford to buy new so when the chance to buy this special PPV came up I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to get one for a bargain.Original service model FHP Tahoe PPV with 2 tone black and beige paint.
Tahoe PPV on auction day. Yeah. I know it looks like an “ugly duckling” right now. When the FHP retires a vehicle, they remove all the light bars, etc., and hastily paint over the beige paint with flat black, as well as, hastily peel off the decals/emblems and paint over that.
Unfortunately, I was not able to do a PPI or test drive because the auction house doesn’t allow test drives so prior to auction day, I ran a history report (via Carfax) and everything checked out clear (no accidents, odometer rollback, flood damage, etc.). The good news is, the history report listed details on previous maintenance services, including the actual service centers the operator to took the vehicle, so I called those service centers and talked to the service managers. I did not ask for any names or personal information just information on the services that were done and the managers gladly looked up the VIN# to verify the service history info in the history report. Additionally, they gave me other service information which was not listed in the report. So based on all the information I got, the operator did a good job keeping the vehicle well maintained and I am able to recreate the entire maintenance service history log. The most recent service was done as of Oct 2019 at 174,515 miles. The vehicle was brought in for an oil change, lubrication, and everything (i.e. tire psi, Air filter, fluids, etc.) was inspected, but I’m still going to have everything checked, so I’m going to bring it to my trusted Indy mechanic for him to do a thorough inspection/shakedown to determine what else needs to be addressed, serviced, or replaced.
Driving home, the ride felt solid and drove straight as a bullet. Didn’t hear any unusual noises (i.e. squeaks, whines, hisses, humming, grinding, etc.), but I did notice it had a shake/vibration at highway speeds so I’m guessing it will need a tire balance. According to the history report, the front and rear brakes were replaced and the rotors resurfaced just recently (October 2019 172,638 miles) so I don’t think that has anything to do with it so I’m going to balance/rotate the tires first to see if that solves it. Once I got home, I cleaned up the window of all the markings and did a spot check of various things.
Interior:
1. Relatively clean and it still kind of has that new car smell.
2. Not too much scratches, stains, or wear and tear on the interior trim except for the typical small crack on the dash. It would be too expensive to fix the crack, or replace, so I’m going to get a dash cover to prevent any further cracking.
3. Driver and front passenger cloth seats in good condition. No major signs of wear or tear. Going to get seat covers.
4. 2nd row vinyl seats in great condition. Look almost brand new with so significant wear. Wiped it down with some Meguiars detailer.
5. Some dirt/sand and some small debris in the front and 2nd row seat floors and which I swept out.
6. The back of the 2nd row seats had remnants of dog hair, some paw scratches on the back window trim, and the cargo area mat was covered with remnants of dried mud so operator definitely had a dog.
7. Original owner’s manual, warranty booklet, and Tahoe Police and Special Service Package booklet were in storage compartment.
8. There is an extra dome light above the center console area that has 2 switch settings, bright white and red (must’ve used that when doing night patrols).
9. Rear passenger door handles working. Switched child safely lock to the ‘unlock’ position.
10. Rear passenger window controls working. I read in posts from other PPV owners that the controls were either disabled or disconnected, requiring a fix or replacement, but all I needed to do is deactivate the rear window lock on the driver side window control.
11. Radio sounds good and both front and rear speakers work.
12. All gauge instrumentation works. No CELs to be concerned about.
Exterior:
1. Definitely going to need to have all the decal adhesive and all buffed out and have the whole thing repainted, which I’m sure it’s going to cost quite a bite, but I’m planning to buff out as much as I can so as to minimize cost for when it’s time to get that done. This will probably be the last thing I’ll do.
2. Just a few light scratches and tiny dings in a few areas, but that will be gone once I get it repainted.
3. The tires (Goodyear RS-As) look like they still have a lot of tread. History report show they were installed not too long ago (Nov 2018 at 155,100 miles), but I know from experience Goodyear tires don’t last very long. So when it’s time replace them, I am going with a different brand (i.e. BF Goodrich) that’s better and has longer tread life.
4. All lights working including driver side spot light.
5. No major exterior or underbody rust besides a lttle paint flake and a little rust on the front end push bar. Thank goodness for FL we don’t have to deal with all snow and salty roads.
Decal remnants
So after doing my own inspection, I have come up with a few things that need to be addressed:
1. Minor water leak in back 3rd cargo area due to a tape patched hole (from removed light bar) on the roof
2. Horn not working: Definitely need advice on how to get that working. If not, I’ll have my trusted mechanic check it.
3. Driver’s seat is missing the plastic cover (inner finish panel) where the female belt buckle goes thru: Ordered via GM Parts Direct.
4. Cargo area tie town hook loops missing: Ordered via GM Parts Direct
5. Missing full size spare: Ordered wheel and received via LKQ online. Need to get tire installed.
6. Missing jack and tools: Ordered via Ebay.
7. Center console removed, of course. Bench seat to be installed.
As for my civilian conversion project, thanks to the great information I have searched and found in this forum and other similar sites, I have come up with a list of various things that will need to be done. Don’t plan to go all out with various cosmetic, performance mods, technical upgrades, etc., etc., as what others have done. I just want to get some of the main things done and then maybe later on I’ll add some other things I consider “Nice to have, but can live without” when I have the time or the money. So for now, this is my list.
Done so far:
1. Add DIC control switch: Ordered and received via Ebay dash bezel with DIC switch. Received and installed. Plug and play works as expected.
Things to be done:
1. Add OEM bench seat: Ordered via Ebay and received.
The bench seat ready for installation, but I have a question. I know that there’s some kind black plastic cover on the center console floor. Will the bottom of the bench seat storage compartment clear that plastic cover or will I need to do some cutting? I saw on a Youtube video of a guy installing this same type of bench seat on his 2012 PPV and he had to cut out part inside the bottom of the bench seat storage compartment in order to clear that plastic cover. For those of you who have installed this particular type of bench seat, have any of you had this problem?
Plastic cover
Screen shot of the Youtube video showing how the guy cut out an opening for the plastic cover to clear
2. Steering wheel W/radio controls: Ordered via Ebay. Shipping in progress.
3. Add 3rd row seats: Ordered via Ebay.
4. 3rd row seat mounting brackets and bolts. Ordered via Ebay. Shipping in progress.
5. Rear storage cover with 3rd row seat bracket openings: Husky cargo cover ordered via Ebay. Shipping in progress.
6. 2nd row seat OEM carpet mat to go over the rubber flooring. Ordered via Ebay.
7. AFM disabler/programmer: Heard AFM is a problem with earlier production year model Tahoes/Yukons (2007 – 2010?), but I’ll get one anyway.
8. Add TAHOE badge on the back lift gate door. After repainting.
9. Add OEM trailer hitch/wiring: Don’t plan on hauling anything big such as a boat or camper, but it’s a nice to have if I want pull a small trailer or attach a luggage carrier for excess baggage on long road trips (If needed). Not looking for a cheap aftermarket, but an OEM type that fits exactly thru the bumper opening.
10. Tow/Haul switch on the column shifter swap. After adding hitch assembly etc.
11. Exhaust: Don’t want it super loud causing inside drone, but a nice rumbling V8 sound.
Anyway, I apologize again for the lengthy intro post. Appreciate any of your input and advice on anything I may have missed, or be concerned, as I work on this project. Hope to get most of this done before summer while the weather here in FL is pleasant. Don’t want to be doing any kind of big installs outside in middle of summer when it’s hot and humid. UGH!
Will post updates as I go along.
JT
