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When Greater Manchester Police commissioned a fleet of twenty Injection Specials in 1986 marked the end of an era for the region’s traffic police.

Fifteen years earlier the force first employed the 3000GT form, but by 1992 the Sierra RS Cosworth succeeded the last Capri Mk .IIIs.

GMP demobbed D 444 KVM circa 1989/1990, and in 2008  Paul Walsh ‘had a  tip-off that the car was in the Midlands at the back of a lock-up.

The long and the short of it was the owner was contacted, and arrangements made to go and see what was left’.

At that time ‘the shell was in great shape and required very little attention, but the body was pretty much the only thing left.

An engine and running gear was begged, stolen or borrowed from either other Capris that I own and my guy who carried out the restoration had to source all new running gear.

The shell was painted, new parts added, and the interior sourced independently’.

There also remained the challenge of sourcing the GMP kit as ‘all traces of it being an ex-Police car.

To be true to the original car I had to source the correct Revco communications aerial, a period blue light, the radio and the boot spoiler.

The emergency equipment was sourced on eBay, and there was a  full restoration of the Police Stop box after I found just the box’.

Paul’s car  ‘was originally fitted with the Wail/Yelp-style but being a traditionalist, I fitted the two-tone air horns’.

Many patrol cars of this era had a “Police Special” ultra-Spartan cabin, but Paul’s Injection has a standard factory interior including the Recaro seats.

At present ‘the car is undergoing stage two of the restoration. We’re removing all running gear to service, paint engine and engine bay, refurbish rear axle, replace oil seals on gearbox, and replace power steering’.

And when complete, D 444 KVM will once again look ready to strike fear into all errant Vauxhall Astra GTE owners.