The Hamlet Police Department continues exploring the purchase of a new vehicle, while its Ford Taurus remains out of service.
Town Marshal Clint Norem told the town council Wednesday the car needs a new motor. “It’s under warranty,” he explained. “They ordered the parts. We’re waiting on that. And just food for thought, I found out from the county today they had a Taurus do exactly the same thing. The only difference is they got stuck with the $5,600 bill for the new motor.”
Council President Dave Kesvormas said that once the repairs are done, it may be time to get a replacement. “I’m just worried about – okay, they’re going to put a new engine under warranty under it – what’s the next shoe to drop with that car, and I think we got our use out of it,” he said. “I think once it’s got a new engine in it, we can dump it and get rid of it and get some decent money towards a new one.” Norem said the Oregon-Davis School Corporation has expressed interest in buying the car for its resource officer.
Meanwhile, Norem has already begun looking for a replacement. So far, he’s gotten quotes from Oliver Ford and Best Ford for both a sedan and an SUV. He’s also heard from a Chrysler dealer. “The two Ford dealerships, they’re about $2,000 different on the sedans, and there’s a $2,000 to $3,000 difference on the utility [vehicle],” Norem said. “And the Chrysler quote for sedan is about $3,000 less than the lowest Ford one, and the utilities, Chrysler utility is about $4,000 lower.”
While the Chryslers are cheaper, Kesvormas was concerned that they would cost more to maintain and repair. Norem wants to get a quote from another Ford dealer before making a recommendation.
