Students from Greater Lawrence Technical School restored a 1972 Methuen Police cruiser at the request of Chief Joseph Solomon (far right). (Courtesy photograph)
A 1972 Methuen Police cruiser has been restored to its original condition thanks to the efforts of students from the Greater Lawrence Technical School.
Under the direction of Tom Hadem, students in the Tech’s auto collision and repair shop worked throughout the month of April to restore the Dodge Polara at the request of Chief Joseph Solomon and Officer Aaron Little, who curates the department’s historical police collection.
Detail on the restored Methuen cruiser. (Courtesy photograph)
“Officer Little and I thought this 1970s cruiser would be a great piece of history to be placed on display and to be used in parades and other functions within the police department,” Solomon said. “We have worked with GLTS on past projects and they always produce great work, so we knew their students would be the perfect people to take on this task.”
Fifteen students were able to gain hands-on experience working on the cruiser. Tasks included removing rust spots, revamping molding and changing the color from green to black. Dubbed No. 7, the cruiser features white lettering, a vintage light and siren and recreated door decals.
Officer Little was pleased to see the final product remain true to form.
“We tried to keep everything as original as possible,” Little said. “Now that it’s completed, the cruiser is a great piece of history that we believe community members will really enjoy.”