G Ride and adding accessories

[JRG]

I'm just curious to know how different agencies feel about agents adding things like cell boosters/ hands free kits, XM radio, cd players etc to their G rides?

I did a search for this subject but came up negative- I'm also not talking about anything that would be permanent or that would damage the vehicle (no drilling holes). Thanks

[krellum]

This is probably one of those infamous "depends" answers, but with GSA vehicles, I HAVE drilled plenty of holes (and HAD them drilled) and done things on order to have things installed - you really have no choice for some stuff.

My current agency owns our vehicles outright and sells them, so they really prefer to keep that kind of work to a minimum, but there's still no getting around certain modifications. I had to drill holes to put a long gun "vault" under the back seat of my truck (it's like a drawer that slides in and out, just big enough for both weapons). I also drilled holes for the pistol safe in front of the front seat. After that, anything else was water under the bridge: I only used 4 screws to install my Sirius satellite receiver, one for a cell phone mount, and some sticky stuff that will likely never come off for my GPS mount (hey, it came with it: not my fault if it's industrial-strength).

In the past, with GSA vehicles, I've had windows tinted and lights and sirens installed. In one vehicle, I had the stock AM/FM radio yanked out and put in a $99.00 Kenwood AM/FM CD player that I bought at Best Buy and which I left with the vehicle when I turned it in. It was cheap enough that I didn't miss it (and got my money's worth in 2 years with the car) but nice enough that it was MILES better than the crap that was in there before. No one was complaining about it.

It's best to ask your supevisor what you can or can't do. I've had bosses who were either 1) very understanding or 2) 800 miles away :). Seriously, I've always asked and have always gotten the thumbs up, as long as any personal alterations were reasonable (a CD player or radio is one thing, but you probably won't get permission to put in a TV and DVD player) only cosmetic or made minor blemishes, no one has ever had a beef with it.

k

[Group 9]

I just added an XM radio to my G-car, but, except for gluing the bracket to the dash, I really didn't do anything I couldn't undo. :D

Oh, and by the way. XM radio is great!

[UncleSugar]

. . . Sirius satellite receiver . . . :t- up: All the cool kids have Sirius in their G-ride. :D

[Time Traveller]

I would put nothing in a G-ride you couldn't get out in about 5 minutes...when I was a young buck agent...I came into the office and got called into my SSA's office...he tossed me a set of keys for a new BuCar and advised me I had about 10 minutes to get my old POS to the back of the garage so they could load it on the truck and get it out of here...If I couldn't get it done, he would let me keep my old ride and assign the new one to a more senior agent...this is the rare occasion, but it could happen...so nothing very permanent is my suggestion. Bottom line, add nice stuff to your personal vehicle, leave the G-ride to Uncle Skinny...you wreck your G-ride...you may not get the chance to empty it out...except to pull you Mp-5 and shotgun from the trunk...other items are probably not that easy to get out and since you probably shouldn't have put them in, Uncle Sam won't care if you get them out.