Options for unmarked Charger

acs680

Member
Nov 23, 2010
220
Tennessee
We need to equip two 2015 Chargers for our drug guys. These will need to be as stealthy as possible. Radio antennas will be done in a factory looking shark fin. Headlights and brake lights will wig/wag but I will need blue to the front and rear. Looking for the smallest profile visor lights for the front and rear windows. It looks like a Whelen Spitfire Ion might be best, but I want it to hug the headliner tight. Thoughts?
 

C17LVFD

Member
May 21, 2010
1,537
Harrisburg, PA
There was just a post about replacing the third brake light with a dual color ion. I've done that to keep the rear looking stock. Excellent option to keep ur chargers on the DL.

For the front, I'd do a flip down visor light or a passenger side whelen ilb covered by a tint strip on the windshield.

I'm assuming if the cars are used for your "drug guys" they don't run code much so they shouldn't need much. Heck maybe a cojack 360 beacon could work.

Might even be worth doing a non police type car.

Good luck!
Seth

PS: spit fire ions are a good choice for output but ull have to custom brackets to get them to fit the way u want them to close to the upper windshield.
 

pdk9

Member
May 26, 2010
3,834
New York & Florida
I'm not a fan of visor lights b/c:
1) in the heat of the moment ppl don't need to worry about flipping down lights. IMO they'll either forget to flip them down or, when they do, they'll prob push the sun visor forward all the way, which will make the lights point up at the sky 45 degrees (useless)
2) they're a visual obstruction to the officer b/c they require the sun visor to be all the way down

For the front a Whelen inner edge XLP is only 0.75" tall. You can get a passenger-side only model or get a full size.

For stealthy vehicles, another option to really shave off the height of headliner lights is to skip using dashlights with a flashback shield and just mount several smaller lightheads to the headliner with L-backets (meaning that you'll have to deal with some flashback, unless you custom rig something with some thin abs plastic). The Axixtech/Brookings ES6 is barely more than a 0.5" tall, the SOS mpower fascia and ghost are both about 0.25" taller (just under 1" height), the Whelen micron is about 0.75" tall, and the ion by itself is just a hair taller. A few of those on the front and rear headliner won't necessarily be the cleanest-looking install (from the inside), but they'll give the unmarked units a punch and be about half the height of a spitfire ion with a flashback shield and mounting bracket. You can also tint the lightheads to conceal them more.

To give the vehicles some side warning (I know most unmarked drug/gang units don't really care about this), you can take LAWs like feniex cannons, cut a small hole in the bumper shell (just big enough to slip the tip of the LAW through) and mount them from behind the bumper. This cuts down significantly on the profile of the lighting b/c there isn't a flange on the outside (you're just using some expoxy, silicone, etc to secure the LAW in place from behind the bumper shell)
 

acs680

Member
Nov 23, 2010
220
Tennessee
I'm not a fan of visor lights b/c:
1) in the heat of the moment ppl don't need to worry about flipping down lights. IMO they'll either forget to flip them down or, when they do, they'll prob push the sun visor forward all the way, which will make the lights point up at the sky 45 degrees (useless)
2) they're a visual obstruction to the officer b/c they require the sun visor to be all the way down

For the front a Whelen inner edge XLP is only 0.75" tall. You can get a passenger-side only model or get a full size.

For stealthy vehicles, another option to really shave off the height of headliner lights is to skip using dashlights with a flashback shield and just mount several smaller lightheads to the headliner with L-backets (meaning that you'll have to deal with some flashback, unless you custom rig something with some thin abs plastic). The Axixtech/Brookings ES6 is barely more than a 0.5" tall, the SOS mpower fascia and ghost are both about 0.25" taller (just under 1" height), the Whelen micron is about 0.75" tall, and the ion by itself is just a hair taller. A few of those on the front and rear headliner won't necessarily be the cleanest-looking install (from the inside), but they'll give the unmarked units a punch and be about half the height of a spitfire ion with a flashback shield and mounting bracket. You can also tint the lightheads to conceal them more.

To give the vehicles some side warning (I know most unmarked drug/gang units don't really care about this), you can take LAWs like feniex cannons, cut a small hole in the bumper shell (just big enough to slip the tip of the LAW through) and mount them from behind the bumper. This cuts down significantly on the profile of the lighting b/c there isn't a flange on the outside (you're just using some expoxy, silicone, etc to secure the LAW in place from behind the bumper shell)

Thanks for the in depth reply! This is what I was looking for. I am leaning toward the small lightheads against the headliner. As mentioned, they will hardly ever use them as they won't want to burn these cars, so flashback really shouldn't be a big concern.

I am also leaning toward the idea mentioned above with the dual color red/blue light replacing the guts of the third brake light.
 

pdk9

Member
May 26, 2010
3,834
New York & Florida
Thanks for the in depth reply! This is what I was looking for. I am leaning toward the small lightheads against the headliner. As mentioned, they will hardly ever use them as they won't want to burn these cars, so flashback really shouldn't be a big concern.

I am also leaning toward the idea mentioned above with the dual color red/blue light replacing the guts of the third brake light.

For the TLF and HLF, please keep it simple wigwag patterns (I prefer the faster wigwag speeds). I cannot stand the flickering seizure patterns that some ppl use for the charger brake/tail lights (they look more like a toy car), instead of using the simple brake light wigwag. Another option to add some discreet lower level lighting is to replace the reverse lamps with blue/clear feniex cannon LAWs (steadyburn clear for reverse lights, flash blue when activated); unless a suspect walks right up point blank to the back of the vehicle (in which case there are other issues to worry about) nobody will ever notice those LAWs. I wouldn't recommend LAWs in the headlight housings, though, because the HLF will drown them out, and the charger headlight reflector housing is not very conducive to using any type of LAW or HAW.

I know that you're probably leaning away from it, but if you wanted to add a slim pair of grill lights, 2 options to conceal them are tinting/smoking the lenses or (old school, poor man option) covering them with black stockings. The SOS mpower fascias would work well here b/c of their small size, they're super thin, and they're very rugged. These are also a great product that you can use as a custom 3rd brake light option; I've seen a pair of them used on a 2017 charger (flash red/blue for warning, steadyburn red for braking), and it looked great.

Anything you add besides the TLF/HLF will be a plus; i remember seeing the NYPD anticrime units in older impalas when I was younger, and I couldn't believe that they were running code 3 in traffic with only a HLF and HAW strobes (nothing in front or rear windows)

As for controller/siren, a handheld siren will work well here; mount the remote control in the center console and mount the brain under the seat.

And, when in doubt, always remember the KISS method...keep it simple, stupid! ;-)
 

acs680

Member
Nov 23, 2010
220
Tennessee
Again, thanks much. I am sold on the Brooking ES6 at this point. And I agree completely on the simple wig/wag patterns. Our guys hate our flash patterns, if that tells you anything... "Why can't we be like the highway patrol and be seen", and yes the HP uses seizure patterns. Our last 2012 Charger was ruined by the guy putting his own carnival ride taillight flasher on it. :) I plan on using ERMs taillight flasher for the rear since it flashes the LED reverse lights and has nice override ability, but the front will definitely remain the Charger factory wig wag.

We have some FedSig undercover sirens on hand that when incorporated into a steering wheel aux switch and the horn pad will work wonders.
 

pdk9

Member
May 26, 2010
3,834
New York & Florida
Again, thanks much. I am sold on the Brooking ES6 at this point. And I agree completely on the simple wig/wag patterns. Our guys hate our flash patterns, if that tells you anything... "Why can't we be like the highway patrol and be seen", and yes the HP uses seizure patterns. Our last 2012 Charger was ruined by the guy putting his own carnival ride taillight flasher on it. :) I plan on using ERMs taillight flasher for the rear since it flashes the LED reverse lights and has nice override ability, but the front will definitely remain the Charger factory wig wag.

We have some FedSig undercover sirens on hand that when incorporated into a steering wheel aux switch and the horn pad will work wonders.

Sounds like a plan! Just an FYI that you might see the ES6 listed as Axixtech, not Brookings, on some sites, but they are both the same product (Brookings is the US distributor for Axixtech/Juluen, so they basically just rebrand their products for marketing). Contact Tristate PSE; he's a member here and sells them
 

nerdly_dood

Member
Jun 15, 2010
2,312
Georgia
Whelen sells some products with smoke tinted lenses, so they could fit in the headliner or grille without being seen as easily.
 

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