Another Aero

[Scoot163]

Looks like it is an Aero day! I Just completed this Aero 24EAH as a retirement gift. Lots of work went into cleaning up this bar, and the new domes were done in the accurate configuration of a Tacoma PD bar in the 1980's. Thanks to emtanderson51, empire5150, and Toyota fan for selling me much needed parts. I also added a Unitrol Series 800 switchbox to make it period correct. The bar was a non-working mess when I got it. I think my friend will be pleased.



And the before picture which really doesn't show what a mess it truly was:



Some video links:

 

[empire5150]

Very nice job. Looks great!

 

[tsquale]

Awesome job! That is one heck of a gift

 

[jph2]

That is a sweet bar! You did an awesome job on it. Your friend should be super pleased--even runs off the Unitrol. Complete with vids, this post is full of win!

 

[801]

Two thumbs up, very nicely done.

 

[Stampeed Valkyrie]

Nice color combination
My latest bar was dirty but not too bad.

I have a mini aero I'm working on that is a mess.

 

[894]

Looks good! Amber to the front is hard for me to swallow but if that's the way they did it, who am I to say. I had that same discussion w/ C/V97 a while back regarding So. Dakota's State Police colors...

One little tidbit about this restoration, though. Most of the endlamps flashed cross-cornered, alternately...Was Tacoma's set-up that way or is this pattern something you did?

 

[Scoot163]

Looks good! Amber to the front is hard for me to swallow but if that's the way they did it, who am I to say. I had that same discussion w/ C/V97 a while back regarding So. Dakota's State Police colors...

One little tidbit about this restoration, though. Most of the endlamps flashed cross-cornered, alternately...Was Tacoma's set-up that way or is this pattern something you did?

Well it's been well over 30 years so hard to remember! Could very well be, but I'm inclined to think it's the way I set it up. I will check to see if I can find some old videos to review.

As far as Amber to front, that's the way it was. Could have been a carryover from the previous rack with a 17 mounted in the middle and two small dietz Amber flashers mounted on the ends. Amber to front disappeared forever with the Streethawks and MX 7k's.

 

[CrownVic97]

Looks good! Amber to the front is hard for me to swallow but if that's the way they did it, who am I to say. I had that same discussion w/ C/V97 a while back regarding So. Dakota's State Police colors...

North Dakota actually, and I do remember that conversation !

BTW: Scoot, here's that lightbar's northern cousin sporting red

 

[Scoot163]

North Dakota actually, and I do remember that conversation !

BTW: Scoot, here's that lightbar's northern cousin sporting red

I had no idea! Nice to see a good lookin' bar like that in the family!

 

[emtanderson51]

looks beauty!!!

 

[acklover]

Very nice! That's an awesome retirement gift.

 

[894]

North Dakota actually, and I do remember that conversation !

BTW: Scoot, here's that lightbar's northern cousin sporting red

North Dakota...I stand corrected! Sorry to all the Dakota folks whom I may have insulted w/ my feeble memory!

 

[Skulldigger]

Now that is worth retiring for. What a beauty.

 

[CrownVic97]

North Dakota...I stand corrected! Sorry to all the Dakota folks whom I may have insulted w/ my feeble memory!

There's only, like, 5 or 6 of us here from ND, and no we won't be upset . Just don't try to change our state name to Dakota (trust me, that suggestion has come up a few times as a ballot measure in the span of 30 years )

 

[Scoot163]

There's only, like, 5 or 6 of us here from ND, and no we won't be upset . Just don't try to change our state name to Dakota (trust me, that suggestion has come up a few times as a ballot measure in the span of 30 years )

My dad grew up in Leeds, North Dakota, not far from Rugby. The "Dakota" thing wouldn't fly with us either!

 

[894]

There's only, like, 5 or 6 of us here from ND, and no we won't be upset . Just don't try to change our state name to Dakota (trust me, that suggestion has come up a few times as a ballot measure in the span of 30 years )

I said "Dakota" folks because I didn't want to upset neither the Northern nor the Southern constituents! Either way, I still don't get the amber to the front bit. What did South Dakota have for bars?

 

[CrownVic97]

I said "Dakota" folks because I didn't want to upset neither the Northern nor the Southern constituents! Either way, I still don't get the amber to the front bit. What did South Dakota have for bars?

Ha! No problem, man. I did find some good pictures of the SDHP bars over the years. All courtesy of statetrooperplates.com

1978 Plymouth Fury with red/red TwinSonic (model unknown but could have been a 12X) with the Visibeam Spotlight option installed.


Late '80s Chevy Caprice with a Smith & Wesson bar, clear cut-outs on the passenger side (one for takedown, one for rotators) and amber on the driver's side for flasher.


1993 Ford CVPI with same configuration in the lightbar.


Later on, SDHP went to the Whelen Edge with blue over the passenger, blue flasher, center clear takedown, and the traditional amber flasher over the driver with the red. Endcaps were clear with the alley lights and the rear was traditional red/blue with amber Traffic Advisor.



A decision was made (probably by higher ups who like tradition) to put a clear lense in place of the blue one on the passenger side, harkening back to the configuration the old S&W bars had, but now with the common red/blue mix.



Still today, the SDHP keep that front amber over the driver's side on their cruisers....