What are the model numbers for the old style tin can lights like you see on Adam 12 style LAPD tv shows? Are they difficult to find?
frank
frank
LAPD (Adam 12) or Tin Can lights
- Thread starter ccsd157
- Start date
Oh yeah....not only are they difficult to find, but also difficult to pay for! I'm sure our resident expert Bob V (CFD125) will be along shortly. If you do a search of the site, you'll find a link for Bob's comparison of the various models. Search Trio Sales T-2, S&M 757.....
Bob also had an excellent post comparing the can lights which I can't find, called "anatomy of a can light".
Bob also had an excellent post comparing the can lights which I can't find, called "anatomy of a can light".
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That is an awesome web site. I wish I could get into restoring old police cars, but that aint gonna happen while I am in NC.
I'll try to find time to re-post the Anatomy of a Can light comparison. I couldn't dig it up in a search either.
So far, I have found three brands of LAPD style can lights:
1: S&M lamp co. model 757 (The original predecessor to Trio).
2: Trio sales Co. model T-2.
3: Highway Safety Co. model 1757
All three brands have their differences, with S&M, and Trio being the closest to each other as far as construcion and features.
here's a few pics of some of mine:
Pair of factory chromed Trio T-2s that I recently aquired from the roof of a Pembroke, Ma. brushbreaker. (That's a forestry truck to most of you)
[Broken External Image]:http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/ll191/CFD125/1257904699.jpg
Here is a set of Highway Safety 1757's :
And finally, what I believe to be the first, and original "can light", The S&M lamp Co. 757:
[Broken External Image]:http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/ll191/CFD125/motorcycle026.jpg
[Broken External Image]:http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/ll191/CFD125/motorcycle027.jpg
This S&M was obviously an actual LAPD light from division 2. It could have been on 2-ADAM-12 :lol:
I'm not sure when they started putting shop numbers on them, but I have seen 1940's and 50's pictures of LAPD cars with these lights and NO shop number on them. LAPD cars also had black roofs in the late 40's to mid-50's
Many of these lights went on to a 2nd career on another unit, when the car they were originally on was retired or wrecked.
There was a woman on Ebay a few years ago that sold 5 or 6 of these, she had both Trio and S&M.
Some of the numbered lights were obviuosly painted over and re-numbered. You could still see the old numbers under the black paint and new numbers.
It was kind of funny to watch her sell them. The very first one started at $.99 cents, and climbed up to around $125.00. The next one started at $150.00, and so on.
She must have said something like: Holy cow!! That little tin coffee can with two light bulbs just went up to $125.00.....Yahooooo!!!! I'm gonna make a killing!!
Left to right:
Trio T2
S&M 757
HS 1757 (hmmm...funny how that number resembles the S&M)
And, of course, my Crown Vic with them:
So far, I have found three brands of LAPD style can lights:
1: S&M lamp co. model 757 (The original predecessor to Trio).
2: Trio sales Co. model T-2.
3: Highway Safety Co. model 1757
All three brands have their differences, with S&M, and Trio being the closest to each other as far as construcion and features.
here's a few pics of some of mine:
Pair of factory chromed Trio T-2s that I recently aquired from the roof of a Pembroke, Ma. brushbreaker. (That's a forestry truck to most of you)
[Broken External Image]:http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/ll191/CFD125/1257904699.jpg
Here is a set of Highway Safety 1757's :
And finally, what I believe to be the first, and original "can light", The S&M lamp Co. 757:
[Broken External Image]:http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/ll191/CFD125/motorcycle026.jpg
[Broken External Image]:http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/ll191/CFD125/motorcycle027.jpg
This S&M was obviously an actual LAPD light from division 2. It could have been on 2-ADAM-12 :lol:
I'm not sure when they started putting shop numbers on them, but I have seen 1940's and 50's pictures of LAPD cars with these lights and NO shop number on them. LAPD cars also had black roofs in the late 40's to mid-50's
Many of these lights went on to a 2nd career on another unit, when the car they were originally on was retired or wrecked.
There was a woman on Ebay a few years ago that sold 5 or 6 of these, she had both Trio and S&M.
Some of the numbered lights were obviuosly painted over and re-numbered. You could still see the old numbers under the black paint and new numbers.
It was kind of funny to watch her sell them. The very first one started at $.99 cents, and climbed up to around $125.00. The next one started at $150.00, and so on.
She must have said something like: Holy cow!! That little tin coffee can with two light bulbs just went up to $125.00.....Yahooooo!!!! I'm gonna make a killing!!
Left to right:
Trio T2
S&M 757
HS 1757 (hmmm...funny how that number resembles the S&M)
And, of course, my Crown Vic with them:
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hi, i just got a set of the trio t2 lights and need one red lense......they are marked "trio sales model T-2 L.A calif" they have lapd central division (1) shop #579. is there a left and right or same for either side? any help will be appreciated. i am just getting into restoring an adam 12 shop. thanx
They aren't lenses, they are sealed beam bulbs which are still available through any auto parts dealer.
John Dorgan
John Dorgan
The front bulbs are GE #4001R, but are now obsolete. You can use the brighter version, #5001R which are still available in GE, Wagner, Tung-Sol, Phillips, etc.
(Find them on-line, or at any good auto/truck parts store.)
The rear bulbs are #4434A, and are very readily available. I bought a case of GE 4434A's, and still have a few left.
There is no left or right, but I would mount them with the grounding screw facing inward towards the middle of the roof.
(Find them on-line, or at any good auto/truck parts store.)
The rear bulbs are #4434A, and are very readily available. I bought a case of GE 4434A's, and still have a few left.
There is no left or right, but I would mount them with the grounding screw facing inward towards the middle of the roof.
I think it would be cool for someone to use these and instead of sealed beam lights use a nice bright led.
That's just my own opinion
That's just my own opinion
Thanks this got my wheels a turning so I acted and we'll see how it turns out.dmathieu said:
Here we go my own version.
[Broken External Image]:[URL]http://i741.photobucket.com/albums/xx60/elite907/th_Video-ofnewcanlights.jpg[/URL]
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ccsd157 said:
No, we can't have roof lights or sirens in my department.
But if they ever change that, you can be sure that they will be bolted on up there.
I do, however, run a steady burn red 5001R bulb in my drivers side spotlight, and have red & amber round rear deck lights on the drivers side , like an older CHP car.
My avatar is my spotlight.
I have a bunch of marine style Jabsco/ITT remote controlled spotlights with chrome housings and they look exactly like Trio lights. Many Louisiana departments used them by mounting them to the top of a lightbar's metal speaker housing before all light bars came along with plastic center domes and it was not possible to continue to do it. The spotlight housings are identical in general appearance to those LAPD can lights, except they use a par 36 bulb, and it is on one side only. Wonder if some of those housings could be cutout on the opposite side, with an opposite facing bulb and retaining ring added, and made into custom Trios?
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Hi, how much for those tears??? I searched for them online, no luck, any specific places I can check? Please advise....thanks....
im hoping to find o,g bulbs but will consider new ones too. i searched on-line but no luck....any help please...if you can give me a specific place to buy them that would be awsome.....thanks
i know this is an old thread but im looking to do a 69 adam 12 car and need the lights and siren for the top of the car. any ideas ??
I recently acquired a trio t2 light. Both bulbs are steady burn. I can’t figure out why the amber isn’t flashing. There is a flasher in it but I don’t think it’s working. But here’s the question. If the flasher wasn’t working why is the bulb still working? Steady burn
That is what flashers usually do when they fails, let the lamp light instead of being off.
Michael
Michael
Do you know where can get another flasher? Would a federal signal flasher work? Thank you for getting back so soon
I am not sure what flasher you have inside yours but it might be a 540.
Regardless, you can use any flasher that fitt inside and handles 40 Watt because the rear sealed beam should be a 4434A rated 40 Watt.
If you not know it allready the LAPD used a flasher in each of their can lights that gave a random flash rather than alternating to the rear.
The reason should have been if a flasher failed, as in your case, they had one that still flashed. The other should in that case had been steady burning.
Michael
Regardless, you can use any flasher that fitt inside and handles 40 Watt because the rear sealed beam should be a 4434A rated 40 Watt.
If you not know it allready the LAPD used a flasher in each of their can lights that gave a random flash rather than alternating to the rear.
The reason should have been if a flasher failed, as in your case, they had one that still flashed. The other should in that case had been steady burning.
Michael
I’ll check tonight and let you know. I’ll send you some pictures of the inside and flasher. Thanks
This T-2 is as it was made by Trio Sales. It has never been any flasher installed.
The Cole-Hersee connector is for the 4001R sealed beam and the cable connectors are for the screw terminals on the 4434A.
This lamp has never been used by LAPD and the 1A12, as you might understand, is fake.
If you want the light to be as the LAPD lights was, you need to install a flasher on the cable that goes to the 4434A sealed beam.
I would say that a 540 flasher should be the best choice if you want to be as close as possible to original LAPD.
You cut the black cable with the cable connector that goes to the rear sealed beam and connect the flasher between the cables with some cable connectors and you will have it flash.
Michael
The Cole-Hersee connector is for the 4001R sealed beam and the cable connectors are for the screw terminals on the 4434A.
This lamp has never been used by LAPD and the 1A12, as you might understand, is fake.
If you want the light to be as the LAPD lights was, you need to install a flasher on the cable that goes to the 4434A sealed beam.
I would say that a 540 flasher should be the best choice if you want to be as close as possible to original LAPD.
You cut the black cable with the cable connector that goes to the rear sealed beam and connect the flasher between the cables with some cable connectors and you will have it flash.
Michael
Check with NAPA or any other car part distributor if they have any such or an equivalent type.
In any case, any universal turn signal flasher will most probably work.
Michael
In any case, any universal turn signal flasher will most probably work.
Michael
@johnson11b
I think I know what light you have got hold of when I looked more closely to your photos.
In the late 80s the son of the owner of Trio Sales was moving some of the remaining stock of Trio Sales in the form of an memorial ornamental display piece of the T-2 on a wooden plate.
These lights was as manufactured without any flasher because installation of a flasher was up to each end user to their specifications.
In the mid 90s I bought two of the remaining lights from this stock.
Michael
I think I know what light you have got hold of when I looked more closely to your photos.
In the late 80s the son of the owner of Trio Sales was moving some of the remaining stock of Trio Sales in the form of an memorial ornamental display piece of the T-2 on a wooden plate.
These lights was as manufactured without any flasher because installation of a flasher was up to each end user to their specifications.
In the mid 90s I bought two of the remaining lights from this stock.
Michael
