MARS! (non Chicago proper) Vehicles w. primary warning systems by MARS

[Phillyrube]

Aurora Borealis w/ a lots of 888 :woot:

Cyril

There was a youtube or a clip of the front w/ everyhting lit up and wig wagging....BAD!!!

 

[wfdstation42]

Looks like a Roto-ray on the front too. The amp draw on this truck has to be crazy.

 

[usonian]

Stumbled across this New Jersey Mack CF with an impressive Mars Bar:

 

[CrownVic97]

Nice.

 

[usonian]

Another Mack CF with MARS...Skybolts on the cab, and a MARS searchlight

 

[usonian]

IH/Pierce Mini-Pumper with an Aurora & pair of 888's

 

[usonian]

Springfield, VA Seagrave engine with an Aurora & pair of 888's

 

[usonian]

North Aurora, IL Oshkosh/American ladder. Another unit with an Aurora & pair of 888's

 

[CrownVic97]

IH/Pierce Mini-Pumper with an Aurora & pair of 888's

I spy a blue 4416 in that Aurora. Nice little rig!

 

[stansdds]

I spy a blue 4416 in that Aurora. Nice little rig!

Yep, and I spy a blue domed Whelen Rota-beam on the back end of the Forest Park Mack CF. I know blue is more distinct at night, but I just cannot get used to it on fire apparatus.

 

[usonian]

A new "Super Skybolt" bar find out of PA, courtesy of FirePics:

 

[badge22]

Is that a rear facing 888 on the driver's side?

Aurora Borealis w/ a lots of 888 :woot:

Cyril

 

[flahotrod]

That's the car I was looking for!! My family use to visit my Grandma/pa in Ft. Lauderdale back in the mid 70's to early 80's. I remembered seeing the cars down in the area, but I couldn't for the life of me remember where I'd saw them!!

Thanks for the pic!! Ah the memories!!.... one ugly A55 lightbar (in my humble opinion at the time, our LEO's and FD's had Twins and I loved them!). What that bar is worth now!! HA! (now who's the A55?? hehehehe) :yes: :thumbsup:


I didn't remember acutally looking like that though. The ones I remember was a full Spectra w/ clear domes with red/blue/clear pars that rotated all around the darned thing. Craziest lightbar I'd ever seen and I didn't think it was very effective at all. If I remember correctly each side setup was b/r/b/c (it may have had 6 bulbs each side, can't remember). But that's been a long time ago. Will see if I can stumble across a pic of one. Great thread you guys!!

I can't speak to Collier County SO lightbars since Naples is on the west coast, but during the late 70's and into the early 80's Broward County SO (where Ft Lauderdale is) used Mars lightbars with all-blue Skybolts. I was living in Ft Lauderdale then and it was the first time I saw Mars lights. I hope someone can find some pictures of the BSO Chevy Novas that had the Mars bars on them.

 

[fireball3]

Is that a rear facing 888 on the driver's side?

Yes, that is!


I counted five 888, that the visible part on this pic.


Cyril

 

[usonian]

Time to bring this back to life with a Chicagoland find:

 

[Rusted413]

A new "Super Skybolt" bar find out of PA, courtesy of FirePics:

I think that you can have that truck if you so desire - only 6,500 miles: 1977 Ford Squad (R0944)- Fenton Fire - Used Fire Trucks - We sell quality pre-owned fire engines, tankers, ladders, rescues, ambulances, quints in USA, Canada and beyond.

 

[JohnMarcson]

I think that you can have that truck if you so desire - only 6,500 miles: 1977 Ford Squad (R0944)- Fenton Fire - Used Fire Trucks - We sell quality pre-owned fire engines, tankers, ladders, rescues, ambulances, quints in USA, Canada and beyond.

You could sell the generator and the lights for $3.... at least

 

[7d9_z28]

I love this thread.


I love Auroras.


I must know: What kind of scene lights are on the Grand Rapids SG1 truck in the first post? They are silver and look like giant CON3 modules... And they are awesome!


Grand Rapids MI is not far from me at all, I will have to find their stations and see if they still have cool stuff laying around!

 

[JennyCop]

That is one loaded Mars bar!

 

[Tiller245]

I'm glad so many like this thread! If you've got MARS pix, please post them, I don't care if this topic gets hijacked.

A couple more finds from Suburban Chicagoland: Broadview, IL ALF engine with an Aurora & 888, and Westchester, IL Maxim aerial with an Aurora...can't figure out if the siren is an unbadged Q or a MARS Commander.

ya that looks like a federal Q with the missing front grill

 

[JennyCop]

1973 Dodge Polora with Mars SkyBolt Combo from Texas Department of Public Safety "Sugarland Express"


1987 Chevy Caprice with Mars SpectraSytem from Lagrange Park Police in Illinois, Photo credit: Copcar.com

 

[toon80]

Small town in Province of Quebec: St-Jean-sur-le-Richelieu


Chevy Van with Skybolt red-blue lightbar.

 

[JennyCop]

Small town in Province of Quebec: St-Jean-sur-le-Richelieu

Chevy Van with Skybolt red-blue lightbar.

Great eye Antoine, thats a good catch! :thumbsup:

 

[JennyCop]

PhotoCredit:Copcar.com


In order of appearance:


1973 Dodge Polara Illinos State Police


1972 Mercury Monteray Illinios State Police


1978 Ford LTD II Cook County IL Forest Preserve Police


1977 Dodge Monaco McCook IL Police


1973 Chevrolet Belair LaGrange Park IL Police


1977 Chevrolet Impala Police Demo Vehicle


1981 Mercury Marquis Summit IL Police


1978 Pontiac Catalina Wheaton IL, Police


1982 Dodge Diplomat Naples Fl Police, (Second hometown for Mars Signal Light corp.)


1972 Oldsmobile Illinos state Police

 

[TheLightFromMars]

1973 Dodge Polora with Mars SkyBolt Combo from Texas Department of Public Safety "Sugarland Express"
1987 Chevy Caprice with Mars SpectraSytem from Lagrange Park Police in Illinois, Photo credit: Copcar.com

The Texas DPS Fury in Sugarland Express was only Hollywood magic. DPS has never used Mars. To be frank, except for fire units and VFD guys, you seldom saw any Mars products except the various 888 and other oscillators in this part of the world.


It was kind of sick seeing a lot of Mars equipment being destroyed in that movie. I wonder if they didn't have a deal with the producers of that movie because most of the lights in that movie were from Mars.

 

[JennyCop]

Broward County Florida Chevrolet Nova


Photo credit: copcar.com

 

[JennyCop]

Nile, Illinois Fire department Ford Bronco with Mars Skybar!


Cicero Fire department American LaFrance Hook and ladder with Mars skybolt lightbar


Arlington Heights Fire department American LaFrance with Aurora borealis


Photo Credit: Steve Redick, Bill Friedrich

 

[JennyCop]

Western Springs Illinois Fire Dept.


PhotoCredit: Don Fieple, Ron Heal and Smug mug photo sharing.

 

[Wailer]

Western Springs Illinois Fire Dept.


PhotoCredit: Don Fieple, Ron Heal and Smug mug photo sharing.

I like that Miller-Meteor pro-car ambo with the Aurora Borealis light bar.

 

[JennyCop]

Photo credit: Bill Friedrich

 

[Phillyrube]

Not the way we want to see Mars lights used.....

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[JohnMarcson]

That one image was mirrored...  bugging me

fixed

 

[JennyCop]

Bellwood,Illinois PD.
PhotoCredit Greg Reynolds Copcar.com, Tsquale

 

[JennyCop]

Mars RB atop a 1957 Cadillac Ambulance

 

[JennyCop]

Mars DX-40 Irving California PD 1957 Ford

Mars Skybolts and cross bar
Watertown New York PD

Mars Radial Beam atop Wildwood New Jersey American Lafrance.

Don't know photocredits. Found on google image.

 

[Wailer]

Is it my imagination, or (with the exception of the manual siren toggle switch vs. pushbutton) does this Mars siren look like a rebadged Federal PA20A?

The chassis and cover are the same as the PA20A but the circuitry is different. The wail and yelp tones don't rise and fall the same way as a PA20A series 2E.

 

[JennyCop]

28 volt Mars Skybolt's U.S Army edition on U.S Military Wrecker

 

[JennyCop]

Mars RB with amber glass dome atop 1937 Ford Wrecker.

 

[vista1]

Bryan Memorial Hospital Mobile Heart Team. Lincoln, NE

 

[JennyCop]

Riverside County, California Sheriff's Dept. 1959 Ford with Mars DX can light.
Photocredit: Justin Williams & Dave Arnold Copcar.com

Other 1959 Ford also with Mars DX can light. Location and photocredit unknown.

1964 Arcadia, California Police Chevrolet Biscayne with Mars DX on light platter.

Arcadia California 1959 Ford Fleet with Mars DX can lights