Twinsonic CTS valuation?

[H20]

Ive been looking for market value on the Twinsonic CTS and can't seem to find any current values outside of eBay auctions.

I'm looking at a lightbar and believe it's a good deal but I wanted to educate myself more before pulling the trigger on it. What is the going rate for these now?; low and high? Average? It's a CTS1 series A3. The amber insert has a crack running down the middle of it.

If I end up with it my intention would be to make it a red/blue bar.

 

[Stampeed Valkyrie]

How does the interior look?
Does the bar work 100%?

Minus the crack the rest of it can be cleaned up with some TLC..
I'm not a CTS pricing expert.. say $200?

 

[H20]

It's fully functional, can't say for certain about how clean it is inside.

From what I could find I've seen pricing between ranging from $150 for those lucky finds to prices exceeding $500 for cleaned up originals... and the MCSO for even more.

A twinsonic is really iconic and a bar I'd like to have in the collection, just needs to be affordable

 

[Stampeed Valkyrie]

It's fully functional, can't say for certain about how clean it is inside.

From what I could find I've seen pricing between ranging from $150 for those lucky finds to prices exceeding $500 for cleaned up originals... and the MCSO for even more.

A twinsonic is really iconic and a bar I'd like to have in the collection, just needs to be affordable

I can't see this light pulling in anywhere near $500.
I'd probably shoot low and see where it takes you from there...

just my .02

Rob

 

[southpaw]

It's only worth what you are willing to pay for it. Follow your gut and be prepared to walk away if you can't make a deal with the seller that you can live with.

 

[H20]

Well I made the trip this morning and brought this CTS home. It's all there and complete/original. I think I paid a little more than I should have considering the condition of the domes, but it is what it is. The domes aren't quite as nice as I had expected and hoped for but, it's a starting point. The cut-out dome is solid expect for a small crack in the amber insert where the bulb is touching it. I'm not sure why that's happening; it looks like the mount is correct and the bulb is where it should be in the mount, I'll know better once I get the dome off.

The other dome has a couple cracks along the outer corners which the seller didn't disclose. Unfortunately he didn't show up for the sale, his wife did; so I didn't feel like putting her on the spot to negotiate it as she had nothing to do with it.

Anyway, I powered it up and everything works; the rotators need to be timed as they're not quite in sync and the amber bulb stays solid when powered; I'm not sure if it's been messed with and the flasher was removed.

I won't have time to take it apart and look at it's guts until vacation next week. But it looks like solid restoration project.

I'm going to try wet sanding to see how clear I can get the domes.

What are you guys seeing solid used domes selling for? Non-CTS domes, red, blue?

 

[ryan]

You should have been in the $2-300 range

 

[H20]

Paid $200

 

[Scoot163]

Then you did very well. It's possible the wrong bulb might be installed in the rear par holder. The correct rear bulb is a GE 4478. The front is a 4001.

 

[H20]

Then you did very well. It's possible the wrong bulb might be installed in the rear par holder. The correct rear bulb is a GE 4478. The front is a 4001.

That would make sense; curious what bulb it is now.

 

[Maxim2Eng]

$200? Excellent acquisition! You have yourself a bonified elb resto project!! Re-syncing the rotators is easy (ask anyone on this forum) and most parts are easily sourced here. Well done, sir!

 

[H20]

I feel better now about what I paid; initially I was second guessing my decision to pay asking price after I saw the cracked dome... I'm entering new territory with the Twinsonic being my first old bar, thanks for the encouragement, I'm excited to get it cleaned up and restored.

 

[southpaw]

Take photos as you take it apart so you understand how they got back together when the time comes. Especially the slightly unique wiring for the CTS.. Plus we like to see them!! Good job and best of luck on your restoration!!

 

[H20]

Ok CTS guys, I started looking into this deeper and I have a question about factory wiring. Is the forward facing steady burn supposed to come on with the rotators? The rear flasher on mine has its own circuit/wire but the forward facing bulb comes on with the rotators, for some reason I was under the impression the rotators, forward red, and amber flashed were all wired separately??

The rear bulb is a 4478, so that appears to be correct... I still don't know why it was touching the amber insert, which has cracked from the heat.

 

[southpaw]

Properly, First position, flashing amber only, second position, flashing amber and steady red, position three all rotators, flashing amber, steady red. Most CA agencies set them up in this fashion.

 

[H20]

Does this look normal for spacing against the dome?? Everything inside appears to be correct and tight, the bulb is tight against the mount. But it's still really close, not like the front bulb which has a lot of room.

 

[Benno]

Is the forward facing steady burn supposed to come on with the rotators?

Yes!
Here is a picture of the terminal block from my CTS

 

[Scoot163]

It is hard to tell from the pictures but the spacing looks right, at least compared to the bars I have. The cracking or scratching on the amber section was common. As emergency vehicles bounced down the roads, Twinsonic bar internals would routinely rub or bang against the inside of the lenses. Many Twinsonic 12x lenses have scratches on the inside rear from the X mirrors chafing against them.

The photo below is from one of my CTS bars. Note the crack on the amber section.

 

[southpaw]

Yes!
Here is a picture of the terminal block from my CTS
View attachment 209608

Yes and no.. In California, the steady red would light be set up to light by itself ( with the rear amber flashing) AND with the rotators on, (also with the rear amber flashing) In the TwinSonic days when i worked, we used a Unitro 800 for lights and siren, hence the #1, #2 and #3 positions for light controls... Hope this makes sense...

 

[southpaw]

Yes!
Here is a picture of the terminal block from my CTS
View attachment 209608

The power red also has the rotator power wire as seen in the photo.

 

[denko3]

The power red also has the rotator power wire as seen in the photo.

I aggre.twin CTS have #1 position just amber flasher "on" and second #2 position was rotators with steady CA front red and amber flasher stays on.
for example aerodynic bars had in california mostly LAPD,LASD,CHP and maybe some others position #1 amber flashers on rear, #2 position front CA steadies and #3 position rotators with all previous functions.
in 70" and early 80" rear amber were sometimes steadies(with no flasher inside the bar) not flashing or simulative not alternative flashing.

 

[H20]

Awesome, thanks for the info guys!

 

[H20]

Thanks to crownvic97 I now have blue dome and I'll be able convert my CTS into a Red/Blue bar.

I'll post up more when I get the time to work on the bar.

 

[Stampeed Valkyrie]

awesome.

 

[CrownVic97]

Lookin' forward to those photos, H20

 

[Richard Austin]

Well I made the trip this morning and brought this CTS home. It's all there and complete/original. I think I paid a little more than I should have considering the condition of the domes, but it is what it is. The domes aren't quite as nice as I had expected and hoped for but, it's a starting point. The cut-out dome is solid expect for a small crack in the amber insert where the bulb is touching it. I'm not sure why that's happening; it looks like the mount is correct and the bulb is where it should be in the mount, I'll know better once I get the dome off.

The other dome has a couple cracks along the outer corners which the seller didn't disclose. Unfortunately he didn't show up for the sale, his wife did; so I didn't feel like putting her on the spot to negotiate it as she had nothing to do with it.

Anyway, I powered it up and everything works; the rotators need to be timed as they're not quite in sync and the amber bulb stays solid when powered; I'm not sure if it's been messed with and the flasher was removed.

I won't have time to take it apart and look at it's guts until vacation next week. But it looks like solid restoration project.

I'm going to try wet sanding to see how clear I can get the domes.

What are you guys seeing solid used domes selling for? Non-CTS domes, red, blue?

 

[Richard Austin]

If you haven't done so yet, don't wet sand the lenes. Start with the plastic scratch cleaner, at local auto parts store. After that, use the 7 stage headlight cleaner which uses a very fine sand paper but the cream is made to clear and clean. Works well. Used it on my depts 74 coronet with twins nice bar. Pull long beach police 1774 dodge coronet. Probably a photo from Ripon car show. Good luck

 

[Richard Austin]

Should be twin sonic, and 1974 coronet.

 

[cmb56]

Welcome to the forum, Richard.
For your information:
You can edit your previous posts instead of writing a new one.
It will be easier to read that way, in my opinion.

Michael

 

[CAPTAIN 58]

Thanks to crownvic97 I now have blue dome and I'll be able convert my CTS into a Red/Blue bar.

I'll post up more when I get the time to work on the bar.

Lol that's my old blue lense I traded for clear ones I'm glad to see it has a home

 

[Thomas1234]

So now i see this Twinsonic model 2 FE, looks like a "bouble" CTS? or else...

 

[Stampeed Valkyrie]

@Thomas1234 What you have is a 12EF.. an economy twinsonic with the newer "Aerodynic" style par 36 flashers.

Domes look to be in pretty good shape.. good find.

The CTS.. uses an offset PAR 46 lamp..
so no not a CTS bar.

 

[Thomas1234]

Thanks @Stampeed Valkyrie these 12EF, seens to be rarer then the normal ones right?

 

[CHIEFOPS]

Rotators aren't sync'd

 

[southpaw]

Thanks @Stampeed Valkyrie these 12EF, seens to be rarer then the normal ones right?

Not one you see every day, and a good one to have to restore and play with.

 

[shues]

Thanks @Stampeed Valkyrie these 12EF, seens to be rarer then the normal ones right?

@ryan stated a few years back that probably the rarest of all the Twinsonic models is another model in the Economy lineup, the model 12E: https://elightbars.org/forums/threa...y-the-rarest-twinsonic-made-stay-tuned.67322/

 

[Stampeed Valkyrie]

Technically you have a 12EVF since it has V mirrors.. maybe they were added post factory?
I may be 2nd only to Ryan here on the number of Twins I have worked on over the years.. but I have seen my fair share of 12EFs. While not anywhere near as common as the 12 and 12X variants they were not terribly rare either I still have several in various of stages of assembly. I even have one of these with Metal Par36 holders..

Rob

 

[shues]

Does the series field on the endcap say 3-1Z?

 

[CHIEFOPS]

Far as I can tell that's the version the NYPD used, clear domes of course, circa 1980, between the Signal Stat DuoComm(?) and the Aearotwinsonic

 

[Maxim2Eng]

There you go! Get a pair of clear domes (good luck with that) and convert it to an NYPD bar. Worth the effort!