Unmarked Police Cars on TV and their Dashlights

[Rhinojoe]

Just wanted to help out the board and put together a list of vintage dash lights that were used dipicting differerent unmaked Police Cars and their agenies by Movie and TV Show. I'll try to go from oldest to newest;


Note please chime in with corrections and or additions


1)Dragnet 1967 LAPD 1964 Ford Fairlane. Handheld 12v Spotlight with rear C handle and red filter(manufacture unknown).(edit vehicle modele)


2)Dirty Harry in Magnum Force 1973 SFPD 197? Ford Galaxie Sedan with a 12V Unity Handheld spotlight(Unknown bulb #) hung from the passenger visor.


3) Dirty Harry in Sudden Impact SDPD 1974(?) Plymouth Satellite Unity folding red spot on driver's A-pillar


3) Boys on the Hood 1991 LAPD 1986 Chvy Impala flip down red halogen light passenger side


4) Heat 1995 1992 LAPD Crown Victoria with a single Red Dash Master Strobe on passenger side visor.


IMCDb.org: 1992 Ford Crown Victoria LX in "Heat, 1995"


Next

 

[dmathieu]

This could be a great thread!!!

 

[MtnMan]

Kojak...?

 

[dmathieu]

I remember seeing a show, years ago, that used a Whelen Corporal as a throw light. Does anybody else remember seeing this?

 

[dmathieu]

In an episode of Cops, There was a Philadelphia unmarked cruised that used a red Federal Model 15 Junior Beacon Ray as a dash light.

 

[dmathieu]

Hunter used a Federal Fire Ball, a Vitalite, and a Whelen DMS as throw lights.

 

[dmathieu]

In certain episodes of Walker Texas Ranger, I had seen Whelen Responders, and Cadets as throw lights.

 

[stansdds]

Kojak would be NYPD and he used a Federal Signal FireBall.

 

[stansdds]

Lt. Castillo on Miami Vice (Metro-Dade PD) used a Federal FireBall II.

 

[dmathieu]

California halogen DashMiser II, (Steady red, flashing blue) used by Don Johnson in the CA based show, (can't remember the name of the show).

 

[dmathieu]

Blue Fire Ball used by Buford Pusser in the original Walking Tall.

 

[dmathieu]

Fire Beam, with and without mirrors, used in many NYPD shows, past and current.

 

[ex416]

California halogen DashMiser II, (Steady red, flashing blue) used by Don Johnson in the CA based show, (can't remember the name of the show).

Nash Bridges

 

[patrol530]

Streets of San Francisco, red Vitalite thrown on the roof.

 

[CrownVic97]

Blue Fire Ball used by Buford Pusser in the original Walking Tall.

And also used a Tripp Lite teardrop in the 3rd movie.

 

[CHIEFOPS]

1)Dragnet 1967 LAPD 1964 Ford Thunderbird. Handheld 12v Spotlight with rear C handle and red filter(manufacture unknown).

I don't remember a T-Bird, I think it was usually a Fairlane

 

[Phillyrube]

Convoy, Sheriff Lyle 'Cottonmouth' Wallace, had a Fireball on his roof next to his X band radar antenna

 

[Mndlm]

"Colors" with Robert Duvall & Sean Penn's Caprice and Fury also used the flipped down also.


Starts at the 44 second mark:

 

[HILO]

Generous use of traffic backers, HLF's and Sho Me halogens in The Negotiator, 1998.

 

[HILO]

Hunter used a Federal Fire Ball, a Vitalite, and a Whelen DMS as throw lights.

 

[flahotrod]

I don't remember a T-Bird, I think it was usually a Fairlane

Pretty sure it was a '67 Fairlane in all the Dragnet episodes. I have no idea what they used in the 50's version.


Police story used a variety of lights, including Fireballs and hanging steady-burns


Starsky & Hutch used Fireballs and Flashballs.

 

[dmathieu]

The Signal Stat version of Flash Ball used on Starsky and Hutch was a model 384.

 

[Rhinojoe]

California halogen DashMiser II, (Steady red, flashing blue) used by Don Johnson in the CA based show, (can't remember the name of the show).

Maybe this one;


1996 NASH BRIDGES 1972 Plymouth Barracuda, unknown dash light.


IMCDb.org: 1982 Nissan Sentra [b11] in "Nash Bridges, 1996-2001"


IMCDb.org: 1986 Chevrolet Caprice 9C1 in "Nash Bridges, 1996-2001"


PS Can someone please PM me and let me know how to embed a picture from a link....Sorrry

 

[Rhinojoe]

Kojak would be NYPD and he used a Federal Signal FireBall.

1973 NYPD Buick Century F/S Fireball


IMCDb.org: 1973 Buick Century in "Kojak, 1973-1978"

 

[patrol530]

 

[dmathieu]

Dixie Mcall, on Hunter, used a Fire Ball.

 

[Richard P]

Maybe this one;

1996 NASH BRIDGES 1972 Plymouth Barracuda, unknown dash light.


IMCDb.org: 1982 Nissan Sentra [b11] in "Nash Bridges, 1996-2001"


IMCDb.org: 1986 Chevrolet Caprice 9C1 in "Nash Bridges, 1996-2001"


PS Can someone please PM me and let me know how to embed a picture from a link....Sorrry

First season jad the strobe blue and steady red dashmiser, rest of the series was the double flash halogen

 

[Black Hoe]

Older original Law and Order episodes used a Trippe Lite teardrop on the dash of their Plymouth Gran Fury. The same goes for NYPD Blue.

 

[FSEP]

Kind of off topic, but I hate it when theres a cop going code on tv and they start yelling because traffic isn't moving... Yet all they have is a single deckblaster.... or a visor light that isn't even all the way down (or at all, yet its flashing)

 

[Clarence H]

I thought it was a code 3 RVM.


Clarence

Nash Bridges

 

[10-75_Da_Box]

Here is one I was able to find. this is from lethal weapon.

 

[Skip Goulet]

In an episode of Cops, There was a Philadelphia unmarked cruised that used a red Federal Model 15 Junior Beacon Ray as a dash light.

Now that brings back memories, Dan. The now-long-closed refinery in Odessa always had its own safety team and fire dept. When I was still in high school I became acquainted with their safety chief, Bob Scribner, who's still alive and in his upper 80s if not over 90. He gave me one of my first sirens, a Federal 66 (the forerunner to the 66G). Anyway, his chief's car for the refinery was a '60 Ford wagon. It had a red Model 15 Junior Beacon on the dash. He used masking tape to cover the rear of the light. His siren was an original Sireno Projector siren with the selector switch.

 

[Skip Goulet]

Streets of San Francisco, red Vitalite thrown on the roof.

If that's the one with Karl Malden, I saw a preview of the show just the other day. It's on late night on METV.

 

[Skip Goulet]

"Colors" with Robert Duvall & Sean Penn's Caprice and Fury also used the flipped down also.
Starts at the 44 second mark:

That was a California-made "Coplite". They're still available...but I'm sure all the new LEDs have hurt them considerably.

 

[Phillyrube]

Keeping the post alive.....

 

[Tristar]

I wonder if the light was still on the roof when the car landed, and if it was, what kind of magic the studio used.

 

[Tristar]

Newer NYPD Blue episodes featured the Firebeam with the mirror.

 

[Tristar]

Dixie Mcall, on Hunter, used a Fire Ball.

I know Dixie McCall was on at least one episode of Adam-12, but I didn't realize she was on any episodes of Hunter.

 

[dmathieu]

I know Dixie McCall was on at least one episode of Adam-12, but I didn't realize she was on any episodes of Hunter.

Wasn't she Hunter's partner?

 

[LRGJr72]

Even at a very young age it bothered me that toymakers produced marked patrol cars with throw lights.