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Post by legendaryacura8 on Feb 15, 2012 3:44:24 GMT -5
I know this was gone over EXTENSIVELY at BBC, but I figure a quick rundown couldn't hurt over here. Please correct me if I'm wrong, but this is what I got from the other site...
The spotlight itself is a Unity S6 (not sure on an exact model number) with no visible crown and a 14.5 inch distance from center to center measurements. It uses a 215 mounting bracket incorrectly mounted on the interior.
I'm sure Arthur can jump in with all the appropriate pictures to prove me right or wrong, haha.
I just have one question that I didn't see thouroughly discussed. Although the bracket was improperly mounted on the interior side, was there also a bracket mounted properly on the outside? If not, what would stop wind and water from getting in?
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Post by tk826 on Feb 15, 2012 5:19:29 GMT -5
I believe the 215 is intended to be mounted on the inside.
The Bluesmobile has no exterior bracket.
The rubber stopper, with the metal collar, should keep out the elements.
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Post by sigmfsk on Feb 16, 2012 16:59:36 GMT -5
I know this was gone over EXTENSIVELY at BBC, but I figure a quick rundown couldn't hurt over here. Hi Legendary: It's more than worthy of a quick rundown. It's worthy of a thread in the police section with what we know about what real police cars had, and then this thread about what the blumo had. It's on my to-do list. Until then, here's a good place to read about the real cop monaco brackets: www.bluesbrotherscentral.com/forum/topic/7531-spotlight-questions-and-answers/page__view__findpost__p__117453Summary: 1974 monacos with factory installed spotlights (ex: Marin County) got a Unity 215 INTERIOR bracket (custom made for the factory, so Unity doesn't know much about it). 1975 monacos with factory installed spotlights (ex: ghostbluesman's) got a mystery 2XX EXTERIOR bracket (custom made for the factory, so Unity doesn't know much about it). 1976-77 monacos with factory installed spotlights, we don't know about. 1974-77 monacos without factory installed spotlights (ex: CHP) typically (or always) installed a Unity 216 EXTERIOR mount. IIRC, the blumo shows several different types of interior brackets, and none caught my eye as being 215 correct (but this was when I was looking at DVD clips. We now have blu-ray). The blumo has some interior shots that show no interior bracket, which presumably indicated that it had an exterior bracket, but we don't have any pics of an exterior bracket. your friend in spotlighting spotlight info, arthur |
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Post by sigmfsk on Jul 26, 2012 20:52:20 GMT -5
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Post by sigmfsk on Jun 9, 2013 12:10:06 GMT -5
From what I can gather, there are three types of 74-77 c-body spotlight mounts: 1) 1974-only interior mount used by Ma Mopar (manufactured by Unity under part number 215 and sold exclusively to Ma Mopar) 2) 1975-1977 exterior mount used by Ma Mopar (unknown manufacturer) 3) various forms of aftermarket exterior mounts (pics show different types. maybe they're all different versions of the Unity 216) When ordering a cop Monaco, the order could include F43 fender tag option: spotlight reinforcements. This option provided reinforcement on both the driver and passenger interior a-pillar, and could be ordered without a factory spotlight. Here's the passenger interior a-pillar of my 74 MHP fury, that had F43, but no spotlight installed on the passenger side: Here's a pic of TK826's 215 mount: and ghostbluesman's 215 mount: and my driver and passenger 215 mount setup: Here's a pic showing Marin County driver side mount: and the exterior portion of the passenger mount: For 74-77, if a car didn't come with factory spotlights, it came with standard civilian exterior a-pillar chrome pieces. And if an agency installed their own spotlight (like the CHP always did), they'd simply drill through the chrome piece, from the outside drilling in, per the unity 216 instructions. For factory installed spotlights, in 1974, the factory punched a hole through the a-pillar chrome in much the same way, but in 75-77 they had an elegant punch out for the hole. Here's a pic of 74 Marin County driver-side exterior and interior a-pillar pieces: (the original interior green has been dyed SEM camel) Here's a pic of ghostbluesman's 1975 cop exterior passenger mount: Which I was fortunate enough to be able to trade him and get it in the Monaco Museum of Amazement! Some more pics, showing the factory punch out: And ghost's car, showing no interior mount holes: Thanks for the great pics, Ghost! My guess is that this different factory setup explains the statement in Dave Weaver's blumo brougham story in June 2000 Mopar Action > The local Police Car Owners of America guys are a ton of help, > offering all kinds of hard-won advice (don't get the '74 spotlight > mount; they improved it in '75-'76 and it fits). I guess "fits" is ambiguous. But it doesn't fit into 74 factory drilled holes. If someone wanted a "hero" blumo, I'd think they'd want an interior mount. And if someone was happy having an exterior mount, I'd use the Unity 216 instead of a factory 75-77 exterior mount. As for the non-factory exterior mounts, the unity 216 is the most common type (or the only type). But it looks like they're are several different types of exterior mounts. MC2 had this mount:  This looks like the 216 mount that seems most common: But here's a different exterior mount on later year cop car (unknown if this is also a 216 but a different type of a 216, or another type altogether): various info from www.bluesbrotherscentral.com/forum/topic/7531-spotlight-questions-and-answers/page-7#entry118088bluesmobiles.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=gotopost&board=owners&thread=45&post=7694www.bluesmobiles.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=gotopost&board=owners&thread=882&post=7705 |
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Post by Ghostbluesman (Ghostsoldier) on Jun 10, 2013 13:02:11 GMT -5
Glad you got the stuff, Art!
Rob
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Post by legendaryacura8 on Oct 29, 2013 16:40:32 GMT -5
So for screen accuracy, can you mount a 216 to the interior pillar? And how would one go about locating the proper rubber seal and mounting ferrule if it doesn't come with a 216 mounting kit? Arthur, back at the Soul Food Cafe you mentioned speaking with a Unity representative and he said they had the castings and the ability to manufacture the 215 mount, but would that come with the proper ferrule or do you think since no one at Unity had a lot of info they could just make the mount and say good luck with everything else?
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Post by legendaryacura8 on Oct 30, 2013 15:38:28 GMT -5
A little update, I just got this response from Unity in regaurds to my inquiries:
So they do in fact have a few spare 215 mounts lying around. As far as a full installation kit, no go. They do bring up an interesting idea though. If spotlights were a factory option, is there any way to try and find a mopar part number for the other installation pieces? I would love to have a proper 215 mount, but now if I have to jury rig it and risk water seeping through the a-pillar windshield trim and rusting out my cowl. Or, woul any of you that have a car with dual spotlights be willing to part with the pieces (other than the bracket itself) from your passenger side spotlight? Just some fun info I'm gianing on the way.
On another note, I brought up this same topic over at copcar.com, and was told that the interior bracket was for 74's only. In 75 they switched to the common 216 bracket, and in 76 they used a wrap-around bracket that secured inside the door jamb. Gotta love Ma Mopar and her bag o tricks!
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Post by sigmfsk on Oct 30, 2013 17:28:14 GMT -5
Hi Legendary: I moved all the posts from the other "spotlight" thread into this thread, so we have all the information together. On another note, I brought up this same topic over at copcar.com, and was told that the interior bracket was for 74's only. In 75 they switched to the common 216 bracket, and in 76 they used a wrap-around bracket that secured inside the door jamb. Gotta love Ma Mopar and her bag o tricks! I think they're mistaken on the 75 brackets. We know that info on 75 is incorrect, as I have a 75 factory exterior spotlight bracket in the Monaco Museum of Amazement (from Ghostbluesman's 75 cop monaco). I'm not familiar with what they're talking about for 76/77 brackets. I'd enjoy a pic or info if someone can shed some more light on the situation. Following pic of a factory 75 bracket and info from: bluesmobiles.proboards.com/post/10299From what I can gather, there are three types of 74-77 c-body spotlight mounts: 1) 1974-only interior mount used by Ma Mopar (manufactured by Unity under part number 215 and sold exclusively to Ma Mopar) 2) 1975-1977 exterior mount used by Ma Mopar (unknown manufacturer) 3) various forms of aftermarket exterior mounts (pics show different types. maybe they're all different versions of the Unity 216) Read more: bluesmobiles.proboards.com/thread/1505/spotlight-mounting#ixzz2jFMSYCZW |
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Post by legendaryacura8 on Oct 30, 2013 18:17:29 GMT -5
We all know the 74/215 style. I believe the 75 is the 216 mount. The picture you just posted I believe is what I was referring to for the 76/77. It may have also been used for late build 75's? But the one you pictured I beleive is the same as this:  It wraps around the post and screws into the inside of the door jamb. The 75/216 that i'm referring to has two visible screws that mount into the aluminum windshield trim pice like this:  Perhaps that style was only used for a short time because the aluminum would bend too easily which is why they switched to a mount on the door jamb? ***All photo credits go to copcar.com*** |
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Post by sigmfsk on Oct 31, 2013 6:04:28 GMT -5
Hi Legendary: Thanks for the good info. So you're saying that Ghost's 75 exterior bracket: is the same as what Ma Mopar used at the factory in 76 and 77. It does look the same. So let's say we mark that down as the 76/77 bracket, and we'll still debate about 75, whether: 1) factory 75 cars sometimes came with a 216, and ghost's was a late year car and had a 76/77 bracket 2) factory 75 cars never had the 216 (and presumably always came with either a 74 interior, or 75/76/77 exterior). Do we have any evidence that a 75 Monaco came from the factory with a unity 216 bracket? We have evidence that 216's were used on 75 cop cars (CHP cars that got the spotlight reinforcement at the factory, but installed their own spotlights). But we're not talking about those; we're talking about factory installs. We have evidence that a 75 cop car had the 75/76/77 exterior bracket (Ghost's car, that had a factory hole punched in the exterior a-pillar trim, and not drilled like was done in factory in 74 and always with a 216 exterior). And I believe LV posted a pic of a 75 Monaco cop car in the junkyard that had an exterior a-pillar trim with the hole punched (instead of drilled), showing that it was a factory non-216 install. We don't have much data, but do we have any data showing Ma Mopar installed a 216? |
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Post by legendaryacura8 on Oct 31, 2013 13:16:47 GMT -5
I honestly have no clue. I don't know how many people we know with actual police cars that are 75+ to compare with spotlight mounts vs fender tags! The info I got was from copcar.com and they said 74-215 75-216 76+-217. Although we do have pretty definitive proof with LV's car. Also of note is that a lot of the people on the other board are ex officers, but may not specifically know how the cars they patrolled in were ordered...
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Post by legendaryacura8 on Oct 31, 2013 13:21:15 GMT -5
Also of interest, I just got this message from Unity!
I told them I only need the drivers side, but it's interesting they're looking to start marketing the 215 again, and should be very beneficial for anyone looking to make a non BCB screen accurate blu-mo. And mentioning the BCB blumo, it makes sense that if it has a 75 bumper and an exterior spotlight mount, there's a good chance it was definitely a 75 with a 74 front clip!
***UPDATE*** Just received this message from Unity. Interesting stuff, and the parts that aren't available don't seem to be too hard to obtain, just some various screws and you might be missing the wire cip...
Also of note is that they listed a Mopar part number...
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Post by sigmfsk on Oct 31, 2013 14:42:28 GMT -5
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Post by sigmfsk on Oct 31, 2013 14:48:03 GMT -5
***UPDATE*** Just received this message from Unity. Interesting stuff, and the parts that aren't available don't seem to be too hard to obtain, just some various screws and you might be missing the wire cip... Also of note is that they listed a Mopar part number... Wow, fantastic work, Legendary. I contacted Unity about the 215 two years ago, and I've heard of two other folks contacting them about the 215 in the interim, and then you contacted them. I think you got these guys making it a saleable part again! That 215 CHP kit is interesting. From what I can gather, they never used such a kit. And the "74 Dodge Monaco Police Pursuit - For the CHP" book I just got doesn't list anything for a spotlight. Maybe Unity had it as a part they WOULD have sold the CHP, but the CHP decided for whatever reason to use the 216 instead. When you hear from Unity, I'd be interested in a 215L set from them (whatever parts/tools they have for a 215L) if you want to put a bulk order. When I get it, I can line up all the parts with my 215L from Marin County and let you know what I see. your friend in spotlightification, arthur |
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