Lighting

Josh Gentry

PCS Member
I'm still waiting on my new 76 M-M to come home from Ron's, but I've allready ben thinking about adding something else in the lighting department. I was thinking about either red grille lights, or wig wag headlights, or maybe even both. But my question is, would either of these be correct for 1976? I've decided not to do a spotlight, as I don't think this car would look right with one, but it needs something else. So what is your opinion or ideas?


Thanks,
Josh
 
Never enough lights. I can sell you a couple 184's and two air horns. Now that would be neat!!!! :smileyAUS:
Red grille lights, wig wag headlights, purple neon's, a couple 184's, 2 air horns, and maybe a Q on the front fender, and I'll have the badest combo out there.:wowguy::bonk:


Josh
 
Red grille lights, wig wag headlights, purple neon's, a couple 184's, 2 air horns, and maybe a Q on the front fender, and I'll have the badest combo out there.:wowguy::bonk:


Josh

Don't forget the Power Call Siren, double tone siren (aka, dual tone) and Ful-Vues!!!!:drive2:
 
It's your car, but...

I'm still waiting on my new 76 M-M to come home from Ron's, but I've allready ben thinking about adding something else in the lighting department. I was thinking about either red grille lights, or wig wag headlights, or maybe even both. But my question is, would either of these be correct for 1976? I've decided not to do a spotlight, as I don't think this car would look right with one, but it needs something else. So what is your opinion or ideas?

The vast majority of combinations in all parts of the country had conservative lighting, if they had it at all. This was (a) to make conversion quick and easy, and (b) because most funeral directors didn't want to invest any more than they had to in their ambulance operations.

Grille lights weren't very popular in this part of the country. One reason was that, if mounted on the bumper or outside of the grille, they implied "emergency vehicle." Some operators didn't want the recognition, and others didn't want to pay higher insurance for a car that was only used imtermittently (or even sparingly) as an emergency vehicle.

Many operators I know that mounted lights behind the grille ended up removing them (especially the 7" pancakes) because they restricted the air flow through the radiator and consequently adversely affected the engine's cooling system.

That's my story, and I'm stickin' with it...!
 
Last edited:
Steve,

To your knowledge did anyone ever use dash lights like the Federal FireBall? I know they've been around since the late 50's or early 60's. They seem like they would be a very conservative choice but I can't recall ever seeing one in a combination.

Jon
 
Good question there Jon. If I did the grille lights, I would do them behind the grille, but I was also thinking about restricting the air flow as there is already a siren there. I do think I am going with the wig wag headlights though.

Josh


Josh
 
Steve,

To your knowledge did anyone ever use dash lights like the Federal FireBall? I know they've been around since the late 50's or early 60's. They seem like they would be a very conservative choice but I can't recall ever seeing one in a combination.

Jon

Yes, there were actually quite a few around like that. Most of them were used in cars that very rarely made emergency calls, didn't have whistles, had minimal or no medical supplies (or oxygen), and used an old spare stretcher or even a #11 when pressed into service. I've seen cars with magnetic-mount Fireballs, Whelen Rota-Beams, and even Federal Juniors stuck behind the driver's seat or even stored on a shelf in the garage.
 
I gotta agree with Steve on this. A combination is one of those things where "less is more". The single beacon is it. If you wanted to add something, maybe the wig-wag headlights. But I wouldn't do more than that if it were me.
 
As stated previously, most combination cars had pretty conservative lighting usually a single Federal Beacon (normally a 17 or 173). The guys that wanted to "upgrade " the lighting just went with the upgrade to a Federal 175 or 176 Beacon. Some folks went with 2 demountable Beacons, and occasionally there would be an M&M with a single Beacon and 2 Full-vues on the front corners. Pretty rare though.

The one glaring exception to this involves a establishment (I want to say it was Boyd's but I'm not sure) in Cleveland. They had a 1971 or 72 Cadillac Superior that had 4 demountable Model 17 Beacons on it and a "Q" behind the grille. The car was white on the bottom and had a caramel colored steel roof (no vinyl or crinkle) and panels for the rear side windows. I took a body down to them once and asked if they did a lot of emergency ambulance work. The reply was "...no, but folks think we do...". They were located right on Euclid Ave. and kept the car parked out front by the big sign with their phone number on it almost all the time. I guess it generated a lot of business for them. They had a deal with one of the ambulance companies to do runs in the name of the funeral home. The guy said nobody ever notices it's not their ambulance making the call. Makes sense if you stop and think about it.

Every once in awhile there would be a car with red in the high beam light location, not so much after the introduction of rectangular headlights. Wig-wags were not really common until the late 70's and early 80's.
 
In 1976, there was a funeral home in Marion, OH, which was also called "Boyd's. I don't know if they were connected, but they ran a 1976 combination that was all white and had 4 - Federal Mod 17s on the corners along with Federal Electronic siren. The service I worked for at 4 combinations that were contracted iut ti area funeral homes and they were equipped with a Fed Mod 176 and wig wag headlights. The earlier one had a Mod 28 siren and the later ones had Fed PA-15s.
 
Combination cars did come with spotlights, a pair of double faced spotlights might not look bad. The only thing about the spot lights in the 71-76 cars is that the spotlights were mounted through the doors instead of the window post or cowl. I second the motion of the cooling blockage asscoiated with grill lights or even bumper mounted flasing lights, especially a 75-76 500. I also think wig wags are a no brainer,the are easy to install and are very effective to say the least.
 
Lights

The last combo car I drove before going out of the ambulance business at the funeral home was a 1966 Cadillac, M & M combo, with 1 Federal 184-D
light, 2 red headlights with wig-wag, and a federal interceptor siren. In those days we even used the wig-wag red headlights on funeral processions, just try that today !!
 
Back
Top