Identifying the correct Beacon

Jean-Marc Dugas

Jean-Marc Dugas

PCS Member
Looking at identifying what the original beacon was on the car. Here are 2 pictures of the car with the original beacon. Guesses so far are for a Dietz with hill light or a Grote 7626. Any other ideas?

It seems that the original beacon had a short skirt, clear dome, white & red lights with an angle white one.

According to the 67’s Parts Manual, the rare could have been outfitted with the following beacons:

Federal #17 Beacon Ray
Federal #17 3 Beacon Ray
Federal #174 Beacon Ray
Federal #175 Beacon Ray Strat-O-Ray

I would like to change the current beacon to one that is as close to the original as possible.

As usual, thank you in advance for your input,

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I was looking at those yesterday. The other auction from the same vendor is for a Federal Model #175 which would be correct for the car. So many choices!!!!!!
 
In my opinion, any of the Federal Model 17 series lights would be correct. Most likely, your car came from the factory with a Federal light, and it was probably changed when it got knocked off the roof. The Dietz, Arrow, Signal Stat, etc. lights were more commonly available...
 
I think the spare one I have is also a Dietz hill-light - I haven't dug it out in a few years. It has a problem rotating completely, so it needs work, but it has the base gasket and underside reinforcement plate.
 
...Even zooming in on a copy of the the photo and comparing it to Dorgan's photo archive on his website, I can't seem to come up with a match for the skirt. It doesn't seem to curve under at the bottom like the Dietz...
What great photos, though.
 
Since I got involved with Professional Cars, one of the debates I have often with myself, is the one regarding the appropriate choice of equipment, supplies, color, etc...

In this case, the argument is: "Should I go with a Dietz Hill Light that would look very similar to the one that is on the original picture, or do I go with a Federal #175 Beacon Ray Strat-O-Ray that does not look like the one on the picture, but that was available as standard issue for that car".

The frustrating, but yet great thing about all of this is that the answer to the question is Yes.
 
I do believe, from looking at the photo (particularly the angle of the upward bulb) that the one shown is the Dietz. So if you want to re-create what is shown in the photo, that's the closest - and one is available.

Most of the other beacons listed are "correct" for the car. Not having any other photos to go on, it's tough to say what it came with.
 
Steve Lichtman said:
I do believe, from looking at the photo (particularly the angle of the upward bulb) that the one shown is the Dietz. So if you want to re-create what is shown in the photo, that's the closest - and one is available.

Most of the other beacons listed are "correct" for the car. Not having any other photos to go on, it's tough to say what it came with.
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+1 go with the Dietz like in the picture. The car could have been special ordered with it, or ordered without a beacon and the Dietz was added. Putting on what appears in an in-service photo is "correct".
 
Dietz with hill light it is (if I can find one). I am currently the highest bidder on the one available on eBay, so please refrain to bid on it for your collection :)

The 2 issues I have with my current beacon is that I find that it is too tall and does not look great on the car, and that the other day, I forgot to take it off the roof when I drove the car in the garage.....:eek: crouch :eek:...... I was lucky and only cracked the plastic cover.
 
Back in this era our city PD had this style of light that had two red and two amber sealed beams with a clear lenze that one could operate the red or amber seperately. Assuming this was something available on special order or maybe some wiring genius did at the city barn. Also seem to remember seeing Holmes Wrecker literature offering a Holmes 211 4 beam light made by Dietz.
 
There are a few days left in that auction, so I'll dig mine out tonight and refresh my memory what condition it is in and I'll get you photos. I do know that cosmetically it is pretty good, but it would stick when rotating, a problem I'm sure John could fix. At one time our friend Cliff up in BC was interested in it at one time, but I don't think he's interested in it any longer.
 
I'm out of the bidding war, more than what I set aside for the light plus the shipping charges.

Dave, if you found yours, send me a PM with the info....we'll talk......
 
After studying the pictures that you have posted, I have come to the conclusion that it is not a short skirted light after all, but a high skirted light. I came to this conclusion after thinking about the pictures in relationship to where the photographer was standing. The camera is slightly tipped upward, and he was standing about 20 feet from the vehicle. Since you can clearly see the beacon skirt, this leads me to believe that what you see is a Federal Model 184 siren light. The reasoning for the Model 184 siren light is that the car has the Federal PA siren mounted on the dash, and the Federal CP25 that appears later on in the cars life isn't in the two original 1967 pictures. This would also be consistent with a 4 bulb rotator with a clear lens. I would open the zippered area where the roof light is located, and see how many holes are in the roof, and if there is any indication that there was a 2 row brown electrical cord of the type that is used on lamps. This is what Federal use for the electronic sirens wiring from the speaker to the control head.
Picture courtesy of John Dorgan
 

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I have most of one of them I could be really easily talked out of to. no drive motor no speaker no globe but the base and the skirt and a ring are all there.
the hill light bulb holder would most likely swap into that light. not much of a light but the chrome shines.
 
Jean-Marc Dugas said:
Looking at identifying what the original beacon was on the car. Here are 2 pictures of the car with the original beacon. Guesses so far are for a Dietz with hill light or a Grote 7626. Any other ideas?

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The beacon in the photo is definitely a Dietz 211-WW (the 211s were later known as a 7-11s), Dietz's offering to compete with Federal's Strat-O-Ray and Sireno's Sky-Lighter models. The WW stood for "wig wag," Dietz's way of describing the light's flash pattern. A two-position switch was standard, allowing for the use of either all four or just the two horizontal bulbs.
 
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