Miller-Meteor Ful-Vu / Grimes Lights

[Robert Shepard]

I had a conversation with Tom Caserata (18 year Miller-Meteor employee) today. During his some of his tenure at Miller-Meteor he was responsable for working with vendors who produced some of the components used in the building of Miller-Meteor and Cotner/Bevington professional cars. Knowing that M-M had an in-house foundry, I asked Tom if they made the castings for siren pedestals (roof and fender mounts) at the plant. To my surprise, Tom told me that the pedestals, as well as the skirts for the Ful-Vu lights were cast at local foundry. M-M also farmed out other castings to a firm located 20 miles away. He will check with both companies to see if they still have the patterns or any of the castings in storage. As far as the Ful-Vu's are concerned; it appears that the lenes were produced by Grimes, with motors by Bader-Brown, and bases / skirts by a local foundry.

 

[Mike Stevens]

Bader-Brown

There is a Bader-Brown shop close to me. About 5 miles from home. I can check with them to see if they are the motor makers. I know they made the electric fans you see in some vehicles.
Mike

 

[Paul Steinberg]

I spoke to someone at Baader-Brown a few years ago, and they told me that the lower castings and tops were scrapped a few years ago when the price of aluminum was high. The light bulb holders were still available at that time, along with the motors. The rest of the parts that make up the lights were no longer available. This was when I first purchased my 1969 Miller Meteor ambulance. I don't know what is presently available, but it can't hurt to check.
While at Piqua this past spring, speaking with Tom Carserta, I learned that the "Grimes" light were a result of looking for a less expensive alternative to the Federal lights.