Twin 184's at last!!!

Thanks for the hospitality Richard.......

Well, I feel bad the 184's got diced a little but I was just trying to help Richard out since I knew he had been looking for a couple of nice lights. I have about 20 of them and the skirts on all of mine are exactly the same height so that is what I hooked him up with. Richard was very nice to my friends and I who stayed at his hotel in New Smyrna Beach last weekend so I thought I would return the favor with the beacons and siren speakers. I'm sure he'll be able to make them work. They are in good shape and the motors are strong and quiet.
 
Lawrence W. W. Wilson said:
Well, I feel bad the 184's got diced a little but I was just trying to help Richard out since I knew he had been looking for a couple of nice lights. I have about 20 of them and the skirts on all of mine are exactly the same height so that is what I hooked him up with. Richard was very nice to my friends and I who stayed at his hotel in New Smyrna Beach last weekend so I thought I would return the favor with the beacons and siren speakers. I'm sure he'll be able to make them work. They are in good shape and the motors are strong and quiet.
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They work and look beautiful. Whether these skirts will work or not is not a concern on my part. I'm pretty sure these skirts are too short but already found another NOS high skirt and with my current high skirt, it will be just fine if I follow through on this project. Thanks Larry and loved having you, Nick, and the two Steve's.
 
Split domes

If you REALLY wanted to be unique there is a vendor who builds new "split domes" so you could have half red-amber, blue-clear etc. MM
 
Got a little lost at the end of this post Richard. The "mini skirts" didn't work? I thought they would have. Even though they would certainly be low on the in board side. If you were able to locate another high skirt then you are now set for sure! Please post a picture when your done. It's going to look better than the singe 184H for sure :)
 
Cliff Bergum said:
Got a little lost at the end of this post Richard. The "mini skirts" didn't work? I thought they would have. Even though they would certainly be low on the in board side. If you were able to locate another high skirt then you are now set for sure! Please post a picture when your done. It's going to look better than the singe 184H for sure :)
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The skirts were too short and I butchered one trying to make it work. I probably should have moved the beacon a little more to the center but as of right now I'm just waiting on the new gaskets and will try again. I did locate a NOS high skirt if I need it. Ed has been very helpful in giving me guidance as I attempt to tackle this again.
 
Practice cutting cardboard "skirts"... Less chance of making a mistake....
 
I'm a little surprised. I thought it would have just made it. The gaskets should have given the skirt just enough "lift" to make it work out for you.
I pre measured mine with a tape measure then marked the skirt with a dry erase marker. A pencil works tool. Then used a dremel/rotary tool for the cutting. Remember to take the bulb holder and motor off the skirt it's much easier to deal with while your cutting! Keep us posted man!
 
Richard Vyse said:
I just set the 184's up the roof after removing the middle one to see how they look. I like it!. Still need to add the siren speakers after I locate angled mounts.
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In case you're interested in period accuracy: Have you noticed that the two speakers in this photo are mismatched? The speaker on the left (second generation CP-25, started to appear in early 1972) is correct for your car.
 
Roof slope etc

A long time ago I bought a pair of 184's pre-cut for a Lifeliner or Criterion, knowing that I'd have one some day. They are cut very nice. On my criterion, (back in '98) I did get a pair of 184s, but with the wrong base (all I could find); they had the siren speaker holes in them- forgive me....but I asked a body shop teacher how to cut them. He had me get some poster board and wrap it around the light to get the circumference. Tape it up so it won't move. Take it off the 184 and experiment with it (cutting a little at a time) until you get a good cut. At one point (outside) the skirt will be full length...but tapered the rest of the way around. If you screw up, start again. We took the "template" and traced it on the skirt with a sharpie and cut it slowly with tin snips. If the lights have no Federal ID (or any other tags), you can use the template on both. But if there is definately a front to each, then untape the template, turn it inside out and tape it together again. If you can understand all this you're very smart or lucky. I hope someone can give you an easier to understand solution!!!
Good luck
Kev
 
Kevin Lynch said:
A long time ago I bought a pair of 184's pre-cut for a Lifeliner or Criterion, knowing that I'd have one some day. They are cut very nice. On my criterion, (back in '98) I did get a pair of 184s, but with the wrong base (all I could find); they had the siren speaker holes in them- forgive me....but I asked a body shop teacher how to cut them. He had me get some poster board and wrap it around the light to get the circumference. Tape it up so it won't move. Take it off the 184 and experiment with it (cutting a little at a time) until you get a good cut. At one point (outside) the skirt will be full length...but tapered the rest of the way around. If you screw up, start again. We took the "template" and traced it on the skirt with a sharpie and cut it slowly with tin snips. If the lights have no Federal ID (or any other tags), you can use the template on both. But if there is definately a front to each, then untape the template, turn it inside out and tape it together again. If you can understand all this you're very smart or lucky. I hope someone can give you an easier to understand solution!!!
Good luck
Kev
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I know. What I did was like a lot of things in my life, "I did it too fast". God I hear that from Terri all the time. I'm thinking I'll get another skirt, bring them to Albany, and talk Ed into trimming it for me. Ed, up for a challenge?
 
as you discovered trimming them is no problem. trimming them in the right place is. the way it was explained to me they did it in the MM plant was, they had a teem that only trimmed skirts. they went from car to car after the lights were mounted and trimmed the skirts on each car with a pare of snips. one strong set of hands to cut that brass with snips. or one vary good set of snips. tags go to the front or to the rear depending on were the light is mounted. each side is cut to the car as both sides of the car roof are different. the gasket is used to hid any whoops and keep things from squeaking. when your starting out with new stuff and the lights are set at the same heigth marking them would be a slam dunk. that and being able to walk over and get a different one if you messed up.but you get them mounted I'll trim them for you in Albany. or we'll come down do them and get to visit with Bill
 
As Ed described I used threaded rod longer that what was needed when finished. I leveled the light with the skirt touching the high side of the roof. I attached a sharpie to a piece of wood just tall enough to make up the space between the low part of the roof and the bottom of the skirt. ran that around the outside of the skirt to mark where to trim. I tried using tin snips like in the Federal instructions and it was a PITA. I ended up using a small cut off wheel on a Dremel tool. Once trimmed, installed gaskets, wired up motors, bolted in place and cut off excess threaded rod, installed lamp holder and lamps, clamp down dome and there you are!

I had two 184-H's hanging around but some funeral director in Michigan got me to part with them
 
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