Hi there, i've just picked up an old 50's "Chicargo police" style search light. And i'm trying to decide the best place to mount it! Has anyone got any pictures of an early 50's truck with a search light? Many thanks in advance! Dave
Hi Dave, don't know the situation in UK but in many states here they are now illegal-- you may have to mount it but disable it in order to avoid problems. Worth checking before you get a ticket-- Glenn
Spotlights! Nice picture, Ralph. Good point, Glenn. Here's a semi-helpful link that shows how to install one on a '51 chevy truck. http://chevy.tocmp.com/accessories/1951am/51aim72.htm It would be nice to find an original template to drill the holes!
If you go to webshots.com and type in "old trucks" take a towel for drooling..but seriously, find that truck, as it is there, and see if you can track down the owner and query him about install. Glenn does have a valid point for us USA drivers.
Spotlight Installation O.K. , depending on the brand (Guide or Unity) you'll easily find a mounting kit from Unity and it will include the proper template and costs under $20.00 such a deal ! . Spot lights were RPO items from the factory , plus dealer fitted upon request and of course fleets used them , utilities tended to mount them in the roof or up hgh in the 'A' pillars for better high illumination . If you mount in the lower 'A' pillar , be very careful to not foul either the stock mirrors or the antenna . _Having_ a spot light isn't in itself illegal , it's operating the light when the vehicle is in motion that'll net you a big fat expen$ive ticket ! . In the past , I've used the spotlight and parklights for better view in dense fog but the cops _really_ frown upon this , even if it was what was done back in the day . If you bought a Guide (brand) spotlight , look at _ALL_ the junk or cheap ones you find from now on , eventually you'll find one that has the little cap thing on top that says " GM " instead of " Unity " and that'll screw right on and be a special bit to make you smile . If you're lucky enough to have found a spotlight with a _white_ handle , DO NOT let anyone touch it ~ they're very brittle and easy to snap off and they stopped making white handles in the mid 1970's .
Find a suitable mounting place, then mount the outside mount to your pillar. Drill a pilot hole through the inner and outer layers of metal...be careful you do not come out through the door pillar...I did that. Now slide the shaft through the hole and put on the little retainer for inside. now mount the handle and run the wire...Voila...
