Code 3 Recent Code 3 XL find

Picked up this Code 3 XL recently after seeing it posted on a stripped down tow truck on Facebook Marketplace, asked if they were willing to part with the bar separate from the truck and they agreed, though i payed more than i would have liked.

The bar is equipped with two rotators, and flashers both with orange filters, rear facing work lights, S/T/T lights, and the three markers in the center housing.
after opening up the bar it is in pretty bad shape and will need a complete rewire and new rotators, new domes would also be nice as they are cracked and broken in a few spots although cant say ive seen any clear domes for sale at all.

Overall an interesting spec lightbar though itll need quite a bit of TLC

 

[shues]

That's going to make for quite a project!

 

[stansdds]

Tow truck equipment tend to lead hard lives. Yep, that's going to be quite the restoration project, but I think so many tow special lightbars end up being destroyed that it is worth saving them whenever possible.

 

[Jennifer Rose Towing]

I have a clear dome with 2 clear endcaps if interested down the road. Unfortunately shipping cost for it is ridiculous.

 

[Master X]

Interesting procurement, those amber filters are getting hard to come by now too.

 

[SP7134]

I have a clear dome with 2 clear endcaps if interested down the road. Unfortunately shipping cost for it is ridiculous.

yeah i really dislike having to deal with shipping when it comes to domes, though ill keep your offer in mind when im (hopefully) done with restoring most of the bar.

 

[SP7134]

I'm finally to the point where I just need to clean the frame to start getting everything assembled though, I was wondering what, if any, material could serve to replace this foam(?) Material along the edges of the frame?

 

[JohnMarcson]

I'm finally to the point where I just need to clean the frame to start getting everything assembled though, I was wondering what, if any, material could serve to replace this foam(?) Material along the edges of the frame?

Weather striping.

Amazon.com

That's basically what it is. The key is getting the right thickness as you can cut the width. I use the thinnest stuff I can find at my local hardware store.

 

[SP7134]

Weather striping.

Amazon.com

That's basically what it is. The key is getting the right thickness as you can cut the width. I use the thinnest stuff I can find at my local hardware store.

perfect, did some searching to see if i had any local options and it seems theres some in walmart; found it with the correct thickness, material, and pretty cheap.

Many thanks for the info.

 

[W2CK]

Tow truck equipment tend to lead hard lives. Yep, that's going to be quite the restoration project, but I think so many tow special lightbars end up being destroyed that it is worth saving them whenever possible.

Hi,

Hmmm. I hadn't thought about that. I am in the midst of converting a Federal Signal AeroDynic 25RWL-I2 Series B into something a little bit different for actual use. No more tail/stop lights, I moved the front flashers inboard one segment, then reworked two StreetHawk rotators for the ends. I removed the red and clear dome segments to make for all amber to the rear as well as the front. The area lamps are now flashers to the rear. And, I changed the flasher can out for a FS wig wag one.

So, with two switches, I can have just wig-wag flashers or four rotators. So, four flashes to the front and eight to the rear since I left the center mirrors intact. And, now it has something reasonable by way of flashes to the sides.

I did box up the now spare parts just in case a 'for later' moment ever arrives.

But, I never thought of Tow Special bars being something, well, special. But I suppose many wind up junked with the old trucks they are mounted on....

Well, should the day ever come when I make use of something different in actual use, I can always put it back to original having saved the spare parts. I wasn't going to toss the bits, but now I will put them somewhere where they won't have something accidentally dropped on the box.

Stan

 

[stansdds]

I see nothing wrong with upgrading/changing these old bars so long as people do what you did. No permanent alterations and keep the original pieces so that one day it can be put back into original configuration.

 

[W2CK]

Hi,

I had simply set the box on the floor of the workshop out of the way, figuring I was done with it for quite a while. It was under some equipment hanging on the wall. If one of those fell down, it would crush the box and what is in it. So, I made some room on a shelf where such a fate won't happen to those parts.

Even if I never make use of those parts, One day someone else might want those tail/stop light units for example. Those being the only 25RWLI-2 specific parts I removed. The rest are AeroDynic dome segments. But, I wouldn't want to bust those, either. The day will come when those become unobtainium unless some 3rd party gets to making those the way some other light domes are.

Stan

 

[SP7134]

update on its restoration:

Currently have most of the bar completed, rebuilt the rotators, cleaned up most corrosion, did a deep cleaning of the frame and did a complete rewire of the bar.

whats left really is just the domes (my least favorite part), and to replace the stickers on the domes. Speaking of the stickers, would it be fine to put the force 4 stickers to replace the XL ones it used it have?

Any who, attached are two before pictures of the frame, and the rest are of its current mostly assembled condition.

 

[Master X]

Looking Sharp!

 

[stansdds]

update on its restoration:

Currently have most of the bar completed, rebuilt the rotators, cleaned up most corrosion, did a deep cleaning of the frame and did a complete rewire of the bar.

whats left really is just the domes (my least favorite part), and to replace the stickers on the domes. Speaking of the stickers, would it be fine to put the force 4 stickers to replace the XL ones it used it have?

Any who, attached are two before pictures of the frame, and the rest are of its current mostly assembled condition.

For accuracy, it depends upon when your bar was built. Up until 1986, the XL Bars were labeled as "Code 3", but in 1986 PSE began to label the ones made with the reflector revolving around a single bulb as "Force 4" and those with the sealed beam rotating lamps retaining the "Code 3" label.

 

[SP7134]

For accuracy, it depends upon when your bar was built. Up until 1986, the XL Bars were labeled as "Code 3", but in 1986 PSE began to label the ones made with the reflector revolving around a single bulb as "Force 4" and those with the sealed beam rotating lamps retaining the "Code 3" label.

i see, i would say it makes enough sense to buy the force 4 stickers, and just for the sake of it ill try to save and scan the old stickers to have it available here for anyone interested.

 

[W2CK]

update on its restoration:

Currently have most of the bar completed, rebuilt the rotators, cleaned up most corrosion, did a deep cleaning of the frame and did a complete rewire of the bar.

whats left really is just the domes (my least favorite part), and to replace the stickers on the domes. Speaking of the stickers, would it be fine to put the force 4 stickers to replace the XL ones it used it have?

Any who, attached are two before pictures of the frame, and the rest are of its current mostly assembled condition.

Hi,

Doesn't look like the same bar. Nice!

Stan

 

[JohnMarcson]

For accuracy, it depends upon when your bar was built. Up until 1986, the XL Bars were labeled as "Code 3", but in 1986 PSE began to label the ones made with the reflector revolving around a single bulb as "Force 4" and those with the sealed beam rotating lamps retaining the "Code 3" label.

i see, i would say it makes enough sense to buy the force 4 stickers, and just for the sake of it ill try to save and scan the old stickers to have it available here for anyone interested.

There are 4 basic XL end caps.

• Force 4 XL "Large Text"
• Code 3 XL "Small XL Text"
• Code 3 XL "All Large Text"
• Code 3 "Plain"

If you look at the patent (4,004,274) listed on all of them except the "Force 4" one, it was issued in 1976 and refers to the sealed beam belt drive. The "Force 4" one says "patents pending" but lists 262,259, which was the 1979 patent for the dome shape only. I believe this means "Force 4" one was referring to the independent rotators not yet having being their own patent, or more specifically the 1987 renewal of the original patent to cover the new independent rotator version.

So I agree the "Force 4 XL" label is very specific, i.e. post 1986 independent rotators, whereas you have room for error/less obvious error with the other labels. My sealed beam bars mostly have the big text "Code 3 XL" or "Plain Code 3". Some of my independent rotator bars say "Force 4" and others say "Code 3" with the smaller XL off to the side.

• Force 4 XL "Large Text" post 1986 independent rotators
• Code 3 XL "Small XL Text" later independent rotators
• Code 3 XL "All Large Text" sealed beams
• Code 3 "Plain" maybe both?

 

[EHFD_Tower_751]

Doing domes isnt to bad, i do it all the time for bars i get and i have 92 lights in my collection

Heres one dome that went from not see through to 100 on the wow factor

 

[SP7134]

There are 4 basic XL end caps.

• Force 4 XL "Large Text"
• Code 3 XL "Small XL Text"
• Code 3 XL "All Large Text"
• Code 3 "Plain"

View attachment 252079

If you look at the patent (4,004,274) listed on all of them except the "Force 4" one, it was issued in 1976 and refers to the sealed beam version. The "Force 4" one says "patents pending" but lists 262,259, which was the 1979 patent for the dome shape only. I believe this means "Force 4" one was referring to the independent rotators not yet having being their own patent, or more specifically the 1987 renewal of the original patent to cover the new independent rotator version.

So I agree the "Force 4 XL" label is very specific, i.e. post 1986 independent rotators, whereas you have room for error/less obvious error with the other labels. My sealed beam bars mostly have the big text "Code 3 XL" or "Plain Code 3". Some of my independent rotator bars say "Force 4" and others say "Code 3" with the smaller XL off to the side.

• Force 4 XL "Large Text" post 1986 independent rotators
• Code 3 XL "Small XL Text" later independent rotators
• Code 3 XL "All Large Text" sealed beams
• Code 3 "Plain" maybe both?

thanks for the info, good to know having force 4 stickers on it should be fine.

 

[SP7134]

Doing domes isnt to bad, i do it all the time for bars i get and i have 92 lights in my collection

Heres one dome that went from not see through to 100 on the wow factor

View attachment 252080

good job on that dome, personally its just me being afraid ill irreversibly damage the domes, ill try to do somethin to restore em but well see.

 

[EHFD_Tower_751]

good job on that dome, personally its just me being afraid ill irreversibly damage the domes, ill try to do somethin to restore em but well see.

Its not to bad once you get the feel of doing it, theres a thread here on cleaning domes and also a few people show what to do on youtube