86 TX DPS with lightbar?

[ChrisL]

Originally Posted by ImEvil1

Yes, there is a chance. Here is a pic from the DPS yearbook. Tony Scharp has it posted on his Fotki. I also have the book and need to scan the additional pics and post them here. This car is an '84.

Dangit! If that isn't a wrench in the spokes. Would the bars have been anchored down to the roof via screws, or anything similar I would find when sanding? Of course, that doesn't really prove if it was original to the car or not.

[ImEvil1]

Originally Posted by ChrisL

Dangit! If that isn't a wrench in the spokes. Would the bars have been anchored down to the roof via screws, or anything similar I would find when sanding? Of course, that doesn't really prove if it was original to the car or not.

Kinda makes the car rare, if you are able to verify it. No screws, held on by "gutter" clamps. You should probably see evidence of the repairs during your sanding. Most bars left indentations in the roof and sometimes marks under the roof lip and on the molding.

[ChrisL]

Originally Posted by ImEvil1

Kinda makes the car rare, if you are able to verify it. No screws, held on by "gutter" clamps. You should probably see evidence of the repairs during your sanding. Most bars left indentations in the roof and sometimes marks under the roof lip and on the molding.

I agree Mike. Did some more looking, it looks like the car was completely repainted brown after the original white/black. I'm thinking it was sold to a sherriff's office somewhere that ran a bar. They also very lightly trimmed the top back edge of the door, something I doubt that DPS would have done.

So I pose this question for you Mike, and anyone that will entertain it. Would you weld it up, or just leave it and put a plug in case evidence comes out someday that it was a lightbar car?

Thank you for all of the help/opinion thus far.

[ImEvil1]

The Carfax should show you if it went to another agency. My '83 was also painted brown.

[NoDrama43]

If TXDPS ran some four eyed cars with lightbars and yours shows evidence of having one on it then i would attempt to track the cars history like Mike said via car-fax. It really would depend on how you wanted to retore the car but it appears that with or without a lightbar would both be acceptable and correct for a restoration.

Another issue to look at is whether or not there is other evidence of the front and rear lights Texas ran on the slicktop cars. They would not have had both on them so if it was a lightbar car you may not have the holes associated with the other lights.

just food for thought.

[ChrisL]

I'll double check the carfax when I get home. The holes for the rear SHO-ME style lights on the rear package tray are definitely there. I was not able to track down the holes up front for the front two. I know the bracket must have attached to the bumper or the core support, but could not find any holes. Would you think that if the holes are there for the rear lights, it was most likely not a light bar car? That would be my thought...

I don't remember it showing it going to another agency on the carfax but I'm going to double check. Thank you so much for the help and advice thus far.

[ImEvil1]

If you look at the pic I posted, it shows the front grille lights. Let us know what the Carfax looks like.