"Hammerfrog" (Hammerfrog)
07/26/2014 at 02:34 • Filed to: lightbar, mercury, pontiac, sable
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"Hammerfrog" (Hammerfrog)
07/26/2014 at 02:34 • Filed to: lightbar, mercury, pontiac, sable | 6
| 16 |
I've recently become a bit enamored with the lightbar front on the 1980s and 90s Mercury Sable. It's such a boring-looking car with such a wild set of lights. Being passed by one of these on the highway at night when they were new must have been awesome.
I was trying to research what other cars of the era had these lights, but searching for 'lightbar' leads to a lot of aftermarket products. I know you could get a similar setup on the 94-6 Pontiac grand prix, but besides that I'm not sure.
Does anyone know of any other factory-standard lightbars?
NotUnlessRoundIsFunny
> Hammerfrog
07/26/2014 at 02:56 |
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I have a thing for those cars too. At one point the Mercury Tracer had a similar look on the front, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't functional (didn't light up). Nice little cars for the era though...basically Mazda 323s.
Andrew P. Collins
> Hammerfrog
07/26/2014 at 09:49 |
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Totally awesome. Can't think of any other cars that rock this though...
105 HP of fury
> Hammerfrog
07/26/2014 at 11:07 |
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I owned a 1992 Grand Prix sedan, with the light bar. Great college car, aside from terrible fuel economy and reliability concerns.
Matt Fast
> Hammerfrog
07/26/2014 at 12:16 |
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Have you seen the Mercury at night? The centers have marker light bulbs and are so much dimmer that you can't really tell it's anything special until it's right up on you. And even then it's like "huh, that's a big parking light."
Today's LEDs would fix it though.
Camry-Into-Canyon
> Hammerfrog
07/26/2014 at 12:31 |
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The Topaz: a mediocre car with an incredible feature.
Kanaric
> Hammerfrog
07/26/2014 at 13:17 |
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I saw a "options" booklet for R32 Skylines a little while back and apparently the words "Skyline" on the back was optioned to light up in blue.
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Hammerfrog
> Kanaric
07/26/2014 at 13:32 |
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Awesome! apparently those were electroluminescent so probably not that bright, though.
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Kanaric
> Hammerfrog
07/26/2014 at 13:33 |
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Ah that makes sense, they were listed as EL didn't know what that meant.
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Hammerfrog
> Kanaric
07/26/2014 at 13:37 |
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looks like some people online have swapped them out with LEDs!
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Hammerfrog
> Matt Fast
07/26/2014 at 13:42 |
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I don't think I've ever seen the lightbars on IRL.... most of the sables and topazes I run into are usually quietly rusting away on some city street. It looks great in pictures, but I guess it makes sense that they would use super dim bulbs.
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Kanaric
> Hammerfrog
07/26/2014 at 13:58 |
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Nice.
That is a R33 so I thought maybe that could be stock but found a R33 options booklet before finishing and it looks like it has those started as EL lights as well. Nice mod as i'm sure those electro luminescent lights are all worn now.
http://www.r33gt-r.com/p/nissan-oem-c…
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Matt Fast
> Hammerfrog
07/26/2014 at 17:23 |
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Either of these models would make an awesome sleeper. Ford's 2.0 EB crate motor fits nicely into either engine bay. Add LED lighting to both light bars (the rear mimicked the front):
Leave the velour seating and fake wood trim.
Find SHO suspension pieces and tires; finish off with electric power steering. Only the sharpest of observers would suspect you might be packing enough horses to show 'em those twinkly new taillights.
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Kickplate
> Hammerfrog
07/26/2014 at 18:55 |
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When the Sable was launched in 1986, it was the most futuristic car available at the time. Especially the ones with touchpad locks and LCD gauges were especially dazzling at nighttime. The problem was when the bulbs burnt out, it was usually for the 2nd or 3rd owners that never bothered replacing them. They looked like hell and turned into ghetto hoopties.
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Hammerfrog
> Kickplate
07/26/2014 at 19:17 |
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more futuristic than the Subaru XT? Say it ain't so!
Nickoli
> Hammerfrog
07/27/2014 at 03:40 |
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I've never come across this at the front (though I've long thought it seemed like a good idea; before LEDs were good enough to be widely used, I wanted to put a fluorescent tube across the front of a car.
The last generation of Saab 9-5 had something like this at the rear, though.
ColMussstard
> Nickoli
07/28/2014 at 23:36 |
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All the new Dodge vehicles seem to use the lightbar
