The tragic wreck in Cali today got me thinking about the safety of my family. My tail lights are very low in my car so I thought maybe I should put a 3rd brake light in. Anybody have any experience with adding a 3rd brake light? Do they make a good universal one? Or what's out there? You can see in this picture that I could mount one between the top of the trunk lid and where the boot will attach. It's a semi flat area.
There are quite a few lights out there to use, both OEM and aftermarket, that look good on a hotrod. Personally, I think they are a GREAT idea, "tradition" be damned in this respect. People pay little enough attention driving these days, anyway! Having two tiny little lights that look great, but are nearly invisible, is stupid. Something up high and bright (and flashes when you hit the brake!) is what you need. Motorcycle shops sell this type of brake light - small, but VERY bright when applied.
95-up Chevy S10 Blazers have one that mounts on the roof. Fully enclosed, LED and has a flat bottom for mounting. It is a little large at about 12" long.
It really wouldn't hurt anything to install. I have a small LED strip at the beltline on my Roadster, hardly noticable until lit. Figured it would be a good idea since the fuel tank is at my shoulder.
People can say what they will about them not being traditional, but I feel much safer in my coupe since I put in a third brake light, and LED tail lights! There are so many cool old tail lights and license lights that could be adapted to a variety of cars, yet still have a traditional feel. Heck, even the old, funky "STOP" lights would be cool. They don't have to be a 3 foot long light off the back of an SUV!
yeah people can say what they want about a 3rd brake light..getting rearended isnt very traditional either.. im trying to figure out a tasteful way to have one on my Sedan was going to run a row of red led's at the very bottom edge of my rear window glass..hopeful that the entire rear window would light up red when the brake was applied..like a fiber optic idea.. i havent done that, but havent ruled it out yet either
I think im gunna do this now. I dont want to do any body mods. So im gunna go with little led's inside my back window, hopefully it will refract off the glass and be even more visible.
really birght LED mounted high in rear window behind the glass is barely visible from outside, still gives very good safety measure.
I have thought often of installing two or three '39 Chevy taillights on the package shelf of my Falcon as a third brakelight. Today's accident makes me think about it some more.... -Dave
My experience in driving SoCal freeways is that the speeds that are travelled, the lack of safe following distances and cell phone use makes highly visible taillights something that might make one feel safer and probably good for slow speed in town stuff but in reality are of little use in the freeway environment. Kinda like the seat belts in my 32. They make me feel better, just like my LED taillights.
Whoever build my car put these in for tail lights. They are your stanrdad 6" oval trailer brake lights. Any thoughts on something better/brighter where I wouldn't necessarily have to cut into my fenders?
I'm putting one as we speak in the center of my cab on the 26 just above the fuel tank. Its as traditional as one can get, a small round bullet type with a real glass antique lens. It matches the ones up front with amber glass lenses.
I did this for now..mostly because my tail lights will be low..so im going to also run a brake light in the rear window until i think of something else these are real bright 2 filiment LED's.. the more RED you can get back there the better..learned that from riding Motorcycles..you have to drive so defensibly these days
For those of you with Model A tail lights, are any of you running 12-volt halogens or LEDs that are brighter?
Sir, they came with a Model A I used to own. I believe Snyders and Mac's Auto carry's them, but I dont think they have the " glass " lens, plastic replicas now. Someone should chime in, because I think there was a thread not long ago, that somewhere you can get the glass lenses. Mac's Antique Auto, part # T6418RED, $6.95 each, but I dont believe they are glass lens, you can call and check. 1-800-777-0948. If your thinking something for your avatar, I dont think these lights are your answer. TR
It's a good idea and all, but it's false comfort in a way. I understand that anything we can do to will help as long as we remember. Modern LED / HI intensity in your face brake lights on modern cars get rear ended and hit every few seconds all day every day. It's not us or our cars. It's them.
I've been rear ended even with a 3rd brake light. It doesn't make any difference if you have a bumper muncher on your ass who's not paying attention.
There are some thin strip style lights (LED illumination) that might fit on the edge of the license plate frame without being too ugly when not illuminated.
There are a couple of neat-looking ones here, if you don't mind something that is visible when not lit. Don't I recall '46-'48 MoPars using a third brake light? -Dave
I agree, if it helps you feel safe, add one. Don't know where you license plate is, but there are frames that have them. Or mount some extra lights somewhere. I think it helps to move it away from the taillights, something else to light up. Helps break up just watching the taillights.
Got this one (center one) off Fleabay for 10 bucks... re wired it with a new pigtail, and am on my way right now to pick up an LED light for it, that should be at least twice as bright. I agree with the above poster, it's not necessarily US, it's THEM. I don't think people take driving an automobile as seriously as they used to, and then add in all the distractions, texting, cell phones, blackberries, etc. I have another old one, with the glass "STOP" lens, that is a semi-circle... I was going to put it in the back window, but decided against it, as being just too damned gaudy...perhaps I better re-think that....
This "third" brake light works well...came off a '27 Buick I had years ago. The light was an accessary...Buicks, 1927 and earlier had running lights only, no provision for any type of brake light.
maybe what we need to install in our hot rods is a cell phone signal blocker, so that anyone within 100 yards of us , they wont have a signal to even make or carry on a cell phone conversation.. as for the other ignorant fools that cant pay attention behind the wheel, that dont engage in cell phone driving activities..we have the punch to the throat As for the placement of the 3rd brake light, I feel it needs to be mounted up higher then the same level as your normal tail lights. for those people that drive staring straight ahead like the road zombies they are
I drive like an old man according to my friends. I leave a bunch of room ahead of me so there are no panic stops. when someone tailgates I let off the gas and slow down to make even more room, since now I need enough room to stop for both myself and the idiot behind me. eventually they pass me and tailgate the next guy. third brakelights and LED's are a good idea as well, but it all should start with defensive driving. I have been both a bicyclist and a motorcyclist, so I am well versed in sharing the road with people who do not see you or perhaps don't even care that you are on the road with them.
Mopar cars had brake lights in the deck lid over the license plate from about 1939-50. 41-48 Chevrolet taillamps make nice 3rd brake lights easily mounted in back panels. No reason a 3rd brakelight couldn't be a plug-in removeable at the fairgrounds so those who are "offended" by them would be test cases for the awareness of rodders in a crowd of rodders. I often thought of making up a panel of travel lamps for long distance trips which would be dismountable upon arrival at an event. That being a panel for each side consisting of large tail/stop light assemblies which could be bolted/clamped to bumpers or perhaps mounted on a bar which had a stub to be plugged into a trailer hitch.
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