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Posted by: drive-ability Feb 21 2006, 10:10 PM

I installed a 3 RD brake light under the roll-bar which is really almost invisible until its on. Trying to keep the SUV's away. The unit is from a late 90s Suburban and uses very bright LED's.

Posted by: sk8kat1 Feb 21 2006, 10:19 PM

engman is selling a very nicer 3rd brake light that I belive orginates from a late 90's vette... there is a thread for it and has installed pics.. I bought one but havnot installed yet .. very nice , high quality and only like 35 bucks!!

btw -- do you have any pics of the mounting / wireing ---

Posted by: drive-ability Feb 21 2006, 10:35 PM

I will tell you the wiring is simple, I just grounded the neg side of the LED and spliced directly into the outboard leg of the brake pedal switch. I really don't have any mounting pics but I would say to make sure to use some butyl or something to keep water out. I ran the wiring inside the roll-bar. Drilled a hole on the outside and one under the targa pad. The wire will fish over the window from the inside. I could have placed on the engine lid but I wanted it a bit higher. I have had this brake light unit for about 7 years. For a time I had it on my road bike. Before I hurt my back I rode to work and back on my pedal bike. Dark mornings people would slow down and comment that the light was visible from a long distance. Well I didn't want to become road kill for sure.

Posted by: ChicagoChris Feb 22 2006, 08:51 AM

Looks great. I had been thinking about the engine lid version but thought a hanging one would look nice. Thank you for showing me.

Posted by: sk8kat1 Feb 22 2006, 08:56 AM

if you want an engine lid version check out engman's that what his is .. 4 halogen bulbs maybe 2 " tall paintable cover ...there is a thread


http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?act=ST&f=4&t=9646

Posted by: sk8kat1 Feb 22 2006, 09:01 AM

pic


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Posted by: Demick Feb 22 2006, 09:20 AM

Looks good. I did this many years ago and wrote up some instructions here:

http://members.rennlist.com/demick/thirdbrake.html

Demick

Posted by: Demick Feb 22 2006, 09:24 AM

These guys have this light for only about $22

http://www.7453217467431.com/products/productDetails.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=3274855&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=3177975&affID=31023&bmUID=1140621330593

Posted by: sanman Feb 22 2006, 09:26 AM

I like it and was thinking the same thing I have one to install as soon as I finish the car

Posted by: StratPlayer Feb 22 2006, 11:33 AM

I followed demicks thread a couple years ago and installed the gmc light like his thread said. Works great.


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Posted by: Mueller Feb 22 2006, 11:42 AM

QUOTE (ChicagoChris @ Feb 22 2006, 07:51 AM)

Looks great. I had been thinking about the engine lid version but thought a hanging one would look nice. Thank you for showing me.

engine lid is too low....you want that sucker to be as high as possible...

Posted by: BigDBass May 3 2006, 11:51 AM

I want to install a 3rd brake light ASAP. This seems to be the way to go. What modification/cutting/drilling is necessary to the targa bar to mount the light? I didn't see anything about that on Demick's install page.

Posted by: sk8kat1 May 3 2006, 12:13 PM

I am actually doing this right now .. there are few ways of doing it and I am still playing w/ new ideas .. most of my issues have come up about how to route the wires... just the basic install is 3 screw holes .. one on either end that are on the light and one that you create in the middle of the light to make the light conform to the curve of the targa bar ...

I am playing with an idea fo making a mounting plate across the enitre under side of the targa bar so that it mounts to the accory holes under there( no extra holes in your car) and it is a good easy way to hide the wires .. a work in progress..

Posted by: sk8kat1 May 3 2006, 12:17 PM

if you want the engine lid mounted one I have one still that is primered and ready to paint .. that is a real easy install!

on the down side it does sit a bit low but they are like 6 halogen bulbs so still really brite ..I just didn't want to deal with a repint of the light when I repiant my car in a few years ..

Posted by: BigDBass May 3 2006, 12:20 PM

While I like the look of the enginelid mount, I want it as high as possible. Even on the targa bar it'll only be as high as the "traditional" brakelights of my Cherokees

Posted by: sk8kat1 May 3 2006, 12:24 PM

sorry I was editing my post -- I do see your point .. but if you want to try it I have one and again it does have like 6 halogen bulbs in there ... but yeah if you want to take a look at it and see what questions you come up with we can try and sort them as a team .. I amm having trouble with what to do with the wires ..

Posted by: sk8kat1 May 3 2006, 12:28 PM

on eperson drilled through the targa bar and pulled out he inside tagra bar pad and pulled it through and down behind the seats and then through the firewall ...

one person said they jus pulled inside and across the inside of the targa bar ( still can't figure out how they did that )

one said that they ran behind the chrome trim on the targa bar .. I can see that but the wires come off the light on the pass side and would have to run tward the fron of the light to get there and then I would think the wires would stand out like a fart in church ....


so I am still tring to figure a good way

Posted by: Demick May 3 2006, 12:38 PM

I removed the targa bar chrome trim (long piece across the top and short piece down the passenger side sail panel). Then I drilled a hole through the bottom side of the targa bar under where the light mounts, and fed the wires through that hole and out the rear edge of the targa bar (the area that usually gets covered by the chrome trim). From there, I just ran the wires behind the chrome trim all the way down to the base of the sail panel. Drilled a hole to get into the engine compartment (hole is under the sail panel chrome trim that I removed). Another small hole between the engine compartment and the rear trunk gets the wires into the rear trunk. Thenran the wires down the side of the rear trunk and spliced into the wire for the passenger side brake light.

No wires visible except from within the engine compartment and the rear trunk.

Posted by: BigDBass May 3 2006, 12:40 PM

Thanks for the additional details. I'm not looking forward to drilling my first holes

Posted by: dlo914 May 3 2006, 12:42 PM

For my 3rd brakelight installation the LED light bar itself came w/ two mounts w/ adhesive backings so i didnt have to do any drilling or disassembly of any sort. Other than drilling one hole through the firewall to splice the wire into the rear brakelight harness. Total cost: $10 Here's a picture


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Posted by: sk8kat1 May 3 2006, 12:42 PM

there yea go ... I was tring to avoid lots of drilling but that may be my best solution .... I have the grommets for the hole behind the light .. and I could use the black windshield install dum-dum stuff to fill in arond the wires /holes on the others......

Posted by: Mountain914 Oct 16 2006, 07:47 PM

1) For those that drilled through the brake light (in the center of the light to help make it conform to the convex shape) - can you maybe show us where you did this ? I have such hesitation drilling through the case afraid I will hit some wires or LED's.

2) Did you use self-tapping screws ? Have they been holding steady ?

Thanks so much for the write up (Demeck especially, as he blazed the trail). I like the GT40 3rd light too, but not willing to cut up the car that much yet , but am willing to start with a few small holes !

Posted by: Demick Oct 16 2006, 09:07 PM

As it turns out, there isn't really anything inside of the light to hit. I drilled my hole nearly smack dab in the center of the unit (centered side to side of course, but also nearly centered front to back). The hole is about .9 inches from the back edge of the unit (if you consider the LED side the front).

Start by drilling a smaller hole all the way through - make it just big enough for the threaded part of the screw to pass through. Then, you want to open up the hole on top of the housing (not the part that will mount against the underside of the targa bar) so that it is big enough for the head of the screw to pass through. That way, the screw will fasten the base of the light to the targa bar without squeezing and possibly cracking the housing. Hopefully that makes sense.

Using self-tapping sheetmetal screws will work just fine. I also just covered the hole that I made for the center screw with a piece of electrical tape. Held up fine since I installed it (what, something like 4 years ago).

Demick

Posted by: Mountain914 Oct 17 2006, 08:59 AM

You're the man Demick, Thank you !

Posted by: bandjoey Aug 27 2011, 06:29 PM

After all the rear end accidents, thought it was time to resurface this....post other threads if you have one.

Posted by: sixnotfour Aug 27 2011, 06:40 PM

more 3rd brake lights here;
http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showtopic=101417&hl=3rd+brake+light

Posted by: tradisrad Aug 27 2011, 08:47 PM

I added the late '80s Corvette brake light to the engine lid. I hope it helps.

Posted by: kerensky Aug 27 2011, 09:00 PM

I'm planning on using an aftermarket motorcycle unit that has the programmable flashing patterns available - nice and bright and the flashes really get drivers' attention.

Posted by: 76-914 Aug 28 2011, 10:45 AM

Do you have any links to that unit. I was thinking of something along those lines and I'm sure it would be cheaper than a Wheelen unit.

Posted by: eric9144 Aug 28 2011, 10:58 AM

Saw a pretty cool 3rd brakelight idea the other day on a full size american truck...a strip of LEDs that ran single file in the crack below the tailgate--totally invisible until the driver hit the brakes then Pow! super bright led's right in your face. I was thinking, keep the long strip and mount it along the top inside the back window full length. Would look pretty trick and would definitely show people you're stopping.

Here's a pic off the web to give you an idea, I personally like this idea better because unless you're looking for it, you wouldn't even notice it was there:

Posted by: eric9144 Aug 28 2011, 11:03 AM

I should have looked at the other thread, there's a setup like that there...

Posted by: BarberDave Aug 28 2011, 11:06 AM

I have had one for about 5 yrs., All I have to say is " I don't care whose you use ,

or where you put it but, GET A 3 RD BREAK LIGHT " Please, mine has saved

my 'ass" more than once. Dave

Posted by: kerensky Aug 28 2011, 07:52 PM

I actually linked to it in the other 3rd brake light thread that was active last summer (and which I notice someone has raised from the dead yet again...) but here's the link again. http://www.hyperlites.com/

Posted by: Ductech Aug 31 2011, 01:07 PM

I knew a tech that hated headlight and brake light modulators, he would joke how they make his brain hurt and he might just have an seizure one day from them and accidently hit the poor sap that put it on his bike trying to avoid being hit.

Don't get to obnoxsious or someone might tap you to tell you they don't like your lights.

Posted by: kerensky Aug 31 2011, 03:13 PM

I think I'd prefer to risk that than drive with only the stock brake lights. I guess I'd rather have some arse 'tap' me on purpose than get plowed by a F350 whose driver is too busy talking on the phone to pay attention.

Still, some research into perhaps a setup where the flasher only activates under moderate-to-hard braking is probably a good idea. That way the flashers aren't going off constantly in heavy traffic. Seems like a prudent measure in a world where idiots will intentionally cross an empty parking lot and kick in your door panel just because your car is nicer than theirs.

Posted by: Ductech Aug 31 2011, 03:25 PM

I was just mostly talking about the annoyingness of modulating brake or headlight units. It was and still mostly is my feeling that in the motorcycle world that only super anal boeing engineers that have power point slide shows to show how the throttle grip warms up to 15% faster than the clutch side, were interested in headlight or brake light modulators. I have nothing wrong with an addition of a 3rd brake light. All oem made the switch why not us. I just hate the BLinky stupid modulators.

Posted by: Ductech Aug 31 2011, 06:03 PM

Not to continue to But you may also look slightly into your local laws concerning automobiles conforming to certain dot laws. After taking a look at the hyperlites site I noticed they have the california special that is specifically legal for road use in california. Makes me wonder how many other states have followed cali and the majority of these cheapy modulators might actually be illegal depending on dot laws. Just a thought

Posted by: ripper911 Aug 31 2011, 06:32 PM

especially when it's the headlights, well I guess the taillights are pretty bad too.

For a little when I was having brake light issues a couple of years ago I taped a sign in the back window saying "no brake lights", it worked.

Posted by: Ductech Aug 31 2011, 06:56 PM

Haha the "My brake lights don't work" sign is a classy move there. Glad someone shares my annoyance of modulators.

Posted by: kerensky Aug 31 2011, 09:26 PM

Well, unless you drive halfway across the country you won't be annoyed by mine.