3rd Brake Light Solution for 914, .... even if a GoWesty Part Options

[Tom_T]

Let me update this to say:

This is an economical ($25-30 part), easy & fast (1-2 hrs to stick-on & wire into tail brakelights/harness) for a quick 3rd Brake Light addition. This light unit is enclosed with wires & adhesive face to mount it to your rear window - no screws nor clips needed to mount the light & no reflecting glare off the glass.

You'll need to look at your 914 wiring diagram to see where best to wire it, but they can be dropped down behind the rear backpad & into the trunk &/or engine bay to tie into the brake lights & pull off any easy existing screw to body for ground.

This part is probably also available elsewhere - maybe cheaper - & is on sale in Jan 2015 at GoWesty (they put them on sale a couple of times a year as Monthly Specials).

There are also several other more expensive & complicated solutions discussed below & with links by other posters, if this doesn't suit your liking. .....

This should also work well for those who want to add a 3rd brake light to their 914 at reasonable cost, but you may need some extra wire to reach the taillight buckets/harness to tie into.

http://www.gowesty.com/ec_view_details.php...gory_parent_id=



I put it on our `88 Westy as per their instructions at the GoWesty website after my wife had gotten rear-ended in it a couple of years ago, & it works well & adds visibility to our "brick on wheels"! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif)

Happy New Year! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)
Tom
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[a914622]

The rear glass angle on the vanagon is the same as the Volvo wagons. There led brake light can fit on the lip of the rear vanagon shelf or direct mount to the glass. Way brighter and way cheaper. I have one of the gowesty lights and not sure if it would fit in the 914? Or I would worry about reflection off the rear glass?
Jcl

[Tom_T]

The rear glass angle on the vanagon is the same as the Volvo wagons. There led brake light can fit on the lip of the rear vanagon shelf or direct mount to the glass. Way brighter and way cheaper. I have one of the gowesty lights and not sure if it would fit in the 914? Or I would worry about reflection off the rear glass?
Jcl

JCL -

The GoWesty one sticks onto the rear glass - so no reflection is possible - period. It's a clean LED unit & adds that is enclosed from the back (drivers vision) side.



This is on sale for $25 now - regular price is $30 - so I sincerely doubt that a Volvo part is going to be less than that!

I also doubt that the Volvo one is any brighter than this multi-LED unit.

It's an interior mount, so no need to be waterproof, although the casing appears to be similar to some other exterior trunk lid mounted ones that I've seen.

[partwerks]

The rear glass angle on the vanagon is the same as the Volvo wagons. There led brake light can fit on the lip of the rear vanagon shelf or direct mount to the glass. Way brighter and way cheaper. I have one of the gowesty lights and not sure if it would fit in the 914? Or I would worry about reflection off the rear glass?
Jcl

JCL -

The GoWesty one sticks onto the rear glass - so no reflection is possible - period. It's a clean LED unit & adds that is enclosed from the back (drivers vision) side.



This is on sale for $25 now - regular price is $30 - so I sincerely doubt that a Volvo part is going to be less than that!

I also doubt that the Volvo one is any brighter than this multi-LED unit.

It's an interior mount, so no need to be waterproof, although the casing appears to be similar to some other exterior trunk lid mounted ones that I've seen.

When this is mounted on the inside, top, of rear window, I'm wondering if it obstructs the rear view mirror?

I wonder if a person could use those strip lights in the same position on the inside, but maybe could make/find some sort of housing for it to be mounted in, and stick them in, and would be a lower profile?

Do those strip lights have an adhesive on them?

[Tom_T]

The rear glass angle on the vanagon is the same as the Volvo wagons. There led brake light can fit on the lip of the rear vanagon shelf or direct mount to the glass. Way brighter and way cheaper. I have one of the gowesty lights and not sure if it would fit in the 914? Or I would worry about reflection off the rear glass?
Jcl

JCL -

The GoWesty one sticks onto the rear glass - so no reflection is possible - period. It's a clean LED unit & adds that is enclosed from the back (drivers vision) side.



This is on sale for $25 now - regular price is $30 - so I sincerely doubt that a Volvo part is going to be less than that!

I also doubt that the Volvo one is any brighter than this multi-LED unit.

It's an interior mount, so no need to be waterproof, although the casing appears to be similar to some other exterior trunk lid mounted ones that I've seen.

When this is mounted on the inside, top, of rear window, I'm wondering if it obstructs the rear view mirror?

I wonder if a person could use those strip lights in the same position on the inside, but maybe could make/find some sort of housing for it to be mounted in, and stick them in, and would be a lower profile?

Do those strip lights have an adhesive on them?

I guess you could take the LED light strip out of the housing & use double-stick foam tape to attach it to either the inside of the glass or top roll-bar pad, since it's only +/- 1/2" high.

But experiment first with it temp. taped to the glass in the housing to see if you can trim the top &/or bottom flanges with the sticky tape to reduce the height - maybe even both top & bottom - just leaving 2 "ears L&R to adhere to the glass.

IIRC they're still on sale to 1/31/15 & go on sale from time to time at GoWesty.

Good Luck!
Tom
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