Third Brake Light ideas?

[okc63avanti]

Guys,

Since I plan on driving my Avanti when her remake is finished, I was thinking a 3rd brake light would be a good idea. The roads are full of idiots today who not only use their cell phones but even text message while driving.

One idea I had was buying a 12" Led light strip and mount it to a piece of aluminum and mount it just above the license plate area using the license plate bolts. Although this would improve my brake lighting it is kind of low and the whole idea is to have a 3rd brake light at eye level.

Another idea I'm thinking about is inside the rear window mounted along the bottom lip of the window or along the top lip using a thin led light strip or tape. I just don't like the black plastic rectangles that are 3" wide or the dorky looking pedestal mounted ones. You can buy a 3rd light circuit to tie to the rear tail lights so that it can discern braking vs. just tail lights.

Has anyone seen something like I'm talking about that is non-obtrusive and blends end with the car where you almost have to know its there to see it. Or if any of you have come up with something that is decent looking please share your post and pictures if available.


<div align="left">John</div id="left">

<div align="left">'63 Avanti, R1, Auto, AC, PW (unrestored)</div id="left">

[bige]

I thought about the same treatment with an LED strip at the top of the window. Mounting one low would defeat the real effectiveness of the 3rd brake light.

I'd have to look at my car to be sure but there may be enough of the window gasket to tape on a thin long strip of red LED's.

ErnieR


Best so far 15.065 @ 91.84 MPH Island Dragway Great Meadows NJ Summer 2009.

[jclary]

When the third light came in vogue, there were kits to retro fit older cars available. When installed properly, the third light would burn steady when braking with your turn signal on. On some of the kits...the third light would blink along with your turn signals if you were turning and braking at the same time. I never figured out how the ones that didn't blink were wired. If your turn signals and brake lights are a shared circuit...how do you keep the third light from blinking with the signals?

John Clary
Greer, SC

Life... is what happens as you are making plans.
SDC member since 1975

[cbonner757]

I plan to install a kit called the Brakelighter from the link below on my 51 Champion:

http://www.jandlenterprise.com/image...allGuide6v.pdf

They say it will work on 12V, 6V positive or negative ground.

Regards,
Clarence

[leyrret]

"how do you keep the third light from blinking with the signals?"
Wire into the brake light circuit at the brake switch or anywhere before it goes into the turn signal switch.

[DEEPNHOCK]

While not exactly what you described.....
Here are a couple of ideas....

I am running one of these right now....
While the 3rd brake light is not at eye level, at least it is there.

http://www.spinnercenter.com/images/242.jpg

And here's an off the wall idea that an Avanti guy could embrace[}]
Have you ever thought about those neon licence plate frames?
(OK...stop laughing[])
No really....STOP LAUGHING!
My reason for offering this idea is that several times I have been out on the road in real bad fog.
Coming up on one of those little rice burner s-boxes...
The first thing I saw (and I saw it LONG before I saw the tail lights or the car.... Was the neon license plate frame.


I almost think it should be a safety item for low visibility situations.
HTIH
Jeff[8D]
(I said STOP LAUGHING!!!!!)

[N8N]

easiest way is to just run a wire straight from either the brake light switch or the turn signal switch to the back of the car. Had to do this on my pickup truck when I bought a used camper shell off Craigslist and realized that it had a third brake light because it was newer than my truck... :/ not that hard really although in an Avanti you will probably have to take the carpet out. You'll have to run a ground anyway because, well, it's an Avanti...

nate

--
55 Commander Starlight
http://members.cox.net/njnagel

[Rerun]

Running additional wiring through an Avanti is a royal pain. Trust me on this! Besides dealing with the carpets, you have to remove the rear seat and the tank access panel to get through to the trunk.

A simpler solution is to use two diodes to connect both sides of the brake light circuit to the third brake light. Either side will light the third, but the diodes will prevent backfeed from side to side. This will keep the third light on even when one brake light is blinking.

Another stoplight improvement option for the Avanti is to convert the back-up lights to stoplights. IIRC, red lenses are available, as this was a factory upgrade on some later models. If you really need back-ups, add a couple of aftermarket LED lamps fastened to the license plate bracket.

Jim Bradley
Lewistown PA
'78 Avanti II

[N8N]

quote:Originally posted by Rerun

Running additional wiring through an Avanti is a royal pain. Trust me on this! Besides dealing with the carpets, you have to remove the rear seat and the tank access panel to get through to the trunk.

A simpler solution is to use two diodes to connect both sides of the brake light circuit to the third brake light. Either side will light the third, but the diodes will prevent backfeed from side to side. This will keep the third light on even when one brake light is blinking.

Another stoplight improvement option for the Avanti is to convert the back-up lights to stoplights. IIRC, red lenses are available, as this was a factory upgrade on some later models. If you really need back-ups, add a couple of aftermarket LED lamps fastened to the license plate bracket.

Jim Bradley
Lewistown PA
'78 Avanti II

Jim, I don't see how just two diodes would work - it'll work OK if the brakes are applied, but then if you are signaling a turn but NOT braking, the 3rd brake light will blink...

and like I said, if you put the light in the traditional location on the package tray, or use a surface mount one on top of the trunk lid, you'll need to run that wiring anyway.

ISTR that some 80's convertibles had some surface mount deals that wouldn't look too horrible, but I'd be tempted to either use a street rod style one that involves routing a hole in the edge of the trunk lid (but make sure you really like it before you do that!) or else just use one of the behind the window deals.

nate

--
55 Commander Starlight
http://members.cox.net/njnagel

[okc63avanti]

quote:Originally posted by leyrret

"how do you keep the third light from blinking with the signals?"
Wire into the brake light circuit at the brake switch or anywhere before it goes into the turn signal switch.

Maybe this will work without having to wire from brake light switch all the way to the back.

http://auto.sears.com/LOGIC-CIRCUIT/...ductId=2003583

<div align="left">John</div id="left">

<div align="left">'63 Avanti, R1, Auto, AC, PW (unrestored)</div id="left">

[DEEPNHOCK]

Here's a thought (again) for the Avanti crowd (and all of us)..
Saw these in this months' Hot Rod magazine...
Jeff[8D]

There's another, newer, LED 1157 bulb out there...

http://www.superbrightleds.com/tail-brake-turn.html

[N8N]

this doesn't look too horrible

http://www.spoilerlights.com/servlet...t-Third/Detail

Jeff, I've tried some of the LED bulbs, only found one kind that I was really happy with, but they were cheezily made in China, one of them fell apart when I removed it to mess with some wiring.

I'd really like it if there were "good" LED lights available but I really think that the circuit board type deals are the way to go for cars for which they're available. The other kind just aren't as bright IME although maybe in another couple years they will be.

nate

--
55 Commander Starlight
http://members.cox.net/njnagel

[okc63avanti]

This stuff looks state of the art 0.02" thickness ....

http://www.grote.com/LightForm/Product.html

<div align="left">John</div id="left">

<div align="left">'63 Avanti, R1, Auto, AC, PW (unrestored)</div id="left">

[Rerun]

quote:Jim, I don't see how just two diodes would work - it'll work OK if the brakes are applied, but then if you are signaling a turn but NOT braking, the 3rd brake light will blink...

Nate,

You are correct. I didn't think that through. Some SCR logic would also be required. I think the Sears unit shown above would actually be cheaper and easier.

Jim Bradley
Lewistown PA
'78 Avanti II

[bige]

You can go up instead of under when running a wire to the front on the Avanti. You can tuck a wire easily behind all the upper trim pieces and under the rubber windshield gasket.

ErnieR