Technical BRAKE LIGHT'S OR THE LACK OF THEM

I'm surprised that no one has mentioned how poorly blue dots show when you hit the brakes.

 

One of the reasons I removed them from my avatar when I first got it....

 

I’ve you drivem, stuff can happen. If you don’t drive em, they deteriorate.
Who cares what kind of bulbs you use.
Enjoy the ride

 

I have been considering running something for a third brake light. A LED bar in the rear window or some sort of vintage STOP light. I think a lot of drivers expect to see that high mounted light.

 

I use halogen bulbs in the 38/39 Ford tail light mounted on the fenders of my '34 plus a third brake light in the rear window. I know the third brake light has saved me a few times. If you had tail lights the size of an interstate bill board there is still the chance some distracted dumb ass may hit you.

 

Anthony nailed it, I’ve put more miles on my truck already this year then most people drive their old cars in a year, with 1157s and blue dots…if something is gonna happen I’m at least going to look damn cool when it does.

 

I had led tail lights, led 3rd light in all of my old cars, halogen headlights, led blinker lights in front, seat belts, disc brakes, safety features I believe in as I drive my cars, nostalgia is kool but I choose to have these modern features. As always, my car, my deal.

 

Sorry, LED light fan here.
My coupe has replacement LED light fixtures, and I have a 3rd brake light bar to boot. I did all the tricks you can do with regular lights, but in the bright sun, you couldn't see the brake lights from 50' away. My driveway is 88' long, you can clearly see just the LED taillights in the sunshine.
My 49 Dodge truck has 2 large diameter LED tail lights mounted between the bumper and the tailgate. you can see them from the street in the sun as well.

I drive my stuff. I do not want to miss a chance of possibly preventing a rear end collision. The LEDS were not that expensive, I only need to stop 1 person from rear ending me to be worth the cost. The LEDS have been on the coupe about 5 years, and on the truck since day 1.

 

39 Chevy, stock location for taillights, I drilled a slot for a 3rd brake light below the rear window. Mounting a Trux Accessories flatline slim LED 9" red marker light - with the chrome bezel removed it's a 6" light with dual brightness running/brake light depending on how you hook it up. drill mounting screws so it mounts inside, weld them in so you don't see them, way cheaper than the 3rd brake light kits you can order and it doesn't stand out like a sore thumb but nice and bright when lit up. I'll be slipping clear amber 4.5" lights in the grill spaces for front signal lights so you won't see em till they light up.

 

A flashing light draws attention. I have heard of an inexpensive kit to retrofit taillights to flash in a sequence. This simple change doesn’t change the look of the car. Every should do something like this for safety. The one I was thinking about was for motorcycles, but I don’t think that makes a difference. Somebody please look that up. I haven’t yet had my coffee this morning. Ha, ha.

 

After a VERY SCARY close call of being rearended I installed an LED third brake light bar at the top of the rear window in my avatar. I also installed a strobe flasher for it. I later discovered that the pressure switch for the brake lights was failing and it took more than normal pedal pressure to activate the brake lights. To remedy this I installed a mechanical brake light switch that activates the brake lights as soon as the pedal moves.

 

A few years ago I saw online a self contained third brake light that attached with suction cups to the rear window. Had it's own battery and motion detection switch, so you could pop it on and off as desired. Seemed like a neat idea but I've not seen them again, maybe it didn't work well.

 

I kind of want to do that "third brake light" thing as well, I figure it wouldn't look terrible if it matched the styling of the car.

 

Semi horn in the rear activated by a switch on the dash.
See someone approaching not paying attention give them a blast.

 

Besides using LED bulbs, I made a third brake light to give me a little more piece of mind.

 

When I was a lad I made something like this, which flashed the brake light about 3 times and then it stayed on. It was a simple circuit using a couple of transistors.
I don't know how legal it was here (we don't have flashing brake lights as turn indicators, they are on a separate circuit), but at least it made the drongo behind you wonder what you were up to and hit the skids.

 

Happy to hear both you and the car suffered minimal damage.

I like to use my stuff as semi-daily driver, so whatever the build LED lights, three point belts, and disc brakes are included. Not strictly traditional, but disguised where possible it’s worth the trade off to me.

I really like the third brake light on the license frame on the 40’ (39’?) posted above. Instead of hiding it, made it look like it should be there.

I think there is an opportunity to create a machined bezel or housing for a generic light that could be machined in a period looking style, chromed, and passed off convincingly as a period accessory.

I’m on the parts collection stage of what I hope will be a 60’s shop truck appearing 57’ Chevy pickup. Plan is for some 6” teak side boards on the bed for a logo, but to have them widen out on the end to allow for a light - maybe 40’ Chevy turned vertical. Not sure, something small with a chrome bezel. But it will give me two lights closer two eye level, along with two in the normal spot, let look appropriate.

We’ll see.

 

Traditional or not go LED for safety. My buddies on a cross country got me to change as they said they couldn't see the 39 tail lights as they were. Now LEDS and can be seen good.

 

I was hit 2 other times sitting at a red light, I was driving my 1940 Ford sedan and hit by a teenage girl, there were no cell phones at that time, it was broad daylight and I was at a stop light, I was in a big black sedan and she was in a Honda, she told the officer she didn't see me.

The other time I was leaving my place of business on main street and sitting at a stop light on my 1956 Panhead and was hit from behind by a lady putting curlers in her hair, she was in a big Buick and I ended up in her windshield and she drove over my motorcycle, it took a long time to recover, BTW, she didn't see me and told the officer I must have pull out in front of her.

Fortunately, witness told the police the real story, both these accidents happen during daylight hours. HRP

 

i gotta do the mechanical switch on my 41 cad. even with a GOOD hydraulic pressure brake switch the brake lights don’t come on until the brake pedal is pushed with sufficient pressure.

 

Actually I was going to suggest that anyone adding a 3rd brake lite wire it in some manner that application of the brakes caused it to flash. While nothing will guarantee that someone will see you, I think something flashing is more likely to catch their attention.

On a different note, since most cell phones are GPS units as well, they need to make a law that ALL cell phones automatically deactivate (at least the text feature) when moving greater than 10 mph.

 

With all of the "my brakes don't work" threads on the HAMB, it's hard to imagine that any of us can stop quick enough to be rearended. Kidding of course.

Glad it was a minor mishap Danny, but certainly a wake up call none the less to do whatever we can to improve our odds of being seen.

 

I guess that's one up grade all the cars get. I use the stock 50's Chevy truck one (which they make in right or left arm versions) for all under the floor masters.


Someone should make one that looks like chrome (sort of a two way mirror thing) with leds in it to replace the rear window chrome trim, so totally stock looking until you hit the brakes and the whole back window is a bright light. Or inside the rear glass like a defroster grid. Both way too expensive as they would need to be per car, per model.
Again can't fix stupid.

Best prevention is your eyes, watch the mirror like a hawk, give yourself some room to run if you have too..........and then hope for the best.

But yes, still drive them.......as much as you can.

 

I really like the older style, big red stop light lenses that were used on older style school buses, while not attractive to the hot rodder's, they really are highly visible !

 

This what I did in my '39 p/u. I have a low pressure brake light switch but it still doesn't come on as soon as I would like. I'll be changing over to a mechanical switch in the near future.

 

I use halogen bulbs in the taillights. I have tried low cost LEDs without much success. A third brake light would help.

 

No 3rd brake light til '86.
At least once a year I get pulled over for brake light out. (OT 1979 car)
Pretty sure the car is older than most of the local officers...

 

FUCK TRADITION, give me the brightest LED's I can buy.