Hot Rods ideas on a third brake light

Seb, see posts 100 and 113.

Phil

 

LED bulbs are brighter, it helps tilt the odds in your favor.

Both the Volvo and the truck have 1157R RED LED bulbs. The Volvo has a 3rd LED brake light from Summit Racing. They have several options available, search for the United Pacific brand.

 

good old Ebayhttps://www.ebay.com/itm/Antique-Pr...h=item34030d4f55:g:xaQAAOSwQ7lcZHIv:rk:2:pf:0

 

I know you said you didn’t want LED however there are some advantages. Generally they are brighter because they use multiple LED elements rather then a single bulb. Many motorcycle tail lights have a strobe effect where when the brakes are applied they flash three time very quickly before going solid red. You might search motorcycle tail lights which would be smaller and might work. A walk through a “you pull it” junk yard may also give you some ideas.

 

I love a good wrecking yard but have ever considered the irony of say pulling a third brake light off of a car that was rear ended in an accident or brakes parts from a car that ran into a tree.

 

Haven't been following this thread, maybe it's been posted, but just saw an infomercial for a self contained 3rd brake light. The way I get it is it has a motion sensor that turns it on when you slow down, a battery, led lights and suction cups. Sounds hokey I know but at least you could take it off and on when you wanted to.

https://www.getbrakingbar.com/?mid=...8ovi32MgmPaZ4BamNwP64z_6_bbOKg0kaAhuWEALw_wcB

 

I didn't find anything that looks traditional & seemed right with my '59 truck, so I went for something that isn't very noticeable (since they all look wrong to me) when not in use. I also wanted it to mount inside the back window of my cab but not stick out into the cab much, and not take up a lot of real estate in my small window.

This is only about 1 inch high x 5/16 thick x any length you want to make it. Very bright and very cheap to make.

 

I'm like you that they might look wrong on older rides..but...you did good there. People today have been brainwashed to be looking higher up on the vehicle, because the Auto makers kept moving them higher.

My point is that if the other drivers are right up close on your butt, they would never be looking way down low at your other rear lights, or they might be out of view if they are tailgating. I think it looks better/works better where you put it up top of that window, not at the bottom of it.

 

I have one exactly like post #90. It came off a 1938 school bus so it is way traditional.

 

I put that in my daughters room behind some crown molding sitting 4" down from the ceiling, cool stuff.

Dirk35 already did what I was planning to do. LED mounted up high and its hard to see from outside until lit. I like the flasher idea. We do enough bodywork to get cars on the road, I dont wanna redo it again.

 

BTW if you are using led strip lights be aware that there are many different versions, and the brightness varies a lot.

Both the number of leds per foot, and the brightness of each led are variables, and don't really affect the cost much (they all are cheap!), so you might as well get the bright ones.

These were the best I could come up with, and way brighter than the other styles I tried:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/16ft-5M-56...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

 

Installed this today. Thank you for the inspiration and ideas, guys. Old Unity bucket that I fashioned a socket and bulb into. Lucked out when I found the red lens that fit perfectly. Had a sealed beam when I got it.