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Technical BRAKE LIGHT'S OR THE LACK OF THEM

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by HOTRODPRIMER, May 13, 2022.

  1. I have done all the tricks to make my brake lights as bright as possible, I've painted the inside of the tail light housing white, I've tried aluminum reflector tape and brighter bulbs but driving a old car on the road with all kinds of people following you that are distracted with talking & texting on their phones it finally caught up with me on the way home last night, I heard the tires squealing and prepared for the hit.... thankfully it was only a bump but it could have been much worse and the bumper did what it's suppose to do.

    I have had a fear of this happening and as much as I dislike the LED tail lights and realize they are not traditional I have come to the conclusion that I don't have to see them when they are lit up, like I said previously I have tried all the old tricks to brighten them up.

    I realize I could have traffic lights on the back of the car and that wouldn't help with some people.:rolleyes: HRP
     
    OL 55, Merlin, Okie Pete and 12 others like this.
  2. okiedokie
    Joined: Jul 5, 2005
    Posts: 4,778

    okiedokie
    Member
    from Ok

    Yep. LED is the only answer for driving in traffic.
     
    Okie Pete, DC40, nunattax and 8 others like this.
  3. Joe Travers
    Joined: Mar 21, 2021
    Posts: 708

    Joe Travers
    Member
    from Louisiana

    Glad you're okay, Danny. Never ceases to amaze me, standing out on the carport smoking my pipe watching cars drive through the neighborhood. Every one I see is looking at a phone in front of their face :mad:

    I don't know if those LED lights are going to make a difference to idiot drivers. And they think hot rods are dangerous :confused:

    Joe
     
  4. stubbsrodandcustom
    Joined: Dec 28, 2010
    Posts: 2,273

    stubbsrodandcustom
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from Spring tx

    Danny,

    My 56 has had LED on it for 8 years. I live in assholealley (aka houston tx) and I did it on that truck to make sure I was seen when braking. My Model A has stock lights and its about to the point where yes, I'm worried with how bad traffic is here with so many with cranial rectumitius So its on the list for LED upgrade soon also.

    Thankfully you got bumpers and it wasn't a bad hit... Glad you and the car are ok...

    In my OT daily drivers I have been tapped from the back, 2 times hard, 2 times light, one turn in front of me all in the last 8 years. Before that Not a single accident ever. of the rear ends One was high on meds, one was drunk as hell and tried to run, the 2 other rear ends were distracted except for the front where she was clueless dumb kid.
     

  5. Budget36
    Joined: Nov 29, 2014
    Posts: 13,174

    Budget36
    Member

    Ever notice the ones on the phone behind you, glance up every so often and it looks like they are looking at the back window for the “third”brake light.
    Maybe a suction cup led bar low in the back window?
     
  6. squirrel
    Joined: Sep 23, 2004
    Posts: 55,944

    squirrel
    Member

    Yup, almost makes me think that putting LEDs in your tail lights is a waste of time and effort. They can't see modern lights on a modern car, why should they be able to see modern lights on an old car?
     
    jimgoetz, Okie Pete, Lil32 and 13 others like this.
  7. ekimneirbo
    Joined: Apr 29, 2017
    Posts: 4,217

    ekimneirbo

    While not traditional, its the wise choice. I'd not only use LED tail lights, but consider one of those bright LED 3rd brake lights mounted inside the rear window or just above/below the rear window where they catch attention a lot better in the daytime. Nothing like the sound of tires squealing from behind you to give a new perception about being nostalgic..........:D
     
  8. 2935ford
    Joined: Jan 6, 2006
    Posts: 3,843

    2935ford
    Member

    Good to hear you are Ok!

    This is an issue of concern for me for a long time. Tradition is one thing but safety is more important to me.
    The small town I live in has it's share of those drivers who will never pay attention to their driving.
    Several times in both my stock Model A coupe and my '28 Tudor while making my right turn with blinkers on to get onto my country road I have watched in horror as the car coming from behind is not slowing down. Like you I wait for the crash. Fortunately with the squeal of tires as the jerk realizing their situation comes to a scary panic stop. As they recover and go by, I get their horn and the finger, like it was my fault.
    My Tudor has dual tail lights and turn signals. My coupe also has dual tail lights, turn signals and I added a third light mounted on the inside of the back window.
    In reality, I'm not sure if any of this helps! :(
    If the driver behind you is not paying attention, nothing is going to help! :(
     
  9. 41rodderz
    Joined: Sep 27, 2010
    Posts: 6,540

    41rodderz
    Member
    from Oregon

  10. It all reminded me of my old pal Randy Nash (Deuce Roadster) and when he got rear ended in Georgia while driving his 40 coupe, he didn't fair as well as I did.

    The guy that hit Randy said he didn't see any tail lights. HRP

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: May 13, 2022
    Okie Pete and dana barlow like this.
  11. If the fact that you're driving an old car that sticks out like a sore thumb in traffic doesn't attract their attention, what makes you think they'll see brighter lights?

    And if LEDs improve brightness at your brake lights, it's very likely you have too much voltage drop to your rear lights.

    You might also consider a set of those motorcycle brake lamps that flash when first lit before going steady on.
     
    Last edited: May 13, 2022
  12. From my prospective the majority of people don't notice old cars and could care less, and it's not just teenagers that have a phone in front of their face, adults of all ages are guilty.

    Years ago I ran blue dot's and thought they were cool but the fact is you couldn't see them during the daytime, we have to fend for ourselves and strive to maintain some type of visual presence.

    I could leave my old beater in the garage and not worry about having a accident or I can try something different to try and to be a little more visual when stopping in traffic. HRP
     
  13. squirrel
    Joined: Sep 23, 2004
    Posts: 55,944

    squirrel
    Member

    Time to paint the car red....
     
  14. 4tford
    Joined: Aug 27, 2005
    Posts: 1,824

    4tford
    Member

    I see your point, but on my 40 Ford std stop lights you can not see them on a sunny day and now with my LED lamps you can. There are plenty of distracted drivers out there anything you can do to be seen is a good thing!
     
    lowrd, Driver50x, i.rant and 5 others like this.
  15. Dooley
    Joined: May 29, 2002
    Posts: 2,956

    Dooley
    Member
    from Buffalo NY

    I added lights years ago. This is just a website fellas it's real world out there
     
  16. TagMan
    Joined: Dec 12, 2002
    Posts: 6,295

    TagMan
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    100%, Danny ! Don't care if anyone likes or dislikes safety devises - "era inapropriateness" is a LOT better than getting your self hurt and/or having your car smashed up. Haters will just have to get over it.
     
    Driver50x, 4tford, 58ducknut and 3 others like this.
  17. 6sally6
    Joined: Feb 16, 2014
    Posts: 2,459

    6sally6
    Member

    Do you have enough room in the tail light housing to install a second bulb?!
    I did that on my "M-word" pony car and it made a big difference.
    Also...........what about installing relays in the circuit so you get a full 12 volts to the light?!
    The world is full of butt holes that tail gate and speed everywhere because after all....
    "It's all about THEM!"
    6sally6
     
  18. ramblin dan
    Joined: Apr 16, 2018
    Posts: 3,611

    ramblin dan

    Had a buddy line his with tin foil. Shiny side out if you want better results.
     
    HOTRODPRIMER likes this.
  19. maybe do relays and two bulbs?
     
    HOTRODPRIMER likes this.
  20. Yeah, I've done that in the past. HRP
     
  21. my "new" flashlight has had that done to it. its bright for being 65 years old.
     
    ramblin dan and HOTRODPRIMER like this.
  22. hrm2k
    Joined: Oct 2, 2007
    Posts: 4,842

    hrm2k
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    We used an O/T 99 Sable tail light turned 90 degrees. We have the Thunderbird sequencing unit so they sequence from bottom to top for a turn. Stop lights up all 3 at once. Since they are not the concentric, we ended up with what I think is a running light on each side. You can see the outside edge rolls off more

    [​IMG]
     
  23. squirrel
    Joined: Sep 23, 2004
    Posts: 55,944

    squirrel
    Member

    how about some pics of the car in question, with the brake lights on, during the day? So we can see what he's dealing with.

    What works in other cars may help, it may not, we can only guess.
     
    HOTRODPRIMER likes this.
  24. Mr48chev
    Joined: Dec 28, 2007
    Posts: 33,861

    Mr48chev
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    From the Washington State RCWs
    Under the new law, a driver who uses a personal electronic device while driving a motor vehicle on a public highway is guilty of a traffic infraction and must pay a fine. The fine will begin at $136; however, for second or subsequent violations of this law, a driver will be fined $272.
    That doesn't slow them down the least bit and I don't think it is enforced very often.

    A buddy got rear ended in his F350 pickup with the hitch for his travel trailer on the back a couple of years ago and the hitch went though the grill and through the radiator of the car that hit him but there was no damage to the truck. The woman that hit him still had her cell phone in her hand when she got out of the car and never stopped talking to who she was talking to. She then fussed about his hitch tearing up her car. She got about three tickets out of that one as there were plenty of people there to tell the cops that she had been on the phone when she hit the truck.

    Back to HRP, thing on the tail lights, I've suggested it before but each and every one of us needs to have someone else drive our car/truck and follow it in another vehicle in both daylight and at night. That can be a real eye opener and you all the sudden find out that your cool custom tail lights are near invisible either as tail lights or brake lights at times.

    I got stopped in my 48 one night for what they claimed were no tail lights but ended up being rather dim lights that they couldn't make out with their extra bright cop car headlights but after getting home I did a walk back up my 400 ft driveway and at 200 ft I couldn't clearly make out the lights. White paint and brighter bulbs helped a ton with that but having them down below the tail gate doesn't help.
    The reflectors show up with the flash from the camera but the tail lights are pretty well hidden under the tailgate.
    [​IMG]
    Got stopped in my 71 GMC for the same thing and cleaning out a bunch of dust and some paint and the bright bulbs made a huge difference. Many years of of my uncle driving on long dirt driveways and dirt roads were the main culprit there.

    Glad you and the car are OK HRP, maybe it's time to put a shock absorbing Bonneville style push bar on it with a receiver hitch holding it.
     
    Last edited: May 13, 2022
  25. I really like this.... Kind of a late-'50s Corvette look and outside the box.
     
    Macstoy, Okie Pete, fauj and 2 others like this.
  26. Truckedup
    Joined: Jul 25, 2006
    Posts: 4,661

    Truckedup
    Member

    One large bright light is better than several small tail lights like most vintage cars have...Get someting about 7 inches in diameter , bright red....The vintage large STOP lights fitted to trucks will do the job..
     
    Okie Pete, lowrd and HOTRODPRIMER like this.
  27. hrm2k
    Joined: Oct 2, 2007
    Posts: 4,842

    hrm2k
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Thanks
    While this wasn’t a thread about cool tail lights, we did the fleetline with 3 , 1157 bulbs. We figured anyone could see them lit or just on running setting.

    not going to brag, we reshaped the entire top of the fender to Match the curve in tail light housing
     
    Okie Pete and HOTRODPRIMER like this.
  28. gimpyshotrods
    Joined: May 20, 2009
    Posts: 23,264

    gimpyshotrods
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    I got hit by someone looking for the third brake light.

    I have one now. No, it's not a panacea, but why give idiots more leverage? They already have enough.
     
    catdad49, Okie Pete, fauj and 6 others like this.
  29. On my 4 I’m going to do a 3rd brake light mounted to the side of the bumper and figure out a 3rd brake light for in the rear split window.


    I find driving and old car sometimes folks are preoccupied looking at the car and NOT paying attention to what you are doing ( stopping , signals etc )
     
  30. dana barlow
    Joined: May 30, 2006
    Posts: 5,115

    dana barlow
    Member
    from Miami Fla.
    1. Y-blocks

    Bright rear of car; Rear of car should be shiny,every thing helps.
    WAY too many phone zombies now days behind us..:mad:
    As I was building my first hotrod in the late 1950s,rear lights part of the hunt! Were given a lot of thought.
    I lucked out finding a pair(2) of aftermarket old oil lamps,"Rayo Driving Lamp"<all were aftermarket in 1910 for buggy's or auto,,in my Grandads barn.
    There design was way too cool I thought not to use, by clean up and adding 12volt bulbs.
    The lamps were made so they hooked too a bracket with big wingnuts{ so they could be removed to lite,then replaced after they stopped dripping fire when lit.} They have two light lens,one side is a head light and the other a red tail light,
    Both are magnifying glass*. The headlight side is a 4in. magnifying,with the other side being red one of 2.5 in..
    At first I had the red side facing to the rear,and headlight side was only a few in. from the alum polished rear panel on rear of my rod.
    Later on I turned around these lamps,so the big side was to rear,by adding just behind the headlight magnifying lens,a red lens from a trailer. Making much bigger n brighter rear light.
    The combo of bigger lights an very shiny rear of hotrod ,updated with shiny stainless* panel,and as always shiny BeerKeg gas tank,gives it all a better shot at being seen.:D:cool: DCYFAIRShow.jpg
     
    Last edited: May 14, 2022

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