Hot Rods ideas on a third brake light

This is where I installed an old stop light on my 55 F100. Steve.

 

I just put one of these in my 48 Chevy, perfect angle and bright as hell. It cost me more for the black double sided tape (Gorilla glue) than it did for the light. Flea bay and shipped from China takes about 10 days. Cost under $10 including freight.

 

I've been thinking about mounting a bright red light under the trunk floor to shine down on the rear end when the brake lights come on. Any thoughts on this ?

 

Third brake light is a tough one. Nothing looks like it belongs but the safety thing is a real concern I guess. Its what people are conditioned to seeing in traffic these days.
I applaud some of the creativity on this thread even though I'm not into the repurposed stuff on hot rods thing. Some of the modern stuff though I can't understand how anyone would stick it in their car. 2 more wheels might make a motorcycle safer but then it wouldn't be what its supposed to be would it? That's how I feel about a lot of things like third brake lights on hot rods. Still interesting to see some of the solutions though.

 

If your intent is not to clutter up the rear with something tacked on, I can understand that. So you're going for reflected light off the chrome for some extra brightness when the brakes are applied.

I think that will work fairly well at night but not very well at all in daylight. With the current generation of mouth breathing, phone texters, you need something that fries their eyeballs to get their attention back on the road.

 

I know it wouldn't do anything in the daylight. The only chrome back there are the welded on exhaust tips.

 

Couldn’t agree with you more and I really struggled to find a solution that performed the function (keeping idiots out of my ass) without looking like an out of place assembly on the back of the car.

 

My dad used a license plate frame on the back of his 50 ford pickup. he took out the clear LED lights along the top of the frame and put in red LED lights so when he hits the brakes his plate lights up red. Until he hits his brakes you can't tell its there.

 

Jim, I had a plate light like yours, I took the chrome light off the bracket and installed a repro motorcycle tail light, like used in the '60's.

Phil

 

My panel is tall enough to see this.

 

Kool thread. Years ago, I was rear-end and I had third brake lights. I went to LED bulbs and it seems to be working. Also I drive a lot in town looking at my rear view mirror. When you drive old cars you have to be aware of everyone around you. When I drive through Dallas, Indy, Austin Etc., I use (proper) hand signals.

 

Ouch! Agree with you on watching the rear view mirror. I find myself doing this with my daily driver as well, but in the old ‘50 Ford, I brake WAAAAY early and watch the rear view like a hawk!

 

I put an LED in this old microphone. It’s really noticeable if the person behind me is not texting.

 

That's cool!

 

Maybe install one of these on the back of your car!
These flashing LED's can be fitted to many of these light fittings, and may stop a mouth-breather or 2. They look like they belong on a clown's car (A "donk" I think they call them in the U.S.), but if it stops them, it's worth it,
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Pair-St...h=item467986b5bb:g:DcoAAOSw1URavEha:rk:8:pf:0

 

A few years back I discovered a way to keep people from following to close...stopped by a friends house he had a upright piano he wanted me to haul away so we loaded it in the back of my old Ford pu ...it didn't have a tail gate but I had the piano tied off in the front of the box but from behind you couldn't tell that...that thing rode around in the back of the truck for around two weeks before I figured out what to do with it...and I tell ya during that time nobody got right up behind me...if they even got close they backed right off......

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A third piano. Kinky

 

At the risk of straying too off topic.... I just put one of these on my truck.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01INY7G1A/ref=twister_B01INY7E30?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

It's water proof, really bright, and super easy to wire.
Comes with 3M double sided tape, adhesion promoter, and it really sticks.
Has red running, brake, left, right, and white reverse.
You don't have to wire them all up, just what you want to run.

 

More high tech than I'm looking for. I was just thinking of what we used to call clearance lights. Just an accessory light with a red lens mounted so you couldn't see the light. It would just shine down and illuminate the rear end when the brake lights came on.

 

That's cool. I was implying you could stick it up under the trunk, to shine down, as opposed to mounting it rear facing.
Its only about 1/4 inch thick, so it wouldn't be visible.
Just a suggestion.

 

...prison tales...

 

Here is motorcycle tail light used to replace chrome license light.

Phil

 

Here's mine......standard 3 rd brake light, not led. From an 80's Cadillac. Nice and bright, kinda ugly. Funny, when I was looking at putting it in I thought it looked kinda "horsie", or truck like if you would. I'll replace it someday when I see what I want, just don't have a clue right now. It had a stand with it, about 3" tall that I didn't need.
BTW, I also have hazards and it works real well to get people to back off although I must say I have much fewer tailgaters in the '57 than I do in the DD.

 

Some sort of flashing strobe or pulse would seem to help. Is that unlawful?

I agree with those suggesting monitoring rear view mirror carefully when stopped. When I rode a bike I would pump the rear brake light. Also don't forget, the horn works pretty good for people coming up behind you too, I've used it to good effect at least once. Anything to get somebody's attention is OK in my book.

 

I'd go with something art deco or streamlined. Just look on Fleabay or one of the other sites and get inspired.

 

3rd brake lights are never going to be considered trditional, but anything that gives you a better chance of not being rear ended gets a thumbs up from me. Some of these aren't very good looking but some are unobtrusive and look quite good IMHO, like the the one mounted on the package tray in the 60 Pontiac or the motorcycle tailight mounted as a license plate light by pprather!

 

I picked up a Hollywood one like in post #90 for my truck’s back window. Saw one years ago and finally got one.


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Just what the doctor ordered.

https://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinfo/strobe-controllers/brake-light-strobe-module/195/845/


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One Light, Two Lights, Three Lights, if they're gona hit you the lights don't matter, if they aren't One light is enough. I'd go with stock lights with strong bulbs.