3rd Brake Light ???
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From: Northwestern PA
3rd Brake Light ???
I’d like to french in a third brake light. Anyone have ideas on what light to use, and where to get one, I’d like it to be on the slim side nothing real big, poss. LED.
Any thoughts will help
Thanks
Mike
Any thoughts will help
Thanks
Mike
Elder User
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 628
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From: High Park, Toronto
Originally Posted by mt54
I’d like to french in a third brake light. Anyone have ideas on what light to use, and where to get one, I’d like it to be on the slim side nothing real big, poss. LED.
Any thoughts will help
Thanks
Mike
Any thoughts will help
Thanks
Mike
I did this to my '53 Mercury M100... I believe it was a Hagan's unit I used.
The finished product reveals a 1/2" x about 10" bright LED light.
The "kit" comes with the LED and a prefabed metal housing ready for grafting into the location of your choice.
The slim LED is slightly camphered [sp?] and angled at the ends...it's a trapezoid I guess.
I grafted mine in above the back window and the trapezoidal angles mimicked the curvature of the cab roof line nicely I thought.
I'm not sure if there's a picture with enough detail in my gallery but there are some pictures that show it.
GW
Elder User
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 628
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From: High Park, Toronto
Originally Posted by 53Merc
MT54,
I did this to my '53 Mercury M100...
I'm not sure if there's a picture with enough detail in my gallery but there are some pictures that show it.
GW
I did this to my '53 Mercury M100...
I'm not sure if there's a picture with enough detail in my gallery but there are some pictures that show it.
GW
GW [& the Dixie Dance Kings!] in the Great White North for Easter
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From: Northwestern PA
Thanks for the info guys.
Mrec, from what I can see in your gallery that looks about what I'm lookin for, However I was thinkin maybe mounting under the rear window ?? not sure yet.
Also I was wondering if anyone had any luck finding a donor light from other vehicles, and grafting it in.
Mike
Mrec, from what I can see in your gallery that looks about what I'm lookin for, However I was thinkin maybe mounting under the rear window ?? not sure yet.
Also I was wondering if anyone had any luck finding a donor light from other vehicles, and grafting it in.
Mike
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Joined: May 2002
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From: Northwest Fl
I saw an interesting addition on a new SUV in town the other night. It was a very thin row of LED lights that fit in the thin gap between the top of the bumper and the tailgate. Totally unnoticeable until they lit up.
With the right turn signal on, the left light lit up and ran across to the right end until all were lit and it repeated with each blink of the regular tailight. When the brakes were applied, the left half of the strip lit up solid and the LED in the center lit and ran to the right end. Very bright/impossible to miss, thought this might be a nice addition to the relative low visibility of the stock ford tailight, and the fact I was almost rearended the first and only time I drove it before I tore it apart, almost five years ago.
With the right turn signal on, the left light lit up and ran across to the right end until all were lit and it repeated with each blink of the regular tailight. When the brakes were applied, the left half of the strip lit up solid and the LED in the center lit and ran to the right end. Very bright/impossible to miss, thought this might be a nice addition to the relative low visibility of the stock ford tailight, and the fact I was almost rearended the first and only time I drove it before I tore it apart, almost five years ago.
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Logistics Pro
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 4,489
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From: Valley Center, CA
Mike, have you seen the "Line of Fire"? It is similar to what Huntsman is describing except for the animation. It mounts below the tailagate and hooks up to the standard rear light wires. It is about 1" shortwer than your tailgate. When you turn the blinker on, then that half (20 led lights) flash with your regular blinker. If you hit your brakes, then all forty light illuminate simultaniusly! At night all forty are on dimly, then brighten when you hit your brakes or blinkers. So it behaves just like your blinkers and emergency flashers. They are about $80 including shipping. I put one on my truck last year and it has made CA driving a little less risky. Jag
I put one on my truck last year and it has made CA driving a little less risky. Jag
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Cargo Master
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 2,497
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From: Tucson AZ
I made one from flat red plexiglass and backed it with the pyramid texture clear from an old flourescent light fixture, backed it up with some led's from the Kenworth truck dealer ($12.00) lights up like a christmas tree and you can make it any size or shape you like.
old and in the way
Joined: Jul 1997
Posts: 5,918
Likes: 1,050
From: Lovely Hueytown Alabama
Mike,
this is the only pic i have online of mine...under the window..
I bought a Julianos led unit about 12" long and ½" high...
I can take some later shots if you need them...
john
this is the only pic i have online of mine...under the window..
I bought a Julianos led unit about 12" long and ½" high...
I can take some later shots if you need them...
john
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From: Northwestern PA
Jag, I've seen the line of frie light,just a little bigger than I'm lookin for
FF56, that idea sounds like it may work for me, I'll have to look into suplies in my area.
John, that looks great almost the exact look I'm goin for.
Thanks
Mike
FF56, that idea sounds like it may work for me, I'll have to look into suplies in my area.
John, that looks great almost the exact look I'm goin for.
Thanks
Mike
Elder User
Joined: Aug 2003
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From: High Park, Toronto
Originally Posted by jniolon
Mike,
this is the only pic i have online of mine...under the window..
I bought a Julianos led unit about 12" long and ½" high...
I can take some later shots if you need them...
john
this is the only pic i have online of mine...under the window..
I bought a Julianos led unit about 12" long and ½" high...
I can take some later shots if you need them...
john
BTW, I hope Cole and his parents are well.
Said a little prayer for them when I saw your post.
GW
Hotshot
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 15,882
Likes: 88
From: Durham NC
Check the ads in Street Rod magazine there are several companies that make led lights in a variety of configurations and some have preformed metal buckets to weld in.
I like best the ones that have a thick plastic lens that you sand to the body contours after mounting so they're perfectly flush. Have seen where you can even get a stealth appearance by removing the masking over the lens before you spray on the last color coat. You can't even see them until they light up and shine through the paint.
I would suggest mounting above the window rather than below. I drive a Miata and wouldn't even be able to see the lower 1/2 of the back window from a few car lengths back.
They offer some that fit in the end of the rolls at the top of the bed sides too.
I like best the ones that have a thick plastic lens that you sand to the body contours after mounting so they're perfectly flush. Have seen where you can even get a stealth appearance by removing the masking over the lens before you spray on the last color coat. You can't even see them until they light up and shine through the paint.
I would suggest mounting above the window rather than below. I drive a Miata and wouldn't even be able to see the lower 1/2 of the back window from a few car lengths back.
They offer some that fit in the end of the rolls at the top of the bed sides too.
Last edited by AXracer; Mar 24, 2005 at 05:41 PM.