engine and drivetrain Easy Safety Upgrade

[B-Doon]

Several months ago I posted a question about adding a third brake light. Well, I finally got around to doing it, and I’d thought I’d share with those of you thinking about this safety upgrade. I have a ’72 so the brake lights on the round taillight assemblies are very inadequate by today’s standards. I got tired of SUV’s tailgating me, so I had my assistant step on the brakes while I stood behind the car to see how it looked. They seemed barely noticeable. I cleaned the lenses and backing and still I wasn’t satisfied. So, I purchased the $14.95 third brake light w/ 20 led’s from JC Whitney.

Installation was fairly easy but it took me an hour or so, as I wasn’t sure how I wanted to mount it. It turns out that the angle of the back glass is such that when mounted flush with the glass the led’s are not clearly visible. The light itself has an adhesive face at a flat 180 degree angle. The challenge was making it look good and be effective without having to alter the unit.

I started by taking off the back of one of the tail lights. I had my helper step on the brakes to verify which one was the brake light. It was the light with the green and red wire. It may be different for you. I then took out the bottom of the back seat and sat on the transmission tunnel hump to complete the installation. I cut into the wrapped wire harness under the seat on the driver’s side and cut the green/red wire. I then took a piece of scrap wire(larger gauge) and made a pigtail (attached to one side of the original wire w/ a wire nut, and the other end of the pigtail to the other original wire and the positive wire from the light). I then left off the ground wire and wrapped the rest back up with electrical tape.

When it came time to complete the ground I got lazy. I took my dremel and sanded off some paint on the floor near the wire harness. I stripped about an inch of insulation off the ground wire and affixed it to the exposed metal with duct tape. After replacing the seat bottom I installed the light itself. To get the right viewing angle from the back I took some super glue and placed a large swath of the adhesive to the top of the light. I then adhered that to the top part of the window(for maximum viewing) onto the rear window weather strip in a vertical position … I was pleasantly surprised that it actually worked and looked decent. I then tucked the wire under the weather stripping between the rear window and the headliner to conceal the wire. For those perfectionists in the group I’m sure there’s a better way to complete this task, but this works for me. Good Luck.

Brian 72inka

[POP3Y3]

that's a great idea. i had thought of changing the rear reflectors to side marker lights and running off the brake lights but your idea is better (putting it at the top od the window). nice job.

[Mike Self]

1. replace the wire nut with a soldered or at least a crimped joint. The car's vibration will eventually loosen the wire nut and then you won't have any brake lights. Watch the SUV really crawl up your rear end then!

2. The ground wire taped to bare metal with duct tape will last about a week or the first hot day, whichever comes first. Then no third brake light and you're back to where you started. At least drill a hole in some body sheet metal, crimp a ring terminal to the wire and use a stainless steel sheet metal screw to hold the wire down.

Otherwise, nice install and a good safety improvment.

mike

[SteveJ]

Anything that makes your car more visable is a good thing.

Drill the hole, use a ring terminal, and a star washer. Drilling one hole is better than having to replace the whole rear end if you get packed in.

I have a 3rd LED brake light on my car as well as a rear fog light that I will click on in panic situations.

[Jim_75Sahara]

Nice looking car, Brian! I think that I will order the same 3rd brakelight today. I have one mounted on my trunk. I don't like the look, nor do I like the fact that water creeps into the trunk along the wiring from the light under the edge of the trunk under the back window. It's not a lot of water, but it's quite annoying. I like a stock look and the brakelight you are doing is keeping it pretty close to stock w/a lot higher safety factor. The jerks that tailgate and don't watch where they're going have nearly gone up my tailpipe already. Thanks for the info, all of you.