VERY high-mounted brake light

HafNHaf · 05-21-2005, 10:25 PM

since everyone, including myself, is of the opinion that the OEM center brake light is a waste of time, i decided to make and install a secondary third (would that be 6X??) brake light. i cut a piece of aluminum sheet about 19" long and 4" wide. i made a 90 degree bend about 1" from one of the long edges. i then drilled 9 holes in the bent-up portion using a #10 drill bit, which gave me a nice push-fit for some high-brightness red LEDs my father-in-law had "in stock". a 680 ohm 1/2 watt resistor in each LED's positive leg, and then run all those legs together to the third brake light positive lead. green/white inside the rubber boot at the upper right corner of the hatch. all the negetive LED leads are run together and grounded to a drilled and tapped hole next to the right hand push pin that holds the back of the headliner up. the whole affair is held up to the headliner with the two push pins at the back of the headliner.

looks great from the back, especially at night. a little glare off the grey plastic at the rear of the hatch, but not bad. maybe an extension on the bottom that goes all the way to the glass will kill that. worth a shot.

andy g.

collwjhcwu · 05-22-2005, 06:26 AM

Sounds neat, got some pictures (maybe you could market it

)

HafNHaf · 05-22-2005, 07:32 AM

no pics yet. maybe i'll get a chance today to take some. i spent most of yesterday tearing apart the front of the car to replace the radiator surround that got crunched in the wreck. i had it held together with ty-wraps! not pretty, but it worked!

andy g.

HafNHaf · 05-25-2005, 11:14 PM

here is a pic of the install:

and a shot of the back at night:

reminds me of Close Encounters of the Third Kind!

andy g.

collwjhcwu · 05-29-2005, 03:15 AM

i'm trying to get the perspective on that second pic. Was it taken inside the car or outside?

Insightful Trekker · 05-29-2005, 07:58 AM

Great pic's Andy

collwjhcwu, I think the pic is from "something" floating in front of him, from the rear

(seroiusly, look at the first pic, the orientation of the LED's)

HafNHaf · 05-29-2005, 08:12 AM

the second pic was from about 15 feet behind the car, with my son pressing on the brake pedal. i dont know why the pic turned out the way it did, considering the night was very dry and clear. maybe a little moisture on the camera lens??? the blue flares are from the side mirrors, i think. kinda cool though.

andy g.

collwjhcwu · 06-03-2005, 12:46 AM

thanks for the "insight" TREKKER, hah hah