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Third Brake Light saves the day, and my butt......

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Re: Third Brake Light saves the day, and my butt..

gentlemen, WAKE UP CALL! SUVs are a serious problem. And also the new generation of giant Pickup trucks, their scale is not human.

I blame the "Big Three" (GM, Chrysler, Ford) for many of the innocent deaths happening on roads today. In Europe, there is already anti-SUV Legislation to stop the abuses. I am so happy.

The size of these vehicles is absurd, people are dying thanks to them, the amount of gasoline that they consume is what has the rest of us paying high prices. The CEO of Exxon was right when he said that "If Americans want to drive giant vehicles which are consuming our limited gasoline supply, let them pay the price for it". There you go. WE are paying for the abuses of the SUV abusers. My wife lost her Mercury Sable wagon 30 days ago to some idiot driving a brand-new 2007 Ford Explorer SUV right off the dealer lot. Our Mercury wagon was destroyed, rear-ended, total loss. my wife survived but she is still injured. I am so angry.
 
Trouble is that the lights are too low. If the car behind can't see them, no matter how bright, they don't work. I think Moss also sells a pedestal mounted third brake light that mounts on the rear deck.
 
Bill, Nice save!! I have been a proponet of this important saftey mod for several years.There have been several club members here that have hit from behind(one nearly died).I think that the new generation of drivers on the road today are too used to 3rd brake lamps for our own good!!Survival of LBC's (and the passengers) needs to be more important than any percieved asthetic fault of a lamp.
MD(mad dog)
 
Definitely an upgrade to make on all cars but especially on the 2's and 3's with that woefully inadequate single stop light in the middle. Although I am thinking about modifying one to replace the chrome license plate light on my 59 for the added "protection". Saw a great LED stop light bar on an MGA at a show with a great shaped molded cover painted the car color. Couldn't find the owner and have yet to discover a similar one from a suppliers, but am continuing to look. Everybody's right on, there's just no substitute for candlepower with brakelights.
Tom Lains
TS8651 & 58107
 
PRB51:

The LED lights seem to be best for running lights or brake lights. If you plan on running them for turn signals I believe you need a different flasher unit. The led bulbs use less power, so therefore your stock flasher will not "flash" or "trip". They do sell simple led replacement flashers. I plan on using them just for my brake lights, and keep the rest stock(especially since last time I saw them they were about $17 a piece).

Adam H.
____________________________________________________________
1972 Triumph Spitfire.
 
If you go the third LED brake light solution, use this to be noticed even more:

https://www.gominigo.com/23445.html


Only use on the third brake light and only with a LED fixture. Incandescent bulbs draw too much power and will burn out the unit.

Basil: if I crossed a line, please delete this post.
 
[ QUOTE ]
"That sure is a nice MG."



[/ QUOTE ]
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/lol.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/lol.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/lol.gif
 
Re: Third Brake Light saves the day, and my butt..

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
"That sure is a nice MG."



[/ QUOTE ]
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/lol.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/lol.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/lol.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

I got "I used to have a Spitfire just like that!" once. Close, but no cigar.
 
Re: Third Brake Light saves the day, and my butt..

Here's mine and it works well with the top up too!

LED Light 005 (Custom).jpg
 
Re: Third Brake Light saves the day, and my butt..

I changed the standard bulbs (1157s ?) in the original housings for the running/brake lights on the rear of my TR3A to Halogen bulbs. The red tail lights are still very small, but they are twice as bright. If there is any more heat than with a regular bulb, I can't say, but they have been there at least 8 years if not more, and nothing has melted.
 
Re: Third Brake Light saves the day, and my butt..

Mine came from Signal Dynamics in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. It was around $20.000. Oddly, the website is not up at this time. www.signaldynamics.com It has a low intensity lighting for running with just the parking lights on as well. The previous post picture was with the brakes applied. Simple three wire hookup that I ran down through my roll bar.


This is daylight view of installation:


LED Light 007 (Custom).jpg


This is with the parking lights on:

LED Light 003 (Custom).jpg
 
Re: Third Brake Light saves the day, and my butt..

FYI! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/lol.gifThis is my contribution to the threads about high mount brake lights.The invention of mine involves a boat running light(restored)to body color & mounted on a chrome running light bracket found new at a boat store.In turned mounted to a Rinmmer Bros luggage rack & is portable.Really throws the light /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/yesnod.gif in there face /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif can't miss it.Easily obtainable & inexpensive.Cheers.....Ken&Whitelightning /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/savewave.gif
 

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Re: Third Brake Light saves the day, and my butt..

Nice job. It should provide some good light and detachable as well.
 
Re: Third Brake Light saves the day, and my butt..

FYI for all who are as dumb as I am. LEDs are polarity sensitive and my third light kit did not mention that. I thought it was broken. Switched the leads from one of the tail lights and works great. I like the flashing feature on the MINI,great idea.
 
Re: Third Brake Light saves the day, and my butt..

Exotexs:

I take offense to you blaming SUV's for all our problems. If people are lousy drivers they are going to cause accidents, yes unfortunately they will be worse in an SUV. I for one have been driving Range Rovers & now a Land Cruiser for 8+ years because of necessity. I work in Land Development & need to get into tough places, have a 300' long driveway that isn't always plowed, tow my 22' boat & 2 big Labrador Retrievers.

Please blame the lousy drivers, not the vehicle for the accident. And as far as the gas, I do agree it is a waste of resources for a single person to be tooling around in them just for a status symbol like many of the Soccer moms who can't even park them, never mind drive them!!
 
Re: Third Brake Light saves the day, and my butt..

"It was around $20.000."


Are you sure you didn't mean $200?

- Doug
 
Re: Third Brake Light saves the day, and my butt..

I got my LED light bar off Ebay for under $20. Cheap insurance considering that the tailights are so low. That didn't help me 3 weeks ago. I had a 17 year old kid hit my SUV while I was stopped in traffic on the freeway. Another cell phone statistic where someone's brain is checked out.

I did have a friend come up with a unique tailight design several years ago. Never heard if it took off. He was putting together a very high intensity 3rd light unit that could be aimed. It was designed to be painful in the eyes for anyone within tailgating distance. Being farther back (like one should) it was normal red intensity and indistiguishable.

I am not planning on taking my TR to work anytime soon - in warmer weather that is.... The tailgating around here is out of control. Add to the fact that 25-30% of drivers are uninsured, it sure makes hit and runs a regular occurance.

I may need to work on adding a 4th light in the back someday...

safe travels,
jeff
 
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