Has anyone installed any sort of third brake light in their midyear coupe? I guess I'm getting panicked after having been rear-ended once in another car and nearly hit in my vette last week.

I'm seriously considering adding a third brake light at the top of the rear window (on the inside of course) and equipping it with one of those sequential flashers. When I first got my car 30 years ago, one of the first things I did was convert the optional inner backup lights to the standard 4 brake light configuration seeing as how small those lamps truly are for similar reasons. Having the ability stop on a dime is nearly negated if the idiot behind you plows into you!

 

I would have needed a light bar for the Ford truck to see my 65 coupe before he hit it. He stopped right on the rear bumper, than forgot I was there and drove into me. It's now been in the body shop since Oct. 2004.

 

http://www.foxthundercats.com/electronixx/index.html

 

Same thing happened to me that Tom/99 mentioned. Peterbilt grain truck in '80. I'd need a light on top of a four foot post on my deck.
*%^&%$ grain trucks.

 

Man, you guys are scaring me! I once saw a big rig do the same thing to a compact car right next to me...pulled up and stopped, then when the light turned green, started pulling forward to close the gap he thought he had in front of him!!!

 

www.billetspecialties.com

Theres a pedestal mounted oval 3rd brake light there for $49.95.

BTW Theres lots of stuff to be found in street rod land (easily adaptable) that would compliment any Sting Ray driver out there.

 

I have installed a third brake light on my 66 convertable after nearly being rear ended by a truck. The driver was a decent guy, he explained that he could not see my brake lights, from the drivers seat he was looking down on the trunk.
After a change of shorts, I made up a third wide brake light which attaches to the rear deck behind and between the seats using a couple of clear suction cups. The wiring connects to a 3.5mm plug and socket (Walkman Headphone size) located under the deck. When I want, I can remove the light in seconds with out trace and the black wiring and scocket barely show when the deck is open. I will post afew shots of this setup in a day or so. Rick

 

Thanks Aussi, your incentive sounds real close to mine!

I ordered an accessory model last night that mounts to the glass and supposedly has an adjustable lens to accomodate different window angles. Still hope anyone else that has done this with their coupe will chime in.

 

Believe me I feel a lot happier with the third light on the rear deck, given my beast is a roadster. I set the light to be in your face at about 25 feet back and 7 to 8 feet up. It is one of the LED array types so it isnt too offensive. I wont bother with the photos given that you have a light that is going to attach to your glass. If any one else is interested I will get her out from under the covers, as it is mothballed for the winter, if you can call it that down here.

 

How about one of these Billet Specialties license plate frames with a third brake light built in...???

http://www.billetspecialties.com/ite...cid=82&pid=234

Jegs and Summit both carry them for $63.00

 

That's really cool, but can it actually be seen on a mid-year?
The top of the plate is really tucked up under the body.

 

How about if you flipped the plate so that the brake light wasn't on top but on the bottom....???

Instead of this....



Do this....



Someone with some imagination and some skill maybe able to make their own with a brake light and plate frame from UAP, NAPPA or Canadian Tire...

Or how about something like this....

http://www.clparts.com/aprodpages/brake.html

 

Here's a few more

http://www.julianos.com/3rd_brake_light.html

 

I installed an LED 3rd brake light from a 90's GM Blazer into my Chevelle. I had them insert it into the top of the read window frame. It just about blends in, and is really bright. You could do something like this if you want to get into your fiberglass and put it right where the backup lights are on a '67.

Otherwise, anything you can do to make it easier for them to see you is great, but you can't get it right for every idiot!

 

http://www.earlycuda.org/tech/thirdlight.htm

This person adapted a Hella 3rd brake light from 1986-1992 Saab 900 2dr hatchback to a 1965 Barracuda... This should be adaptable to a C2 Coupe...

 

Thanks for all the replies. I received the light I mentioned above and have decided not to use it. After setting it in place, I sat in the driver's seat, looked out the rear window through the rear view mirror, and it stands out like a sore thumb right in your line of vision! The other problem is I just had the rear window tinted and this light attaches to the glass with double sided tape, so I'd have to cut out a portion of the tinting film which would be very obvious if I later changed my mind.

I've since seen several LED strips on eBay that look like may be the ticket. I've seen them as thin as 1/2". I just need to decide what width to use. Then I can vacuum form a piece of ABS as a shroud between the light assembly and the rear glass to keep the glare out of the inside.

I'm also considering looking for an external light that was an add-on for those early years of third brake lights. I'd look for slim one the can be reshaped to fit on the roof just above the glass. The advantage to this would be higher visibility over shining through the window film from the inside.

I did briefly consider putting something where the 67 back-up lights were, but that goes against my desire to avoid modifying fiberglass. Plus it's still not as high as I'd like something to me. I sure wouldn't hesitate converting exisiting backup lights on a 67 to a third brake light tho.

 

A third brake light for a C1 seems a little more limited...

I've found a link to some led 3rd brake lights...Is this what you were looking at....???

http://www.commandelectronics.com/th...ke-lights.html

And here's a flashing led brake light used by some of the Porsche 356 crowd....

http://www.brakeflasher.com/index.htm

Cheers

Kenmo

 

Here's a few...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/NEW12...66174286QQrdZ1

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/NEW-2...91727193QQrdZ1

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/10-LE...91877458QQrdZ1

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/NEW-1...92186148QQrdZ1

 

You might want to try Ron Francis Wiring at the following address,
www.ronfrancis.com and do a part search # RW-42.

These 3rd-lights will fit inside our rear glass, and they are available in different angles, and lengths. They are also supplied in pairs for the SWC's. These are the ones that will be used in my own 63 coupe.


Stepinwolf

 

Looks very similar to what I got from Whitney. If you don't mind that appearance of it in your rear view mirror, it's probably fine.

http://www.jcwhitney.com/autoparts/P...=brake%20light

And if anybody is interested, I'll let them have this one 'cheap'.