Additional brake lights???

[Paul Parker]

Has anyone added any additional brake lights?  I want something subtle when not lit up, but something really obvious to the idiots behind me when I'm stopping.   

[mfg]

Probably close to the very top of ‘must do’ items related to driving in modern traffic….. Studebaker  Avanti tail lights are simply too small to be clearly noticed by other drivers…. who are probably driving too fast or on their cell phones anyway!…. A bright third brake light dead center at the bottom of the rear window is an excellent idea…I added one to my own ‘63 Avanti twenty years ago.

PS….. I suppose a third brake light installed at the interior TOP of the rear window would work just as well.

Edited Tuesday at 06:59 PM by mfg
Added PS

[Rick Allen]

Have you considered going to LED bulbs in your factory tail/brake light housing?  They are very bright compared to the old-style bulbs, adding a 3rd brake light I think would look out of place and to some people gaudy but to others, not,,,

Edited Tuesday at 07:02 PM by Rick Allen

[mfg]

1 hour ago, Rick Allen said:

Have you considered going to LED bulbs in your factory tail/brake light housing?  They are very bright compared to the old-style bulbs, adding a 3rd brake light I think would look out of place and to some people gaudy but to others, not,,,

Hi Rick… LED’s are no doubt a very good idea, and no, I haven’t installed them yet. (but I probably will)…. But getting back to that third brake light, let me tell you a story that happened to me many years ago…. At the time I owned a red 1964 Avanti….red tail lights against a red body really makes matters worse…. but anyway, after I stepped on my brakes and signaled a right turn, the fellow behind me pulled in just to tell me that he almost drove into the back of my Avanti, and I should fix my brake lights!  (the lights weren’t broken) He was very nice about it, however at that point I installed a very bright third brake light….It’s not obtrusive, and safety and keeping my car and myself in one piece is much more important to me than any authenticity concerns!…. Thank You, Ed. 

[ronmanfredi]

21 hours ago, Paul Parker said:

Has anyone added any additional brake lights?  I want something subtle when not lit up, but something really obvious to the idiots behind me when I'm stopping.   

You can convert the back up lights with red lenses and tie those wires into your existing lights.  I'll be doing that with mine, plus changing out the bulb holder for a dual element bulb.  I always change the bulbs to LED also since they are so much brighter.  You will need to replace the turn signal flasher with one that has a Separate Ground wire attached to it.  United Pacific makes one that I used on my 82 and worked perfect. Then you'll need to install some back up lights under the bumper.  I've seen some 67 Mustang back up lights installed and they look good.

[mfg]

49 minutes ago, ronmanfredi said:

You can convert the back up lights with red lenses and tie those wires into your existing lights.  I'll be doing that with mine, plus changing out the bulb holder for a dual element bulb.  I always change the bulbs to LED also since they are so much brighter.  You will need to replace the turn signal flasher with one that has a Separate Ground wire attached to it.  United Pacific makes one that I used on my 82 and worked perfect. Then you'll need to install some back up lights under the bumper.  I've seen some 67 Mustang back up lights installed and they look good.

I converted the backup lights on my ‘64 to stop lights using the later red lenses. It worked OK, certainly better than simply relying on the stock tail lights, but frankly not nearly as ‘seeable’ as a third brake light…. maybe that’s because the third brake light is higher, and more in line with the vision of the driver in the following car.

PS… my ‘85 Avanti has the back up’s changed to stop lights (done at the Avanti factory).. really not as effective as a third stop light in rear window!

Edited 13 hours ago by mfg
Added PS

[Footer]

I did that with mine.  Got the replacement lenses from Nostalgic.  Also replaced bulbs with LEDs.  Backup lights are way better.  Mike

 

 

 

 

 

[mfg]

3 minutes ago, Footer said:

I did that with mine.  Got the replacement lenses from Nostalgic.  Also replaced bulbs with LEDs.  Backup lights are way better.  Mike

 

 

 

 

 

Looks great Mike!

[Michael Phillips]

This is how i did my combination reverse/ stop/turn signals. I kept the original clear lenses, and fabricated new sockets and bases to accept 1157 bulbs. I use led "switchback" bulbs; these have 2 circuits one red and one white. The original reverse circuit is connected to the white contact. and new circuits are created to connect right, and left brake ant turn signals. If you would prefer them to operate only for stop (no turn signal on trunk fixture) then you would create a circuit from the brake light switch, before the turn signal as you would for a third brake light. All lamps on RQA0348 have been changed to LED, so an electronic flasher is also installed.

These bulbs are very bright and require very little amperage to run.

[mfg]

Nice work !!