Hi,

Has anyone sucessfully fitted a third brake light to their Beetle?

I don't want some clown running into the back of Olive.

I've looked at what was available at Ricebarn and Super Crap Auto, but I haven't found anything that would fit a Beetle's curved rear screen. I don't want to go drilling holes below the back window to mount a bracket either.

Suggestions welcome.

Thanks,
Brett.

Seeing as you have elephants feet - i dont think it is THAT important

I have seen several been installed in the air grill below the window. Personally I like that better

You could always spend a bit of time and hook some LED booster lights on the existing
Plenty of room

Have a dig on Steve Carter & Al (Dasbubber)
Steve did something to boost the reversing light and Al did a LED conversion on the patheric candles oval's call barke lights

I had poor brake lights a while back when i first got the car, replaced the lenses with newer ones and now the lights are as bright or brighter than newer cras with three lights.

simple enough.........ive just got some plates that wedge in the window rubbers and support a long led brake light at each end

not hard against the window in the middle but only a centimeter or so off, but against it at the ends

i think in the window is best as often people are looking "through" the beetles in traffic...........just the height for it

I've come up with something I think will work quite well. Photos will follow later.

What's the easiest place to tap into the brake light circuit? In the engine bay?

Cheers,

If your running them under the grills just tap into the brake light wire in the engine bay

Yes,

I also thought about the 10mm super bright red LEDs in the vents...
but haven't done anything about it... as yet.. lol

I drilled a hole under the window rubber and the wire goes into the engine compartment... to the stop lamps..

The LEDs would need to be parallel with the road, as they don't have a large reflection angle...

Now I believe the lights would be better at the top of the rear window.. higher the better..??

cheers

LEE

Hi

The only problem with have a 3rd brake light higher than the rest of the lights is that it may take the following drivers attention away from your indicators for a split second.

On my sons bug I fitted another single filament bulb holder with 21 watt bulb in it as an extra brake light each side, and halogen reverse bulbs.

Steve

P3090167.jpg

Before I went to LEDs one of the biggest improvements i I noticed with elephants feet was having the bases sprayed reflective silver inside

Quote:

Originally posted by Joel Before I went to LEDs one of the biggest improvements i I noticed with elephants feet was having the bases sprayed reflective silver inside

It was only when i had regular bulbs that the silver bases made any difference, as you said LEDs are too directional

Amber for the indicators, red brake/tails and white reverse with an LED compatible flasher can.

I've gone back to normal elephants feet lenses now so I've now fitted regular bulb for indicator and reverse for better light spread.
The reverse LEDs were very bright straight behind but threw no light to the sides and the LED indicators despite being wide angle werent as visable from the side

but I did leave the LED brake/tails in as they are 100x brighter from behind than regular bulbs

I mainly got the LEDs as the coloured bulbs ruined the look of my clear lenses but I'm back to normal lenses it didnt matter

In re to the whole LED situation I have fitted LED strips in the top of each light housing section and tapped into the corresponding light.. will get a pic of it tonight

but basically i left the standard incandescent globe and added the led string, actually makes a marked difference and looks awesome without being too gaudy

p.s my lights came sprayed silver like joels but i got in there and painted them black around the edges to give a 'smoked' look just have to make sure you leave enough silver for the reflection or you will have to repaint like i did :S

ive got a high line brake light which is just a red led stick from autobahn or the like and its mounted in the vents above the engine bay. it works reasonable well for what it is.

I have been waiting to get home for the weekend so I can access my home computer - here is a photo of my centre mount brake light - of course you may not want to add a scoop, and a lot of people reckon it interferes with air flow (and they could well be correct), but I like the look of it and havn't had any troubles in the 10 or 15 years I have had it.

I found it is very similar to the one in my daughters New Beetle incidently.

Yes, Joel

they are ones I've seen for sale on E bay in China...
I thought they may be too High ..

just found I have two of those on the shelf in front of Me..
twin contacts type.. offset pins..

cheers

LEE

Quote:

Originally posted by Joel Quote: Originally posted by 68AutoBug the LEDs aren't any good with front blinkers on front guards..lol.. only show UP... although You can get Multi LED bulbs with LEDs everywhere not sure whether they will fit into the blinker housing.. Lee I buy all My LED lights from E Bay Hong Kong.. LEE PS They are getting brighter - LEDs.. and cheaper.. Thats what i had in the front when i still had guard mounted indicators and they did actually work really well Only problem is i cant use them in my new bumper mount 76 front indicators, I think they must be mexi-spec 'cos they use duel filament brake/tail bulbs as they double as parkers like the old HK-ish holdens not that i have them wired up that way

Little bit of a hi-jack but while we're on the topic of cheap chinese LEDs I bought a pair of those flexible strips off Ebay to stick inside my speedo but they were a touch to wide

Thinking of how else to use them I stuck them under my dash just to see how they looked

Must say I'm surprised at the light they throw off, its like having a pair of flouros under my dash
and being LEDs they could be on for a month and not flatten the battery

Only cost me $6.99 delivered to my door and arrived in 3 days.
gonna hard wire them into the interior light switch so they work in door and on mode

Joel.

I actually bought a pair of those on E bay...??
but the seller didn't have a Pay Pal account???
I paid, but received a reply from Paypal saying it was sitting in My paypal account as they couldn't transfer it... lol
strange that one..lol
its still in My list of won items...lol

LEE

Quote:

Originally posted by Joel Little bit of a hi-jack but while we're on the topic of cheap chinese LEDs I bought a pair of those flexible strips off Ebay to stick inside my speedo but they were a touch to wide Thinking of how else to use them I stuck them under my dash just to see how they looked Must say I'm surprised at the light they throw off, its like having a pair of flouros under my dash and being LEDs they could be on for a month and not flatten the battery Only cost me $6.99 delivered to my door and arrived in 3 days. gonna hard wire them into the interior light switch so they work in door and on mode

Quote:

Originally posted by Joel Little bit of a hi-jack but while we're on the topic of cheap chinese LEDs I bought a pair of those flexible strips off Ebay to stick inside my speedo but they were a touch to wide Thinking of how else to use them I stuck them under my dash just to see how they looked Must say I'm surprised at the light they throw off, its like having a pair of flouros under my dash and being LEDs they could be on for a month and not flatten the battery Only cost me $6.99 delivered to my door and arrived in 3 days. gonna hard wire them into the interior light switch so they work in door and on mode

I have bought some Hong Kong based LEDs for my tail lights. Not fitted yet but they are designed for motorbikes. However, also bought some for a third light (again not fitted) and for parking and reversing lights. Parkers are excellent but reversing lights already have 3 to 4 Leds not working and only 1 month old. Have found all that I have fitted (parkers and reversing lights) are definitely bright enough but are very directional.

What I am trying to fabricate up is a number plate surround with a 3rd brake light built in.

Hi
This is my effort, fabricated the brackets and modified the light