Third Brake Light on my SC!

[OsoMoore]

Just got my new 3rd brake light all set up! Hopefully this will prevent SUVs from bumping into me. The How to: 3rd brake light install thread was dead on! Let me know if you are trying the same thing and having issues.



And yes, that is a 911 SCWDP sticker!

[Hugh R]

I had an LED strip about a foot long on the inside top of my Targa rear window. It unglued today and fell off. I swear I just epoxied it to the glass 10 years ago. I used that thread as a model.

[Swoboda]

OsoMoore:

What brake light did you use? (LED, Daniel Stern, etc.)

Can you post a daytime picture, too, please?

Thanks.

Lawence

[Flojo]

funny, I ripped mine out.
didn't like the "new age style" of it to my 79

[4flyboy]

OsoMoore,

Looks great!

"Hopefully this will prevent SUVs from bumping into me."

You'll need to mount a rearward facing Howitzer for this.....

[Jack Stands]

I just installed one on my Targa, and also feel a bit safer amongst all the brain dead, cellphone texting SUVers! I actually build a small box to attach it to the rear glass, but that does interfere with my rear view vision, so I may try to mount it without the box. Are there any reflections that are bothersome if it's just mounted inside without a factory styled enclosure?

[OsoMoore]

Here is the light I used: Amazon.com: Car 32 LED Red Third Brake Stop Rear Light Lamp 12v: Automotive
It does not interfere with my line of sight at all. At night, there is a soft glow on the parcel shelf from the light reflected off the window. The angle of incidence is very low so that is unavoidable without building a box around it. However the light is red and the reflection isn't strong, so it doesn't interfere with my vision.

Here are some pictures of the setup, including the light in full morning sun.

[Steam Driver]

Doesn't matter how many brake lights you have if the idiot in the SUV is head-down texting, like most of 'em are!

[gtihop]

I just took mine off! Didn't look right with the tail.

[OsoMoore]

Originally Posted by gtihop

I just took mine off! Didn't look right with the tail.

Should have taken the tail off!

Originally Posted by Steam Driver

Doesn't matter how many brake lights you have if the idiot in the SUV is head-down texting, like most of 'em are!

I am considering a spiked bumper for those folks.

[OsoMoore]

FYI - I ended up using epoxy to keep the brake light in place. Both the sticky pad in the original package and some 3M double-sided tape did not hold up.

I expect the epoxy will be sufficient. The only drawback is standing in the car for 10 minutes holding the darn thing while the epoxy sets.

[steve84]

OsoMoore

Thanks for your post. I have purchased an OEM 3rd brake light, have reviewed all of the posts on this subject, and am now looking over my 1984 Targa, to determine how I am actually going to do it. My initial concern is passing the two wires into the engine compartment. I've located the hole through which the rear defogger wires pass, but it seems that I will have to remove the rear deck to gain access to that hole from the car interior. From the posts that Ive read, there are just 4 screws and some sort of clasp. Did you have to remove your rear deck? If so, I see that you have rear speakers, as I do; did the speakers come out with the rear deck? Thanks in advance for any helpful hints. Steve

[Jack Stands]

Removing the rear deck really is just a four screw affair. Take it out (you may need to remove the speakers if the wires are too short to maneuver around), then you can easily pass the wires through to the engine compartment.

I found the hardest part was attaching the wires to the rear brake light harness. Not too much room to work back there! Regardless what you do, I think it's a good upgrade for safety with today's brain dead drivers.

[OsoMoore]

Originally Posted by steve84

OsoMoore

Thanks for your post. I have purchased an OEM 3rd brake light, have reviewed all of the posts on this subject, and am now looking over my 1984 Targa, to determine how I am actually going to do it. My initial concern is passing the two wires into the engine compartment. I've located the hole through which the rear defogger wires pass, but it seems that I will have to remove the rear deck to gain access to that hole from the car interior. From the posts that Ive read, there are just 4 screws and some sort of clasp. Did you have to remove your rear deck? If so, I see that you have rear speakers, as I do; did the speakers come out with the rear deck? Thanks in advance for any helpful hints. Steve

JackStands is right - removing the rear deck is very simple. You don't remove it from the car, but rather just shift it so you have access to the hole. My speakers had long enough wires that there wasn't an issue.

The wires that came on the light rod were too short, so I spliced a 5' extension onto them and covered the splice with shrink tubing. Then I stuck the light rod onto the window after cleaning the application spot. I tucked the wire into the seam and ran it down behind and underneath the interior panels on the car wall. It was pretty easy to tuck it in.

The next tricky part was getting the wire through the firewall. There is a little grommet/hole where the wires for heating the rear window come through. I worked a coat hanger wire up from the engine bay, and duct taped my new light wire to it. I was then able to pull them through the tight fit. It took a couple of tries to get through without losing the wire.

Next I had to connect the wire in to the system. Disconnect the connector on the bottom of this little ignition box on the driver side of the engine bay.



Then you will be able to get at a small bolt below it which already has another grounding wire attached. Ground the brake light here. In that same area, you will see the wiring harness which is all wrapped in insulation/electrical tape. Carefully open the bundle and look for the wire that is black with a thin yellow stripe. This is the brake light wire. Splice the positive wire from your light onto this wire. I used an Exacto knife to scrape away a small bit of the insulation without cutting the wire in two.



The box with the ground below it is on the left in this pic. The bundle at the bottom with the wires peaking through is where you will find the signal wire for splicing. On my car there were a bunch of wires of various colors, but only 1 black with a yellow stripe.

Then I connected my brake wire to it, and wrapped the new connection in electrical tape. Then I re-wrapped the entire bundle.
Reconnect the ignition box-thing to its connector.

Now you just need a friend to stomp on the brake with the ignition on, and you can see the light work!
It took me a couple of hours, but I wasn't working very quickly and had to do the wire splice. If your tail light has a longer wire, you can probably save some time.

[Algernon]

Originally Posted by OsoMoore

Here is the light I used: Amazon.com: Car 32 LED Red Third Brake Stop Rear Light Lamp 12v: Automotive
Here are some pictures of the setup, including the light in full morning sun.

Mine (same type) melted/self-destructed after just 2 days of Denver sunshine!

The plastic stretches more than the end caps can cope with. I replaced with one that has center bracket only, now survives fine!

[Jack Stands]

Hella makes a nice brake light unit (looks appropriate to a Porsche) that I bought from J.C. Whitney (of all places!). I simply fabricated small metal angles to mount it to the rear window with some two sided tape, and used a bit of electrical tape to mask off the sides. Hasn't melted yet!

[tirwin]

Here's the TBL I added to my SC last year. Got it from Daniel Stern.

[m110]

After having a close call on the freeway in LA, I installed a 993 style third light with a factory kit along the top. Looks good and don't have anything hanging down anymore. I thought about a thin LED stealth strip along the vents but decided to just do the whole factory 993 rear glass and light. I am happy. An example below.

[Jerome74911S]

Originally Posted by m110

After having a close call on the freeway in LA, I installed a 993 style third light with a factory kit along the top. Looks good and don't have anything hanging down anymore. I thought about a thin LED stealth strip along the vents but decided to just do the whole factory 993 rear glass and light. I am happy. An example below.

993 factory kit? Is this offered by Porsche? I takes an entire new rear glass?

[Guardsred911]

Originally Posted by 4flyboy

OsoMoore,

Looks great!

"Hopefully this will prevent SUVs from bumping into me."

You'll need to mount a rearward facing Howitzer for this.....

I second the call for howitzer..... Or a wheel gun - no shell casings!