Third brake light ideas

[GrandAmSSE]

What could I do with my third brake light? I was thinking about taking out the len and putting in red bulbs or made doing something to the lens itself. Any other ideas.

Did I post this before?

[RedGrandAm2003]

I think you did... I told you there's a "Grand Am" or whatever you want decal on ebay. My friend got one and it looks pretty nice.

[ga5speed02]

put leds in there or a small neon tube

[GrandAmSSE]

I was also thinking remove the lens and put in green bulbs and paint the chrome reflector black.

[RedGrandAm2003]

Are you going with exterior green lighting? Then yes, that'd be cool.

[GrandAmSSE]

Not yet but I have interior green light and the car is green.

[red98grandamse]

Originally posted by GrandAmSSE
I was also thinking remove the lens and put in green bulbs and paint the chrome reflector black.

I dont know either way, but if i was you i would check and see if changing the color of your brake light is even legal. From the sounds of things, you especially dont need to get pulled over and in any more trouble than youve been in over some mod that you think is cool.

[GrandAmSSE]

I thought the third brake light wasn't required like the passenger side mirror. That it was more for saftey then anything else.

[rabidpanda69]

I do beleive the third brake light is required by law on cars built after a certain year.

[red98grandamse]

Like I said, I don't know either way, but you might want to make absolutely sure about it before you tear it apart. Once you do that< its going to be harder to return it to stock if it turns out to be illegal.

[RedGrandAm2003]

Yes.... please keep your 3rd brake light. I was coming home from work, and this "cool" guy with mods out the ass, has no tail lights, and i almost rear end him. has a spot for a 3rd brake light, but no. lights arnt even functional on the car either. I should have went out and kicked his ass.

[XoticGA]

3rd brake light isn't required... BUT if you have one it has to be red..

[Brandon]

has to be red.. thats a fed thing. but there again. having amber for the corner markers is a fed thing too, and i just vinyled mine black... so... do whatcha want, but dont complain if ya get in trouble...

personally i think a green wouldnt look right because a green led or neon doesnt come close to matching the green of your car. it would be to different....

[RedGrandAm2003]

yeah, it would be different. a green bulb is usually a pretty light green, is it not? Plus it'd be awhile before you found a green 3rd brake light bulb. lol

[Big Joe]

Originally posted by rabidpanda69
I do beleive the third brake light is required by law on cars built after a certain year.

Yes you are correct, not sure the year but i wanna says its sometime in the early to mid 80's

[GrandAmSSE]

I talked it my friend Officer Lawson and he said he wasn't sure himself but if it was that a cop would have to be a really dick to pull you over for it if your other two work.

[red98grandamse]

Originally posted by GrandAmSSE
I talked it my friend Officer Lawson and he said he wasn't sure himself but if it was that a cop would have to be a really dick to pull you over for it if your other two work.

and let me guess. you are going to push your luck and do yet another stupid mod right? I almost hope you do get pulled over for this and ticketed.............

[RedGrandAm2003]

They're out there. I'd say dont risk it and put a cover on there, and its a simple install.

[GrandAmSSE]

Originally posted by red98grandamse
and let me guess. you are going to push your luck and do yet another stupid mod right? I almost hope you do get pulled over for this and ticketed.............

Your rather pricky you know that. And no I'm not gonna do the green bulbs. I was think of having some vinyl made that say GA SE or Grand Am or Pontiac. Or maybe SSE(Super Sport Edition) for those who dont get what the extra S is for.

[Brandon]

i wouldnt do sse. the car is simply to old to do "super sport ed" back in the day when it was new maybe.... but.... some of the mods to hide its age like the carpet thing......... i think i would stick with the grand am.... or just putting leds...

[red98grandamse]

Originally posted by GrandAmSSE
Your rather pricky you know that.

yes, yes I am. but only under certain conditions.

[raw97gtp]

I Think you should just leave the damn car alone.... You do realize that people point an laugh at you when driving down the street correct?

[GrandAmSSE]

I was thinking leds. Like black out the len and put like 6 red leds in it. Where can you get LEDs? I know you need a resistor but what kind?

[TA^Guy]

Originally posted by GrandAmSSE
I thought the third brake light wasn't required like the passenger side mirror. That it was more for saftey then anything else. CHMBL (Center High Mount Brake Light) has been standard saftey item on passenger vehicles since 1986, altering a saftey item like that is most likely illegal to do in your state. I know in NY that a vehicle build from 1986 to now must have a working CHMBL.

[RedGrandAm2003]

:lol: it would be working... just green. lolol. yuo can get leds from radioshack/whatever the new name is. you can aslo get them from ebay. BestHongKong is a good store, and pretty cheap.

[Big Joe]

Originally posted by TA^Guy
CHMBL (Center High Mount Brake Light) has been standard saftey item on passenger vehicles since 1986, altering a saftey item like that is most likely illegal to do in your state. I know in NY that a vehicle build from 1986 to now must have a working CHMBL.

I knew it was in the 80's somewhere when they started that.

[RedGrandAm2003]

my birthday!! yay! I need a 3rd brake light... no wait.. nevermind :lol:

[Brandon]

oh lordy!

[GrandAmSSE]

Originally posted by RedGrandAm2003
my birthday!! yay! I need a 3rd brake light... no wait.. nevermind :lol:

Your only supposed to use spray cleaners and other aresol products in well ventilated areas and not in your computer room. I think your getting high on the fumes.

[RedGrandAm2003]

I dont. I dont use any spraypaint or anything like that in my room. =) Jeez. But yeah, Why dont you put a cool LED design in your 3rd brake light?

[GrandAmSSE]

What size resistor do I use? 20ohm?

[TA^Guy]

Originally posted by RedGrandAm2003
my birthday!! yay! I need a 3rd brake light... no wait.. nevermind :lol: Only passenger vehicles, so if your carring a family of five on your back you better get one. lol

[RedGrandAm2003]

Originally posted by TA^Guy
Only passenger vehicles, so if your carring a family of five on your back you better get one. lol

:roflmfao: Thanks man, I needed that :) But yeah.. i carry a family of 6 on my back thank you very much. :D


As for the resistor, whats your LED? Typically if your going to be using it with your car battery, and its red or yellow, the best guess is probably 560ohm, and everything else = 470ohm... but if you dont post the spec's of the LED, then we cant tell you exactly... but those resistors should work correctly.

[GrandAmSSE]

Dman the dude a radio shack was way off on the size of the resistor. Well go-figure. I think it was 2.6DC and I can remember the mA if this helps. I didn't buy them cause he said he coulded help cause he didn't know about car appilcations.

[RedGrandAm2003]

That guy is dumb. car applications? doesnt know a cars battery is 12 volts? dumbass. lol

[Brandon]

Originally posted by GrandAmSSE
Dman the dude a radio shack was way off on the size of the resistor. Well go-figure. I think it was 2.6DC and I can remember the mA if this helps. I didn't buy them cause he said he coulded help cause he didn't know about car appilcations.

should go to class instead of sneaking onto the roof!

[RedGrandAm2003]

Something you care to let us know about in your high school years? :lol:

[GrandAmSSE]

I thinking that was aimed at me for all my mispellings. I type to fast. I only snuck up there once and it sucked cause I hate heights.

[RedGrandAm2003]

oh yeah, to take a picture of your GA or somethin? yeah...

[canadian_racer]

I welded in a patch on mine and filled it in, it turned out good and no trouble yet ill get a pic up

[GaSe05]

i was thinking of geting the led bar out of a impla or monte carlo 3rd brake light and mod that. i seen a post some wher about some thing like that

[ga5speed02]

shave it

[GaSe05]

u realy cant unless u make a plate thred brake light cus like it was said the law has bin since the 80s u need have 3 rd brake light....................

[97SE3100]

yeah u could wire 2 red lights above your plate so you cant see them. then when u hit the brakes the plate glows red.

[Tommy00GT1]

1. Green colored bulbs in the third brake light........

2. Red colored bulbs illuminating the rear license plate when the brakes are applied........

Not to use your ideas as examples, but that is exactly why the state police here have begun a state-wide crackdown on mods like that. This was on all three Boston tv news channels just yesterday.
The cops are even being offered incentives for the more citations they write up. Sad but true; it was all over the news yesterday.

Yes, they are writing citations for not having that beloved amber reflector in the headlight. And they are also writing them for brake lights that have been excessively darkened to a point where safety is compromised.

I'm only the messenger; don't get p.o.'d at me; I got nuttin' to do wit it.:lol:

[bballr4567]

Whats sad about all these crack downs is that its related to how good the states are training new drivers. There are more wrecks and other bad incidents and then the people call that they need more crackdowns. How about the states have a better drivers education program. Hell maybe even give people tests everytime they renew thier license.

When I was taught I had a permit for 6 months and literally drove every day that I had it. Heck many states dont even require that you have your permit a certain amount of days before you can go get your license.

[canadian_racer]

Originally posted by ga5speed02
shave it
Thats what I did, check my avatar