HOW TO: Make Clear 3rd Brake Light [Archive] - GrandAmGT.com Forum

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EBlend
01-31-2004, 02:27 PM
Hello
Well since many people asked about it but i never really had a howto about it, i decided to make it now. I didn't before because it was already done and didn't want to take it out of the car just to take pictures of it and stuff, but since i sold my clear tails and my girlfriend got me some new bermuda black altezzas, i knew something had to be done to that third brake light as it stood out like a sore thumb (or will at least when my new tails get here), so while i was making over my third light i decided to post pictures of it at the same time, so here we go.

1. Take out the 3rd break light assembly, the whole thing.
2. Remove the red lense from the assembly
3. Remove the rubber seal around it, just pull on it
3. Using a dremel or simular, sut off at the bottom the bubbled out part of the red lence from the flat part. Look at pictures:
http://www3.telus.net/eblend/Car/Third%20Brake%20Light/IM009078.JPG
http://www3.telus.net/eblend/Car/IM009091.JPG
4. Measure out the inned diameter of the housing and cut out a peice of 1/8 plexi glass (or something close) to the shape of the inner diameters. (don't mind the dirt and the cracked holes and such, just make it a normal size like in picture, thats my old lenz)

http://www3.telus.net/eblend/Car/Third%20Brake%20Light/IM009079.JPG

5. Measure to make sure it fits nicely inside the housing

http://www3.telus.net/eblend/Car/Third%20Brake%20Light/IM009080.JPG

6. Once done glue it around the edges onto the red peice.

7. Here is where u have a choice, u can either cut out the holes for the little tabs on the bottom of the rubber seal or you can cut off the tabs. I before cut the holes but this time I just cut the tabs and glued the rubber gaster around.
http://www3.telus.net/eblend/Car/Third%20Brake%20Light/IM009081.JPG

EBlend
01-31-2004, 02:29 PM
8. Reassemble everything and put it back. I made mine a little different by making an LED array looking idea under the plexi for my new taillights to match (they are black too). I will be later putting a neon behind there to light it up real nicely.

Well here are the pics of the finished product (old once with clear lense)
http://www3.telus.net/eblend/Car/IM008949.JPG
http://www3.telus.net/eblend/Car/IM008950.JPG

NEW PICS:
http://www3.telus.net/eblend/Car/Third%20Brake%20Light/IM009087.JPG
http://www3.telus.net/eblend/Car/Third%20Brake%20Light/IM009088.JPG

kong
02-03-2004, 05:52 PM
tha's cool. gotta try that.

Brutis
02-06-2004, 02:07 AM
good mod, id do it but i get worried about moisture in lights, hate that

EBlend
02-15-2004, 11:49 PM
Originally posted by Brutis
good mod, id do it but i get worried about moisture in lights, hate that

don't have to worry, you are still using factory gasket

Blight
05-17-2004, 12:42 PM
Wouldnt you need RED replacement lamps? I havent looked inside this 3rd brake light assembly before... but i assume they are clear/white lamps. It looks like i would need 3 red lamps correct? Wow, nice modification, it solves the problem i had if i got clear tails, i didnt want that red brake light still. Thanks

PACE
05-17-2004, 12:52 PM
yeah, of course you have to add 3 red 194 LEDs

Sleepwalkr
09-08-2004, 03:42 PM
Thats really sharp bro. I've seriously been considering doing very close to this same thing for a while now.

AznGA
10-03-2004, 11:32 AM
Where is a good place to get Plexi glass?

2003GaGt1
10-03-2004, 12:11 PM
i bought some plexi from Ace Hardware cheap, they have all up to 1/4" and i know Lowes sells it, depending on whats by you.

shadesofnight
10-03-2004, 01:02 PM
I forgot who suggested it to me, but I used an old poster frame for the plexiglass, cant get much cheaper than that if you have one laying around.

AznGA
10-03-2004, 08:22 PM
Who makes good 194 red LED's for this setup? I don't think PIAA makes red ones.

goober5904
10-05-2004, 09:31 AM
www.superbrightleds.com

www.jamstrait.com

grandam01
10-15-2004, 01:22 PM
hmmm i wonder, if ya paint the silver back part of the inside there will it kill the darkness of the lights, i was thinkin of doin cleared gt tails and clearin the brake light and paintin the inseides of both to match the color of my car.

grandam01
10-15-2004, 01:23 PM
not kill the darkness, rahter make it more dark so you can't see the lights light up.