Has anyone fitted a third brake light?

I have my reasons before you slate me. It's not an attempt to make the car look more modern or jazzy or anything like that, it's just for the safety reasons. Some people don't fill you with confidence out on the road so it would be reassuring to have one mounted right at the top of the window. I'm getting more cautious in my late twenties!  :redfaced: I'm sure you can still buy those DIY ones to mount and wire in yourself? Was just wondering if anyone's done it on their Mk1, or even on a different old car? Is it asking for trouble messing around with otherwise good lights to wire it in - even if someone qualified does it well?  

Well no….they are mind numbingly simple to wire in….splice into rear light loom easily enough.

It will look utter pants on a mk1 though  

Hella made one that fitted in the centre of the rear window using sticky pads , i sold a new old stock one at  Pod last year for a fiver .  It was a 1982 kit .

Worth doing for a daily driver with today's divvi drivers

Hundreds on good old Ebay [not genuine MK1 hella] .
One here looks same http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Hella-Universal-Safety-Brake-Light_W0QQitemZ290400465388QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Cars_Parts_Vehicles_Other_Vehicle_Parts_Accessories_ET?hash=item439d3771ec

Cheers……….

I fitted one to a MK11 years ago. Was a bit fiddly feeding wire thru hatch and rear pillar. The other thing was that it blocked a bit of view of the centre middle of the road in the rear view mirror.

ManicGTI said

It will look utter pants on a mk1 though  

I guess it would look odd. Ideally I'd want to see one someone else has done on a Mk1 hatchback then decide if it looks acceptable…

chudd said

Hella made one that fitted in the centre of the rear window using sticky pads , i sold a new old stock one at  Pod last year for a fiver .  It was a 1982 kit .
Worth doing for a daily driver with today's divvi drivers

Did you have to stick it right in the middle of the window then?   Do you mean centred, but right at the top or bottom?
Yeah it's an all-year-round daily driver, otherwise I wouldn't even bother considering it.

Early-1800 said

The other thing was that it blocked a bit of view of the centre middle of the road in the rear view mirror.

I guess putting it at the bottom of the window on a Mk1 would be better, where the dealer sticker goes…then it won't obscure anything? The hatch window is so damn big compared to modern cars though, I don't mind a bit of an interrupted view.  

Ive fitted one and it's ace. It's so much safer with high cars that can't see my piddly brake lights! 

Cabby or tintop if a cabby look for a US boot lid then looks us style as they were oem, however US tintops didn't have them which is odd


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wilko13 said

Cabby or tintop if a cabby look for a US boot lid then looks us style as they were oem, however US tintops didn't have them which is odd


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That is because it wasn't law in 83 when they stopped making mk1s

That's because the law for 3rd light wasn't in effect in 84….or before.  

Easiest is to by trailer tail light mount to parcel shelf,. Run the wire s under shelf, to the rear of the shelf, lr.eft or right to side, and wire it to a brake light and ground.  Running wire to rear will allow it to move up and down when opening the boot.  Also use quick disconnect spad connectors at side of rear, then you can fully move the parcel shelf and the seat.