Hi all, just wanted to share my LED 3rd brake light mod.

I had gotten an LED light bar for a truck from a friend a while back. A month or so ago, I decided to see if I could make it work on the Fiero. I am really not at all sure of brand or any specs. I believe it was a JC Whitney product for trucks. About half of the light bar was rusted out, so I did some soldering and cutting, and came up with this. Every thing is hidden, and soldered in. I sealed off the broken/open area with hot glue, and built a harness for the wires. The harness runs down the inside of the plastic just next to the rear window. I used 3/4" hollow aluminum bar stock to mount it. The aluminum was cut into 3 pieces about 3" long. I used Automotive Goop to hold it up there, and some wood until it set.

Sorry for the pics. I am not much of a photographer. Also, she is a bit dirtier than usual.











Tony

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Fieroking Customs

Looks good Tony... well, except for that dirty car

How did you wire it and where do the wires run to? Can you take a close up of the path?

Edit to ask what are you going to do the the original 3rd brake light? Leave it in place?

Thanks
Nolan

[This message has been edited by Sourmug (edited 02-07-2012).]

She wouldn't be dirty if my truck was running. Besides, no salt here, and some really great weather.

The LED was a two wire system. I needed to rewire the LEDs, and run the positive to the light blue wire (brake lights) in the loom next to the battery. I ran the ground wire just in front of the battery, and drilled and tapped a new hole. Sorry, but everything is hidden, so no pics of the path.

I removed the bulb on the stock 3rd brake light. I have a console from a *cough* Caravan that I plan on modding in. For now, the housing is still in place on the headliner. The console idea went on hold because of the factory 3rd brake light location. Now, an empty canvass.

The hardest issue was in mounting it. The Fiero has that lip under the roof. Just an empty space. I finally came up with the aluminum stock idea after trying out five or so other ideas. Even getting the LEDs straight was a biatch. It matters greatly to me that it doesn't look like I stuck it on there with bubble gum. The LEDs needed to be exactly even, or it just looked crooked. Even when it wasn't. The bar is rather long, and looked twisted until I made a wooden jig to hold it in place during drying.


Thanks for the compliments,

Tony

[This message has been edited by Tony Kania (edited 02-07-2012).]

Looks great Tony!

Personally I think the *best* look would be an LED bar/ strip bonded into the actual clip, would be a nice slick look- but that comes damn close. Regardless I like it a lot, now convert those tail lights to LED

i plan on doing very same have light just like it with a knight rider chaser box.I will mount mine inside however between the roof lining.

[This message has been edited by Australian (edited 02-07-2012).]

Just a suggestion (that I may use myself), you could turn the existing third brake light in to a dome light for the interior.

If the headliner was not in, remove the nuts on the rear part of the roof. You can then slid in a coat hanger with the wire taped on through the opening. Wire the new brake light to the 3rd brake light wire inside the car. tighten up the nuts and headliner and done!
An Mit. eclips(sp) 3rd Brake light is about the right length for adding it under the lip.
Mine is bonded in, can't tell it is there till the lights come on.

[This message has been edited by revin (edited 02-07-2012).]

quote Originally posted by nitroheadz28: Looks great Tony! Personally I think the *best* look would be an LED bar/ strip bonded into the actual clip, would be a nice slick look- but that comes damn close. Regardless I like it a lot, now convert those tail lights to LED

Great, now I will never be satisfied. I really try and engineer everything I do. To the point of insanity sometimes. You gave me the idea of cutting a relief into the vertical edge of the roof, and mounting it in that way. Not joking, but I keep a list of ideas, and that made it on it just now. Sweet idea Nitro.

Doc... I plan on modifying a Dodge Caravan overhead console into my headliner. I have plans for the window swithces and all. The factory third brake light was the reason that I have not started that project. I couldn't firgure a clean look with the 3rd brake light housing on the headliner. I now have a clean slate.

Revin... I did think about routing the harness through that way. It took me about 30 seconds to find the alternative. There are no wires showing, and even with a mirror, nothing is seen. I have OCD, and often will spend an outrageous amount of time on perfection. I may have seen pics of yours before. Please share with us.

I thought of putting it in the wing, but saw Randye's idea, and liked it. With this mod, you really cannot telll anything has been done. It is important that anything I do looks "factory". Those that have seen it in person don't even notice it until it lights up.

Thanks for the compliments,

Tony

Tony,
I really must say that you have a way of modding your Fiero in a manner that comes off subtle, tasteful, and cool. That brake light is very nice looking and is also streamlined and functional. Your headlight mods also look very tasteful. That is a sweet Fiero you are building and I salute you for your ingenious ideas always well executed. I sure miss my GT and hope to be getting another one just as soon as my Tax money is returned here.... haha peace

Pete

I like it, great job!

I also like the heartbeat reflection on the deck lid how cool is that?

sorry only good pic I have right now

I have seen Tony's mod in person and think it is an absolute great mod. The way he mounted it you don't see the lights until they come on. I am trying to talk him into doing one for my 3,4 DOHC.

Joe Sokol

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85 SE Daily driver with a 3.4 DOHC OBD II
88 Formula/GT 4.9 Allante Intake (My Baby)
www.fieroking.com

VERY VERY nicely done!!!
Now can you make one for me Please?

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Aww man Tony ya beat me to my Idea that I was working on! (at least I now have an idea what it will look like finished) It is looking good. My idea comes with a twist though. I hope to have it done later this yr. I would have been sooner if I didnt have to drive 208 miles one way to work on my car though and making the trips in winter is minimum. Nice work!

Joe... Let me work out some things here. I may make these. Of course yours would be at cost or less Brother.

Randye... I swore your were the one that put the idea in my cranium? I could be wrong?

Revin... Really slick.

Mine was a first design kind of thing, but if I can build a product that I would feel confident in sharing with the community, then I may just do that. 1. It has to be easy to install. 2. It would have to look professional. 3. It would have to be cost effective to create, sell, and ship. 4. It needs to be weather proof.

The thought has been traveling through my head. If I were to create something worth sharing, what are folks willing to pay? Of course I would post up a final product before ever taking a single order.

Let me know what you folks think?

Tony

[This message has been edited by Tony Kania (edited 02-09-2012).]

That is really cool! Very modern and clean. Nice work!

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