Clear Third Brake Light

This is the clear third brake light mod I did to my '95.

This is a pic of it in the dark with the stock red lense

This is it with the clear lens

 

[EliteConcept]

you can't just show pictures of a mod like this you gotta do a write up on this man!!!!
I want to do this badly please do a write up. or at least tell me how difficult it was

 

[Alec]

Looks good, but please don't double post.

 

[snocross1985]

Wow, looks great! How did you make this?

 

[DirtyDog]

Sorry about the double post dude.

First I took the upper trim piece off of the lift gate. I believe I had to drill out rivets from the outside and there are three nuts on the inside right where the brake light is, but first you gotta take out the balast which is held in with 2 screws. Make sure you unplug the balast also. There are also 2 nuts at the end of the trim piece, one on each side.

Then I disasembled the third brake light. The neon tube is in a piece of black plastic with the reflecter. After you take that out you must carefully take out the red lens with out bending up the trim piece too bad.

Then I cut a rectangular piece of clear plastic (about 1/16" thick) big enough to fit where the red lens was. Then I siliconed it into place being careful not to get any on the plastic where it can be seen.

Now I CAREFULLY took out the neon tube and painted the reflecter with aluminum paint(or you can use a different color that will reflect good like bumper chrome). Then I put the neon tube back into the reflecter.

To put the reflecter back onto the trim piece, I just siliconed it back on there. And when I put it back onto the lift gate I carefully tightened the nuts back up and run a tiny bead of black silicone over the top where the trim piece and the lift gate meet. I also put a tiny bead of clear silicone around the oval where the clear plastic meets the trim piece.


And as for the smaller trim piece I just peeled back the rubber seal on the top of the trim piece, cut it with tin snips, put the rubber back on and cut it to size. But before I cut it I drew lines with a pencil to make sure both sides were the same and so that it would look good.


I was gonna make a smaller trim piece out of aluminum checkerplate but I bought a '99 before I got to it

 

[DirtyDog]

Oh and I also forgot to mention that I re-riveted it back on where I previously drilled them out and notice the shaved emblems too

 

[jimbo74]

so does it light up red or white?

 

[DirtyDog]

The neon tube itself is clear, but it lights up red. Very bright red

 

[EliteConcept]

call me ignorant but how does it light up red? isn't the florscent tube inside clear?
to me it sounds like you remove the red reflector and put a clear one in its place...

maybe i'm missing something

 

[X~FACTOR]

Do you have a close-up shot of the 3rd brake light and the surroundings of it?

 

[Alec]

On his website are pics of it lit up red at night, looks good.

"Neons" can actually have different gases in the tube to make them light up different colors. Some are colored with the gas, some with the tube, and some with both.

 

[frickea86]

cool mod guy, looks very nice and there is a mad difference, good job...

An i back Alec up, "neons" can have different gases inside and when electricity is run threw glow different colors....

 

[EliteConcept]

make me one...

 

[X~FACTOR]

Do you have a close-up shot of the 3rd brake light and the surroundings of it?

A close-up please or just the 3rd brake light housing only. I need to get some ideas how to fill mine. Thanks.

 

[DirtyDog]

I will get some close up pics after work tomorrow.

 

[DirtyDog]

Here is a close up. Hopefully I can get a better one cause the weather isn't good so the light was poor. I didn't paint my reflector though. I used aluminum tape that is used for sealing heating duct joint's (it was accessable cause we do tin work in our shop) and it doesn't look so clean. But if I was keeping my x, I would take it apart and paint it. That would make it look more professional.(P.S. I didn't do the crappy tint job)

 

[X~FACTOR]

You are going to hate me DirtyDog but can you get a shot of the ends of that black trim? That's the part I'm having problem getting a "finished" look. Thanks, again man.

From what I can see it looks REALLY good!

 

[DirtyDog]

I will get some more pics tomorrow it is dark now and I got it parked at a lot for sale so I can't even bring it into the garage to take more pics. Did you do this?? If yes post or PM or e-mail me pic's.

 

[X~FACTOR]

Sure did. But I no longer have the lights. So I am basically just looking to fill that area up.

 

[DirtyDog]

Here is the end. I haven't had a chance to finish it like I wanted to befor I put it up for sale but this will give you an idea.