3rd Brake Lamp (CHMSL)

-
DartGTDan

DartGTDan

'71 Dart GT Fan
Joined
May 29, 2004
Messages
1,725
Reaction score
2,369
Location
metro-Detroit
I've been wanting to add a 3rd Brake Lamp (CHMSL) to my Dart GT for the obvious safety reasons. I'd like to find something that is sleek and unobtrusive. I stumbled across a picture of a Dart with exactly what I was thinking of:

1-CHMSL.jpeg


Does this Dart belong to a FABO member? Anyone have any details about the 3rd Brake Lamp (CHMSL) pictured?
 
That is a slick custom addition from some other vehicle. Maybe bodywork before paint grafting.
My high mount brake lamp is inside on the package shelf. I had to cut its base into 3 pieces and mod its angle to get it to hug up to the rear glass of a notch back. @slantsixdan can hook you up with an easier adapted fixture design if you want to go this route.
One point to note; These older cars use the same wires for both brake and turn. My aftermarket fixture came with an electronic box they called logic circuit that prevented the added brake lamp blinking with turn signal. It died after about 2 years. I went and bought 25 feet of white wire and routed it from brake lamp switch at pedal. Same path as OEM rear lamp harness all the way to the added brake lamp. Problem solved forever. I did use a scotch lock wiretap to attach the added wire. No way I would cut that wire and risk losing all brake lamps.
 
Yes, I've seen the SlantSixDan options. They don't appeal to me. My search continues!
 
Any moron that ignores 2 tail lights will ignore 3....
But it is a nice install.

If you want to be safer install strobe brake lights.
 
Get one off a '94-'05 Chevrolet Astro/GMC Safari van. It's meant to sit on an exterior horizontal surface, and its black plastic parts can be painted body colour if you want to blend it in. GM part № 15030163 if you want to buy new, or hit the wrecking yards or one of the used-part search engines www.car-part.com or www.hollanderparts.com .

15030163_CHMSL.jpg
 
Last edited:
mbaird said:
Any moron that ignores 2 tail lights will ignore 3....
But it is a nice install.
If you want to be safer install strobe brake lights.
Click to expand...
The high mount light is what todays drivers look for and notice most.
We bought our 1st 67 notch in 1982. It was rear ended twice in about 6 years. @nd was a Triumph TR7 I think. Lifted the back of the fish and dented the fuel tank. I put a 3rd brake light in it. It was never rear ended again. So that addition was the very 1st thing I did to the notch we have today. bought it 2006. It hasn't been rear ended yet. I think the 68 B'cuda is the most needing. It has more reverse lamp than brake lamp.
 
mbaird said:
Any moron that ignores 2 tail lights will ignore 3
Click to expand...

Nope. Crash data show the central 3rd brake light significantly reduces crashes, even decades after the novelty effect wore off. This is why it's a good thing car light specifications are based on data, not guesses.

If you want to be safer install strobe brake lights.
Click to expand...
…which are illegal and unsafe, so no, don't do that (looks like it's an especially good thing car light specifications aren't based on your guesses, eh! LOL)
 
RedFish said:
The high mount light is what todays drivers look for and notice most.
Click to expand...
i don't think "most" drivers today are looking for anything in particular, in any meaningful way, that i would recognize as being aware of what other cars are doing.
looking forward to seeing what you come up with
 
On a 68 barracuda, I had thought that I would put red led bulbs in the backup lights and wire them to the original taillights. Put a light strip over the license plate for backup lights.
 
slantsixdan said:
Nope. Crash data show the central 3rd brake light significantly reduces crashes, even decades after the novelty effect wore off. This is why it's a good thing car light specifications are based on data, not guesses.

…which are illegal and unsafe, so no, don't do that (looks like it's an especially good thing car light specifications aren't based on your guesses, eh! LOL)
Click to expand...

Well after 30+ years in the car biz going on test drives with tens of thousands of drivers I probably have some insight into human behaviour behind the wheel . Probably 40% of them tailgate or follow to close . Most wait till the last minute to brake because they feel so secure with modern cars and never take into consideration reaction times .
Its even worse now with CMBS systems.

Go ahead and plaster 30 lights on your car... if they arent touching their brakes in time they will still hit you !
 
Hell I have a strobe on the rear of my BMW dual sport and a guy still rear ended me at a stop light !
Just remembered that .
 
I've been wanting a third brake light for my '68. One of the ideas I've had is using an LED strip light between the trunk lip and bumper like you see people doing on pickup trucks.
 
What you really need is something that will jam their phone when you hit the brakes

Maybe that will catch their attention
 
Mike69cuda said:
On a 68 barracuda, I had thought that I would put red led bulbs in the backup lights and wire them to the original taillights. Put a light strip over the license plate for backup lights.
Click to expand...
Red lights behind a milky white lens equals pink.
 
One of our club members was behind me, during our fall color tour, and nearly rear-ended me (damn Nova drivers LOL)! He scared the poop out of me. Since then, I've wanted to add the CHMSL to help make drivers aware.

slantsixdan said:
Get one off a '94-'05 Chevrolet Astro/GMC Safari van. It's meant to sit on an exterior horizontal surface, and its black plastic parts can be painted body colour if you want to blend it in. GM part № 15030163 if you want to buy new, or hit the wrecking yards or one of the used-part search engines www.car-part.com or www.hollanderparts.com .

View attachment 1715857885
Click to expand...

That's the style I was thinking about. There has to be millions of them in the boneyards. Time to see what I can find. Thanks slantsixdan!
 
SIX225 said:
I've been wanting a third brake light for my '68. One of the ideas I've had is using an LED strip light between the trunk lip and bumper like you see people doing on pickup trucks.
Click to expand...

This isn't as smart an idea as it sounds. All vehicle exterior lighting functions, even the ones that aren't mandatory—like central brake lights on cars made before 1986—are highly specified as to their design, construction, durability, numerous aspects of performance (how much light they distribute through a wide range of vertical and horizontal angles, etc). It's far more detailed than just "Well, it's a red light facing rearward that comes on when I step on the brake, so it's a brake light" or "Well, the eBay ad said brake light, so that's what it is". We do not get to just declare any ol' light into whatever function we want. If you want to put on a central brake light, put on a (real) central brake light.
 
Contributing factors.... fifty plus year old red lenses. They darken with age. Our first 67 notch, huge and darkened lenses, minimal reflective in the fixture, one 1157 bulb, less than optimal power supplied. The OEM brake lamps can be improved.
 
LED bulbs made a huge difference in brightness on my tail lights. I left the front turn signals with regular bulbs so my flasher still works.
 
slantsixdan said:
This isn't as smart an idea as it sounds. All vehicle exterior lighting functions, even the ones that aren't mandatory—like central brake lights on cars made before 1986—are highly specified as to their design, construction, durability, numerous aspects of performance (how much light they distribute through a wide range of vertical and horizontal angles, etc). It's far more detailed than just "Well, it's a red light facing rearward that comes on when I step on the brake, so it's a brake light" or "Well, the eBay ad said brake light, so that's what it is". We do not get to just declare any ol' light into whatever function we want. If you want to put on a central brake light, put on a (real) central brake light.
Click to expand...
Not to mention that adding more lamps even-with or worse, lower than the OE stop/tail lamps is entirely useless.
 
I have one hella 3rd brake light center mounted,inside rear bottom backglass , came from slantsix dan !, all guys that have run behind me says that they better that my oem taillight, and they could see my brake light even if they are 2 or 3 car behind me as sun goes down, of course anyone in a cruise could be distracted, but my biggest concern is with the daily drivers.
 
My son says people don't see or hear the fire truck running full code.
Would a third brake light help?

Seriously, anything to make cars more visible will help.
Another idea from the 30s-40s returns.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top