Gumby

Ive had an idea for a while to make a sort of rear brake light running light that is a tach / gear selector.

I don't know it may do nothing at all but I have a stick and maybe the jerk behind me would back off if he could see I'm in 5th gear pulling 2000rpm.

Well that is a much harder project but I found a gauge on ebay that might work. Could either mount it inside the stock window 3rd brake light. Or use it and the internals to build a bigger version.

Not sure how visible it would be. Would like it to be visible from two cars behind.

Gear position thingy can wait.

Big thing is the tach is used and going for to much on ebay. Anyone every seen anyone selling one like this??? Id even consider an off brand.

Xophertony

i have never seen anything like that, thats pretty cool.
one thing i have stated doing, when somone follows me too closely, aslong as i am not on the freeway, i just pull over and let them by. i don't wan't to get rear ended couse some *** hole is in ahurry, its not worth my beatifull **Cough**3rd gen.

as for the tach idea, that is an option i never would have thought of, way to be original hope it all works out

aaron7

iTrader: (7)

Ok... what? I'm really lost here!

Gumby

Yea, we already know that.

aaron7

iTrader: (7)

Not too sure how you meant that, but I mean c'mon, you're idea is a little vague!

Gumby

The idea is to have a neat, clean looking led tach on the back of the car. I guess I could **** it out and bolt a 8in round tach to my wing but thats a little goofy.

Driving a stick sometimes Id like the jerk behind me to know what I'm doing. For the same reason I have / use my brake lights or turn signals. Give the people behind me a clue.

A gear selection would be neat as well but a tad more tricky.

basically turn the 3rd brake light into a tach, little easier on mine as it's the top window mounted one.

It may only look neat in the end like a set of neon's but it may also help.

dans82bird

haha dud, thats cool! I agree, driving a manual trans with these crazy drivers out there, half the time im at a light stopped and dont even have my foot on the brake so someone might end up hitting me thinking I'm moving, just the other day I was driving behind a newer T/A, like 00 - 02 ish and I changed lanes to make a right turn down my road, well about 5 seconds later some POS comes crashing into his bumper at 30 mph! Talk about luck! Your idea is cool, though a bit overkill, I wouldn't put a tach on my rear hatch hopefully people will actually pay attention to it instead of ignoring it like 99.9 percent of people that drive.

Petes 84Z28

I get your idea...but it's gonna have to be so large in order to be understood by the driver of the second vehicle; at highway speeds, you'd be looking at a distance of 100ft minimum - that's only figuring for about 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 car lengths between each vehicle plus 20 ft for the first vehicle.

And then, there is the fact that anyone who would be tailgating you wouldn't have the slightest clue what it was anyways...

I always had this idea for making the brake lights become brighter the harder the pedal was being pushed, IE: panic stop brighter than normal slowing down. But again, who's really gonna know and understand what it meant? They'd be thinking, "What is going on with that car?" instead of, "That car is slowing down. I'd better do the same..."

Just my take on the idea...

Pete

Gumby

I'll give this other idea away for free.

Mount a electric antennas in the front corners of the cars. Just use the fatter bottom parts and put in a few LED's, one towards the driver, another pointing to the opposing car.

And of course align them in a nice row in tree formation.


A Ford pulls next to you and rev's it up. You hit the switch and a mini drag tree pops out of either side of the car.

You look over and get the heads up and activate the switch,

yellow
yellow
yellow

green
green

Not sure if ya need a red light, you would then need it rig up some mini stage lights of sort. Make it a tad harder.

Xophertony

i am in a state of awe. or in the words of a popular SNL character "i am reborne in your geneouse"

that s verry original, but you know as soon as an "asian drag racing fad follower" -or- R!cer saw it. it would be availible for purchase at the local "import Racing (oxymoron) shop"

also, talk about a speeding ticket, cop sees your sportn' a tree, bust you for everything he could think of.

Gumby

The drag tree will have to wait. I have all the LEDs necessary but would need a free - $5 electric antenna to break.

If I get the tach for my B-day I'm gonna go ahead and make my third brake light/ tach.

Just gonna see how it turn out. The tach is also hard to find so it will stay different. They stopped making it two years ago and used ones on Ebay go for about $10 less then new.

If you look, some place still have them in stock.

The image show the size of the tach. It should be readable 1-2 cars back. I may chop it down some. Seams kind of high.

sunpro and actron are the same.

If it ends up looking hookey I can just remove it and use it else where. My Buick doens't have a tach.

Petes 84Z28

Check this out.....
http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?...category=11895
He has a couple different sizes available.

SuperchargedRS

Maybe you could program it to flash "tacky", or "I wasted $10 on this thing". lol

Gumby

Don't get me started. I have had one similar to that for years. I have threatened many times to mount it in my back window when "johnny" laws wants to ride my #$$ bumper.

Have it display my name , address, license number and SS number. Then politely ask them to back the **** off.

ramair92rs

all this is supposed to make it so someone stops riding you bumper correct? well isn't this just goin to increase either A) some riding you bumber to find out what it says......... or B) someone rearends you because they were busy reading the light in you window instead of watching the road

deadbird

They used carry the Sunpro tach at Pep Boys. They were roughly $30-40 IIRC. They weren't but about 1-1œ"h x 3-4"w

Gumby

i see used ones going for that much on ebay. Itsl ike Sunpro stopped making it from lack of demand but put a used one on ebay and watch people go bid happy. I should be getting one tomorrow. [My B-day] I think it was like $44 new.

But still good to know that I can use it for as long as I want and then pawn it off on ebay if i change my mind for close to retail.

MrDude_1

they were $20 at advance around here...

i know because i sold one to a friend who was makign a digital dash "kitt" car replica.

Gumby

If you can find more of those for $20 you will make lots of friends on Ebay. I thought Id get a used one for $10-$20 but the auctions went so high that new/retail made more sense.

it is a very neat tach and its redline range fall right in line with my stock tach.

Gumby

That sounded good for $10 but the auction closed at over $150. I may need to dig out my old one. It has a cable controler not a remote but geese its gotta be worth $75 on ebay.

Gumby

Back from the dead like a ghost.

I finally did the 3rd brake light Tach mod.

But someone ran off with the digi cam.
I just finished up. There is just enough room to jam the sucker between the stock wing and trunk lid. I did some sanding and used a washer on each post to give it a tad bit more room. So it would still be a tight fit but no in danger or cracking the case.

Right now its only held on wit h3 self tapping screws. Had to grind the heads down paper thin but still able to get a small wrench on them.

I will seal the sucker with silicone and epoxy the case to the wing maybe. Looks killer and you know every ***** in the worls will have a 3d brake light Tach soon too.

Nice to share with the world. Funny is a kid down the street got him self a Firebird for his first car today. He has admired mine for years. Now he has one. Too bad it the slow 305 version.
But hes pimping it.

Gumby

Here is the tach used.

Gumby

OOPs if I had images turned on I would of seen it was already posted twice.

305q_ta86

iTrader: (1)

I have 2 ideas. First, you can do what my friend did. Wire up a switch that activates your brake lights. He liked to use it on the freeway to scare the **** out of whoever was riding his ***.

The other idea, for the tach, is go to the junkyard. Rip apart an 80's Mopar with a digital dash. There were TONS of them. You can use the internals from that and some LEDs to get the EXACT effect you want.

Rick King

i HAVE SEEN THOSE TACS before at auto part stores, they also resemble the grand national tacs. I would really think twice about putting it in place of the rear brake lit as the cops would probly pull you over all the time, and always have a reason to pull you over itf they want. Dont get me wrong I thing it is a grat Idea, as for the numbers I believe that it may need to be on a larger scale. maybe some one can soder you together a board that uses that sysem as an interface that has large lighted numbers.

just my 2 cents

later and

GB

firebirdjosh

iTrader: (1)

1. Car is riding your ***: pull over or speed up. Don't fake turn on your brakes with a switch.
2. This idea is probably one of the worst I've seen in a while. Like it's been said: the guy behind you with hit you because he's getting close to see what it is, is distracted by it, doesn't know what the hell it is, etc. A flashing third brake light is said to decrease the person behind you braking time of atleast .3 seconds I believe I read. That's why many motorcyclists use them.

Gumby

Drove around for an hr with it on.
Right now its all on, all the time.
Not hooked into the brake lights.

But its easy to turn it off if need be. I have it hooked to the remote turn on wire from my radio to my AMP.
So I can just turn off the radio and kill it.

I don't drive enough anymore to really worry. But I can't just cruise without some bone head trying to race. When he see the tach never go above 2000 RPM, they might get a small clue.


Maybe get a window sticker.

If the Tach don't read 5000 RPM
I AM NOT RACING YOU. BACK OFF.


I really can't just enjoy a nice drive anymore.
My Buick is really the fast car in the family but no one bothers me in it or they know better. But the Firebird is a pure bone head magnet. Its sad really. Id like to just drive around and be left alone.

Rick King

And so it begins and ends because of the legendary BANDIT


GB

rk

Gumby

I will get some live action shots tonight.
By tomorrow this time they should be all over the web.

Only down side is I don't trust anyone to drive my car.
So I can never check it out in person.

Only problem I noticed in day light is its not 100% on center. It is 100% on center with the wing. [inside post to inside post.]
But the center tail light section doesn't line up right. I measured and measured. It could be 1/8 off but not a 1/2in.

305q_ta86

iTrader: (1)

I dont get why you wired it to your stereo though. Why not just splice the wire going to the cigarette lighter, run it to a switch, then to the tach?

Gumby

Cause it was an easy hook up switched 12v source right there.
I will wire it up better later.

I will get pics tomorrow. I just got done moving it around.
Centered with the key hole and not the wing center.
Plus I pushed it back 3/8 in.
Besides being a tach.
It looks like a stock under wing position 3rd brake light.

Not that its all that exciting for you V8 guys but this is the only digi tach you can find that matches the stock redline for the V6.
Also why I used it.
Even though they are harder and harder to find anymore.
I will just gut it and install a red lense.
If anyting ever happens to it.

Gumby

Just one quick shot. Camera walked off on me.
Need one from farther back and some night pics.



It does stick past the trunk lid some but is a good 1/2-3/4in under the wing. Its as far back as possiable without putting longer studs and spacers under the wing.

ScrapMaker

I hope you don't get in trouble for the green part.

Norwood

iTrader: (1)

I can't believe people waste their time on such crap. If someone is tailgating you it could only mean 1) you are in the wrong lane (move over to the right) 2) they might want to race (if you want to, hammer down, if not slow down, they will get the hint 3) put the map away or pull over 4) put the cell phone away or pull over 5) if he has some blue lights on, pull over and start with the excuses.
Take my word for it, if you want to invest any money, sweat, blood or tears in your ride then make sure it improves your cars performance, unless it's an audio type thing. My biggest thing has been the "sleeper mentality'', don't let em know nothing, always keep them guessing...I promise...it will drive em crazy.

84RIceEater

Looks Too 80's

ScrapMaker

well, I think that' IS a tach from some 80's car.... I've seen that before, somewhere...

84RIceEater

dont put it on. my two cents.

ScrapMaker

84RIceEater... kinda funny, that you have the picture Gumby should have...

roc city f body

thats gotta go it looks tacky,id have to think that it will be more of a distraction to drivers behind you, plus were i live it would probly be illegal. did you drill holes in your spoiler and trunk? good idea though ,just not for me

Gumby

still the best mod ever. People are so very poliet now.
Should of done it years ago when I had the idea.

I am 80 style and its an 86..........

ScrapMaker

so you really have that tach in your 3rd brake light location?

Gumby

Yep it still hooked up, Guy

-----------------------------
Still running its power off the radio 12v+ remote power for the amp line.

Have yet to need to turn it off if I saw seen a cop but only takes 1 push of the button to kill power to it.

But Im telling ya it does work wonders.
Folks get it and back off, no one gets confused and drives into me. Maybe people around here are just smarter then most.

I drive 10-15 over limit but sometime I don't feel like doing all that revin n shiftin to take off like an auto. I can putter 1-2nd on a take off and not get tail gated cause folks easily figure out what I'm doing and don't ride up on me from a take off. And 2 sec later Im gone n e ways.

NINÅ

<CENTER><B>
I’ve done a lot of testing. Brake lights have little effect on the ability for
a driver to see if a vehicle is too slow/stopped ahead. Especially if the
vehicle is stopped at a RED light! Too blind to see the RED light . . . too
blind to see brake lights. Brake and other excessive vehicle lights have
done nothing but dumb down the mass (mess) of drivers out there.
</FONT>
</B><FONT COLOR=F3399><H5>
“If people drove any slower they’d be going backwards.”</FONT>
<FONT COLOR=FF66FF></H5><H3>NINÅ</H3></FONT>
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<B><H3><CENTER>REFUSE
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ScrapMaker

I always thought it would be cool to have brake lights that got even brighter, or did something to show you were stopping harder than normal... like using an accelerometer to control them...

Gumby

Still going strong. Can't believe this mod was done in 03, feels like yesterday.
I love it so much, folks back the heck off as they can see I don't wanna race by my RPM.

MurcoRS

Defintely different! I thought it would be great to have a 3rd brake light the width of the center spoiler (like on some cadillacs) that would light up the center 6-8 lamps upon initial braking and progressively light up "wider" as your pedal pressure increased.

ScrapMaker

Don't do it with brake pressure, do it with an accelerometer, so they now how fast you are actually stopping... otherwise people will see you at a stop light and it will look like you are panic-braking...

Gumby

Back fomr the dead, since getting my new notchback [see sig for pics and link about it.]
the wing mounted tach had to go as the wing isn't going back on.

So I did some work to put back my rear mounted tach.
The short time it has been off, it back to normal with folks riding my butt.
But when the tach is there, folks can see im only pulling 2500 rpm and to get off my azz.

I don't know how it works so well, maybe it sikes most out but folks don't ride up on my butt when its on the car. Since it was mounted to the rear wing, and rear wing is gone..... had to come up with something else.

Gonna strip the paint from the back side and paint it black. So the bird logo and PC will go away.

Gumby

Half way through trying to strip the paint off the back and not melt the plastic with paint stripper, I had a brain fart.

Just paint the outside dummy, since the see through logo thing is not needed.

dark pic but you get the drift.



Though it may be a bit before it gets installed. That 65F day yesterday didn't last long. Cold as F again.

HCR13

iTrader: (5)

Interesting idea... I went with the trans parent bird and "Trans Am" on my bird for the tailight mod... Maybe you should wire "I'm trying" above the tach?