what is the best high level brake light for new style FIA bar

[SUPERLIGHT91]

My S3 car has the new style FIA bar (with two holes centre top for the FIA strutt)

 

What I'm wondering is - has anyone found a really neat OEM look high level brake light that could use these fixings?

 

Something with superbright CREE red LEDs in I suppose - or even anything neat with a standard 20w brake light bulb in it I guess.

 

I would be interested to see what people have come up with for this.

Thanks

[Dave Allen]

 

How about this.

[SUPERLIGHT91]

I like it Dave - it looks neat, it looks OEM and it looks superbright (potentially).

 

Its also probably big enough to be seen thought the hood rear screen.

 

Who makes that one? That is pretty much what i had in mind, like it.

[SLR No.77]

This one made by Hella

 

Stu.

[Dave Allen]

I bought it from here

 

A friend made a backplate with rivnuts and i used two wellnuts to go into the rollbar.

 

Edited by - Dave Allen on 8 May 2013 15:35:44

[SUPERLIGHT91]

Thanks Dave that looks great - Stu - that Hella unit is pretty neat too.

 

 

[simpy]

Photo of the Hella light unit from CBS on my car http://my.lotussevenclub.com/Pictures/myPictures/tabid/481/AlbumId/224/PhotoId/1402/UserId/2900/Default.aspx but I have only taped it on so far 😔 one of the jobs I need to sort on a rainy day....

[SUPERLIGHT91]

Nice and neat also - nice car too - red and black/carbon is a good look/colour combo.

[simpy]

nice car too - red and black/carbon is a good look/colour combo.

Thanks

[Damdy-Cash]

this one doesn't look bad, what do you think?

 

Cheers Volker

[SUPERLIGHT91]

Yes Damdy - I saw those - price is certainly good and they have a nice F1 theme to them also.

[Ozzy]

Round LED shrouded cluster, or maybe Volkers suggestion. Far better, and much more visible on a sunny day. The strip light ones aren't a lot of cop in the sun.

 

 

 

[Piers Rendell]

You can buy the cable harness adaptor from Caterham - It makes it all very easy to wire in.

 

Piers

R300KWK

[SUPERLIGHT91]

Yes the superbright round and square race-style rain lights both look good - I will look into these with the Caterham wiring harness

[Felixgogo]

I went with the Hella unit also - very slim body - and used velcro to mount it.

 

http://imageshack.us/a/img15/4305/img0915qe.jpg

 

I just removed the little rubber bungs in the rollbar, and the unit went right over them.

 

 

[SUPERLIGHT91]

Very neat and OEM looking too - good job

[Mark Widdup]

I use one of these from maplin which looks spookily like the demon tweaks rain lights. You just need to remember to by a diode as well which Rae pence to wire in line.

 

Mark

 

http://www.maplin.co.uk/52mm-red-led-cluster-12696

[SUPERLIGHT91]

Maplin option looks a potential bargain & mini production line with the diode mod. for easy of fitment. Food for thought.

 

Baring in mind an FIA approved light similar to this can be as much as £100 to buy off the shelf!

[Roger Ford]

Quoting Mark Widdup: 

I use one of these from maplin which looks spookily like the demon tweaks rain lights. You just need to remember to by a diode as well which Rae pence to wire in line.

ITYM a resistor. 3W, 22 ohm (22R). Maplin code W22R, 64p

[Mark Widdup]

Thats the one, sorry about the incorrect terminology. The lamp zip ties easily on to the diagonal and shows clearly with hood or half hood on.

 

Mark

[SUPERLIGHT91]

Thanks Roger to the Pointers from Mr Widdup Maplin light to confirm all one would need to get the round one up and running from Maplin would be:

 

http://www.maplin.co.uk/52mm-red-led-cluster-12696 part no. PD01B £11.99

 

ITYM a resistor. 3W, 22 ohm (22R). Maplin code W22R, 64p

 

Also what you could get for an easy plug & play installation from Caterham is their in-line loom which is http://www.caterhamparts.co.uk/product.php?id_product=345 meaning one wouldn't have to 'muller' the original wiring (although its pretty easy to get a feed from inside one of the rear lights of course, with some stacking lucar connectors).

 

I feel a complete 'kit' coming on.

 

 

[Mark Widdup]

Yes confirmed that is all I used.

 

You can further enhance the whole braking experience by adding one of these brake light switches

http://www.autoelectricsupplies.co.uk/product/185/category/38.

These switches actually come on as soon as you touch the brake pedal rather than the standard one that needs an emergency stop to light it up. The swict mounts in the brake box under the bonnet and the clamp attaches to the rod operating the master cylinder.

 

Mark

[Roger Ford]

Quoting Mark Widdup: 

These switches actually come on as soon as you touch the brake pedal rather than the standard one that needs an emergency stop to light it up.

 

Nothing wrong with the standard one if adjusted properly (and the contacts cleaned occasionally).

[SUPERLIGHT91]

I like the switch idea for instant response or failsafe.

 

Have you seen the high-speed flasher brake light unit that they are using in the motorcycle world to really catch people's attention - this would work quite well on a high-level light (as you are more likely to see a flashing light than a solid one).

 

It basically flashed fast for the first second and then goes solid if the brakes remain on.

[Willie.]

Have had one of those 52 LED lamps sitting for ages, and only today ordered the loom from Caterham to get it fitted.

 

What's the purpose of the resistor; is it to drop the voltage to stop the LEDs popping? I tried mine on the car battery (Not running) and it was lovely and bright, compared to the 9V battery, which was quite dull in comparison.