Date:         Mon, 13 Feb 2006 21:25:20 -0500
Reply-To:     Mike Collum <collum@VERIZON.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Mike Collum <collum@VERIZON.NET>
Subject:      Re: 3rd (center) Brake light for late model Vanagon
Comments: To: John Lavery <systems007@YAHOO.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <20060214004826.96976.qmail@web30904.mail.mud.yahoo.com>
Content-type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

John Lavery wrote:

<snip>
> I've seen a 3rd brake light mounted in the area behind the A/C.  In my
> case, the light would have to be bright enough to be easily visible
> through the dark tinted window on my rear hatch.
<snip>

I installed a "HogLite" (intended for a Harley Davidson) in my '85 Westy
which has limo dark window tinting.  You can find these a bit cheaper
than the site below or you can find suitable alternatives including some
at J.C. Whitney.

  ( http://www.hoglite.com/ )

The tinting was done on my Westy before I got it so I wasn't aware that
there was actually more than one layer on the rear glass.  The tinting
was too dark for the light to be effective in daylight so I decided to
cut an opening in the tinting for the light to show through.

I cut a length of vinyl window blind to act as a template and carefully
made a cut around it at the appropriate location.  To my surprise, I
easily peeled away the first layer of tinting which was enough for the
light to shine through the other layer brightly.  When the light is off,
one is hard pressed to even see that there is a strip with one layer
removed.  That's because it's directly behind the shelf at the rear of
the air conditioning cabinet and that area is dark.

Anyway, I'm really happy with the results!

Mike
Houlton, Maine