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conceptzrqt
Samba Member
Joined: September 29, 2009
Posts: 36
Location: Knoxville
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 Posted: Tue May 25, 2010 7:41 pm Post subject: |
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Glad to hear.
We have some of those as well. We buy, sell and make LED products for motorcycles. We have a ton of one off, abnormal or just wierd stuff. We even have a Batman symbol in LEDs about 8"long. Made it for a customer and they never picked it up.
Mine is a daily driver...I do mean daily. I drove it all winter last year. I have pics to prove it, some place (hehe) . . .6" of snow and there I go.
Like I said I have a light film of tint on all my windows and when I hit the brakes it was all red. It did not stay up long. I deal with a mold company from time to time, I tought about making a rear window mold and have a part made from stiff rubber so it sends all of the light out the rear window instead inside.
I still might look at that. Problem is molding/production cost vs sellable cost. It might take a hundreds upon hundreds of them to break even.
Thanks.
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ghia4mea
Samba Member
Joined: July 23, 2007
Posts: 478
Location: Largo Florida
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| Posted: Tue May 25, 2010 8:21 pm Post subject: |
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I installed one of those 48 LED lights at the upper center of the rear window. I used super magnets and small home made metal brackets to mount it and the magnets to the inside metal window trim. To reduce window reflections at night I covered the lower red plastic of the light with a strip of black electrical tape. The result is perfectly acceptable to me for night driving.
I also installed an LED light behind the engine vent opening. Both lights are powered by a homemade circuit that rapidly blinks the 2 third brake lights 4 times then they stay on continuously as long as the brake petal is depressed.
In my opinion, one thing that I find of concern in these cars is:
The brake light switch/s need time to build pressure before the brake lights actually turn on.
I added a spring loaded electrical switch in parallel with the normal brake switches. This added switch is mounted in the brake pedal area. It is activated when the brake pedal is depressed 1/8 of an inch. In my opinion this gives the drivers behind you the maximum warning time that you are stopping.
Just my 2 cents. Whatever we can do to stop getting rear ended is a plus.
Last edited by ghia4mea on Wed May 26, 2010 6:27 am; edited 2 times in total |
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Greezy Joe
Samba Member
Joined: April 12, 2010
Posts: 1534
Location: Crawfordville, Fl
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| Posted: Tue May 25, 2010 10:53 pm Post subject: |
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 Dang, now I have another project to do. 
Good ideas here.
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Current:74 Ghia Coupe w/ 2276
71 Ghia Vert w/ 1835
07 GMC Truck
12 Jeep Wrangler
73 Harley FLH 93 cid
89 Harley 883 Sportster (1200)
Owned before: 58, 69 Ghia Coupes, 64 Canvas Sunroof, 68, 72, 73, & 74 Bugs, 63 Single Cab, 65 Bus, 66 & 70 Camper
" Duct tape can't fix stupid, but it'll muffle the sound". |
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Gary
Person of Interest
Joined: November 01, 2002
Posts: 17069
Location: 127.0.0.1
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| Posted: Wed May 26, 2010 6:19 am Post subject: |
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| rayandraka wrote: |
You've got me wondering now whether the Hella lights a PO put on mine are high enough. I'm not even sure they were intended as brake lights, as they are currently inop and I haven't been able to trace the wire beyond the deck lid so far.
My wife had a 1970 KG coupe some 30 years ago and always wanted another (it was destroyed by a Monte Carlo tail-ending her at a red light and putting the engine in the back seat). This is going to be her fun car once I get it in top shape and through inspection. I'm understandably sensitive about the brake-lights standing out. I might consider adding a light bar inside the air vents like iradi's is too. Inside the rear window won't work for me if the top is down. |
Nothing against you, but those two lights the PO installed on that Ghia look like ass. Then again, that's my opinion, and we all know that opinions are like assholes; your mileage may vary; offer void in Rhode Island, etc etc etc.
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West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette, 319 U.S. 624 (1943) |
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rayandraka
Samba Member
Joined: April 24, 2010
Posts: 51
Location: Rhode Island
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| Posted: Wed May 26, 2010 6:36 am Post subject: |
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| What can I say? They are there, and I'm not inclined to spend money to get a new deck lid and paint to match just to get rid of the lights. |
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Ghiaddict
Samba Member
Joined: November 20, 2002
Posts: 2632
Location: Now in Honea Path, SC
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| Posted: Wed May 26, 2010 6:44 am Post subject: |
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| rayandraka wrote: |
| What can I say? They are there, and I'm not inclined to spend money to get a new deck lid and paint to match just to get rid of the lights. |
I wouldn't worry about it.
It would take a lot more than removing those lights
to get your Ghia back to a stock look.
Consider it a mild custom and roll with it.
One thing for sure, doubtful there's another Ghia out
there exactly like yours. 
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Karmann Ghia & Beetle parts available.
Convertible tops installed. |
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Gary
Person of Interest
Joined: November 01, 2002
Posts: 17069
Location: 127.0.0.1
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| Posted: Wed May 26, 2010 6:53 am Post subject: |
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| rayandraka wrote: |
| What can I say? They are there, and I'm not inclined to spend money to get a new deck lid and paint to match just to get rid of the lights. |
Bah, you wouldn't need a new decklid. More than anything, it speaks volumes about previous owners and their "improvements".
_________________
West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette, 319 U.S. 624 (1943) |
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iradi
Samba Member
Joined: August 24, 2007
Posts: 211
Location: Miami, Fla
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| Posted: Wed May 26, 2010 7:46 am Post subject: |
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| Bruce Amacker wrote: |
| conceptzrqt wrote: |
Does it reflect off of your rear window any?
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I've driven it at night a few times, it's not enough glare to bother me. It is noticeable in the mirror, but I'm usually looking ahead of me.... 
I think it's this one, 48 LED's, which is $8.99 inc/SH. The sucker's bright- easily throws a beam 30 feet across a garage and illuminated the opposite wall when you're playing around with it out of the box. Listing:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/48-LED-Car-Red-Thir...ccessories
I mounted it to the inside window trim. |
This is what I do it on my car, easy to install, very bright, good quality and looks nice. The only thing is to wait is to wait 15 days to have it.
The chinesse guy how sell this unit must give a donation to Samba because he will start to receive a lot of orders. ( For this price $ 8.99 S&H included ) I ordered 2 to have one in back up.
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Ivan
74 Guia Coupe Daily Driver |
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Bruce Amacker
Samba Member
Joined: December 26, 2007
Posts: 1786
Location: Cleveland, Ohio
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philermonic
Samba Member
Joined: November 09, 2010
Posts: 361
Location: Orange County, California
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| Posted: Sun Jan 16, 2011 5:29 am Post subject: |
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| oldguysrule wrote: |
This one is my favorite location:
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I like this. Is it effective, functional? |
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70 140
Samba Member
Joined: September 22, 2002
Posts: 8471
Location: Ontario Canada
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| Posted: Sun Jan 16, 2011 7:10 am Post subject: |
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| Yes to both. |
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CLKWRK
Samba Member
Joined: October 02, 2001
Posts: 566
Location: Toronto
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igne82
Samba Member
Joined: December 18, 2006
Posts: 22
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| Posted: Sun Oct 12, 2014 6:42 am Post subject: 69 3rd brake light |
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Added an LED bar to the over rider bar. For those who say it's too low, this thing is very bright. If it didn't catch your attention even during the day you must of had your eyes closed while driving. I'm adding a flasher to it later for added eye grabbyness. |
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akear
Samba Member
Joined: August 18, 2013
Posts: 359
Location: Los Angeles
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| Posted: Sat Jan 24, 2015 11:17 am Post subject: |
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| How are people affixing the LED light bar to the rain tray location? I first mounted with the adhesive squares that came with it and it fell off after a couple days. Next mounted with 3m squares and it again fell off (separated between 3m square and original bar adhesive). Thought I'd clean everything up real good and try the 3m squares again but wonder if others have a better solution. |
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e&m_ghia
Samba Member
Joined: April 04, 2011
Posts: 418
Location: NoVA
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| Posted: Sat Jan 24, 2015 6:36 pm Post subject: |
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| akear wrote: |
| How are people affixing the LED light bar to the rain tray location? I first mounted with the adhesive squares that came with it and it fell off after a couple days. Next mounted with 3m squares and it again fell off (separated between 3m square and original bar adhesive). Thought I'd clean everything up real good and try the 3m squares again but wonder if others have a better solution. |
Just realizing we never posted pictures of ours... Well, we put it in late in the day - maybe we didn't take pictures... And car is in now for an engine rebuild, so difficult to take pic's now... We have a 73, probably similar rain-tray arrangement to your Ghia.
We attached 2 LED strips to a piece of rubber weatherstripping, using the adhesive that came with the LED strips. We didn't want adhesives attached directly to the car, we just used existing screw-holes, and we didn't want to make a structure that would trap moisture... (This also meant we didn't have to attach adhesives to presumably-greasy surfaces. Just clean surfaces directly from a manufacturer.) The weatherstripping was 1 inch or maybe 1.5 inch rubber weatherstripping - what you can get from Home Depot, that goes around a drafty door in the NorthEast... It flexed in the curve of the lid, so it faced more-or-less straight back from under the grill on the top side.
We punched holes in the weatherstripping where the 3 upper screws go in, that attach the rain tray to the front-side of the lid. Used machine screws & nuts in the existing holes, rubberized washers to take up the slack. Then wires to an existing brake light. |
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c21darrel
Samba Member
Joined: January 22, 2009
Posts: 8211
Location: San Dimas
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philermonic
Samba Member
Joined: November 09, 2010
Posts: 361
Location: Orange County, California
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| Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2015 1:34 pm Post subject: |
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| 70 140 wrote: |
| Yes to both. |
And I've had one now for about 2.5 years.
Don't think I have a pic - well I might, but I am not going to find it right now, but it looks just like the one on the silver Ghia above.
L-O-V-E having it ! !
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"A camel is a horse designed by a Committee" |
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akear
Samba Member
Joined: August 18, 2013
Posts: 359
Location: Los Angeles
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| Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2015 2:32 pm Post subject: |
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| Thanks for the replies. Not sure I completely follow the E&M method but first will try the 3M adhesive square method once more (after making sure all is very clean.) |
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bhartwell59
Samba Member
Joined: December 28, 2014
Posts: 792
Location: dallas, tx
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| Posted: Wed Jan 28, 2015 1:31 pm Post subject: |
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| DerekR wrote: |
This one is my favorite location:
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this i like... it appears to be in the sight line of the driver behind you |
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e&m_ghia
Samba Member
Joined: April 04, 2011
Posts: 418
Location: NoVA
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| Posted: Mon Apr 06, 2015 6:56 pm Post subject: |
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| akear wrote: |
| Thanks for the replies. Not sure I completely follow the E&M method but first will try the 3M adhesive square method once more (after making sure all is very clean.) |
Doing the spring clean-up, thought illustrating the method would be useful to others - this basically makes the 3rd brake light a "separable" task without too many contingencies on clean surfaces, etc. We attached the lights to some vinyl weatherstripping, and then attached that to the upper screw positions in the rain tray. Basic idea:
Looks like this from back (lights off):
(Please excuse poor phone pic colors)
And then, what it looks like in real life:
(Again, excuse phone pic... We also later found out that tail-lights & brake-lights were reversed in harness wires, but you get the idea...) |
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