Ever since I was rear-ended and had to repaint my bumper, I've become paranoid that It'll happen again.

The Z is very low, and I'd like the center brake light to be much brighter so that anyone following me too closely will go "OH, SH*T!" when I brake.

Anyone contemplated/implemented this fix/mod? I'm an electrical/lighting noob, so if you have ideas please spell it out to me like i'm an 8 year old.

 

clearcorners.com

if you want better looking brighter rear lights.

http://www.clearcorners.com/products...350zx3/R_full/

 

they are LEDs up there, you could rewire the whole thing with new LEDs, skys the limit on how bright, but eventually they will blind the people behind you. I dont think its that they arent noticing, they just arent looking.

best way to avoid it is to stay a ways behind any cars in front of you so you have plenty of time to stop and you dont have to worry about them not seeing you slam on your brakes.

 

Speaking of center brake lights, I was following an Audi (might have been an S4 or A4) the other night. His center brake lights weren't bright but they flash when he stepped on the brakes. At the stop, only the third brake light flashed, the others stayed lit. It really caught my attention. I don't know if this is legal. Cool mod nevertheless.

 

z8m> Speaking of center brake lights, I was following an Audi (might have been an S4 or A4) the other night. His center brake lights weren't bright but they flash when he stepped on the brakes. At the stop, only the third brake light flashed, the others stayed lit. It really caught my attention. I don't know if this is legal. Cool mod nevertheless.

They sell flashing modules that can give the brake lamps or 3rd brake lamp the appearance that its being depressed several times, that way it flashes a few times before staying lit. Its okay.. I personally find it a bit irritating if you are following someone, or if they are "brake happy." The new 7-series BMW has multi-step brake setup, where there are the main brake lights, and then the center brake lamps will light up under EXTREME braking. Personally, I find this all confusing and just a waste of time.. no one cares how much you are braking, they just care that you are braking -- no need for all this gadgetry. I think a quality tail light that is clearly visible is what is most important, not all the flashing, hype, and pizazz... hehe


Drag Limited> clearcorners.com, if you want better looking brighter rear lights.

Hey nice S14, glad to see I am not the only S-chassis owner on here. Were you at the Jspec meet this weekend? Sam just opened up his new office.


RoadRagerInTherapy> Ever since I was rear-ended and had to repaint my bumper, I've become paranoid that It'll happen again.

I feel your pain! The number one thing you can do is try to focus more on traffic behind you. In addition to not being the most visible car, the Z is blessed on the other hand with exceptional braking. This is not the greatest combination, especially when the car behind you has sucky headlights AND sucky brakes -- just a horrible combination for a car that can easily com careeming at you during panic stops. Although quality brake lights DO help (trust me, I probably have the brightest and most distinct tail lights in all of Los Angeles).. there are always idiot drivers that YOU have to watch out for. When I get into panic stop situations, it seems I always have one eye in front of my car while using the other to check the rear-view, just incase the person behind me needs a bit of extra space during panic stop situations.

Here is an image of my current brake setup, just incase you were wondering:



There have been times where I had to remove my LED tail lights and temporarily throw some OEM lamps on there, man.. I didnt think it was an issue, but I can honestly say that the LED tail lights make a WORLD of a difference. With the standard tail lights, people had no problem driving behind me.. tail gating and what not. As soon as I threw back on the LED lamps, people just happened to want to keep more of a distance. Maybe the 600 or so high-intensity LEDs burning a hole in their retina's had something to do with it.. oh well, I wont bother trying to figure it out.. I just enjoy the fact that they arent behind me.

- Mike / ClearCorners.Com