Call us vain if you want, but in the battle of good looks versus safety, most rodders go for the style points. We like big engines, open cars, and technology predating the Eisenhower administration. We also tend to favor small lights ('39 Ford, '59 Cad, etc.) on our cars' posteriors, and we typically mount them low on the body or in the bumper. For the most part they work fine, and R&C would be the last to mandate uncool, billboard-sized blinkers for every cruiser out there. Yet we've seen several rear-ended rods and customs recently serving as reminders that today's glassy-eyed motoring public sometimes needs more in-your-face cues to warn it when your rig is coming to a halt.
The subject came into clearer focus the other day when Editor Rizzo was following my Plymouth wagon. Not only are the car's taillights small, but Riz noticed that the brake lights came on well after the car started slowing down. The culprit, of course, was the original and not-so-reliable pressure-activated brake light switch. Simply replacing it with a fresh one might've helped. However, I decided a different approach was in order, so I ordered up a mechanical brake light switch from Watson's StreetWorks, which is activated off brake pedal action instead of brake line pressure. While I was at it, I asked Steve and Carol Watson what else they offered to bring attention to my (ahem) rear end. The accompanying photos show several options (plus a closer look at the switch), and the Watson's StreetWorks catalog has even more. Check it out and see what you think.
They may be small, but taillights carry a big burden. Namely, keeping other jokers on the road from invading your trunk space. Needless to say, it's important that brake lights and blinkers work well and shine bright. |
The problem: Lazy brake lights caused by a crusty, old pressure-activated switch. |
Our solution: Substituting a mechanical brake light switch from Watson's StreetWorks. |
The Watson's device is a very simple switch that can be activated by nearly any through-the-floor brake pedal arm. A nylon roller on the switch arm provides a contact point for the brake arm. |
The switch arm pivots as the brake arm is depressed, actuating the brake lights. An elbow joint on the switch arm (arrow) makes it easy to adjust or change the brake light "on" position. |
Here's what the switch looked like installed on our Plymouth. It probably took longer to re-route the wiring (which had yet to be done in this photo) than it did to mount the switch using the two supplied screws. |
Watson's offers many other products to improve the visibility of your car's backside. The Ultra Bright Bulbs are probably the most popular. They are more than twice as bright as stock lights and provide brake and turn lights that are 50 percent brighter than standard bulbs. |
Another eye-catcher is the Brake Light Pulsator, which pulsates brake lights at a rate of five pulses per second. |
And there's always the tried-and-true third brake light. Watson's offers several billet, pedestal-mount versions as well as flush-mount styles that can be integrated in your car's body. |