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MG TD TF 1500 - 3rd Brake light

I have a TF, Its brake lights are not brilliant, to say the least. After a friend got rear ended because the rear-ender claimed not to have noticed the old style dim brake lights come on, I decided to install a 3rd brake light. It's now attached to the top of the spare tire but removes in a wink for show.

Method: I bought a yard of 1 1/2 inch wide, self sticking, industrial strength velcro material and a rectangular generic brake light. I hot glued (self-sticky to plastic is not so good) a strip of the hooked side of the velcro to the back of the brake light. I stuck the hook and eye velcro together, back to back, this time trusting the self-sticky. Wrapped the velcro around the top of the spare tire and stuck it to itself, after notching the velcro so it lays flat as it goes between the spokes. Stuck the brake light to the velcro. Attached the light's wires to a connector just underneath the light. From the other side of the connector, unobstusively ran the hot wire to the switch on the master cylinder and the other to ground. When I want it off I just unplug the connector, unzip the velcro strip, tuck the wire behind the spare's hub and it's invisible. The whole shebang cost about ten bucks and a couple of hours. It's very secure, and I feel much better when I have to stop in traffic.
John Flanagan

John - Great idea! I did the same thing myself on our TD and MGB and would recommend that everyone who drives their cars do the same thing - people are getting used to looking for that high mounted third stop light. Since both cars have luggage rackes, I hung mine fron the racks (high mounded rack on the TD). One note of caution, unless one of the LED units (such as sold by J. C. whitney) is used, this modification will up the current through the brake light switch by at least a third (much greater is a halagon bulb is used) and will shorten the life of the brake light switch. I have found that, since Lucas is no longer making replacement parts, the switches on the market now will not even stand up to the normal current drawn by the stop lights. The one on our MGB lasted all of one week! The solution to this is to go to Radio Shack and get a 30 amp automotive relay (single pole single throw) and hook it up such that the brake light switch operates the relay and the relay controls the current to the stop lights. This should make the stop light switch last for many, many years.
David DuBois

I found a motorcycle tail light made by a company called Custom Chrome that is the exact same size as and shape of the license plate light for the TD, and ran the one addtional wire from the harness under the gas tank. I didn't consider a relay, and have a year and a half of safe motoring with no obvious brake switch problems.

Andy Moyce
52 TD
Andy Moyce

This thread was discussed between 20/04/2000 and 22/04/2000

MG TD TF 1500 index

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