Fun projects brakelight switch?
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Topic author - Posts: 341
- Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 7:11 pm
- First Name: Mark
- Last Name: Bailey
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1918 Roadster P/U
- Location: Colorado
- Board Member Since: 2016
Fun projects brakelight switch?
Fun projects brake light switch?
Are these units still being produced? If not who is making a comparable setup?
thanks in advance.
Are these units still being produced? If not who is making a comparable setup?
thanks in advance.
Still crankin old iron
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- First Name: Tim
- Last Name: Wrenn
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: '13 Touring, '26 "Overlap" Fordor
- Location: Ohio
- Board Member Since: 2019
Re: Fun projects brakelight switch?
The last I knew which was several months ago they still were not being produced. Birdhaven is supposed to, but not as yet that I know of. Call them.
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- First Name: Mike
- Last Name: Bird
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1912 Delivery Car
- Location: Goshen IN
Re: Fun projects brakelight switch?
I contacted them about a month ago to inquire. I was told they are waiting on parts to make them… much like everyone and everything else the Model T vendors are experiencing back orders, shortages and out of stock due to supply issues.
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- First Name: Frank
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Re: Fun projects brakelight switch?
No Birdhaven Website and their Facebook page hasn't seen activity since 9/11/2021 other than my comment Today.
The funprojects.com domain has been for sale for some time
and Today I got this
The funprojects.com domain has been for sale for some time
and Today I got this
The past is a great place and I don't want to erase it or to regret it, but I don't want to be its prisoner either.
Mick Jagger
Mick Jagger
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Topic author - Posts: 341
- Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 7:11 pm
- First Name: Mark
- Last Name: Bailey
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Re: Fun projects brakelight switch?
Thanks for the feedback guys. I figured the same thing. Hopefully they will come back soon.
Still crankin old iron
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- Board Member Since: 2018
Re: Fun projects brakelight switch?
Looks like the brackets need to be made
The past is a great place and I don't want to erase it or to regret it, but I don't want to be its prisoner either.
Mick Jagger
Mick Jagger
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- First Name: Steve
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- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1923 touring and a few projects
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Re: Fun projects brakelight switch?
Knowing the FP switches are unavailable, I made my own. I spent about $11 for a push button switch and a small eye bolt. The rest was all junk I had on hand. It ain't rocket surgery. Even better than the cheap price is that it actually works. 

The inevitable often happens.
1915 Runabout
1923 Touring
1915 Runabout
1923 Touring
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- First Name: Adrian
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- Location: South Island, New Zealand
Re: Fun projects brakelight switch?
I made mine with an old brake light switch, a spring, a bit of baling wire and a hose clamp.
Cost very little and works.
The switch was mounted on the frame rail.
The hose clamp on the brake pedal clamped one end of the baling wire (using a ring for articulation - see picture) with the other end attached to the spring. The spring then attached to switch. It is set to 'rest' when the pedal is in 'normal'. When the pedal is pushed the spring takes up the movement and pulls the switch.
Hope that helps.
Cost very little and works.
The switch was mounted on the frame rail.
The hose clamp on the brake pedal clamped one end of the baling wire (using a ring for articulation - see picture) with the other end attached to the spring. The spring then attached to switch. It is set to 'rest' when the pedal is in 'normal'. When the pedal is pushed the spring takes up the movement and pulls the switch.
Hope that helps.
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- First Name: Dale
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Re: Fun projects brakelight switch?
Use a motorcycle brake light switch, some have a spring.
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Re: Fun projects brakelight switch?
Snyder's sells a model A stop light switch with a pull rod which should work. part # A-13480-B $6.50 in 2021 catalog. similar to one the one Whiteman used in photo mounts to the frame connected to the brake pedal by spring and short rod. photos of motor cycle switch like Dale mentioned.
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- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1912 touring 1923 roadster 1925 pickup
- Location: Klaaswaal NL
Re: Fun projects brakelight switch?
I use a switch off a tractor supply store .
Toon
Toon
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Re: Fun projects brakelight switch?
Many ways to do it as shown here but man was that kit worth the price or what.
Forget everything you thought you knew.
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Re: Fun projects brakelight switch?
I agree Charlie. Like Steve J said, aint rocket science. Easy to clone, just gotta have the desire/ambition to do so, none of which I have!Charlie B in N.J. wrote: ↑Mon Apr 04, 2022 7:18 amMany ways to do it as shown here but man was that kit worth the price or what.


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Re: Fun projects brakelight switch?
The FP brake light switch was an elegant design like so many of John Regan's products. Unfortunately, Birdhaven appears to have had little plan for continuing the product lines once the original inventory sold out. I was lucky to have purchased what I needed while it was still available.
1917 Touring
1946 Aeronca Champ
1952 Willys M38a1 Jeep (sold 2023)
1953 Ford Jubilee Tractor
1946 Aeronca Champ
1952 Willys M38a1 Jeep (sold 2023)
1953 Ford Jubilee Tractor
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- First Name: Luke
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Re: Fun projects brakelight switch?
Just to to be different I made a stop-light switch from a solid-state MEMS gyro, and another from a hall-effect device
My reasoning was that a mechanical switch and associated mechanism would be more prone to failure, and since I already had the necessary gear it was easy to do. It also integrated nicely with the concept b/ecm I was developing at the time...
Subsequently my car stopped working, we got locked up, our rights were abrogated, and I lost interest. Besides that it was way over the top for something as crude+simple as a T and would only have served to confirm my nerd status!
Anyway I guess my point was just to say that in the absence of 'proper' parts a bit of ingenuity will go a long way, as several have demonstrated.
BTW I checked that website Frank, it's working here in NZ so perhaps they were just offline for a short time?

My reasoning was that a mechanical switch and associated mechanism would be more prone to failure, and since I already had the necessary gear it was easy to do. It also integrated nicely with the concept b/ecm I was developing at the time...
Subsequently my car stopped working, we got locked up, our rights were abrogated, and I lost interest. Besides that it was way over the top for something as crude+simple as a T and would only have served to confirm my nerd status!
Anyway I guess my point was just to say that in the absence of 'proper' parts a bit of ingenuity will go a long way, as several have demonstrated.
BTW I checked that website Frank, it's working here in NZ so perhaps they were just offline for a short time?
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- Posts: 1125
- Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 3:36 pm
- First Name: Adrian
- Last Name: Whiteman
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1926 TT, 1923 Colonial Roadster, 1924 'Bullnose' Morris, 1925 'Bullnose' Morris, 1936 JD AR
- Location: South Island, New Zealand
Re: Fun projects brakelight switch?
I can confirm that is not true! Luke is a very curious, clever and talented friend, but nothing nerdy there I can perceiveand would only have served to confirm my nerd status!
