lexi4darin

Hey guys, I'm about to buy a GS430 with navigation but I'm strongly against the rear wing (this is a really hard combo to find in my area with black interior). I've done some searches and even posted about removing the rear wing, hoping to find out that I can broaden my search to cars with rear wings.

It seems like I can buy a car with a rear wing (if I can't find one without) and remove the wing pretty easily (including getting the holes filled and paint etc.).

Is the brake light something I can do on my own for under $200 and a couple hours of labor? I'm not sure what it involves but are there DIY instructions or guides someone can point me to? Or can someone add to this post and explain how long the procedure takes, the difficulty rating, the costs of adding the 3rd brake light?

Thanks guys. The sooner I get to the bottom of this the better. It would be great to find out for just a few hundred dollars I can remove the rear wing and install a 3rd brake light to a car because this would yield a lot more cars to choose from. And that would mean I could buy a car this week instead of waiting for weeks in the hope to find a car without a wing.

Lexbox

The easiest thing to do about the wing might be to post in the classifieds and swap the trunk lid+wing with someone that wants a wing.

As far as the third brake light, my guess is you could just buy the actual housing etc and cut your own hole for it. Otherwise you would need a precut backdeck from a non-wing GS. And hopefully the wiring harness is there, I would assume it is but I have no specific knowledge of the possibility.

lexi4darin

LexBox,

That's my guess as well. However, since I'm in the unique position of still looking for a car to purchase, I'd like to know a few more specific details about what installing a 3rd brake light really involves. And really, how easy is it to switch an entire decklid from two cars? How likely will it be that I can even find someone interested in trading? Then the 3rd brake light installation.

If I'm doing the work at a body shop and doing the 3rd brake light on my own, it would be nice to know more details. If the parts alone are $800 and it's an 18 hour job, then I'll definitely be holding off. If it's a cheap, quick 3 hour job any novice can do, then its a good option for me.


If anyone knows how easy the decklid switch is, please post. If anyone knows how easy the 3rd brake light installation is, please post. If you have any other resources you can refer me to, please do.

mikevanle

iTrader: (1)

Hmm... is the 430 changed? My GS400 has the interior 3rd brake light as well as one on the spoiler.

So in total, I guess I have 4 brake lights.

mikevanle

iTrader: (1)

Here's pictures of my brake lights. I also did the tail light conversion so the upper part of the brake light comes up.

e-man

Hey Mike. If you have a third brake light in the rear window and a wing on the trunk, it just means that the wing was added by the dealer as opposed to at the factory. Cars with wings installed at the factory do not have a third brake light in the rear window.

Lexusfam

iTrader: (3)

does anyone know for sure if the wiring for the rear deck stop light is there for all GS. i have an 02 430, just wanna know before i swap the rear deck.