GW Deluxe Manual Mirror Kit vs BD's Vanagon Door Mirror Kit

[SoquelDude]

[Busdepot]

Our kit uses mirrors that are readily available and fit a popular vehicle, so if you were to crack one you could easily replace it individually without having to buy a new kit (or even a new mount for that side). We stock spares and so do plenty of Land Rover places. The left and right mirrors are the same, which also makes replacement easy. By comparison, GW's kit uses unknown/unidentified aftermarket mirrors (and L and R are different). You'd have to start from scratch, as the mounts won't fit any other mirrors.

That's the same reason we sell simple a bolt-on adapter to replace your old-school Vanagon starter with a readily available Golf/Jetta gear reduction starter, rather than selling an obscure proprietary version like our competitors do. Proprietary vendor-specific parts are a backwards step, as they are often even harder to find/replace than Vanagon part was (especially in a hurry). Sometimes there's no choice, but if you can get the same result with a simple adapter that also allows you to use an even MORE widely available part on your Vanagon - a forward step - why not do that? Sure, I'd make more money selling expensive proprietary kits rather than buy-once-and-done adapters, but I don't think it's in the best interest of my customers. I'd rather you come back to me because you want to, not because I forced you to.

Another benefit is that many such products (including both the mirror and starter adapters I sell) are made by Vanagon enthusiasts who have been longtime members of our community and had the inspiration to make a better mouse trap, so the money goes back to the entrepreneurs/enthusiasts among us, rewarding their efforts and encouraging future innovation. I was one myself when I started the Depot, so I know firsthand how much that matters. The Depot would not exist today if the members of the Vanagon List (pre-Samba) hadn't been so supportive. You have to pay it forward.
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- Ron Salmon
The Bus Depot
www.busdepot.com

[thatbaldwinlife]

We have the GW deluxe mirror kit and like them a lot. Didn't love the look of the Land Rover mirrors and would have liked Truck mirrors but didn't want to spend the money on those.

nate
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1987 Westy
Insta: @Thatbaldwinlife
Vanagon Adventure and DIY videos:
That Baldwin Life YouTube Channel

[PDXWesty]

Hmmmm... All this talk of mirrors. I set my mirrors in 2006 and haven't touched them since. I couldn't even tell you if the motors still work or not.
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89 Westy 2.1 Auto

[thatbaldwinlife]

[jimf909]

[A2VR6]

I went with GW mirror and so far they have been great. If you need to replace them down the road you can just get them online. They are from 1987-2002 Jeep Wrangler.

[Altoona]

Here is my two cents having driven with both.

1) I personally hate the convex mirror on the drivers side with the Land Rover mirrors

2)They both seem sort of cheap in the build quality of the mirror themselves. The mounts are both fine with the GW being a small percentage point better.

3) They both are easy to find replacements for anywhere in the country with the GW (Jeep) mirrors likely a bit more plentiful.

4) Field of view is pretty equal, the Land Rover mirrors are convex on both so probably give a better total field of view, but like I said, I am not a fan.

[SoquelDude]

[VicVan]

Good feedback! Thanks
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'90 Little Blue Truck, 2WD auto, FAS GenV 2.0 NA (AVH)