Has anyone found a reliable source for outside mirrors?

[Vince Waldon]

My 70 bus came with two very de-silvered outside mirrors.

Have tried a couple different flavours of replacements from CIP, also a couple originals from a local bus.

The CIP versions, not unexpectedly, don't bolt on tight to the body, loosened within a day at the swivel joint next to the body, and loosened within a couple of weeks at the back of the mirror. All of which means they don't stay adjusted for more than about 10 minutes of Edmonton potholes.

Tracked down a couple of original mirrors from someone locally who was parting out a bus. They stay tight at the body and swivel joint but the back of the mirror is again loose enough to vibrate out of adjustment after a typical trip to the store.

Anyone find a better version of repro... or know a way to bolster the originals so they stay tight at the back of the mirror?


thanks for any suggestions,

Vince
_________________
Vince Waldon Edmonton Alberta CANADA
1970 baywindow

[rustbus]

Maybe a dumb question, but did you include the hard plastic washer between the mirror and the body? This helped mine stay put.
_________________
May of '72 Deluxe. 2.0L L-Jet CS & 091 trans conversion
my Bus thread

[TheFonz]

I got two from an import store local to me called Action Auto
They were EMPI and tightened right down (though it hasn't left my garage it seems like its of solid build)
Number on the box is 98-2017b for left side
_________________
-73' Westfalia
-76' Westfalia
-72' Westfalia (parts bus)
-76' Westfalia (project for my dad as a thanks)
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=452223&highlight=
^Check out my restoration thread

[jtauxe]

Mirrors are one of those things where the originals just can be beat. the hard part is finding them in decent shape. One thing you can do with yours, if you the heart to do it, is bust out the glass and service the little spring and nut that is inside so that it tightens appropriately. Then you have to find new glass. My attempt have having a local glass shop shape glass to fit failed pretty miserably.

I had the same problem of the threaded mounting part being too short on mirrors I got from Bus Depot. Otherwise, they were nice -- good metal, nice binding around the glass:

http://www.busdepot.com/211857514f
and
http://www.busdepot.com/211857513f

Don't even bother with the black plastic ones, except in an emergency. They vibrate so much that you can hardly see anything:

http://www.busdepot.com/211857514h

To solve the problem of the threads being too short, you need to replace the mounting part. You could use the original ones, and if you get lucky the taper in the hole will match, but I've seen a lot of versions of that, too.

Here's a source for NOS VW mirror nut mounts:

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=1051720

I got two, and they fit well, but still do not look quite as good as the German originals. I wonder if these are really from Brazil, though the seller says Germany. At any rate, they do work. If they weren't so expensive I'd get more of these.

So, I think the best bet aside from original is the Bus Depot mirrors supplemented by the NOS mirror mounts. That ends up being about $55 per mirror.
_________________
John
"Travelling in a fried-out Kombi, on a hippie trail, head full of zombie..." - Colin Hay and Ron Strykert
http://vw.tauxe.net
1969 Transporter, 1971 Westfalia, 1976, 1977, 1976, 1977, 1971, 1973, 1977 Westfalias,
1979 Champagne Sunroof, 1974 Westfalia Automatic, 1979 Transporter, 1972 Sportsmobile, 1973 Transporter Wild Westerner, 1974 Westfalia parts bus, 1975 Mexican single cab *FOR SALE*, 1978 Irish 4-door double cab RHD

[FreedomBuild]

I got some CIP1.ca ones and I like them. They tightened down with no issues of coming out of adjustment unless someone bumps them on the way by.

These ones look really nice but I'm not sure how they are. Anyone have them?
http://www.busdepot.com/12179
_________________
1973 Campmobile rustoration in progress..

1700 Type 4 engine
Manual Transmission
Pertronix Mechanical advance distributor
Pertronix Flame Thrower coil
Weber Progressive

Come visit our Facebook page!
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Freedom-the-Campmobile/158775277473211

Click to view image

[Tcash]

[Zelten]

[FreedomBuild]

[Zelten]

[camit34]

I picked up a set of these from Go Westy when I stopped by their shop back in '12. Put them on that day, so about 6000 miles and a year and a 1/2 and they are still holding up good.

http://www.gowesty.com/ec_view_details.php?id=2656&category_id=190&category_parent_id=
_________________
In search of a Vanagon
1971 Westy (SOLD)
1971 Deluxe (SOLD)
1967 Freedom Camper (SOLD)

[notchboy]

I agree that those new plastic ones are now the best thing going. But the og ones are out there and cost less per mirror than those plastic ones. Replacement glass as well if you get used og ones and need to do a tune up.

At one of the last shows I was at I noticed Things use the same mirrors with different stems. It was the stem on the drivers side that got me thinking of a bus mod - funny this thread popped up as I did this today and this seems like a good place to share.

For me the raised height of the mirror gives a better view.

_________________

[Sage79]

I bought my mirrors from WW with the short thread as mentioned earlier. I was able to successfully cut longer threads onto the pieces with the right sized metric die. They've been working great on my 2 buses for several years now.
_________________
Dirk
'79 Westy 2.0FI
'73 Sportsmobile 1.7dual Solex 003Auto - now my daughter's
'77 delux 2.0FI 090Auto - now my son's

[Vince Waldon]

Wow... thanks all for all the thoughtful responses... very much appreciated.


Good to see most of my experiences are not just me missing something obvious. All the replacements I've found so far have the short threads. No problem... reuse the original mount, except that the taper is different on the other end, so it gets loose there. And on it goes.

Happy to be at a stage with our bus that we're being annoyed by little things... but it is annoying to not be able to see next to you.

Will investigate the vanagon option and re-glassing the set I have after tightening the back mount.

One specific follow-up question, since Canadian vendors are so much less money to deal with right now, due to the dollar, brokerage, etc:

[richparker]

[JQ1492]

Thanks for the info. Answered my question as well.

[chabanais]

[Wildthings]

Anyone know the source of the plastic mirrors Bus Depot sells. Are they by any chance factory mirrors from Brazil?

[chabanais]

After having spent too much money over the years on aftermarket crappy mirrors I finally shelled out some cash and bought two NOS units that hopefully will last for 10 to 30 years.
_________________
"I spud therefore I yam."

[ewdb92]

[Kirk]