TheSamba.com :: View topic

Sat Oct 29, 2011 10:32 pm

OK, need a new mirror for an 81 Westy.
What other Westfalia mirrors fit?
Want to buy a "new black" one, but want it to fit when it gets here.
Thanx.

Sat Oct 29, 2011 10:41 pm

Not much help here, but when I took Sleeping Beauty to the glass shop to have her windshield reinstalled I had a new rear view mirror glued to the glass. It works great and cost little, even though I have no need for mirrors yet. She doesn't run...

JWID.

Sun Oct 30, 2011 7:18 am

I put an early mirror in a late Westy, so they all probably interchange; just twist and pull out to remove. I did this in order to experiment with the older mirror, to improve the view angle by cutting and extending the stalk.

Sun Oct 30, 2011 10:37 am

http://www.busdepot.com/details.jsp?partnumber=251857501C01C

Sun Oct 30, 2011 12:19 pm

Here is the one I put in.

It has temp, compass, LED map light and built in Homelink to open garage doors.

Sun Oct 30, 2011 12:30 pm

jrobewesty wrote: Here is the one I put in.

It has temp, compass, LED map light and built in Homelink to open garage doors.
Where do you get that?
or
What car did it get borrowed from?

That sort of information helps the rest of us!

Sun Oct 30, 2011 12:32 pm

Fishguy wrote: What other Westfalia mirrors fit?
Although hard to find, the 1969 only long bay window one is nice in a Westy.

I bought two at a swap meet a few years ago at $40 each and have not seen any since.

Sun Oct 30, 2011 12:39 pm

Fishguy wrote: OK, need a new mirror for an 81 Westy.
What other Westfalia mirrors fit?
Want to buy a "new black" one, but want it to fit when it gets here.
Thanx.

I have one from a 90 GL. Let me know if you want a pic. I have no clue what years fit what but if you think it would we can talk...PM if you want.

Sun Oct 30, 2011 1:26 pm

I have a mirror that the PO installed. It has temp, compass, & map lights. It looks like a chrysler product, but I'm not sure...I do think it's a great upgrade.

It does mount to the windshield glass. Can anyone suggest an adhesive that's meant to mount these to windshield glass?

I'm about to get a new windshield.
Thanks.

Sun Oct 30, 2011 1:28 pm

Jamos wrote: I have a mirror that the PO installed. It has temp, compass, & map lights. It looks like a chrysler product, but I'm not sure...I do think it's a great upgrade.

It does mount to the windshield glass. Can anyone suggest an adhesive that's meant to mount these to windshield glass?

I'm about to get a new windshield.
Thanks.

The shield company has the right adhesive, either that or a good bidy shop. The products available retail seldom work long term.

Sun Oct 30, 2011 3:10 pm

I have done this to two trucks. The stuff they sell at autozone has worked and never failed. Don't know the name. It was sold for that with the mirrors and such.

Mon Oct 31, 2011 4:56 am

I put one from a Mk2 Jetta in when my mirror broke. Fit like a glove....

Tue Nov 01, 2011 9:33 pm

I saw it mentioned here before that a bay window rear view mirror bracket fits into the hole above the windshield the same way as the Vanagon's did and will actually be a bit lower and back from the windshield some more. It's all in the angle of the bracket.I switched to a bay mirror bracket and I found it gives me a little better look out the back, as my Westy Vanagon's closet above the rear window partially blocks the view. Borrow one from a bay window van to see the difference. Bay and vanagon mirrors pull off and snap back onto the ball on either style of shaft. Nice to have a modern mirror w/ bells and whistles, but this way is cheaper.

Tue Nov 01, 2011 9:40 pm

Got my new glass installed by our own Samba member Vwcrewman. Can't speak highly enough of him, and I believe he used a clear loc-tite product to attach the mirror to the new windshield.

Now to find an old Vanagon or Bay Window mirror base to fill in the hole where my new mirror's wiring comes through. Anyone have one to spare?

Wed Nov 02, 2011 1:01 am

Jamos wrote: Now to find an old Vanagon or Bay Window mirror base to fill in the hole where my new mirror's wiring comes through. Anyone have one to spare?
I think the tricky part is that the longer stalk is only on a Bay Westy mirror, and the early ones at that. Might be pretty rare. Was it Hiram6 who posted about this one? I got one out of a Bay hardtop and the stalk was no longer than my stock Vanagon Westy mirror stalk. I wound up cutting it and extending the stalk with 1/2" copper plumbing pipe (props to the guy who suggested this--works great and is cheap!). I used about 4" but it 6" would have been better, positioning the mirror lower for improved rearward visibility past the overhead cabinet.

I found this pic by drumming123 that looks like the mirror I got and not the long-stalk one.

Compare with the mirror in this pic by Timmy G:

Wed Nov 02, 2011 5:51 am

I put a bay's mirror in my vanagon. Not one of the long stalks, but even so the angle of the stalk (as mentioned above) is slightly different and it does change the rear sightline a bit.

alistair

Wed Nov 02, 2011 10:39 am

Yep, it was me who posted about the 69 long stalk mirror. I stumbled upon one in a boneyard, literally. It was laying outside on the ground.

I saw the mounting end of it looked just like the Vanagon one, and in my mind, I could see the vision in my mind. The longer stalk would bring the mirror down far enough to where the rear angle view would eliminate the rear A/C housing from my view.

Works perfectly. One of the best mods I've added to the van.

I'll have to take a pic and post it to this thread.