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66uno
Samba Member
Joined: December 05, 2006
Posts: 603
Location: maryland
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 Posted: Sun Dec 26, 2021 3:38 pm Post subject: Blind spot detection |
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My wife’s new Subaru has blind spot detection. I would love to have it added to my 1965 bus since the blind spots on it are enormous and I really pissed off another driver a few days ago.
Anyone know of a system that will work? |
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velvetgreen
Samba Member
Joined: August 17, 2004
Posts: 2744
Location: Canada
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| Posted: Sun Dec 26, 2021 4:06 pm Post subject: Re: Blind spot detection |
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Great suggestions! Another thought is to switch to LED tailights which are much easier for fellow motorists to see both for turn signal and brake lights. I also have a magnet on the back as advising of my slow bus in case it wasn't immediately obvious. It generally works although I could swear that certain people have tailgated me simply to catch up and read the magnet!
Might also want to consider front disk brakes for your peace of mind |
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NUTSFORBUSES
Samba Member
Joined: December 08, 2016
Posts: 557
Location: I don't recognize it anymore
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| Posted: Sun Dec 26, 2021 4:46 pm Post subject: Re: Blind spot detection |
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You can buy kits from 200 to 600, but many do not work mounted to metal since all cars today are plastic. The other drawback would be sound alarms and ugly things on a vintage bus. I would then say "WHY"
I check traffic around me ALWAYS. My wife has a car w all the "fixings" even a shaking steering wheel and the F&^^$ actually talks-I hate it.
So you piss-off a few people, nothing new.
The LED is a good idea, I did it also(Chip on Samba). A big engine (2332) w 4 wheel disc's is how I deal w it. Trying to distance yourself is not easy, especially with so many important people doing so many important things. It wasn't always like this, back in the late 70's I never thought of these things when I hopped in my Bus. It's dangerous in any car TODAY even with dummy lights, b/c of cell phones. People don't drive, they GO. Just be thankful most cars are automatics-there would be way less vintage buses around, I think they would've already found a way to mount a cell phone to a gear shift.
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aa390392
Samba Member
Joined: March 28, 2007
Posts: 3602
Location: So.Cal
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| Posted: Sun Dec 26, 2021 5:15 pm Post subject: Re: Blind spot detection |
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Try staying in the slow lane...its bad enough over there as it is.
Look twice and then a third time...
Stay off throughfares, freeways...etc.
Carry classy car replacement value insurance..
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Clara 
Samba Member
Joined: June 14, 2003
Posts: 12398
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| Posted: Mon Dec 27, 2021 11:13 am Post subject: Re: Blind spot detection |
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| 66uno wrote: |
My wife’s new Subaru has blind spot detection. I would love to have it added to my 1965 bus since the blind spots on it are enormous and I really pissed off another driver a few days ago.
Anyone know of a system that will work? |
I used to drive a panel camper, with a huge blind spot. I would have to use spidey sense of where all the cars around me were.
To some extent you are just going to piss people off. Generally it is people who want the roads open and clear, and you are in their way and should just stay home.
There is no system to not annoy them, unfortunately.
I feel this way much more in California than I did in Washington. There are many many more impatient drivers here. If you put your turn signal on to change lanes, they try to block you. People run red lights, cut you off, don't stop at stop signs, etc. Then the person in front of the person in front of you is really timid about turning right at a stop sign, and takes 5 minutes to do so, after leaving a number of spots open that they could have turned into. So when the timid person finally starts moving, the person in front of you honks really aggressively, and then you see them (the honker) texting and driving.
Be kind! Be a defensive driver! DBAA. Hopefully if you make a traffic error others will be kind as well.
Happy New Year!
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Erik G
Samba Member
Joined: October 16, 2002
Posts: 13265
Location: Tejas!
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| Posted: Mon Dec 27, 2021 11:34 am Post subject: Re: Blind spot detection |
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| One of the few things I like about deluxe buses are those extra windows. A ribbed bumper dove blue 15 window kombi would be awesom. |
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amotomura
Samba Member
Joined: June 06, 2009
Posts: 46
Location: Union, KY
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panel
Samba Member
Joined: December 02, 2001
Posts: 1090
Location: Victoria B.C. Canada
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Abscate
Samba Member
Joined: October 05, 2014
Posts: 22633
Location: NYC/Upstate/ROW
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| Posted: Mon Dec 27, 2021 2:51 pm Post subject: Re: Blind spot detection |
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From the car and driver article
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| This obviates the need to glance over your shoulder to safely change lanes as well as the need for an expensive blind-spot warning system. |
This is how motorcyclists die.
Adjust your side mirror so you can just see the side of your car when your head is pressed against the glass, not from the driving position
You still need to do a glance check for a lane change.
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Don66bus
Samba Member
Joined: January 11, 2006
Posts: 402
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| Posted: Tue Dec 28, 2021 5:27 am Post subject: Re: Blind spot detection |
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| A deluxe bus of either generation has way more visibility than most modern cars. You need blind spot detection in new cars because the glass is designed for style rather than function. In my '66 Deluxe, I can see all adjacent traffic easily (not that I pull out to pass very often). |
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EverettB
Administrator
Joined: April 11, 2000
Posts: 69798
Location: Phoenix Metro
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| Posted: Tue Dec 28, 2021 9:50 am Post subject: Re: Blind spot detection |
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| Don66bus wrote: |
| A deluxe bus of either generation has way more visibility than most modern cars. You need blind spot detection in new cars because the glass is designed for style rather than function. In my '66 Deluxe, I can see all adjacent traffic easily (not that I pull out to pass very often). |
True, there are a lot of modern cars with insane blind spots due to the pillars or weird window shapes.
I have a right-side mirror on my '63 15-Window but I don't really use it, I always turn my head.
The corner windows are super nice though, I can usually look in my rear view mirror and through any of the right side back and corner window to see if
anyone is coming up on the side. I still look though.
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BonTonRoulet
Samba Member
Joined: September 29, 2020
Posts: 359
Location: Mississippi
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| Posted: Tue Dec 28, 2021 10:16 am Post subject: Re: Blind spot detection |
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| 66uno wrote: |
My wife’s new Subaru has blind spot detection. I would love to have it added to my 1965 bus since the blind spots on it are enormous and I really pissed off another driver a few days ago.
Anyone know of a system that will work? |
Well, I suppose you could have your wife follow you in her Subaru and communicate with you via cell phone, hands free of course. (You DID ask for a "system that will work"!)
I drive an older "pre eyesight" Subaru Legacy wagon. My brother down in New Orleans bought a new 2015 or 2016 Subaru Outback wagon with the Eyesight stuff and all the bells and whistles. He had the same "blind spot detector" malfunction twice. Both times the dealership actually correctly "guessed" where he was in the metro area of New Orleans when they malfunctioned. They had supposedly replaced a rash of them due to this one spot. Microwave towers or something, something was a known problem. In traffic, if someone cut him off to take an exit his car would hit the brakes. He very quickly learned to hate all the nanny stuff and promptly sold the car. |
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Bruce Amacker
Samba Member
Joined: December 26, 2007
Posts: 1786
Location: Cleveland, Ohio
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Eric&Barb
Samba Member
Joined: September 19, 2004
Posts: 24732
Location: Olympia Wash Rinse & Repeat
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| Posted: Wed Dec 29, 2021 11:09 am Post subject: Re: Blind spot detection |
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Turn the passenger side exterior mirror outward so as to no longer be looking down the side of the bus. So your bus is no longer taking up viewing room in the mirror. When you need to see the side of the bus, say when backing into a parking spot. You lean over to the right just a tad with your head to see the side of the bus again.
Have also turned the interior mirror so it looks out the rear of the passenger door glass. This really helps with the 1960 panel walk thru camper conversion and the 1963 single cab when the tilt is installed.
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DubStyle
SBS Hit Squad
Joined: July 26, 2003
Posts: 6250
Location: SBS headquarters: Missery
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Eric&Barb
Samba Member
Joined: September 19, 2004
Posts: 24732
Location: Olympia Wash Rinse & Repeat
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| Posted: Wed Dec 29, 2021 12:48 pm Post subject: Re: Blind spot detection |
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The first is a repro mirror (made to look like the elephant mirrors from the VW dealer) from the 1990s, and not OEM. Those repro mirrors vibrated so badly on the arms they came on that at highway speed we could not see anything behind us. Think even on the shorter round mirror arms they would shake. Plus the ball size is way bigger than the round stock mirror, so the small round mirror clamps are not going to hold those.
2" round convex mirror is going to be too small for most folks to really see from driver side. Have pondered using bigger convex mirror and a magnetic base on the passenger side of dash top or perhaps mounting the a convex mirror to the right of the interior mirror....
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NUTSFORBUSES
Samba Member
Joined: December 08, 2016
Posts: 557
Location: I don't recognize it anymore
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| Posted: Wed Dec 29, 2021 2:31 pm Post subject: Re: Blind spot detection |
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This mirror I made using an old stock busted mirror, it is Convex and long. A surfboard design from very light redwood. It doesn't vibrate and it adjusts well.Won't help much in a panel, but it works for me. Need a little wood working skills and some Brazing. You can also just buy the convex at any auto store and clip it onto your mirror. We used them for race cars all the time, aside from the infamous WINK mirror which would not allow use of your visors
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BarryL
Samba Member
Joined: November 01, 2004
Posts: 14253
Location: Casa de Oro, California
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| Posted: Thu Dec 30, 2021 6:39 pm Post subject: Re: Blind spot detection |
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| Clara wrote: |
| I feel this way much more in California than I did in Washington. There are many many more impatient drivers here. If you put your turn signal on to change lanes, they try to block you. |
Hahaha. I turn on my signal when I want them to speed up and open a spot.
To the Original Poster 66uno, how about a super-bright LED bulb mounted in one of the engine vent gaps wired into the blinker for that side as a side-marker light? |
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Riff Raff
Shivering Sambian
Joined: October 25, 2004
Posts: 3096
Location: Alberta
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| Posted: Fri Dec 31, 2021 9:55 am Post subject: Re: Blind spot detection |
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| Clara wrote: |
I would have to use spidey sense of where all the cars around me were.
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This ^^^^
And this:
When I was significantly younger, I had many character building jobs.
Amongst them was working in the oil patch and land reclamation.
Both of these activities included driving big trucks - tractor trailers.
I have also been riding motorcycles for 45 odd years.
One of the most valuable lessons learned from these activities is to know what is going on around me in traffic at all times.
Constantly scanning mirrors, taking note of who is slowing down up ahead, who is coming up fast from behind, who is beside you and where at all times, etc.
Useful in a tractor trailer so I don't kill anyone, and useful on a motorcycle so I don't get killed.
This habit transfers well to driving technologically deficient buses.
Not to be pedantic, but I have found that paying close attention to EVERYTHING going on around me ALL the time has been the best "blind spot detection".
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Lind
Samba Member
Joined: November 06, 2000
Posts: 9913
Location: idaho
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| Posted: Fri Dec 31, 2021 10:23 am Post subject: Re: Blind spot detection |
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Every bit of electronic help to our driving just helps us pay less attention to our driving. It is the way that the brain works. If we don't need to look, then we are less likely to look. This is how self driving cars kill people in situations where the wreck could easily be avoided by simply paying attention. An extra warning system would be helpful in theory, but maybe not in practice.
I have plenty of defensive driving techniques:
Mirrors to know my surroundings of course. I also do the lane change technique where I move slightly into the lane and give it just a second to hear if someone honks (this is a double check for a lane that I believe to be empty because of my mirror checks)
I also try to avoid driving during rush hour, during lunch hour and late on weekend nights.
I try to avoid turning left across traffic onto a busy/fast road.
No bong hits while driving, etc.
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