I seek an opinion

[HerrBGone]

I seek an opinion on the subject of mirrors.

Back in ’97 I owned a then twenty year old Chevy Suburban Scotsdale. It was a wonderful truck and we traveled many miles together. It had one major flaw in my opinion (other than not being a Volkswagen), and that was its mirrors. It had a very small car-sized mirror on the driver’s door and nothing at all on the passenger side. Since its one side mirror was in rather poor shape, I decided to replace it with something better: junior west-coast mirrors on both sides. Those were the best side mirrors I have ever had on any car I’ve owned.

The latest addition to my automotive family is Thunder, my now twenty year old Vanagon Westy. So far my one gripe is, you guessed it, the side mirrors. Both have been over torqued by the PO and the plastic seats for the ball-and-socket have been crushed and split. They are almost impossible to adjust. (I have a copy of the Bently manual and followed procedure as well as possible given the condition of what I have to work with.) Also the silvering on the glass is in poor condition on the driver’s side – the one that I can adjust.

Thus we come to the crux of the matter: I am thinking of abandoning the stock mirrors in favor of replacing them with an appropriately sized pair of west-coast style mirrors something like this:

http://www.awdirect.com/awdirect/catalog.cfm?dest=...linkid=219

This will also provide a mounting point for larger wide-spots on both sides than I have now and for my CB antenna. As this will involve drilling into the door to attach the upper mounts and possibly also the lowers, I figured I’d get a second, third and fourth opinion before I go and buy a set of mirrors.

What do you think?
_________________
HerrBGone
(AKA: Dave)

A fellow wanderer on the road less traveled

Fritz, '71 Superbeetle
Galileo, '98 New Beetle
Thunder, '85 Vanagon Westfalia (full camper)

[lovedavdubs]

YIKES

Those are huge! I say no go. We resist more than enough wind as it is. I can see how they would be right at home on a Suburban though
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82 Air-cooled Westy (Lola)...My other vehicle is a subway.

[alnvilma]

No! Replacement used mirrors are cheap and big enough.

[vwjedi]

Wow!

I second that emotion, those mirrors go with your Vdub like shutters over your side windows. Why not just search out some OG ones or aftermarket are readily available????

Please don't drill your van, it might not forgive you.

[Beaker]

I agree with Lovedavdubs. Those are U-G-L-Y!! But then again, I think the stockers are too big and I'm replacing mine with Baby Turbo's, after all, it's got four wheels, not eighteen......Sorry, you asked for opinions (and there's lots here)

[type3_in_ga]

Oh no; I am all for functionality first, looks second but this one I am voting in the NO column . You did ask!
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1970 Fastback
1990 Vanagon
1970 Bus
VTX1800

[lilweasel]

Not that I am condoning these mirrors, but here's an option made for westies:

http://www.fastforward.ca/vanagon/

It's the LT mirrors that I am talking about. Pretty spendy for mirrors if you ask me.

[lordsniff]

[Phil G]

Please keep this quiet because I only make the following suggestion on pain of excommunication from the Forum . .

First, what happens to the older mirrors is a bit of chicken and egg thing, but starts with the chicken I'm sure. UV degradation and huge daily shifts in material temperature over time conspire to weaken and embrittle the plastic the mirror is made of. And unfortunately the plastic's material properties are most important at the point of greatest strain - the ball socket. So when it weakens and the mirror droops in the wind, the frustrated driver gets out his phillips screwdriver and tightens it up. This cycle repeats itself a few times until the tension spring collapses. As I recall, due to this tension spring, it just isn’t possible to overtighten the socket, but rather the adjustment range is exceeded over time by the change in the socket’s material dimensions. The splitting begins and progresses before this end game is reached.
Now for the ugly little secret . . As a TEMPORARY fix, back the tension screw up to the point where it is just seating against the spring, then pull a 1 1/2"-ish stainless steel hose clamp out of your junk box and place it around the cracked area of the ball socket. Tighten it snug to bring the cracked socket into original compliance (cracks close up). Don’t over do it, as the clamp is capable of exerting far more force than is necessary to hold the mirror's alignment, and beyond this can damage the plastic casting. Remember you have the tension screw to fine tune the friction of the ball socket now, just as on a new mirror. I say this fix is temporary since your friends may notice the clamp and ask "What next, the coat hanger antenna?" Adjustment should be made to still allow enough ‘give’ so the mirror will survive getting whacked at the drive through car wash.
And one last warning: This fix will outlast the car, so be careful. Once down this road with great success for just pennies you'll be duct tapping the tailpipe next, and there goes the ‘hood.

A variation for the self-conscious: Stealth can be gained by painting the hose clamp mat-black.
For the Teutonic purist: Use a German plastic hose clamp.
And the Aerospace Engineer: Use a High pressure cryogenic hose coupler

Did I say all that?

[66dalydrvr]

Both choices for aftermarket mirrors are BUTT UGLY. Buy replacement Vanagon mirrors. They will look the best on your Westy, plus the chrome on aftermarket mirrors is always crap. Just my .02
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66 Ghia...Daily Driver
84 Westy

[buspor63]

That repair to the mirror can be done with polyester resin(fiber glass) and the cloth that goes with it. The repair area needs to be sanded. Take the cloth, unweave it so you have several lengths of it. Mix your resin and coat the mirror. Start to tightly wind the individual glass fibers around the broken area. This may take several apply and cure sessions. Sand it all smooth and paint it black.

I did this and it worked great....till the stud that the nut and spring seat onto started to pull out of the plastic upper.

I bought some repop's after that.

[Big B]

You have NO taste!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[mlf]

buy stock replacements but mount them opposit sides left to right and right to left . they will in turn give you more visablity . for your cb antana buy a set of gutter mounts . but thats my .02 cents

[66dalydrvr]

[mightyart]

Just buy a used set of power mirriors, you don't even have to hook the power to them.
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My Art:
http://www.instagram.com/flynn8552/

[HerrBGone]

So the consensus is that Thunder should stick with the stock mirrors. OK, I guess that’s what I’ll do then. The passenger side will temporarily have to suffer the indignity of having a hose clamp hold its mount together until the new stock mirrors come in. Good idea, buy the way! I actually like the look of Junior West Coast mirrors. They considerably improved the look of the Suburban. That car-sized mirror looked totally put of place on something that big. These are at least proportioned better to fit the van. As for the mirrors linked in my previous post, they were just for illustrative purposes only. I would have been buying them locally and making sure that they fit the proportions of the van.

[Big B]

HerrB
I also own three other VW's, all stockers......
A rat rod custom is totally 'cool', unless your a 'purist', but why am I talking to a man who is considering some bogus Ford mirrors on a nice VW........It would look terrible..
It would look terrible on my Rat also. The mirrors are clunky and just wrong for a VW. Vanagon.
Take the advice and buy the electric mirrors and just install them brotha.
Hey youre the one who asked...
My rat draws alot more attention than all of my other VW's together, and the responses are overwhealmly positive..........
Don't slam the rat, you just don't have enough guts to cut up a classic....
Thats along with the fact that you still lack any taste..........
cut, weld, drive

[HerrBGone]

But I like my Mack fire truck mirrors! At least I did on my Chevy…

If I ever had the chance, I’d love to do a strictly NOS resto on an oval. They aren’t getting any less rare so I do tend to be a purist with really old cars. To each their own. After all, there are actually people out there who like their Fords. Talk about a lack of taste…

* toung firmly planted in cheek *
_________________
HerrBGone
(AKA: Dave)

A fellow wanderer on the road less traveled

Fritz, '71 Superbeetle
Galileo, '98 New Beetle
Thunder, '85 Vanagon Westfalia (full camper)

[Phil G]

Ah, the ubiquitous and ever useful hose clamp. It’s easy to forgive necessity over dignity where car repairs are concerned, with women it’s a bit trickier to justify . .

[Big B]

HerrB
You like Macks huh?
Now this, my friend, is COOL!!!!!!!!!!!!
Seee, rat rods are totally fun...
[img]http:wwwthesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/231757.jpg[/img]
Yeah baby