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Vanuber
Samba Member
Joined: February 16, 2020
Posts: 411
Location: Virginia
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 Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2022 5:46 am Post subject: Vanagon rear view mirror sizes |
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I have an '85 Westy with the brown rear view mirror. It has some sun damage as most of the brown ones do, and I have been hunting a replacement for some time. Found a beauty on eBay, but upon arrival it is much smaller than my existing mirror.
I know my mirror is original to the van. The seller says this brown mirror came off of his T3. So... Were there different size mirrors offered through the years? Maybe this one is from an earlier air-cooled model?
My original is on the left, eBay on the right (sorry the photo is not great):
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'85 Westfalia 1.9L
'72 BMW R75/5
'71 BMW R75/5
'02 Subaru Forester 2.5L |
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revolution337
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Joined: May 23, 2009
Posts: 372
Location: Pennsylvania
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| Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2022 6:00 am Post subject: Re: Vanagon rear view mirror sizes |
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Can't speak to you new one on the right, but I will say that my 82 aircooled mirror looks like your original one on the left.
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1982 Westfalia AEB 1.8t
2017 VW Golf Sportwagen
2001 Audi A4 4.2 V8 swapped
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ZsZ
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Joined: December 11, 2010
Posts: 1645
Location: Budapest Hungary, Europe
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| Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2022 6:25 am Post subject: Re: Vanagon rear view mirror sizes |
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There were ones with the reflection dimmer flip switch and without it. They were made in black and brown. It hink only these 4 types were the Vanagon mirrors.
All had flat sides. I would say the one in your hands with a curved top is a bay window mirror.
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Zoltan
1.9 MTdi 2wd Multivan (ex Caravelle)
Van since 2006, engine since 2008 |
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jimf909 
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Joined: April 03, 2014
Posts: 7466
Location: WA/ID
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| Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2022 6:37 am Post subject: Re: Vanagon rear view mirror sizes |
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| ZsZ wrote: |
There were ones with the reflection dimmer flip switch and without it. They were made in black and brown. It hink only these 4 types were the Vanagon mirrors.
All had flat sides. I would say the one in your hands with a curved top is a bay window mirror. |
Agreed. The design language of the one in your hand is wrong for the Vanagon (and looks like a Bay mirror). It wouldn't be surprising if the original brown mirror in the seller's T3 disintegrated 10 years ago and was replaced with what was available.
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- Jim
| Abscate wrote: |
Do not get killed, do not kill others.
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Current: 1990 Westy Camper - Bostig RG4, 2wd, manual trans w/Peloquin, NAHT high-top, 280 ah LFP battery, 160 watts solar, Flash Silver, seam rust, bondo, etc., etc.
Past: 1985 Westy Camper - 1.9 wbx, 2wd, manual trans, Merian Brown, (sold after 17 years to Northwesty who converted it to a Syncro). |
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kamzcab86
Samba Moderator
Joined: July 26, 2008
Posts: 7916
Location: Arizona
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| Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2022 7:59 am Post subject: Re: Vanagon rear view mirror sizes |
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The Bay forum has an entire thread dedicated to rear view mirrors  . It looks like your eBay purchase is probably originally from a Champagne Edition T2:
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=596832
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~Kamz 
1986 Cabriolet: www.Cabby-Info.com
 1990 Vanagon Westfalia: Old Blue's Blog
2016 Golf GTI S
"Real knowledge is to know the extent of one's ignorance." - 孔子 |
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vanagonjr
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Joined: October 07, 2010
Posts: 3431
Location: Dartmouth, Mass.
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0to60in6min
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Joined: November 27, 2006
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Vanuber
Samba Member
Joined: February 16, 2020
Posts: 411
Location: Virginia
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| Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2022 11:50 am Post subject: Re: Vanagon rear view mirror sizes |
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Thanks for the link. That pretty well sums it up. Definitely a bay mirror, looks just like the Champagne Edition in the link.
Hopefully, I can work a return for the mirror. It's in great condition if anyone is interested.
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'85 Westfalia 1.9L
'72 BMW R75/5
'71 BMW R75/5
'02 Subaru Forester 2.5L |
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Wellington
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Joined: September 21, 2004
Posts: 1884
Location: Montreal
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| Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2022 12:13 pm Post subject: Re: Vanagon rear view mirror sizes |
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I'm curious how this will work out with ebay.
There was a photo of the mirror on the posting?
From the photo were the differences distinguishable?
Unfortunately no one is happy in a situation like this, the seller probably never knew his mirror was changed by the P.O. |
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Vanuber
Samba Member
Joined: February 16, 2020
Posts: 411
Location: Virginia
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| Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2022 1:17 pm Post subject: Re: Vanagon rear view mirror sizes |
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| Wellington wrote: |
I'm curious how this will work out with ebay.
There was a photo of the mirror on the posting?
From the photo were the differences distinguishable?
Unfortunately no one is happy in a situation like this, the seller probably never knew his mirror was changed by the P.O. |
Because the seller offered a return policy, I just had to initiate the return myself. Easy peasy.
I am sure the seller had good intentions and thought it was a Vanagon mirror. I did too, until I saw it next to my original. I was not educated enough before purchasing to know better.
Here's the link - https://www.ebay.com/itm/144474536437
_________________
'85 Westfalia 1.9L
'72 BMW R75/5
'71 BMW R75/5
'02 Subaru Forester 2.5L
Last edited by Vanuber on Mon Apr 11, 2022 1:39 pm; edited 4 times in total |
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Mateo83
Samba Member
Joined: September 14, 2021
Posts: 600
Location: Lodi, CA
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| Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2022 1:28 pm Post subject: Re: Vanagon rear view mirror sizes |
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my aircooled has the left. i guess as long as it has the same base.
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panzer
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Joined: November 12, 2008
Posts: 45
Location: San Antonio, TX.
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| Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2022 7:59 pm Post subject: Re: Vanagon rear view mirror sizes |
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| I'm thinkin' the Westys have a longer arm to see below rear cabinet. Hopefully a slick top owner will chime in. |
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ZsZ
Samba Member
Joined: December 11, 2010
Posts: 1645
Location: Budapest Hungary, Europe
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| Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2022 12:20 am Post subject: Re: Vanagon rear view mirror sizes |
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Check if the Bay mirror worth more than a vanagon one 
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Zoltan
1.9 MTdi 2wd Multivan (ex Caravelle)
Van since 2006, engine since 2008 |
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campism
Samba Member
Joined: September 07, 2007
Posts: 4491
Location: Richmond VA
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| Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2022 11:08 am Post subject: Re: Vanagon rear view mirror sizes |
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| vanagonjr wrote: |
| If I remember correctly, some install the Bay Window Bus mirror because the shaft/arm is longer and that gives a better field of view for the camper models. |
Not all bay buses use the long arm for the mirror. I grabbed one out of a junk bay for $5 and it turned out to be no longer than the stocker in my Vanagon Westy, so I used it for the "copper pipe extension" project and it currently resides in the van and works well to see past the upper cabinet.
You might need to find a bay Westy for its mirror but I do not know for sure if it is the one that is longer. Might depend on the year of the van.
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wbailey2112
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Joined: October 02, 2015
Posts: 483
Location: Grove City, OH
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| Posted: Fri Apr 15, 2022 5:07 am Post subject: Re: Vanagon rear view mirror sizes |
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CIP1 sells aftermarket repros of the Vanagon interior mirror but only in black.
https://www2.cip1.com/vwc-251-857-501-cbk/
If you want to keep your existing arm you can try to gently pull the arm off the new mirror and snap it onto your original arm (after pulling the old mirror off).
I was able to replace the mirror on my Thing this way but it did take some very patient pulling.
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Zeitgeist 13
Samba Member
Joined: March 05, 2009
Posts: 12115
Location: Port Manteau
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| Posted: Fri Apr 15, 2022 1:57 pm Post subject: Re: Vanagon rear view mirror sizes |
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Just buy a Gentex auto-dimming mirror with compass and ambient temp readouts, and then position it as high or low on the windshield as you like. I have these on both the T3 and T4. They work great
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