Sideview and rearview mirror fitment - today's project

[Gumball]

Among a few other body fitment projects, I spent what is my last day of vacation installing the mirrors. The FFR sideview mirrors are useless, but they do look very period correct. In a car like this, shoulder checks will be the order of the day, anyway. Both mirrors are visible to me from the driver's seat, though, so at least they do something other than look good.

Here is a photo of the progress. Getting close to pulling the body back off and starting on bodywork in earnest. The markings all over the body are from a paint stick - seems as good of a place as any for my notes.

Photos available - PM me.

[Blue MK3]

I know what you mean about shoulder checks. I bought a completed car and soon after realized the DS and center mounted mirrors didn't provide the needed view to the rear. I bought a couple of cheap add-ons from Pep Boys. A convex clip-on over the center mounted mirror and a convex circular mirror stuck to the upper left of the windshield on the DS make a world of difference. Total cost, about $15.

[Mesa Mike]

I recommend that you discard the bullet mirrors on the body and put ray dot mirrors on the windshield. Put about 9-12 inches from the above the body on the windshield brace and you will have great view to the rear. Also, mount the in the middle on a spacer about 1-to 1 1/2 inches for better viewing. Do it now while your painter can fix the holes in the fender. Very few builders use the FFR supplied side mirrors. At least I don't see any in my neighborhood.

[CraigS]

Agree w/ Mike. The mirros aren't really that bad, it's the placement. About 40% of the already small mirror picture will be taken up by the rear fender hump.

[GWL]

Agree w/ Mike. The mirros aren't really that bad, it's the placement. About 40% of the already small mirror picture will be taken up by the rear fender hump.

You know, Craig does bring up a question which I think may be different for some of us. What do you like to see from the side view mirrors? I don't like to see my own car. I like the view to be just out of the view of the car so I can lean a little to check its position in relation to the rear of my car. This allows me to better see to the side of the car in the lane next to me. Now, I am mostly used to driving pickup trucks, which sometimes have very large mirrors, but I still don't want to see my truck but want to pick up as much side angle away from the car as possible. I'll use the center rear view mirror to view what's directly behind me. I am usually in tune with what is behind me unless they are moving really fast or making several lane changes at once.

Prior to the Top Gun Flight School, studies were completed to find out what made good fighter pilots. It was known that only about 5% of them were making most of the kills and the studies wanted to find out why. One of the skills or abilities that came out of the studies was that of spatial awareness. The Top Gun School was started as a result of these studies to train other pilots those skills that made the top 5% successful. I imagine it is the same with race car drivers and related to safety, the everyday driver on the street.

George

added edit: I used to own a '62 MGA, back in the day, and had side mirrors on the front fenders over the front wheels. I thought they were great there but were a pain to keep adjusted.

[Gumball]

George - well said.

My main reason for using the FFR mirrors was period-correct looks, not functionality.

[CraigS]

I have these mounted about 2/3s the way up the windshield posts.
http://www.speedwaymotors.com/4-Inch-Peep-Mirror,3811.html
It's hard to see in the pic but they just clamp around the rear edge of the post, no holes needed. I got a stickon convex and put it on the passenger side. It ruins depth perception but lets you see a wide area. Tried the convex on the driver side and didn't like it there.

[riebelt]

Chris, How about these? I'm a vendor on this forum. Check the video clip I have attached for a comparison of the the two. This clip was done by a friend of mine with a Superformance. He decided to just leave his fender mounts in place. I would appreciate your consideration.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=F8wkLKvD1Z0
14508

[Dan Babb]

If you get some convex mirrors to stick over the stock FFR mirror, it really helps make them functional.

You lose the sense of how close a car is...but it allows you to see a wider view, so you can see if someone is in your blind spot a lot better.

I also put one of those wider racing mirrors that clip over the stock rear view mirror. It gives me a wider view of what's behind me and doesn't mess up the sense of scale that much. Then I can just pull it off if I'm displaying at a show (but I usually don't).

[mikiec]

I've had the peep mirrors in a box for the past 8 years. Some day I'll put them on.

Mike

[casopko]

Chris
I have the mirrors from Dreamcar and also bought the bracket for windshield mounted rearview mirror from DWC. I can see behind me. The Dreamcar mirrors are a piece of art and very functional. They are not cheap but after I installed them and drove around with them, to me it was money well spent. As a unintended benefit (at least from my observations) I usually have to point them out because most people don't notice them. I had intentions of removing my fender mounted mirror but now I'll leave it for the look.

Chuck

[MK4]

The dream car mirors are the way to go! The options are very Nice (no distorsion) you CAN actually use them!!!!

Made the ride safre for me! I also had them make me a custom rear view miror to match, same great quality....

Mk4

[edwardb]

Count me in as well for the Dream Car mirrors (from Breeze, same parts) and the DWC bracket for the center mirror on my Mk3. Visibility is excellent on both sides, and a nice clean look. The angle of this picture actually hides the DS mirror a little behind the roll bar, but you get the idea. Planning the same exact setup for my Mk4 build.

http://i867.photobucket.com/albums/ab234/edwardb123/Factory%20Five%20Mark%203%20Roadster%20Build/Finished/IMG_1526_reduced.jpg

[riebelt]

Count me in as well for the Dream Car mirrors (from Breeze, same parts) and the DWC bracket for the center mirror on my Mk3. Visibility is excellent on both sides, and a nice clean look. The angle of this picture actually hides the DS mirror a little behind the roll bar, but you get the idea. Planning the same exact setup for my Mk4 build.

http://i867.photobucket.com/albums/ab234/edwardb123/Factory%20Five%20Mark%203%20Roadster%20Build/Finished/IMG_1526_reduced.jpg

I don't want to hi-jack, but just for clarity! Mark at Breeze was good enough to offer them for me on his website. He understood that the cost of advertising was limiting for some out there so if you guys remember he placed a message on the forum looking for product. That's how I was able to get them out there for you guys. I do advertise on this forum. I did have some question me if I was knocking off Mark's product.
So again I do not want to hi-jack Chris's thread.
He may be wanting a period correct look for his car.

[emac]

If you are painting stripes, then you may want to wait until the car is painted before you mount the dash mirror. Just to be sure it is centered on the stripe.....if that matters to you. I am using the ffr mirrors and the are OK at best. The faster you drive the further back traffic is! :-)

[Gumball]

No worries on centering the cowl mirror as I don't have stripes. Actually, I'm installing both a soft top and a tonneau, so I used the zipper on the tonneau, which is a bit off-center, to set the location for the cowl mirror.

I know that the FFR side view mirrors don't give a great view, but I'm going for period-correct looks. Also, I tend to prefer my mirrors angled outward somewhat - no view of the quarters. Plus, with a small open car that amounts to a motorcycle on four wheels, I'm hoping to always drive with a heightened sense of situational awareness so that I'm not relying solely on the mirrors.

Thanks for all the comments, everyone... some good ideas for alternative mirrors out there.