Weighted Side View Mirrors For Open Cars

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Model T Ford Forum: Forum 2012: Weighted Side View Mirrors For Open Cars
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Vince M on Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 09:47 pm:

I finally broke down and decided to purchase the newer weighted side view mirrors. I have been debating this given the price.

Wouldn't you know it Snyders is all out and doesn't know when they will be back in stock.

I may try Langs but before I spring for the separate shipping (I had other things in my Snyders order) I might as well get some feedback if anyone here has one.

Do they vibrate much? Does the 6" or 8" make a difference?

Thanks!


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Craig Anderson, central Wisconsin on Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 11:11 pm:

For which model T?
Anything with a short arm for a touring car will be fine if all you want to see is the back seat.......


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Vince M on Wednesday, June 13, 2012 - 09:55 am:

The car is a 22 touring. Supposedly these new weighted mirrors reduce or eliminate the effects from vibration.

vince


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Bob Coiro on Wednesday, June 13, 2012 - 10:38 am:

I purchased the 5" incarnation of the weighted mirrors because the 6" version was unavailable at the time. The mirrors and the arms to which they mount are bought separately because of the different way they attach to each variant of the Model T.

The arms are available in either brass or black, but, for whatever reason, the mirrors themselves are only available in black. In the case of my 1915 Touring, the mirror arm, which comes, non-interchangeably, in either left or right, is held very solidly to the windshield by two hefty, screwdriver-slotted, hemispherical-headed bolts which replace the two that fasten the bottom half of the windshield hinge (the only difference being that the replacement bolts are long enough to accommodate the thickness of the mirror arm).

In my experience, the advertising is not exaggerated; the weighted mirrors really do eliminate most (but not every last bit) of the vibration. These mirrors are a far, far better product than the half-as-expensive, clamp-on type pictured below.



My only criticism (and this is across the board of all Model T mirrors) is that nobody manufactures that slightly wider-angle right-hand mirror which has the little warning at the bottom; "Objects in mirror are closer than they appear."


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Charlie B actually in Toms River N.J. on Wednesday, June 13, 2012 - 10:52 am:

"Objects are not vibrating as they appear".


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Vince M on Wednesday, June 13, 2012 - 12:02 pm:

Thanks for the feedback Bob. I have one of the light-weight mirrors as you have pictured....vibrate so badly almost not worth having.

The new ones look more period correct as well.

I think i will see if Langs has them available.

Vince M


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ricks - Surf City on Wednesday, June 13, 2012 - 12:04 pm:

Good to know there are mirrors with less vib.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Frank Harris from Long Beach & Big Bear on Wednesday, June 13, 2012 - 12:54 pm:

Simply obtain a convex mirror of the correct size and attach it over the flat mirror. The vibration doesn't blur the image at all and you can see very clearly. I have put them on all of our old cars since 1958 when we got started playing with old cars. As you can plainly see in the picture below it makes the reflected image smaller and there is absolutely no blurring cause by the vibration.

I believe that a weighted mirror would simply vibrate at a different rate but the image would still be blurred. Get a glue on convex mirror and enjoy the reflected image without any blurring at all, that's the secret not a weighted mirror.




mirror


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Steve Jelf, Parkerfield KS on Wednesday, June 13, 2012 - 01:07 pm:

The success of the Steadicam demonstrates that the real solution to this problem is a mirror containing a gyroscope.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Fred Dimock, Newfields NH, USA on Wednesday, June 13, 2012 - 01:18 pm:

Steve - does that mean I can put a gyroscope thingy in my pocket and I will be able to walk straight and steady? :-)


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By John F. Regan on Wednesday, June 13, 2012 - 01:19 pm:

I have a weighted mirror that I decided many years ago to be the "guinea pig" on because a friend was selling them. It worked great at first but then a plug fell out and some of the large "BB" shot that it was full of ran out of the mirror and got caught in the gaps in my fenders, running boards...etc. I plugged it back up but it is minus a few BB's but in truth it still works better than the typical single screw clamp on mirror pictured above. Never tried the convex mirror. I may try that.

I have a mirror on the ceiling in our bedroom and it has a message on it that says "Objects in the mirror are larger than they appear".


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Erich Bruckner, Vancouver, WA on Wednesday, June 13, 2012 - 02:34 pm:

My side mirror is the type pictured and it works fine. I only wish the rear view mirror on the top of the windshield would vibrate less. To see any detail I have to hold it. Normally not a problem, but in a T all hands are usually in use.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Neil Kaminar on Wednesday, June 13, 2012 - 04:22 pm:

I put rubber pads (from old inter tubes) under the clamps and it helps quite a bit with the vibration. I also mounted it lower on the windshield which also helps. I have a 15 touring car and the brass mirrors pictured in Bob's post. I don't know what size they are.

Neil


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Joe Van Evera on Thursday, June 14, 2012 - 05:26 pm:

We were displaying our T's in a small town one day on a tour and a gal came up and started talking. She was a school teacher and her class had just finished a study of Henry Ford. She said she read a quote of his which was humorous.
"The only people who have rear view mirrors are those of a suspicious nature." - Henry Ford.
Yeah, maybe so, but I wouldn't be without one....


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Gary H. White - Sheridan, MI on Thursday, June 14, 2012 - 05:46 pm:

Someone bent back the clamp on mirror and cracked my windshield. I remounted it on the brace rod that runs from the w/s hinge to the floor. Needed a piece of rubber hose over the rod for a tight fit which my have helped to dampen vibrations.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Frank Harris from Long Beach & Big Bear on Thursday, June 14, 2012 - 08:09 pm:

The rubber mounts only make the mirror vibrate more. Use the convex mirror and quit arguing about it ;~) It's the only fix, why do they sell so many of them ? because they work that's why ;~)


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Steve Hughes, Raymond, NE on Friday, June 15, 2012 - 10:55 am:

Frank, where do you get the flat backed convex mirror that can be glued onto the standard one?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Randy Driscoll on Friday, June 15, 2012 - 12:15 pm:

Truck repair shops sell a variety of convex mirrors including the self sticking ones. The self sticking ones were designed to be put on "west coast" style truck mirrors.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Frank Harris from Long Beach & Big Bear on Friday, June 15, 2012 - 12:28 pm:

Steve, Randy is correct Truck stops have several shapes and sizes. They really work very well. Truck parts stores also have them but auto supply stores usually do not carry them. Clean the flat mirror very well, peel the protective backing off of the convex mirror and stick it on. You'll be glad you did.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Steve Hughes, Raymond, NE on Friday, June 15, 2012 - 02:45 pm:

Randy and Frank: Thanks for the info. I will check it out.

Steve


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By John Semprez-Templeton, CA on Friday, June 15, 2012 - 07:42 pm:

I taped a couple of short lengths of Rebar to my clamp on mirror to see if I could change its critical frequency and it worked till the arm fell off! Vibration gone, attachment weak!

John R. You naughty man... where can I get a mirror like yours?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ron Dupree on Friday, June 15, 2012 - 10:15 pm:

I bought one of these for our '16 http://www.ebay.com/itm/Model-T-Ford-rear-view-mirror-1916-1927-/160820614348?pt =Vintage_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item2571a7d4cc from Bill Boehlen in California. A little pricey, but excellent workmanship and it really does a nice job of showing only ONE car behind me, instead of half a dozen like my old mirror did.

Ron Dupree


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Randy Driscoll on Friday, June 15, 2012 - 11:07 pm:

I was tempted to buy the brass version of Bill's mirror but I didn't like the idea of just using one 1/4" screw to mount it. If it was designed to use 2 screws, like the one I made for my '17 touring, I would buy it. Come to think of it, if I can make a mount out of steel, I can make one out of brass.


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