'67 442 Remote Mirror - Crazy Idea
'67 442 Remote Mirror - Crazy Idea
My '67 442 has the optional driver's side remote mirror, which means trying to find something to match for the passenger door is pretty much impossible, I would think. Has anyone tried to adapt a LH remote mirror to work on the RH side, either as a fixed/manual (remote capability removed) set up or keeping its remote function but on the passenger door card? I would think the latter would look dumb and am against messing up my all original door cards, so I am pondering trying to find a decent LH one and seeing if I could remove the cables, tighten it up to make it a manual mirror and going that route. Thoughts, ideas, devil's advocates, Gregg you've lost your mind?
I know what you are saying - the unique styling of the 67 driver door remote mirror can’t be duplicated, and even if you were to find the uber-rare 67 passenger mirror (non remote) it always bugged me as the mirrors don’t match. Highly doubtful you could take a drivers 67 remote and somehow mod it to be useful with or without remote capabilities on the passenger door. You can’t even flip the non remote style mirrors (driver to passenger) even though it looks correct, the angle doesn’t allow you to adjust the mirror toe be useful. I just sold a set of standard repro plastic chrome chevy mirrors (available through JEGS, etc) - they were lightweight and cheap feeling but plastic chrome and didn’t look that bad. unfortunately not an option for a cheap plastic alternative….good luck Gregg!
So, that's just how it is. Recommend losing the left remote mirror if you want symmetry. I've never met a remote mirror that works well, or a pre-wide angle right mirror that you can see much of anything out of.
First, the driver side remote mirror NEVER matched the passenger side unless you are talking about the 1970-up sport mirrors. Stop losing sleep over this. Symmetry is overrated. You can't see both sides of the car at the same time.
LOL - good point sir, however it's not as much about symmetry as it is safety, I guess. It's funny how I miss a RH mirror from modern cars when I slip behind the wheel of one of these beauties. For what it's worth, I do have an NOS remote coming from another member since mine is pretty pitted-up, so I'll be tempted to see what the old mirror might look like, held up to the RH side. And I have manual ones on both sides of my Toro...not a game changer but glad they're there.
RH mirrors for 67s were never factory-installed, they were only a dealer-installed kit. Fusick USED to sell repros of the RH mirror, but those are out of production. OEM versions show up occasionally. They never looked like the remote mirror.
Yep, went through all of that for my '67 Toro. 442s are no different, thus my wonky idea to try make a LH remote mirror work as a static RH one.
LOL - good point sir, however it's not as much about symmetry as it is safety, I guess. It's funny how I miss a RH mirror from modern cars when I slip behind the wheel of one of these beauties. For what it's worth, I do have an NOS remote coming from another member since mine is pretty pitted-up, so I'll be tempted to see what the old mirror might look like, held up to the RH side. And I have manual ones on both sides of my Toro...not a game changer but glad they're there.
I own several relevant cars to this. I have an A body Chevy that has no right rear mirror. I don't miss it, except for parallel parking on that side and backing into a garage. I own an Olds with sport mirrors, can't see **** out of the right one. I own another Olds with a factory RH mirror, I can see a little out of it. I own a van with huge 4x6 mirrors that my old man put a fisheye sticker lens on. The fisheye helps immensely. My 442 project has a mount on the door already, so I picked up a RH mirror for it, otherwise, I would not have bothered.
If you want an RH mirror for looks, cool, rock on. Nothing matches the remote mirror and no one expects that. Safety is a non-starter with these non-wide angle mirrors, that's why they were dealer options and not federally mandated equipment like they are now; you spend more time moving your head to see out the mirror what you want than just turning your head and looking.
I said this above, perhaps it wasn't read: passenger mirrors without wide angle lenses are not anywhere as useful as their wide angle counterparts. This is an area where everyone thinks they know what's up, and it's very hard to shake it out of their heads that they won't get the wide angle performance out of the mirror, then they drill their door, order an expensive rare mirror and are disappointed with the fact that they can't see **** out of it after installed.
I own several relevant cars to this. I have an A body Chevy that has no right rear mirror. I don't miss it, except for parallel parking on that side and backing into a garage. I own an Olds with sport mirrors, can't see **** out of the right one. I own another Olds with a factory RH mirror, I can see a little out of it. I own a van with huge 4x6 mirrors that my old man put a fisheye sticker lens on. The fisheye helps immensely. My 442 project has a mount on the door already, so I picked up a RH mirror for it, otherwise, I would not have bothered.
If you want an RH mirror for looks, cool, rock on. Nothing matches the remote mirror and no one expects that. Safety is a non-starter with these non-wide angle mirrors, that's why they were dealer options and not federally mandated equipment like they are now; you spend more time moving your head to see out the mirror what you want than just turning your head and looking.
I own several relevant cars to this. I have an A body Chevy that has no right rear mirror. I don't miss it, except for parallel parking on that side and backing into a garage. I own an Olds with sport mirrors, can't see **** out of the right one. I own another Olds with a factory RH mirror, I can see a little out of it. I own a van with huge 4x6 mirrors that my old man put a fisheye sticker lens on. The fisheye helps immensely. My 442 project has a mount on the door already, so I picked up a RH mirror for it, otherwise, I would not have bothered.
If you want an RH mirror for looks, cool, rock on. Nothing matches the remote mirror and no one expects that. Safety is a non-starter with these non-wide angle mirrors, that's why they were dealer options and not federally mandated equipment like they are now; you spend more time moving your head to see out the mirror what you want than just turning your head and looking.
Sorry Koda, I read your earlier response but didn't reply. You're absolutely right about the difference in today's wide angle mirrors vs. those back in the day. My Toro's RH mirror is marginally useful and maybe a bit better with it than without. And somewhere I saw where one of the parts houses had replacement mirrors with wide angle that you could supposedly swap out but I haven't pursued that. Appreciate your perspective (and experience)!
FYI, try auto-glass.com for a convex replacement mirror glass to provide a better sight picture. The outside mirror glass in a 1967 Cutlass is easily replaced by removing the snap ring which holds the glass in place. There is a spring behind the mirror glass which you have to overcome by applying pressure to the glass while removing the snap ring.
FYI, try auto-glass.com for a convex replacement mirror glass to provide a better sight picture. The outside mirror glass in a 1967 Cutlass is easily replaced by removing the snap ring which holds the glass in place. There is a spring behind the mirror glass which you have to overcome by applying pressure to the glass while removing the snap ring.
Sorry Gregg, I was addressing the manual mirror and have no experience with the remote item. Koda, as you probably know, the mirror base or pedestal is the only difference between the right and left side manual mirrors. If you or anyone else reading this have a good base and just need the rest of the assembly you could buy the repop left side mirror assembly to complete it.
Sorry Gregg, I was addressing the manual mirror and have no experience with the remote item. Koda, as you probably know, the mirror base or pedestal is the only difference between the right and left side manual mirrors. If you or anyone else reading this have a good base and just need the rest of the assembly you could buy the repop left side mirror assembly to complete it.
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