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914World.com _ 914World Garage _ Installed Wink Mirror

Posted by: McMark Mar 7 2005, 09:41 PM

I installed my 5 panel Wink mirror tonight. $25 on eBay. Bolted it directly to the crappy, cracked trim piece where the visors mount. Works pretty nice. Great visibility! I'll take a daytime pic tomorrow.

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Posted by: ematulac Mar 7 2005, 09:43 PM

Doesn't it render the visors useless?

I'm planning on mounting one myself. I don't have a good set of visors, so I figured the wink mirror could cover my my 'inadequacies.'

Posted by: trekkor Mar 7 2005, 10:01 PM

I might want one. My visers have been gone since the windshield banner went on.

Looking foward to seeing it.

KT

Posted by: Aaron Cox Mar 7 2005, 10:06 PM

whats the point? no offense... is it on a race car?

looks dopey.... but thats my opinion.

Posted by: Headrage Mar 7 2005, 10:21 PM

I'm sorry, but I don't think it belongs on a 914.

Posted by: ! Mar 7 2005, 10:23 PM

I've used them....work well in SmelLa where everyone is trying to kill ya....covers ALL the blind spots. They can be intalled and the visors will still work...I think the five panel one is needed though....

Posted by: Rand Mar 7 2005, 10:30 PM

Don't tell Jenny. She will only ask about the old 80s tunes coming from your stereo...

Don't mind all the people who scoff and jib and jab and snicker about the looks... it's obvious they have never used one. And, it's not just about the race track... they are EXTREMELY useful in traffic! Complete visual range with no blind spots.

I wasn't sure about the teener application though, particularly because of the low targa bar behind you. With it mounted that high, how is the visibility below the targa bar through the back window?

Posted by: JOHNMAN Mar 7 2005, 11:15 PM

QUOTE
I've used them....work well in SmelLa where everyone is trying to kill ya....covers ALL the blind spots.

That is exactly why I've been using mine for years. Two of our 914's have them. 914 rear view mirrors seem pathetically inadequate for actually driving on the streets with all those crappy drivers.

To me, driving the 914 on the street is similar to riding a motorcycle. You need to be keenly aware of your surroundings if you want to avoid the idiot drivers (that all seem to be eating, reading, and talking on cell phones while steering with their knees). Luckily 914's are nimble.

Posted by: McMark Mar 7 2005, 11:26 PM

The visors are still useful. I was specifically carefully in my installation to keep the visors useful.

I know it looks bad. I know people hate it. The best part is that I DON'T CARE! This car will definitely turn some people off when it's done. This car is already aesthetically crap! So in my eyes, I'm not doing anything to make the car look worse. In the mean time I get to experiment with some ideas and products that I wouldn't go with on a nicer looking car.

All good stuff for me.

Installing this mirror was all about visibility improvement and it got that done.

Posted by: Hammy Mar 7 2005, 11:31 PM

I don't think it looks all that great but I'd put one in my car 'cause it is hard to see sometimes... Better a bulky mirror than a wrecked car.

Posted by: jonwatts Mar 7 2005, 11:51 PM

I've seen a version of this mirror where it's one parabolic jobby instead of 5 angled ones. Anyone know who makes it? I hear the mounting bracket is pretty fragile but that can be overcome.

Nevermind, found it http://www.allviewmirror.com/racing.htm

Posted by: Rhodes71/914 Mar 8 2005, 01:42 AM

QUOTE (JOHNMAN @ Mar 7 2005, 09:15 PM)

QUOTE
I've used them....work well in SmelLa where everyone is trying to kill ya....covers ALL the blind spots.

That is exactly why I've been using mine for years. Two of our 914's have them. 914 rear view mirrors seem pathetically inadequate for actually driving on the streets with all those crappy drivers.

To me, driving the 914 on the street is similar to riding a motorcycle. You need to be keenly aware of your surroundings if you want to avoid the idiot drivers (that all seem to be eating, reading, and talking on cell phones while steering with their knees). Luckily 914's are nimble.

I've only been driving my car for a short while and it definitely reminds me of my motorcycle days. Constantly keeping an eye out for the other guy.

Big'ol pick-up almost got me the other day, luckily the middle turn lane was clear. Had the top off and told the guy to watch out. He followed me into a parking lot and apologized, said "I didn't even see ya"

Back to the topic at hand, I never did like those mirrors.
Not in a 914
Not in a VW Jetta
Not in any car.
I do not like big mirrors that span to far.

Then again I don't live in the big city.

Posted by: Jenny Mar 8 2005, 01:47 AM

QUOTE (RandyLok @ Mar 7 2005, 08:30 PM)
Don't tell Jenny. She will only ask about the old 80s tunes coming from your stereo...

Hey! I can't help it if I like Time Life's 80's collection.

Mark, I agree. They look kinda like ass. But I also have to admit they work great. Brian's got one in his truck, and I'm seriously considering installing one in the teener. Especially since I botched the mounting of the stock mirror. Thanks for posting the picture.

Jen

Posted by: McMark Mar 8 2005, 02:18 AM

Yeah, I'll be honest. 5 failed attempts to mount the stock mirror was a factor in this. I'm happy.

Posted by: McMark Mar 8 2005, 06:33 PM

Daytime view from outside.

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Posted by: McMark Mar 8 2005, 06:34 PM

Daytime view inside.

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Posted by: McMark Mar 8 2005, 06:35 PM

"Action" view, just like actually being here!

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Posted by: smooth_eddy Mar 8 2005, 06:41 PM

So what is it like driving at night with all those headlights in your rear view mirrors? Seems like it would be blinding?

Posted by: lapuwali Mar 8 2005, 06:42 PM

The only car I've ever had one of these on was my other 914, and I thought it was great. I had a problem with it vibrating badly enough to blur the view, but leaving the visors there may damp the vibration enough.

Posted by: McMark Mar 8 2005, 08:09 PM

QUOTE (smooth_eddy @ Mar 8 2005, 04:41 PM)
So what is it like driving at night with all those headlights in your rear view mirrors? Seems like it would be blinding?

It's no worse than a stock mirror. It's not like you look up in the mirror and see 5 sets of headlights. Each mirror is angled to give you a smooth panoramic view of the road.

Posted by: vsg914 Mar 8 2005, 08:54 PM

Those were all the rage in the 50's and 60's. The nerds had them in their station wagons.

Posted by: cha914 Mar 8 2005, 09:15 PM

I found a parabolic mirror that snaps over your existing mirror...usually 8 bucks at your local flaps or wallyworld...covers all the blind spots and looks like a normal mirror...I can see all three sides of the trunk and see the car thats driving next to me.

I had one of those wink mirrors at first, but didn't like how close it sat to my head and didn't like how it vibrated, but I do have a very stiff car and my seats are different, so it could have been just my application.

Anyway, the snap parabolic mirrors rock,and are dirt cheap

Posted by: serge914 Mar 8 2005, 09:20 PM

They have it at Pegasus and they also have a kit to stabilize it with a bracket glued to the windshield: http://www.pegasusautoracing.com/ProductDetails.asp?RecId=1548
You dont realy need the sun visor with it because you have to put it quite low to have a good vision. I am 5ft7, maybe a taller guy will find it obstructive.

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Posted by: Air_Cooled_Nut Mar 9 2005, 11:36 AM

QUOTE (jonwatts @ Mar 7 2005, 09:51 PM)
I've seen a version of this mirror where it's one parabolic jobby instead of 5 angled ones. Anyone know who makes it? I hear the mounting bracket is pretty fragile but that can be overcome.

Nevermind, found it http://www.allviewmirror.com/racing.htm

http://www.allviewmirror.com/order.htm
This is what I have in my Jetta, in my Squareback, and in my g/f's Passat 1.8t. I'll be getting one for my 914 as well...where I originally had one on my first 914. Frickin' excellent mirror! Not the highly warped parabolic clip on style that distorts distances -- like what is currently on my other Squareback.

My baby originally had the 5-panel Wink mirror and they are very nice with no distortion and tinted glass to reduce headlight glare. But above 75mph it would vibrate bad So when I crashed my 914 I moved its mirror to the Squareback (removed the Wink). Much better IMO.

I ordered all of mine from here:
http://www.performanceproducts.com/ProductPage.aspx?ProductName=Seamless+Panoramic+Mirror&productid=105574&producttype=10

Posted by: campbellcj Mar 10 2005, 12:02 AM

I used a Wink for a while but could never get the angle just right (I have a full rollcage and it was mounted to the front halo bar), plus there was some vibration. So I switched to the Longacre parabolic/convex mirror, which is really awesome. I got the smaller (14" IIRC) one and with the curvature you can see behind/peripherally almost as well as the huge Wink mirror, without the downside of blocking the forward visibility as much.

Posted by: McMark Mar 10 2005, 10:29 PM

I drove the car today. Here's the final word on the wink mirror.

1. Forward visibility is compromised. It takes getting used to. I have to look between the mirror and the roof to see stoplights. This isn't a deal breaker, but it's close.

2. Vibration. It does vibrate, but I found if you twist the mirror along its length it doesn't vibrate as much. I.E. locking it down with some tension reduces the free play and dampens the vibrations.

3. Rearward visibility is AWESOME! Can't beat it. No distortion and very wide range.

Final Tally: I'll keep it in for awhile, but I wouldn't recommend it to everybody. It's not bad. It's not great. Some people will like it, I think most people will dislike it. Actually, come to think of it, the shorter you are the more you'll like it because all the visibility issues are because of height.

Posted by: trekkor Mar 10 2005, 10:45 PM

When you're done foolin' with it, hand it over.

Behind my window banner so you can't see it and I'm already used to the inside view.

How's the car running?

KT

Posted by: ! Mar 10 2005, 11:09 PM

If you angle the arms FORWARD so that the mirror is up to the top of the frame and in contact with the windshield it vibrates less....mine was clear up to 110 mph....even towing a trailer when I had the Rocket......old story from Rennlist days....some ricer tried to cut me off when testing out the trailer hitch I made......

Posted by: bwilless Mar 11 2005, 05:07 AM

I had one in my first 914. It was mounted too high so it was hard to see very far behind. It blocked my forward visability (even mounted too high), and the number one reason I took it out was because of my entry exit style, I would hit my head on the sharp edge. I thought that in a crash it could take the top of my head off.

I would like to see picutures of the Longacre mirror mounted in a 914, looks like a nice mirror. But I'm going to go back and check out some of the links you other guys posted.