You too can have a mirror like this for less than the ebay price! I tried to make one of my own and it turned out pretty damn good for the prototype. Pic quality is crap because my camera is too. If anyone wants me to make them one I could do it.

details?

It goes where your visor center thingy goes, and it removes the necessity for the stick on mirror while moving your visors closer to the roof for better shielding. You want one? I am thinking of making them for sale.

Here are some more pics.

more, man I hate this camera.

I would be totally in for one of those, but first, any idea what kind of $$$ you'd be needing?

Right now I am looking at $50 or less including shipping. Hows that sound? All I would need form the buyer is their original visor center part. I am posting here to see interest, and opinions.
Let 'em rip.

Good Idea!

I'll take one for sure. Sign me up!

Are you sure you want to pursue a career in medicine? Good job!

Jen

Im in. Are those machined bases? And do you need the mirror itself for the core? My glass is messed up .

Jen,
I am constantly at odds with myself over that very question. I am starting a list so if youare serious about wanting one PM me so I can start sourcing supplies.
I am glad you al l like it

Looks like a modified BMW mirror.

Matt,
Nope, I use a different mirror than stock. All I would need from each person is the center pivot for the visors. It is where I get the pins from. Glass mounted mirrors suck!


Markb, Shhhh

QUOTE (Dr Evil @ Dec 22 2004, 08:16 PM)

"...All I would need form the buyer is their original visor center part..."

Do you mean the mount for the visors or the chrome posts...?

Ron

Ron, the part that the mirror replaces.

QUOTE (Dr Evil @ Dec 22 2004, 11:31 PM)

Markb, Shhhh

Oops, sorry.


(I pulled one off of a bimmer we stripped last month, that's why I recognized it. You stole my idea, BTW )

Mark, what type/year?

318? 325? Not really sure. We stripped a bunch of cars recently (trying to clean up some of the excess cars so I can get one of mine down there to work on). The mirror was a pull-off type, not a screw-in type. I also pulled some Volvo retractable rear seat seat belts to try in the 70. I'm gonna try & avoid having to use non-retractable belts.

I think I have a set of retracts for you if you are interested. Just PM me.

This was mentioned in a previous thread about the BMW mirrors. Couldnt find it though. I cant remember which one I pulled mine off of though. $10 down at the junkyard.

Stock ones won't work. I have a couple sets of those. There's no indentation behind the seats for stock ones on a 70 or 71. The Volvo ones are very thin & might fit behind & above the seat without being intrusive. It's all trial & error. Lots of error.

I think there was a post on the Bird Board about this last year...

Ya, I posted in both a thread here, and one on the bird board, but I could not find either. If I use a used mirror the price will be reflective, but if I use a new mirror then I'll have to charge more. Right now I am looking at reliable sources for cores. If I can ALWAYS find ones for $10 then the price will be less for sure.

I couldn't find them either.....The only one that came close was This one.

I used a BMW 2002 mirror (10 bucks off ebay). I think the 320i mirror is the same. You have to remove a couple of raised areas on the back side of the mount and drill two holes for mounting in place of the center visor mount. Just use the old visor mount as a guide for drilling the holes. I'm not sure I'm going to use visors, so I have not put the visor pins in mine yet.

Try it, it's easy and it works well.

Mike

Hijack

Since mentioned it, here's some reasons to avoid a health care career.

The government (Federal, State and Local) dictates what you can and can't do. The FDA regulates drus and materials. Since I started practice OSHA, WISHA (Washington State's version of OSHA), Infectious Wastes Protocols enforsed by OSHA and the Pierce County Health Department, Hazardous Waste Prorocols enforced by the EPA and soon the state, and HIPPA privacy and security standards have been added. There is no way to comply with all of it and in some cases they conflict.

Insurance companies dictate what you can and can't do and then dictate how much you can charge when you actually do something. With 2 dentists in our office we need 1 full time person just to deal with insurance.

More documentation is required because law suits are won and lost on details. Paper work will bury you. It takes away from free time and treatment time. We had to take a class on the legal aspects of practicing dentistry last year just to get malpractice insurance. It is absolutely impossible to protect yourself completely.

People pay you last because you are a rich doctor. Of course, you will have obligations you have to meet also and if you are in private practice like me you will have to purchase all of the so called fringe benefits.

It's pretty apparent, I HATE THE BUSINESS END OF DENTISTRY! However, there is no greater reward than helping someone who really needs you and that keeps me going.

Sorry for the rant but, think long and hard about it. Be ready to submit to outside control. My personal physician gets way more hassles from insurance than I do and I know he has to cover his ass to avoid lawsuits. As tough as I think dentist have it, I think medical doctors have it worse than we do.

Dave

Evil, I think my camera still sucks more than yours. That mirror rocks! I just put a new windshield in my 914 a few months ago and glued the mirror on. Wonder how easy it will be to take off? I would say sign me up, but I will have to see if my mirror will come off first.

Hijack response
Dave,
How doesthat make you feel ? Sorry, just a little p-sychology humor. I totally understand what you are disgruntled about. I too have no love for the business side of things when it comes to the govt and law suits. However, I used to be in the military and I could have thrived there for a lot less freedom and money. I am totally used to giving control over to a overseeing source. I wonder if that is why so many med schools seem to program, uh I mean teach mainly research. I am deffinetly not going in blind. I am actually a pessimit and expect it all to suck. Another psych thing, if you expect things to suck then every break you get is profoundly more punctuated. There are happy doctors, I just need to find out why they are and others arent. Thanks for the advise/warning. I realy value your input with all of your experiences.

Dan, You know you want one. I hear that heat from a heat gun applied to the out side works.

East Coaster, the 2002 mirror is not the same as the 320 mirror (at least for the years that I was investigating.) The 320 mirror is more elegant, the 2002 is straighter. When you think of how much time it took you to do half of the modification, source the parts, etc what do you think you would charge? How much is your time worth?

GWN7, I'll save you time with your search. The post basically said the same thing as here, "I think BMW 2002, 320, yadda yadda." And I said that I would do the research on this. I got busy with school and yesterday I had a few hours to fool around with a prototype. I designed a few ways to get the pins mounted and decided to moun them centrally based on the complaints some have had about the visors letting too much sun through the top between the roof. Was there any other questions that you were looking to answer from the previous posts? I think that I covered it all.

I have started sourcing mirrors and have looked into making my design even more perfect. Thanks for all of your interest! I am fixing the cost at $50 including domestic shipping as any varience in mirror prices dictated this price.

Quesions, comments, complaints?

(Quote) When you think of how much time it took you to do half of the modification, source the parts, etc what do you think you would charge? How much is your time worth?

If you're going to do them for 50 bucks, I think that's extremely reasonable and a great deal to the club members!

East Coaster,
thanks for your input. I am constantly remaining sensitive to over pricing and would hate to appear to be doing so. I was lucky to have your experience with this so you could tell me if I were over pricing.
Again, thanks for your input.

To everyone, thanks for your interest. I will be sourcing parts over the holiday and will be contacting each person who has PMed me with my contact info as the parts become available and I return from vacation.

QUOTE (Dr Evil @ Dec 23 2004, 10:43 AM)

GWN7, I'll save you time with your search. The post basically said the same thing as here, "I think BMW 2002, 320, yadda yadda."

The only reason I did the search was it was -36 outside and I was bored. The thread I remembered (insert foggy brain smiley) had pictures of the mods and the exact model of the car he took it off of for you. It was either deleated or the title is so obtuse that it's hidden. No biggy, yours look great and when I get to the point of worrying about what's behind me I'll contact you.

Thread Hijack: Both my sister and her husband are Dr.'s She got her DVM and then put him thru med school. While our medical systems are slightly different (one big HMO up here, works great till you get sick) you will have too much to worry about over the next few years before you get to the point of worrying about a specialty or the business aspect of being self employed or working for someone else. Time will dictate what you end up doing in the end. The brother-in-law wasn't interested in GP work at the start and did a couple years in a emerg and even worked as a flying Dr. for awhile. Fly in on a jet, make sure the patient was stable and transport them home. He got to see Japan, part of Russia, the UK, France, all over the USA and centeral america. Interesting work but he said hospitals and ambulances all over the world are basicly the same...full of sick people. Now he works as a GP in a small clinic attached to a long care facility. 15 min from home. You could always become a DVM, their patients never sue.

Bruce,
The therad that you were talking about had pics and specs? Man I missed that because it had nada when I posted to it.....but I got busy. That may have saved me a lot of time Ah well, thanks for looking.
Hijack response: Thanks for the encouraging words. I get a lot of negativity and it is good to hear that I am not fully doomed to miserey. Someday I may practice up in Canada. I loved it up there when I visited as a kid. 1 HMO, 100 HMOs, either way you are screwed

I bought one off E-Bay two yrs or so ago. For a damn sight more than $50.00 . Great idea ,do it !
I think I can see better out of that kind than the stock stick on windshield kind. ( or maybe it was the price!)
Dave

Dave,
I forgot to mention that the newer mirror has a slightly wider viewing area. Should be better. Mounting can be taylored by the end user to what ever dimentiones desired. They would just need to use shims.

I'm in all the way!

Just installed Mike's mirror set up. It's a very nice bracket and I don't have the blod on the glass anymore. Well worth the price.

Question...

Can you actually aim it to see down the road behind you?

I mount mine lower on the winshield the first time it falls off, so I can actually use it..


M

I'm 5'11" tall and previously had to be carefull mounting the mirror low enough on the windshied to see down the road.

Mike's mirror is riding a tad higher than my winshield mounted and I dip my head a little to see down the road. Now, I could put a spacer between the mirror base and the body.

I know what you mean, I had the same concern; it's going to be fine.

I'm 6'2" and I always have to duck to look behind me, but you can easily put a spacer that is wedge shaped under it and angle id down and inward.
I am glad you like it, Jim!