How TO: Blind Spot Mirrors!

deejaaa

deejaaa

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 15, 2007
Location
Baytown, Texas
TDI
FOR SALE, 2002 Jetta GLS, 5 speed
tools used:

used a mirror found at the salvage yard from a Passat, flip over for reverse pattern:


marked:

scored:


rough cut:

after belt sander to smooth edges and rough spots:

score again and snap:

 
deejaaa

deejaaa

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 15, 2007
Location
Baytown, Texas
TDI
FOR SALE, 2002 Jetta GLS, 5 speed
old convex piece:

double 3M tape:



sealed edges/blind side with favorite adhesive:

aftermarket brand costing 60.00 a pair:

finished and installed:
will see how the angle of the dangle is when i get it on the road.
no more "Objects in the mirror are smaller than they appear".

total cost was none. all parts were laying around the shop from other projects or were picked up at no cost.
 
deejaaa

deejaaa

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 15, 2007
Location
Baytown, Texas
TDI
FOR SALE, 2002 Jetta GLS, 5 speed
flee said:
But what about the blue tint?:p
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never was a fan of the blue. guess if you did this yourself, it could be any color you wanted.
aja8888 said:
This is Texas...no sissy's here...tint not required, end of story.;)
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true.
was coming home at night, truck behind, glare difference between the two wasn't even noticeable. beginning to think that was just a marketing gimmick. i only have the right side done right now.
angle is just right with the double 3M.
 
LNXGUY

LNXGUY

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jan 10, 2004
Location
Barrie, Ont, Canada
TDI
'05 Jetta TDI Wagon
I've got euro blindspot mirrors, they pretty much suck... the little stick on blindspot mirrors are 100% better.
 
compu_85

compu_85

Gadget Guy
Joined
Sep 29, 2003
Location
La Conner, WA
TDI
... None :S
Hm. I have the little stick on mirrors on my SDL, and love the euro mirrors on my Jetta a lot more. To each his own I suppose...

-J
 
deejaaa

deejaaa

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 15, 2007
Location
Baytown, Texas
TDI
FOR SALE, 2002 Jetta GLS, 5 speed
LNXGUY said:
I've got euro blindspot mirrors, they pretty much suck... the little stick on blindspot mirrors are 100% better.
Click to expand...
i gave it a week and they suck. the double vision was driving me nuts when i was backing up. i cut some new ones, adhered some rounds. when they dry in the morn i will put them on. the good thing is, there won't be the convex mirror that was original on the pass side.
BTW, while looking for spots, saw there are blue tint rounds at Lowes. 2 for 3.00.



 
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MateoCicoria

MateoCicoria

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 2, 2012
Location
Guelph, Ontario
TDI
2003 MkIV Jetta
Is convex bad?

I tried slipping between a taxi and a line of parked cars; made it but I need some new mirror glass on the passenger side...
 
MateoCicoria

MateoCicoria

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 2, 2012
Location
Guelph, Ontario
TDI
2003 MkIV Jetta
Phantomofheat said:
I just go with the free adjust your mirrors to where they point about a foot out from the can and no blind spots.
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+1
The side view mirrors are not for admiring the paint job, so you adjust them so far out that you are looking at the lane beside you rather than the side of your car. I adjust the stock mirrors pretty far out, and then add convex rounds.
 
S

sasilverbullet

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 11, 2008
Location
San Antonio, Tx
TDI
2003 Jetta TDI
MateoCicoria said:
+1
The side view mirrors are not for admiring the paint job, so you adjust them so far out that you are looking at the lane beside you rather than the side of your car. I adjust the stock mirrors pretty far out, and then add convex rounds.
Click to expand...
+1, I was beginning to think I was the only one left that knows this! I learned from my Porsche racing buddies. Do you track a car?
 
E

Elysian

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 23, 2012
Location
Austin, TX
TDI
04 Golf
MateoCicoria said:
+1
The side view mirrors are not for admiring the paint job, so you adjust them so far out that you are looking at the lane beside you rather than the side of your car. I adjust the stock mirrors pretty far out, and then add convex rounds.
Click to expand...
That's how I do it. I adjust the side mirrors to the point that they don't double what I can see in my rearview mirror, means no blind spots.
 
J

JB05

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 20, 2005
Location
Il.USA
TDI
Golf,2005,anthracite blue
MateoCicoria said:
+1
The side view mirrors are not for admiring the paint job, so you adjust them so far out that you are looking at the lane beside you rather than the side of your car. I adjust the stock mirrors pretty far out, and then add convex rounds.
Click to expand...
I do also. Really helps on a multi lane highway.
 
MateoCicoria

MateoCicoria

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 2, 2012
Location
Guelph, Ontario
TDI
2003 MkIV Jetta
sasilverbullet said:
+1, I was beginning to think I was the only one left that knows this! I learned from my Porsche racing buddies. Do you track a car?
Click to expand...
I want to track my motorcycle, but alas no to either. It was actually enough of a sticking point in one relationship that a girl broke up with me over the way I adjust my mirrors though. A lot of people do not know this mirror fact.
 
LNXGUY

LNXGUY

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jan 10, 2004
Location
Barrie, Ont, Canada
TDI
'05 Jetta TDI Wagon
I like being able to see what's behind me in both the side and rearview mirrors. Being that I spend a lot of time towing a boat/trailer/whatever having the mirrors that far out would be useless.
 
S

Shenandoah

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 9, 2008
Location
Shenandoah Valley, VA
TDI
2005 Jetta Wagon; 2005 Beetle; 2004 Jetta; 2002 Golf (three of them); 2002 Jetta Wagon; 2000 Audi TT->TDI; 1999 Beetle
Folks,

I put a driver's side aspherical mirror on the Beetle. I think I only paid $25 new for it. I don't think I'd like the split view from the home made one.

Eric
 
deejaaa

deejaaa

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 15, 2007
Location
Baytown, Texas
TDI
FOR SALE, 2002 Jetta GLS, 5 speed
you're right, split view was terrible. i ditched them, put flat glass with small fish eye. glad i didn't waste any money on THAT failure.
 
Z

ZipiTDi

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 3, 2008
Location
Colorado
TDI
Silver B5.5 GLS TDi Passat wagon w/ Tiptronic
MateoCicoria said:
+1
The side view mirrors are not for admiring the paint job, so you adjust them so far out that you are looking at the lane beside you rather than the side of your car. I adjust the stock mirrors pretty far out, and then add convex rounds.
Click to expand...
+1 here too, though I skipped the rounds. Have never needed them since I learned to turn the mirrors out further. Can't remember when/where I learned that trick, but it works great! :D
 
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