Re: mirrors

[brettd@tiac.net (Brett Dikeman)]

>- a few weeks ago there was a thread concerning mirrors (after jeffrey's
>
>freeway accident.)
>
>i was always searching for the "perfect" blind spot mirror, and found one
>
>some time ago and of course forgot the particulars.
>

Whoops-sorry if what I'm going to say has already been mentioned(I missed
that thread for some reason....)

>while at the dealership for the above mentioned wheel tool, i found it
>again.
>for those who are interested, read on:
>
>the mirror has a 1 1/4" x 1 1/4" base that attaches with double-sided
>
>foam/tape and a 1 inch socket.
>
>i precleaned the side mirrors with iso alcohol and they stay on quite
>well.
>the mirror itself has a 1" truncated ball on the back that snaps into
>
>the socket and is easily adjustable, yet holds the adjustment well.
>
>the mirror is approximately 1 3/4" x 2 1/2" with radiused corners and
>
>a concave surface that is useful up to several car lengths. (for that
>
>lane change check - also works well to see parking lines and curbs while
>
>backing into a parking spot)
>
>the base, etc are black plastic that has a quality appearance.
>
>all disclaimers apply...
>
>the brand and model is Multiview 101 by Multiview Products, Irvine, CA
>
>(714)261-7213.
>
>it was priced at $2.30.
>
>there was a larger model (i think #103, $2.95, approximately 20% larger)
>
>
>
>hope this helps some of you...
>
>frank
>

One problem with those neat little doodads they sell like the ones you
mentioned, the ones from Brookstone, etc.  When you add that to your
mirror, you basically confuse your brain.  You see, the reason people like
chrome on cars+other things, renderings, etc. is because your brain is
trying to figure out what the heck is being reflected.  I've noticed a
definate change in cleaning the mirrors every once in a while with good
glass cleaner(Clearvue is excellent stuff for car windows, glass, etc.
et.c-I highly recommend it)-I guess what I'm trying to say is it affects
your state of mind almost-When I'm driving at night in a low traffic area,
I bring both mirrors back up and switch to the day setting.  Usefull for
seeing fuzzies :)
  OK, to get to the point-if you stick some weird shaped thing on the
end/middle/inside edge/whatever, you not only block a large part of the
original mirror, but it creates in effect a single mirror that is oddly
shaped, so near the edges of the two you can't use that mirror for figuring
out, say, the distance between two objects.  I know you'll say, "of course
I can!", but it's hard to do it quickly enough for most highway situations.

Here's a possible alternative-get an entirely new mirror surface.  Take the
old one off, and see if you can find a glass/mirror place and ask 'em if
they have one that's the same size, or if they can specially order one.  If
you can, get one with a slight curve(ya know, the ones that say 'Objects in
mirror may be closer" etc... and put that on your car.  That way, you have
a constant, even surface you can use quickly and accurately.

I did see something interesting-maybe similar to what Frank mentioned-it
was something that attached inside the car, to the dash or vent near the
window, and had a little swinging arm to manuver it into the best position.
Looked pretty small, but too trucker-ish for a sedan/coupe/wagon.  Take a
look around.  JC whitney or other similar places might be a good place to
look around too, come to think of it.

Just one overall recommendation-don't block the original mirrors, inside or
out, with stick-on-mirror-surface thingys or those clipon lane-changer
things.  Not good.  Also, don't go overboard with curved mirrors.  The
greater the curve, the less of a blind spot, but the more you are
"compressing" larger areas into a smaller virtual image.  This makes it
hard to see objects, or large, heavy objects might not catch your attention
in the mirrors.  18-wheelers look a lot more scary on a normal, flat mirror
than on a curvy mirror that makes it look like a tonka-truck.  One added
benefit of flat mirrors-on my 5k, I can see _very_ far behind me, even in
the dark, if they're clean.  On our Volvo 960(which has curvy mirrors) your
view around the car is excellent(superb) but you can't see long-range
things like the state fuzzie waaaaayyy back there.


BTW-not all fuzzies use their radar/laser guns-My father and several
friends I know have gotten nailed because it was night and the cop just
drove down the highway, watching his speedometer...
(Yes I know this is supposedly not valid in court-don't care)

Sorry if all this junk got mentioned before

 Brett