After owning these $80 gems for quite some time, the annoyance of zero adjustability and an almost useless passenger side mirror, I decided to try something out...


Now, this works much better prior to install, and if this is being done afterwards, I cannot gurantee a perfect operating mirror.

I'm going to outline this in steps as if you have not yet installed the lens...So let's go from there...

1. Trace the lens on a piece of paper, so it can be used at a later date. (We'll get to why later)


2. You are going to have to remove the piece of plastic that mounts directly to the mirror. It snaps out of place in four mounting points. (I did this after mounting the lens, and ended up breaking the glass)


2a. Broken glass.


3. Now, look inside the actual mirror itself, you'll see three screws inside...Remove them.


4. Firmly pull out that little unit you just unscrewed.


5. See that big shiny screw and spring? You are going to need to loosen the screw very slightly, and rotate the piece until you feel it's firm enough to support the mirror, but loose enough to adjust the mirror. While you're at it, I'd suggest some grease to keep it smooth.


6. Everything is pretty much done here.

Final steps: Reassemble everything in reverse order, and if you haven't mounted the glass yet, don't. Take that trace you made of the lens and photocopy it. Try to reduce the image very slightly, just so the lens is now covering the circle where the lens mounts. This should solve the other problem of the lens being too small for the housing...Now, with the smoother moving joint and the smaller lens, you have yourself a perfectly operating mirror.

Now, to all the people that talk smack on these mirrors...Let's say you just bought the knock off's, that go for around $80 bucks now. Then go and spend around $10 bucks getting new lenses cut and a few minutes loosening the bolts...You still have around $200 bucks left over to spend on whatever. (instead of buying the $300+ Vision/Spoon versions)

 

 

Hey man, there's just alot of people that talk **** on these things...I'm just doing some pre-defense.

 

[Modified by b20bastard, 10:28 PM 4/7/2003]

 

so what does this actually do? does it make the mirror stick out any further? and where did you get the replacement glass for it? and how much? i broke mine too, and have one of those cheapo plastic mirror things. great diy though

 

[Modified by SpoonFedHatch, 6:29 AM 4/8/2003]

 

Well, it loosens up the super-stiff adjustability for starters...And if you get a new lens cures the problem of the mirror not being able to be adjusted fully. It does not make anything stick out at all.

 

i will now buy you these mirrors! i love you Thunder Lips, your my new hero!




[Modified by HybridHackBatch, 6:37 AM 4/8/2003]

 

i guess the hard part is gettint he concaved [or convexed?] mirror for the pass side..
unless you dont care about that?

i have both pass side mirrors on both sides on my cup mirrors hehe.

 

Lol and I thought I was the only one who broke the glass. HAHhah. ANyways, where exactly am I supposed to get those 10 replacement mirrors. And are yours blue tinted? THanks, Jin

 

Personally, I don't care for the convex glass...I'm going to get regular cut mirrors. Also, I'm going to try and get something a little thicker than what came with them.

Any mirror/glass shop should be able to cut you these simple mirrors. I got quoted something like $6 bucks a piece for them. So $12 bucks for the two, I underestimated a little, sorry.


[Modified by ThunderLips, 10:58 PM 4/7/2003]

 

one of the main problems is the knock offs never acually looked at where the real mirrors were mounted, aside from the passenger side mirror, the mounts and the acual mirrors are identical to the real deal(ive owned both). i exp. the same prob as everyone else, but i solved it by doing the folowing;
step 1. remove the mirrors from the mounting bases. after examaning them you will see 3 mounting screw holes.
step 2. use a ruler or something with acurate measurement markings, and create 3 new mounting points farther back on the base.
step 3. use some sort of drill and drill your new holes. then mount and reinstall into the vehicle.
now that both of the mirrors are closer to you when you are in the car, the need to angle them up is now greatly reduced, and the main issue, the passenger side mirror now protrudes more into the open space of the passenger window, allowing greater visability... if you were to look at the acual mount of the real and the fake, and remount the fakes where the real ones are, the problem with visibilty is fixed, look into trying this before breaking out your glass.. this procedure shouldnt cost anything...


[Modified by panda power, 8:02 AM 4/8/2003]

 

thanks for the input, do u still have the pattern?, i cant see anything on the passenger side.

 

 

I can't possibly see where you could have moved them to. There's not much room to move back in the first place...And the main goal I had was to aleviate the stiffness of the mirror, and overall adjustability.

 

ok, if you were sitting in the car, and you were able to take the mirror and acually pull it off the base and pull it towards you, that is the direction you need to move it, under close examination, you well notice that when the mirrors are diasembled, there is some play, even to move them back almost an inch even before exposing the original mounting holes, and like said with them towards you more the need to move them up is greatly reduced, t-lips, i am not criticizing your tech on this sub, but the problems i was having with these mirrors was solved by my method, so i guess that whichever path the readers chooses should help them obtain there goal of more visibility...

 

Nice DIY dude!! Very creative, too!

 

I have the plates in front of me, all dissasembled. There just doesn't look like much room to move.

Like I was saying earlier...The actual lenses don't fit into the housings...That's what I was trying to fix. I thought the method I went into would be more benificial if another driver was to use my car...Like my pops. He could adjust the mirror to his suiting.

 

maaan..thunderlips..i wish you coulda posted this back in december ...my mirrors dont even move a bit looks nice but not very functional ..btw..where can i buy another set of mirrors..with the blue tint also..i feel like starting over.

 

I had the same Mirrors on my TEG and This is what I did to slove the problem.

1) remove the mounting screws from the left and right Mirrors
2) Removed left and right Mirrors
3) Sold Left and right Mirrors to some cheap SOB
4) Got up off my CHEAP RUSTY DUSTY and ordered a set of Spoon REAL DEAL Mirrors I paid 250 shipped for mine and if you ask me are they worth it? I will have to say YES Carbon Fiber TOO?? Oh my GOSH YESS!!!


Actually Vision doesn't make these for Spoon anymore.


[Modified by Naka_Yama, 5:49 AM 4/8/2003]

 

I respect anyones descions no matter what they be, or how they spend their money. Just for me, $80 bucks seemed smarter than upwards of $250. I guess everyone is allowed one knock off part on their car.

 

I have them too.. I just havent installed them yet. Ill try your idea, but I think mine are adjustable.

 

wow

 

You sure about that, I thought Spoon just released the CF ones a few months ago

 

No problem with Knock offs... Rotas look nice etc etc, but just saying you get what you pay for. I am not one of those if it ain't real then you're stupid for buying it people. Just that I had the Fakes first and they were nice but then compared to the real ones TO ME the price Difference was worth it.

Good How to Post though