Passenger Side Mirror

We have talked about this many times actualy. Can you adjust it outward to eliminate the blind spot... as this forum talk about. no blind spot  it does not show you the side line of the car but only the blind spot. 

It is very adjustable. I reviewed "no blind spot", and mine seems to get the desired result. It can be placed high or low on the interior windshield. The stem is flexible. The base can be rotated. The mirror adjusts. 

I know there have been a lot of prior discussions about this subject. I only found one other member who posted something similar to my solution. I think mine is more flexible for adjustment, and gives more placement options. Hope it helps others.

Well you have to get used to the new adjustment ... but if you do it works  ....  you have to get away from the fear of Not seeing the side of your car though for backing up

Am I the only one who doesn’t even have a passenger side mirror?  On my first Beck it was useless and on my build in 2016 I didn’t bother having one installed. I never drive with the top up and it’s just as easy to turn my head, sight lines are fine. 

IIRC, MUSBJIM has a blind spot mirror more or less in the same position and he loves it.  Looks like you've come up with a nice solution that works well for you.  It's really hard to get those door-mounted mirrors to aim in far enough to be useful, so your solution is great.

I have a similar suction base for my old GPS and it's been working well for something like 15 years now, although it's losing it's "stick", especially on the curvy Speedster windshield.  I'm thinking a new suction base might be in store before next season starts ("Uh.....Santa?")

Gordon
(All I want for Christmas is a really good tan.)

My solution was to change to a convex lens on the Raydyot mirror on the passenger door.

Works great.

My Durant on the passenger side is a convex lens. The driver side Durant also appears to be slightly convex even though it is supposed to be "flat"

Nice set up  @jprpdr. That looks like it works perfectly in your application with full flexibility for easy adjustment (top up or down)! 

Like @Gordon Nichols mentioned, that  is how I Mcguyvered a blind-spot mirror for the passenger side of my car. As they say, neccessity is the mother of invention. I've been using this set-up for the past 15 years whenever I have my board in the Speedster. Works well with the top up also.

Here is the set up I used in my previous VS. An old phone/GPS holder (similar to Gordon). Used double-side tape to attach a small convex mirror ($4 @ Pep Boys, Auto Zone, etc.).

Continued the application in my current VS.

$9 fully adjustable blind spot-mirror found in the Trailer/Towing section of Pep boys, Auto Zone, etc.. 

MUSBJIM's was the one that gave me the idea. I believe his is mounted a little higher up on the windshield.

Oh, oh...........

Now you're gonna have to get a Long Board.

and a luggage rack with luggage  

Or as chuckles told me years ago, do you want to be a parts boy or a wrench...according to George Brown, I am a parts boy!

OK, Kent, THAT ^  was funny!  @Kent Whitesel

Kent,

That is a neat installation. How did you connect the mirror holder to the windshield frame?? Where did you get the mirror and holder?

Thanks!

That is a Chuck Beck one off he did for a Lister, back in the old days. That is a speedster windshield frame. Sometimes, you do not ask Chuck (Randy might have made it) as stuff happens, but it attaches to the two bottom screws (slightly longer) on the windshield frame post. The two screws are already there, and those that have changed out glass, know you can not drive those in very far and must be very careful...Mirror worked well on my Spyder, but same frame as Speedster. 

The mirror is off the shelf, the bracket, Chuck fabricated.  Years ago, I talked to Russ at Fiber-steel about making something similar, as well as pie tin Rudge look a likes for 4 bolt Type 1 wheels, but he did not think there was enough market potential. Also talked with the guy up in Canada that we got the 4 cam look alike valve covers from, but he had so many other projects going. I believe John was his name, but he has not been doing custom trim items for a good 10-15 years at least.  His stuff was really good and unique. 

Maybe Chuck would make a batch? He has had health issues and I know he helps Carey out occasionally, but is basically retired from what little I hear anymore in Atlanta. 

Thanks for the very interesting history of your one-of-a kind accessory.

I am still playing around with passenger side mirrors. In addition to the suction cup mount, I am trying different clamp-on types. I put a piece foam pipe insulation on the windshield frame. The mirrors are 3 1/2 inch convex and 3 X 7 inch rectangular (Supposedly convex, but more flat). Both work pretty well. I can change them as desired.

Another subject-I have Greg's 2332cc Torque Monster engine. I had plaques made up for a 2.3 Liter engine displacement. The pics below show where I will probably mount them. You can Google emblempros for details.

Still breaking in the Speedster. No freeway trips yet. Engine is very responsive with lots of low end torque.

Has SOC ever gotten together at Automobile Driving Museum in El Segundo, CA., or Reagan Library in Simi Valley, CA.??

Kent Whitesel posted:

Or as chuckles told me years ago, do you want to be a parts boy or a wrench...according to George Brown, I am a parts boy!

I'm pretty sure everybody still visiting this site after 20 years was insulted by George back in the day. There were none of us who could hold a candle to him-- he was a legend in his own mind.

I guess I'm a contrarian when it comes to the late George Brown.  I had a drink with him at the very first Carlisle gathering, and he turned out to be a pretty nice guy.  Mind you, he could be opinionated, gruff, self serving, argumentative, and a self professed expert on engines, but I still have good memories of him.  He drove Henry around the bend on his Speedster build, but it was a great car.

Besides, the arguments he used to have on here were always fun to follow (as long as you were not the one with whom he was arguing).  

I like George, but we did occasionally get up side down on somewhat insignificant issues and he had strong opinions on bails vs gasket thickness, heat seeking color, or whatever on valve covers or am subject you can think of.  But, I love guys that are passionate about cars, not withstanding their options, misguided or not. Chuck and I once got into one (well more than one!) on the stopping power and poor quality parts of 4 lug vs wide 5 and even floor thickness and smooth or corrugated metal vs fiberglass, etc. But, both Chuckles and George had great knowledge and practical experience of which they formed their opinions. 

One last thought, I always felt that George pushed the envelope too much with Type 1 and unless a cost constraint, Type 4 would have been better for his silver, blue huish IM. (It was not Chuck Beck blue either) I am guessing Henry might have agreed, but George had the position to defend. I am sure George is still cursing Henry over not getting a fuel cell into that IM, but there were not the options we see now, or even the work Russ later developed with his amazing fab skills. Not sure he even does those custom cell-tank refits anymore.  Crazy expensive. 

Bob: IM S6 posted:

I guess I'm a contrarian when it comes to the late George Brown.  I had a drink with him at the very first Carlisle gathering, and he turned out to be a pretty nice guy.  Mind you, he could be opinionated, gruff, self serving, argumentative, and a self professed expert on engines, but I still have good memories of him.  He drove Henry around the bend on his Speedster build, but it was a great car.

Besides, the arguments he used to have on here were always fun to follow (as long as you were not the one with whom he was arguing).  

Contrarian is not a word that I would ever use to describe you, Bob.

Academic, encouraging, and diplomatic- absolutely. Contrarian? Never. The adjective I think fits the best is Gentlemanly. It doesn't surprise me that even GB couldn't bring himself to aim the cannons at you-- you're just so darned Canadian.

Perhaps it would have been different had we met in person, but George never warmed to this bullet-headed pipefitter from Buttscratch, Nowhere (RFD).

Somehow, I doubt my charms would have won him over.

Kent Whitesel posted:

One last thought, I always felt that George pushed the envelope too much with Type 1 and unless a cost constraint, Type 4 would have been better for his silver, blue huish IM. (It was not Chuck Beck blue either) I am guessing Henry might have agreed, but George had the position to defend.

George is probably rolling around in his grave to hear you say that.

One of the great holy wars of this site (ever) was the T1 championed by George, vs. the T4 by Jake Raby, and his customer Paul Harford. Rhetoric got heated enough that there was talk of a grudge-match drag race and potential fisticuffs, which would have been something to see.

At the end of it all, Paul's "Butch" was the baddest car standing-- with a 200-ish HP Type 4 which consumed an amount of money roughly equivalent to the GDP of any number of Central American banana republics. I'm not sure George's 2387 T1 ever ran, but it wasn't for lack of funding. If it did run, it was for a matter of minutes. George died with his car in pieces. Paul's life took a turn sideways and he sold the car. I rode in it (Butch, the T4 car) once, in 2005-- it was equal parts awe-inspiring and terrifying.

Actually when I think about it in hindsight, the split was more like 80/20 weighted towards terror. At the time, I was just too busy trying to secure myself in the passenger seat to give much thought to my rising panic.

Jake's formula clearly worked. As a result, I wisely followed The Way of George down the rabbit-hole, polishing turd after Type 1 turd in hopes of burnishing one of them into a gold nugget. I just pulled the dry-sumped, 2276 with twin-plug ignition out of my car. It runs pretty good for a hopped up lawn-mower, but gets moody unless unreasonable amounts of money and attention are being lavished on it. I'm putting parts orders together tonight-- maybe I'll drop the transaxle tomorrow. You never know when one of the oysters will have a pearl inside.

I suppose one could rightly think of it as my homage to George Brown. When one abandons all reason and begins dumping huge piles of time and money into a plastic clown car, one tips one's proverbial hat to the guy who really did welcome all of us to the madness.

I’m so glad you were not  talking about the other George

George Brown was smart.  In fact, he was almost as smart as he thought he was.  Unfortunately for him and those around him, that brain was accompanied by a personality that personified narcissism, petulance, righteous indignation, arrogance, and tunnel vision in equal amounts.  If he was alive today, he would undoubtedly be Secretary of Something in the current administration.

Ouch ~ Not sure why the relevance to the current Administration 

Sorry I missed all that. In '05 I was carless (well, yeah, I guess that describes living in a 720 sf condo on the 11th floor of a midtown highrise, with a 1993 Pontiac Sunbird convertible valet-parked in the catacombs below and retrieved only for weekend runs to the girlfriend's house 100 miles yonder).

Dark times, boys, which would have been lightened generously by drag-race fisticuffs over the relative merits of the Type1 vs Type4 overgrown lawnmower platforms.  

Glad I found this site when I did.

Jim Kelly posted:

George Brown was smart.  In fact, he was almost as smart as he thought he was.  Unfortunately for him and those around him, that brain was accompanied by a personality that personified narcissism, petulance, righteous indignation, arrogance, and tunnel vision in equal amounts.  If he was alive today, he would undoubtedly be Secretary of Something in the current administration.

perhaps President:}}}}}}}}}

@jprpdr

Thread drift.. Not sure if you have looked into 3D printing for badges... some local guys  have used https://www.shapeways.com/create to make custom badges for their vintage minis/Austin’s/ speedster/ VWs that look like the originals... but reflect their newer engine displacement.

here are some samples ... they can make anything out of almost any material.  It’s amazing!  And very affordable.

it would be cool to modify the 1600/Super badge... and make a 2300/super, Just replacing the 16 for 23.   Their design team can help you ( for a fee) if you rather not use their free 3D artwork tool available to create the artwork yourself,

356 Original

sample printed for a VW (34$) and Austin (12$)

food for thought!

Stan Galat posted:

Bob: IM S6 posted:

I guess I'm a contrarian when it comes to the late George Brown.  I had a drink with him at the very first Carlisle gathering, and he turned out to be a pretty nice guy.  Mind you, he could be opinionated, gruff, self serving, argumentative, and a self professed expert on engines, but I still have good memories of him.  He drove Henry around the bend on his Speedster build, but it was a great car.

Besides, the arguments he used to have on here were always fun to follow (as long as you were not the one with whom he was arguing).  

Contrarian is not a word that I would ever use to describe you, Bob.

Academic, encouraging, and diplomatic- absolutely. Contrarian? Never. The adjective I think fits the best is Gentlemanly. It doesn't surprise me that even GB couldn't bring himself to aim the cannons at you-- you're just so darned Canadian.

Perhaps it would have been different had we met in person, but George never warmed to this bullet-headed pipefitter from Buttscratch, Nowhere (RFD).

Somehow, I doubt my charms would have won him over.

Stan, I have to disagree with your last sentence. Your eloquence, reason, and humble nature would have won that difficult codger over. I remember him well. I don't believe I ever received his ire. I guess I was lucky.

I have had the pleasure of not only meeting George Brown, but had a very long talk with him about software (his past career before the motorcycle shop) and computer storage (my business).  Trust me, he knew his stuff and was living off of software royalties from Control Data and IBM but I found him to be interesting to talk with and witty, too.

I also rode in both of George's last cars, both IMs.  His prior one was owned by Karl Macklin when I rode in it (it was a silver Roadster with a T-1 2,110) and his last one had that T-1, cutting edge 2,387 beast in it and no expense was spared in making the entire car the ultimate Roadster of it's time.  I honestly got pretty tired of his rants about how wonderful IM cars were/are.  I believe it, too, but just don't need to hear about it friggin DAILY.  Even when I could have afforded one, I stuck with my CMC because it was the antithesis of anything "George".

Stan wrote:  "I'm not sure George's 2387 T1 ever ran, but it wasn't for lack of funding. If it did run, it was for a matter of minutes."

That's what was in there when he gave me an early morning ride at Carlisle from the hotel to breakfast and back.  It was the crankiest engine you could imagine - almost to the point of being un-drive-able on the idle jets, but when he really got on it on I-81 it reminded me a bit of my son's fire-breathing Eclipse.  Straight-line acceleration was breath-taking but when he got off it and cruised it was balky to say the least.  I don't know what the hell the cam was in there, but it was pretty radical (his own grind?), and made the whole experience not a lot of fun.

Some guy in Texas bought the car and decided to re-make it in his own image.  We all gave him a hard time on here (he pretty much deserved it) and we haven't heard from him since, so I don't know what happened to the car, but this was it, followed by Karl Macklin's when Chris and I did a clutch adjustment for him at the Carlisle hotel parking lot:

Stan Galat posted:

It doesn't surprise me that even GB couldn't bring himself to aim the cannons at you-- you're just so darned Canadian.

 

Thanks, Stan.  I do consider that to be the highest compliment anyone could give me.  And coming from the President of Stanistan, too.

I know we're straying WAY off the mirror discussion of this thread......

Gordon: With individual runner carbs(Weber/Dellorto) it absolutely does not matter how "lumpy" the cam is. I can idle my 298 degree duration engine at 600rpm if I want.

It's the tuning. I submit that George didn't have it synched and dialed in as far as jetting on the low end. OR his port velocity wasn't even close for the venturi/carb/manifold combo he was running. I'll wager a few hours of my time and maybe some jets/venturi and I'd have that thing purring throughout the load/rev range.

Anybody can build an engine that runs great at WOT, but there's so much more to it than that.

^^^What Danny said^^^ Either it wasn't tuned well or there was something funky about the combo. If the parts all compliment each other and it's tuned well, even an 8,000 rpm engine should be smooth through the lower rpm's before it's 'on the cam'.