1st mod. Mirror add!

[thatguitarguy]

I've just been driving for too long, and too many large vehicles where a passenger side mirror is necessary, to be comfortable with nothing there.

I didn't have to undo a delete, because on this vehicle it was an option that wasn't there. I guess they figured this car would never venture out of the right lane!

It gives me enough of a view of the rear/side of the car to give me peace of mind.

[Christ]

Any thoughts on doing the d-side mirror as well?

[thatguitarguy]

They came as a set of 2 for $1.88, so I stuck the other one on, but I see more of my left leg than the road in the left lane. I'll have to apply some wedges to get it aimed right.

With what I have planned for this vehicle, it will be looking pretty experimental, and I don't want to delete the driver side mirror as of yet. Eventually I'll do the video setup, but the cops in this tourist town have way too much time on their hands, and too much invested in ticket books, for me to be anxious about jumping into this without first investigating the legal implications.

[Christ]

Next time I'm down in HBG, PA, I'm going to DOT to talk to them about it. According to the Vehicle Code in PA, you only need one mirror "mounted in such a way as to afford a rear view of the vehicle being operated for not less than 200 feet."

That, to me, justifies using only the OE windshield mounted mirror, with no side mirrors, provided you have a rear window with a clear view.

Someone else on this forum apparently had an issue with it, because they got a Fix-It in Southern PA, and the officer quoted the "Original Equipment" rule, which I still haven't been able to find in the PA Inspection handbook.

[thatguitarguy]

Cops around here have been known to make up their own rules, and then you either pay for a bogus ticket or fight it in court. Tourists are more likely to just pay up than go through the expense of coming back for a court battle. The real world sucks sometimes. I've had enough time in this local court with both wins and losses to know that it's a big waste of time and taxpayer money, but I don't want to make myself a target.

Eventually the rear window will be blocked with some kind of kammback/boattail, so no visible mirrors will certainly make the local constabulary drool with anticipation. Simple pleasures for simple people.

[tennis4789]

Hi Guitar,
First Post on here.

Looks like an aesetically pleasing mod Guitar. Much safety risk in an accident? I've been considering doing a couple mods to my prizm.

Seems like the lowest hanging fruit is:

Change driving habits
Mirrors (4% to 6%)
Wheels (4% to 5%)

although none of them seem to maybe pass the mcdonalds test of making $8/hour and spending it on fuel instead of spending time upgrading the car. $200 for rearview cameras i had to drive 40,000 miles to break even in gas savings.

I probably should get my O2 sensor fixed first but doesn't seem very cost effective either.

Did you look at putting "baby mirrors"? I bought a mirror from dollar store and was painful to try to move it so I could see. Seemed like best view was going up by the sun visor and then back similar to the rearview mirror only on passenger and driver side. Although wanting to avoid head collision w a mirror in an accident.

Maybe 10% fuel saving from mirror mod and wheel mod?

[Old Tele man]

...the O2-sensor would seem to be the FIRST thing to do because it's malfuntion WILL affect how the engine runs and thus your fuel economy.

...mirrors are safety items, so should be NEXT.

...wheel covers are aerodynamics only, so, should be LAST.

...the economics of the above will certainly "rearrange" their realworld priority, I'm sure.

[Christ]

Originally Posted by Old Tele man

...the O2-sensor would seem to be the FIRST thing to do because it's malfuntion WILL affect how the engine runs and thus your fuel economy.

...mirrors are safety items, so should be NEXT.

...wheel covers are aerodynamics only, so, should be LAST.

...the economics of the above will certainly "rearrange" their realworld priority, I'm sure.

My interjection - Safety should always come before economy. You can't drive responsibly if you're dead. (Or in prison because you killed someone else.)

Safety, Driving techniques (which affect safety and economy both), then economy.

[tasdrouille]

I performed a passenger side mirror delete which I replaced with a 3 inches convex inside mirror. Honestly, I'm not even using it much. I just check my dead angles all of the time and use the convex mirror only when my view is obstructed by stuff I'm carrying.

If you have a clear view all around, external rear view mirrors are completely useless in my opinion. Most laws do not agree with me though.

[dcb]

the mirrors are, like abs, a detractor from safety in practice. I've had a soccer mom tell me she doesn't do headchecks cuz "that's what the mirrors are for"!