Dick Carlson

Might I then recommend the autobahn mirror. Attached photo shows it in my RX-8, and they've been on my SHO and SVT Contour. Much better than those little stick-on convex mirrors. Available at http://www.seriousauto.com/interior-...or/mirror.html
Note that I've modified this one by increasing the length of the first shaft by 22mm so it will reach around the A pillar. I used thin wall aluminum tubing to extend the shaft. Only view it blocks is of the A pillar, doesn't intrude upon windshield view.

wakeech

hey spiffy... i s'pose you could mount it way way up out of the way so taller folk like me can still effectively see around the A pillar?

neato how much?

Dookie_Rx-8

hmm i would get it ,much safer to drive with it cuz i cant see the back corners

Dick Carlson

$20 American, wakeech. If you need further info on the shaft extension, let me know. BTW, I'm 6'3". It does not block view around the A pillar, it is in fact directly in line with the A pillar, which, on my car at least, is opaque and cannot be seen through. Therefore the mirror does not block any vision.

Dookie_Rx-8

is it possible to take a piture from your view in the car

panda

that looks very cool....and way safer....i just hope i could do the modification to make it longer.......its not too hard is it?


andrew

Dick Carlson

No, but here is a picture from my view shot with a very wide angle lens. The red arrow shows where I made the cut on the original shaft, about 4mm up from the ball joint. I then took a length of aluminum tubing (check your hobby store) about 30mm long. File down the ends where the cut was made on the mirror to fit inside the tube, about 4mm each end. Super glue the tube to the plastic shaft pieces. I covered mine with black heat-shrink tubing. Overall additional length is 22mm, allowing for the 4mm overlap on each end where the plastic is inserted into the tube.

mikeb

IMO its too big
stands out too much

Dick Carlson

YMMV, but it is distorted by the wide angle lens, it is really only about 1" by 3". But it definitely covers the blind spot. Now to determine why the right side mirror is not very convex...

Omicron

Hmmm, I wonder if they make something like this for my radar detector, or if this could be modified to work with it? Hmmm.......

MyRxBad

iTrader: (1)

I agree that it's too big and looks outta place.
I'll just do my shoulder check like a good boy

Superfan

I think the RX-8 was designed for Jedi Masters, considering you have to use "The Force" every time you make a lane change. Seriously, I kinda take a mental snapshot of the cars around me. Before making a lane change I'll check the mirrors for any differences. Worst case, I'll just take a glimpse over my shoulder. I come from a long line of cars with horrendous blind spots (SA, FC, FD, GF's Elipse Spyder), so looking over my shoulder is an involuntary action to me. BTW if you want to experience a real blind spot go test drive a 350z.

Dick Carlson

I don't like looking over my shoulder if I can help it. Too much going on ahead. Race experience says use the mirrors, and if you don't have them, get 'em. Stuff happens fast enough behind you that you can't memorize a car's position. At least not in today's traffic. It makes it SOOO much easier to use a decent mirror.
Had two convex mirrors on the Seven race car, and a Wink mirror in the Elite.

wakeech

this is odd: on the new driving tests i've had to do to get my licences (which are progressing, thank god, toward a higher standard like that in Britian) we MUST shoulder check every time we turn the ******' wheel!! every turn made, every lane change (even if just to move toward the shoulder in a wide lane), you make a TON of shoulder checks...

note: i use my mirrors to almost completely eliminate blind spots, and when changing lanes, just make sure i can see the last car of the group passed has both headlights in the rear view, otherwise, i drive looking out the side of the car when squeezing in.

Dick Carlson

Canada requires driving tests for each renewal? In the US, if you can find the eye-test machine, you've passed (just about). It's more of a revenue enhancement program than a procedure to license drivers.

alex

Is it possible to use what "looks" like one of those side-mounted racing dial and put a mirror there instead of that hanging arm setup? It'll probably look a bit nicer, at least integrated better.

alex

ps: can't we just get rid of the entire side mirror for a small video camera and a couple small LCD's? I know I mentioned this before but something to eliminate those side mirrors.

i3man

This is pretty funny stuff :p I've been noticing that blind spot as well and I'm never 100% sure if there is a car there or not when I look. I try to speed up so I can see the car I passed in my mirror before I change lanes but sometimes in heavier traffic you can't do that. I'll glance once, twice, and bam I go...so far so good :p

The back passenger window is pretty so small and my passenger seat is positioned so that it blocks half the back window so essentially I can't see anything between the B and C pillar which is like a 2 foot blind spot.

You're also sitting pretty low in the 8 so reversing isn't that easy either. I notice in most cars your shoulder is a good 6 inches above the level of the door. In the 8 my shoulder is probably at or below door level.

I didn't realize how easy my Nissan Maxima was to see out of and drive. Oh well, may the force be with me :p

sferrett

How far into your skull does the mirror penetrate when the side pillar airbag inflates?

hotpot

I've linked my radar system to my 8's Nav.
No more blind spot.