Looking for rear view mirror suggestions

H

Hoof Hearted

New member
I want to replace my stock review mirror... ...what is your preference and why: Wink-type panel mirrors or the large convex mirror?

TIA,
 
I have a Wink 4 panel and I like it fine. I just had to remake one of the mounting brackets to allow more adjustment then the stock ones. Since each car is different as to driver postion, roll bar placement, etc. the stock mounts may work for you, or not.
I put mine all the way on the pass. side to keep it out of my direct line of sight which required more offset to the panel then the stock mounts allowed.
 
Hoof Hearted said:
I want to replace my stock review mirror... ...what is your preference and why: Wink-type panel mirrors or the large convex mirror?

TIA,
Click to expand...


My brother and I went with the convex mirror. I always found the wink to be too busy for my tastes. The convex seems to cover at least the same viewing area, and isn't quite as confusing on a quick glance.
 
I've got a Longacre 17" mirror and I hate it. My rear window still has some ancient purple tint on it, and combined with the really convex mirror, I can't tell how close anything is behind me. I can see there's a blob back there, but I can't tell how far back it is.
http://pitstopusa.com/i-5059997-longacre-17-mirror-kit-2-5-1-2-brackets-for-1-3-4-roll-bar.html


In our LeMons car, we have one of these clipped over the factory mirror, and I like it a LOT better:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Razo...ptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories

and it's cheap! :)
 
Makes a big difference how far forward it is mounted. Most aftermarket mirrors are too close to the driver and cut down on field of view.
 
I have something like that 5-star thing linked-to above, plus a small curved formula-style mirror on the driver's door. I can see LITERALLY 180* behind me, including everything that's not already within in my peripheral vision.

K

EDIT - you can see both in this shot...

donefront.jpg
 
Was that formula style mirror expensive?
I want to get a different one than the "Dumbo ears" that are on my 240SX right now, but all of the ones I see are in the $250+ range. that's way too much for a stinking mirror!!

My big problem is visibility to my left. my longacre mirror covers from driver's head all the way to outside the pass side door. fine and dandy. but I can't tell where anything is on my left side. with HANS device, I can't turn my head far enough to the side to know exactly where a guy is in the blind spot. he could be a lane over and 30' behind me, or could be a really quiet car at my rear wheel. don't know until I feel the crunch. no thanks.

I used a stick-on convex spot mirror on the driver side mirror, but that thing sucks. now I just have a tiny moving dot somehere on the mirror and still can't tell where the car is.
I was hoping to find a curved (not convex) mirror like the Razo linked above that I could either fit into the stock housing, or find a smaller mirror with a curved lens on it.

any ideas?
 
We use the wink inside. Replace the stock factory outside mirrors (Honda mirrors are really heavy) with 6" truck convex mirrors that are mounted to the A pillar down tubes...excellent coverage, out of the wind, stable, cheap at the NAPA store.
 
I use a 4-panel wink. Tried the convex and HATED it. Everything was screwy and depth perception was compromised. No way in hell was I gonna race, or even track with it. People who prefer convex mirrors must have astigmatism that gets corrected from use of such.
 
RedMisted said:
People who prefer convex mirrors must have astigmatism that gets corrected from use of such.
Click to expand...
:happy204:

I like the convex, hated the Wink. I use the mirrors not for spatial placement but for situational awareness; I already have a pretty good idea where everybody is, I just use the mirror to verify it.

Sounds like this is one of those "try 'em both on, see what you like" kinda deals.

GA
 
I started out with a Wink panel style mirror, but did not get much chance to use it, as the mirrors kept falling out (it came with the car and was VERY old). My crew chief got me a 17" Longacre curved, (don't think it was convex), and I have been very happy with it. I am thinking about adding the NASCAR style buttons that clamp onto the roll cage in order to get some additional coverage.

My suggestion would be to go to the at-the-track shop and borrow one of each so you can hold them up and get an idea of what feels good to you.
 
Hate the Wink, use the Longacre curved. Only problem is that my big fat head blocks the cars that are a little bit back on a straight and have to use the side mirrors for that. But that's due to positioning and cage design.
 
JLawton said:
Hate the Wink, use the Longacre curved. Only problem is that my big fat head blocks the cars that are a little bit back on a straight and have to use the side mirrors for that. But that's due to positioning and cage design.
Click to expand...

And the aforementioned big fat head... :p

We inherited a wink which I initially hated, but my brain quickly learned how to decipher what I was seeing and I stopped getting crossed eyed every time I looked at it! lol it is "busy" but it is totally undistorted and if you mount it properly you can turn your side mirrors out so far your blind spots go away!

Matt, to accomplish this it may help to take your wink and move the right end of it rear ward...
 
I use a combination of both. The WINK for rear window viewing and the convex as side mirrors. I like the WINK for rear viewing because it doesn't mess with depth perception, and the convex to get a wide angle of any car that may be on either side of me. Also, looking through the rear window is like looking through a gun slit. So any kind of convex rearview mirror would mostly just show you the interior.

img1699a.jpg
 
The wink mirrors give me a headache whenever I look at them in people's cars. I use one of the bigger Longacre "standard" mirrors and the stock side mirrors. I adjust the side mirrors way out to minimize/eliminate blind spots. This is how I adjust my street car mirrors as well. You can get pretty much 180 degree visibility.

David
 
I just bought some used Spa formula mirrors w/ flat glass ($80) to replace the "air-brake" stock door-side mirrors and I have one trucker round convex mirror attached to the passenger-side rollbar upright. It looks like people either hate or love both the wink or longacre windshield. I have a pretty good traffic awareness during qualifying & races but would like a better than stock option for those Friday test days when we run with GT-1 Corvettes (WHOA! Where did he come from dive-bomb moments). I think I'll try the cheaper wink first and "see" how it goes...
 
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