CruiZZZin 78 Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 Cool man can't wait to see them on your z! You'll be the first I've seen with the raydots mounted correctly. Btw do you think that the raydots would be as useless as the talbots if they weren't convex? I might try some talbots with convex mirrors if it helps the problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auxilary Posted March 31, 2008 Share Posted March 31, 2008 The mirror is now on the Z. Furious, post'em up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capt_furious Posted March 31, 2008 Author Share Posted March 31, 2008 On the way tonight. Works great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capt_furious Posted April 1, 2008 Author Share Posted April 1, 2008 Okay, we've been beating this subject around long enough. Here's a member's Z with a Raydot mirror installed on it! aux and I installed the driver's side mirror on Saturday afternoon. It took about an hour and was a somewhat frustrating experience. With some patience, ingenuity and perseverance, you CAN install a Raydot mirror in the stock mounting location on a Z. You'll need a mini socket handle, a short extension, and small hands. Getting the mirror on is only part of it. Due to the concave corss-section of the Z's beltline, you'll need a way to fill in the gap that will result from mounting a Raydot's flat base on it. At a local hardware store, I bought two extra washers identical to the ones provided with the mirror. I cut them down to about 3/4" wide with a razor blade, attempting to taper the cut, so as to better fit the curve of the door. In retrospect, this wasn't really necessary and I could have used scissors: (ignore the speed tape over the locator hole in the upper right...we later stuck a small white plug from a piece of furniture in this hole, and you don't notice it unless you're looking for it) Were I to do it again, I'd like to try using black Permatex Make-a-Gasket to create a contoured gasket with a flat surface facing the mount. This would be done by putting a peg or filler in the hole of the flat metal washer that comes with the mirror, coating one side with a thick layer of RTV and placing the peg in the stock mounting hole. Then one would press it down to allow the RTV to form to the door's contour, and let it dry. The result would be trimmed out around the washer after removal, and placed under the rubber washer and mirror base upon installation. As it was, sealing on the door wasn't much of an issue as auxilary had a number of captive rubber washers, one of which we used on the underside of the door. This sealed the door from the inside. We placed the rubber side upward and backed the metal side against the lock nut(thanks to Titus for suggesting the lock nut!). Getting the lock nut threaded onto the mirror's mounting stud was, as I mentioned before, the hardest part. Here's how I solved it: Pull on the mirror's mounting stud, which is actually a carriage bolt, until it wedges firmly in the slot in the base of the mirror. Don't overdo it and dent the mirror's housing, just make sure that if the bolt is pushed on, it provides a decent amount of resistance. Take a shallow 7 / 16 socket, place the regular nut that comes with the mirror into it, then the lock nut, nylon side down, into the socket. Place it on your small extension and socket handle. TAPE the washer, rubber side up, onto the lock nut, and get it aligned so you can see the nut's threads from the top side. double sided tape would be ideal, but get it taped together however you can. The idea is to be able to reach up into the door from the inside without dropping anything(there's a socket in my door that I'm going to have to retrieve later when I've got the steam built up to do it). Have one person locate the washer(s) and the mirror's bottom base half on the top of the door over the hole. Have the person with the socket place the taped-together assembly where the person handling the mirror can see it and align everything by sight. Once everything is lined up, push the mirror's bolt down into the hole and thread the lock nut and washer on. Once it's threaded, make sure the non-locking nut is out of the socket, and proceed to tighten it down, having one person hold the mirror and pull slightly up on it to insure the bolt doesn't turn. Don't be afraid to snug it down tight. Movement should be minimal to avoid loosening later, and to retain the adjusted position. (there's some glue residue here and there from our attempts to glue a few things in place, and the washers aren't lined up quite right. The glue cleaned off and the washers I don't really mind. YMMV, depending on how you do it) Installed and aimed, the mirror doesn't vibrate at any speed and provides a pretty decent field of view. I can just see the edge of my quarter panel and as cars pass out of the field of view to the left, I can start to see them in my peripheral vision. Objects are quite small, however, and the glass isn't completely distortion-free so it takes a little getting used to. No extra wind noise is audible. My only issue with the mirror is the thin gauge metal that the retainer ring over the glass is made from...it's thin enough that it flexes easily. I don't foresee any issues arising from this, but it is something to take note of. The mirrors' light weight can be attributed to this, the cast bases are what make up the majority of their weight. Just bear in mind that the housing is light spun aluminum and might dent easily. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CruiZZZin 78 Posted April 1, 2008 Share Posted April 1, 2008 Dang nice job. those look awesome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auxilary Posted April 1, 2008 Share Posted April 1, 2008 You should fish out your 7/16th socket out of the door the reason it took so long is because it's next to impossible to guide the mirror base screw and the socket together in the door frame. The glass gets in the way, and it's extremely difficult to aim. We didn't use the stock metal washer that came with it, but instead use copper washer with rubber plugs attached (smaller diameter) to secure the mirror base from inside the door. Of course this would have been a 10 minute job if mr. furious over here agreed to drill another hole Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capt_furious Posted April 1, 2008 Author Share Posted April 1, 2008 Yeah, the socket will come out of the door when I've got the time and light after work. Captain Furious, thank you very much. I didn't go to four months of evil officer school to be called Mister Furious. *evil pinky* Besides, he's a copyrighted character: I wish I'd had the sense to tell the body shop to close up the stock mirror holes when I had the car painted, I'd have gladly mounted the mirror farther forward. As it was, one large hole in the door is enough, I don't need two. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shift Posted April 2, 2008 Share Posted April 2, 2008 idk. kinda looks like shrek ears Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
240Z2NV Posted April 14, 2008 Share Posted April 14, 2008 I have the Talbot knock-offs. Used them on a couple of 240Z builds; but, kind of bored [eventhough they look nice w/ the 240Z lines IMO]. I was seriously considering the Raydots some time back. What I would do if I were to mount them is fab a piece of sheetmetal to the front of the window frame and bottom [a Triangle]. Then, mount the mirrors to that to get them up above the fender line. FWIW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 350zgto Posted May 24, 2008 Share Posted May 24, 2008 Raydot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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