Mirror opinions

[SFR]

I’ve been experimenting with different mirrors, thoughts on these?

[ToySnakePMC]

Not bad! Would love some info and side view/ profile of the car. Mirrors remind me of my 79 Trans Am back in my early 80’s high school days.

[Bill Douglas]

I've always been a fan of 935 mirrors.

[SFR]

Good eye, ToySnakePMC - they are from a 2nd generation Firebird. Had to trim and shape the base to get it to site right on the door.

To me they seem to work really well with the roundness of the 911. And the size is more proportional, when compared to 993 mirrors (the other option I was considering). They’re aluminum, so weigh nothing when compared to the original and 993 versions.

Interested what other from the community think.

[75 911s]

I think they work. Less bulky and out of place on an early car than 964 mirrors too. Looks like they might be actually functional too.

I think it also depends on the overall look of the car. I see turbo flares. What will the final look be like? With those mirrors I would expect you are not going for a period correct/vintage look, but more of a modernized custom / hot rod look. I would expect 17" wheels.

[SFR]

The mirrors are functional…

Big picture, IROC front and rear bumpers, 17” wheels and possible a 3.6 motor - so, yes a ‘hot rod’ build.

[Showdown]

Don’t love them but don’t hate them.

Ultimately I feel that mirrors are one of those places that one can be expressive and do something of note or make the mirrors innocuous and disappear. It all depends on the wholesale look of the car and the desired effect of the mirrors.

These kind of just disappear and don’t really have any personality- which may be exactly the point… I don’t know.

Maybe the question for the OP is aside from providing a functional view, are the mirrors intended to be part of the aesthetic of just to be invisible?

[AG81]

Definitely firebird....
I modified the mirror bases of my 76 TA. Made a wire skeleton base and wrapped those in sheet metal.

[Fly911]

Our historic and value increasing 911s should in my opinion have contemporary mirrors, i.e. mirrors from the era of those 911s. The 1972 to 1975 had the steel flag mirrors, and from 1975 to 1991 the big flag mirrors. I decided to change the bulky flag mirrors on my 911, but decided to keep them on my 928. On the 911 I changed to Vitaloni Sebring, mounted on the flag mirror base. I think it looks cool, and is 1970's-80's era correct.
The 934, 935, 936, 956 and 962 were all using the Vitaloni Sebring mirrors from the factory. However, the contemporary 953 and 954 were using (ugly...) VW Golf "I" mirrors.
The Ruf Yellowbird used the Vitaloni Sebring glass, but mounted vertically in a bespoke housing.
The later Aero mirrors used from 1992 to 1998 (and also on 928GTS and 968) are also cool looking, but still (in my opinion) out of place for a G-bodied car.

[SFR]

Thanks for the feedback Fly911, mostly I agree with keeping inline with the era/having it look like the manufacture may have done it.

I’ve restored and hot-rodded many cars/trucks and try use modifications that enhance the look by keeping it period or a change that adds to the ‘look’ of the car.

For me, mainly that’s done with interior (better seats/material) and engine (modern power plants) and leaving the exterior as is (exception, wheels & tires).

With the 80’s rectangular mirrors, to me it just does not work with the body. The round one’s used on long hoods, work; the 964/993, work; the RUF, looks good but in my opinion it cuts into the line of the triangle window, therefore look like an ‘after thought’ - they were designed for a purpose…if they painted the window trim the same color as the car I may feel different.

The rectangular mirrors used up to 75 looked better (size & weight) than the heavy ones they used after that.

Anyway thanks for the feedback, they look really good to me and the size and shape seem to fit the car well. Surprised others haven’t experimented with different mirrors; mostly all I could find was what was mentioned in this post.

[kent olsen]

Just being different!