I'm 6'4" tall and the '76 mirror mounted up high on the center of the top of the windshield frame is a pain to look around and provides a blind spot for me to the right ahead of me. Sort of basic issue. Since it has some silvering in not so good shape I ordered a new mirror but a 1977 which fastens with glue on the tab mounted on the glass and will mount it down lower just above the dash height..maybe 4" or so. Will see. In my case, prefer to look over it than be blinded by it's 10" wide approx. presence up high. It does give good vision to the rear and I may lose a tiny bit down lower but I modeled it and it doesn't look like much will be lost. Ergonomics for tall owners!

Anyone else done this? I'll keep the original and parts in case someone else wants to reverse this. It's about my heighth and being safe...have to see to be safe.

Lance

 

Lance, Let me know how you like it after lowering. I too am over 6 ft and I have to sit very low in the seat to see around the damn thing

 

Phil, Okay I will. Mine is in the garage having the quadrajet rebuilt and plugs and wires put in right now and I hope to get it home by Sat. morning. I've owned it six weeks and wanted a pro to do the first base maintenance work to get a clean base line on these things..the carb visibly has the wrong gasket in it between the top and the fuel bowl section and it looks like it's covered some vacuum ports that make the vacuum pull down on the choke work so it needs to be opened and redone. I know enough to do it now but this first time I want someone who's done dozens of them doing it and found one. The plugs I could do with all the shielding but same thing, I'll invest just once in a garage doing it before I start.

At any rate, when it comes back thing one is to change the mirrors. I tried it on my Trailblazer just holding it 3-4" above the dash and it worked fine so I don't anticipate any problems. The early Vettes in photos I've seen had them on the dash level anyway. Over 6' in these modest sized cages and height cars makes it a real problem and creates for me a blind spot I am not comfortable living with. I ordered a stainless steel one and bought the adhesive from Amazon. They both await in the box in the garage!

I'll report back here on results and take a photo and put on my gallery.

Lance

 

Here is a link to a gallery here for a clean 1961 which had the inside rear view mirror on the dash down low. The quick scan of the C2's I saw seemed to have moved it up onto the frame of the window up high.

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/phot.../ppuser/302343

 

Won't get my car back until Wed. now but the 61 and priors had mirror stands that mounted on the dash as I doubt they had the windshield glue then. It mounted behind the defroster vent for the front window. Mine will glue to the window and the mirror about 4" above or maybe 5" the dash will have at least some of it above the defroster outlet so it will see heat when defrosting. Since I don't put the T tops in except to go to the dealer it never gets driven when it needs much defrosting...stays in the garage on cold days....so it won't matter to me but it is a consideration to think about. I'm going with it anyway on the windshield down low. Will decide how low when I get the car back. Mirror goes on first task back!

 

behind means looking at the seat from the windshield. Mounted I believe with the base of the stand between the defroster outlet vents and the edge of the dash closest to the seats. Just clarifying what I meant by "behind."

 

I got my 76 Vette back from the mechaniclate today. When I got it home I removed the window molding mounted top inside rear view mirror...took the ball and the original mirror out of the bracket, left the bracket in place and covered it with it's vinyl piece as it was when the mirror hung from there and was directly in my line of sight giving me a forward blind spot to the right front as I'm 6'4" tall.

I had a new 77 window glass mounted stainless frame day/night mirror waiting. All these are wide 10" oem mirror sizes. You can buy smaller ones from Amazon if you like.

First, I modeled where I wanted it to go sitting in the car with the new mirror held by hand. Once you get your spot (down lower about 3.5" above the dash surface for me) you mark on the outside of the glass with tape or a marker then go sit inside the car and start to mount the new button then hand the mirror on the button once the glue has cured, about an hour.

You clean the glass carefully, let it dry. I used alcohol wipes, three times. Then you put a suplied by 3M primer on the spot on the window and on the back of the flat button that attaches to the glass eventually and let it dry for five minutes. I used 3M Rear View Mirror Adhesive, their number 08752, that I got from Amazon.com.

When the five minutes are up you put the second small tube of adhesive on the back of the mounting button. I used a wooden stick q tip to quickly spread it. Then you put the adhesive side of the button
on the inside glass of the window in the spot you've picked and marked from the outside and move it until the adhesive is covering the whole contact area behind the button then you hold it firmly in place without movement. Instructions say for one to two minutes. After fifteen seconds the bond was holding it but I held it for a minute and a half with pressure.

You then wait an hour for it to cure before mounting the mirror base over the button and tightening the set screw in the mirror base against the button.

I can see over it now and for what losses my shoulders made in rear vision it was minimal on a wide mirror like these. I feel much safer as a driver now. I may add a second passenger side mirror just for extra.

Haven't decided.

Photo of the installation in place below. I'm really, really happy with the position given the height

which puts my eyes up higher than normal apparently. Problem solved and I needed a new mirror anyway as

the original silvering was going around the edge on one side.

Lance Pearson

 

I went ahead and added the matching mirror to the factory mirror on my 76 on the passenger side so that I would have full mirror coverage especially with the inside rear view down lower in case I'd created a new and different blind spot. Generally, I look over to that side anyway but it was easy to put on with Zip's Wellnuts into the glass of the door. took more time to measure with their template than it did to install it. Drove it after adjusting this afternoon and the mix of the three mirrors is now officially super.

 

I have to say, If I saw the inside mirror mounted like that on someone's car, I'd wonder why they did that, but from you explanation, it makes a lot of sense.