The Vette pedestal mount studs are .25" short with the spacing between them than what our cars use. Would be best to find a Vette guy for that.
Power mirror conversion
- Thread starter pagrunt
- Start date
Well, got some more edumakation today with a set of mirrors I picked up today. Mirrors off a Regal/Cutlass doors are not the same as what I needed. The pedestals are different than what the Chevys used. There is about .25" vertical difference with the mounting studs. Even the shape of the spot where the heads mount are different. Passenger side still has the same issue with mounting the guts. The heads are the same. Glad the driver side had the cables cut & the passenger side was complete but they aren't any use to me other than passing on this found info.
Now on to the needed pics showing the details starting with the driver side mirror frame.
Now the pedestals, Vette is bare pot metal, Chevy is green primer, Regal/Cutlass is orange/white.
Here's the motor bracket on the Chevy pedestal.
If I have to put it all togeather as is there is a rib in the head that might keep it in position with only one screw,
Now on to the needed pics showing the details starting with the driver side mirror frame.
Now the pedestals, Vette is bare pot metal, Chevy is green primer, Regal/Cutlass is orange/white.
Here's the motor bracket on the Chevy pedestal.
If I have to put it all togeather as is there is a rib in the head that might keep it in position with only one screw,
I did get a pair of mirrors over the weekend but found out there are some variations on later production mirrors. My driver side was off a '85 El Camino which has the needed pedestal (dispite the mounting pad having cracks/chunks missing) but the head is different with how the cable remote guts mount which renders it useless for the conversion. The remote passenger side came from a '84 Parisienne which also has a gut set up that also renders its head usless with the pedestal needing holes drilled in to mount the Vette guts. Looks like it does have the needed space on the inside that gives enough room to allow the screw head to fit as some of the other ones I have don't. At this point I am considering just to oval the holes just enough to go with the complete Vette mirrors but it I can get a good set up & find a source to make the needed parts so others could do the conversion it will be worth it, Some more pics will be posted later.
Haven't got the additional pics but it may not matter as it looks like things won't be going as planned. I mocked up a driver side mirror using a A/G/B mirror pedestal & head with a '90's Malibu/Cutlass motor. The I placed the mirror frame in position as if I was going to snap it back on to notice it was sitting too much in board up against the head. Double checked it against the one still assembled Vette mirror & all is good. Swap out a Vette head & used both the newer motor & a Vette motor to get the same problem. Reassemble that head as a complete Vette mirror using both motors & all works out like it should. So I might be reworking the door holes & using the Vette assembles. But I did figure out which newer motor works with my B-body switch. With the switch I had to "invert" the position the left & right dimple would be facing (towards the rear of the car instead of the front) so the mirrors moves in the direction the lever is pushed. At this point the chrome B-body mirrors would be the easiest ones to use unless you have a '86 up Monte or Elky which looks like the easiest conversion. When I get some time later in the week I compare more parts to see if everything I butchered up for this does work. Then I have to really look into what mods that might have to be done in order to get some 3D parts made & if it's financially possible for me.
Bumping this one with no real updates. Just playing around with controls to see what looks better for that OE look & still toying with the idea of having either one comtrol or have it look like factory dual cable remote mirrors.
Got some Molex connectors & terminals in today to make test harnesses to better test the C3 adjustment levers today. Got them both tested to find out with just using the powered test light one works perfect, the other would keep the selected motor continuously keep the mirror moving left & down. May kill the idea of having dual mirror controls like dual cable remote mirrors with them. Maybe might get lucky to find another with out the Vette tax.
Having a regular search for more overpriced Vette parts for this project I pied up another set of mirrors which has everything everthing but the door harnesses were cut at the base of the pedestals. Now as long as they work as advertsed I'll keep the motors & frames assembled & used the pair that are removed from their motors for the planned 3D printing. Funny thing with this purchase, Jr. saw I bought them & told me "they were not going on his Milie!" I reminded him I'll only set him up a pair if he changes his mind but we will keep the original mirrors on his car.
This is another one I want to get going again. There is one thing that I want to do with this project to add to making it look OE is I would like to go double control levers like the D68 dual remote mirrors. I have a pair of both Vette & B/C/D (RWD) controls along with the correct chrome bezel for the dash (Vette's & Chevy A/G's both used the same one.) I started to look for an '81 gauge cluster bezel that only has a hole for the lever not a single one. CL has a full cluster in what looks like dark maple out in Lancaster, Pa but no shipping & $300 is kinda a deal breaker. It'll be great to find the tool used to cut the hole into the bezel but it's rarer than hens teeth.
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