Date:         Tue, 19 Oct 2010 22:33:58 -0700
Reply-To:     Stacy Schneider <vwcrewman@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Stacy Schneider <vwcrewman@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Side Mirror Surfaces
Comments: To: "Michael A. Radtke" <wa7zpu@cisaz.com>
In-Reply-To:  <4CBE6A1E.3070005@cisaz.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

       Almost all replacement mirrors today have the silver on the top side.
(first surface mirror)  . It is done to minimize headlight bounce at night
by allowing the light to go through the mirror and not come back at you. It
is essentially what people call two way mirror . It is also what they use in
observation areas . You see through it especially when the light is greater
on the viewed side.
       I would be surprised if any of those mirrors you bought actually have
the mirror on the back side. I actually sell quite a few of these ,and do
not think I have seen one that had the mirror on the back .
      Just curious ,were the lenses for the Vanagon for the power or manual
mirrors?


                                                                   Stacy


On Tue, Oct 19, 2010 at 9:03 PM, Michael A. Radtke <wa7zpu@cisaz.com> wrote:

> Hello,
>
> I finally had to replace my side mirrors on my vanagon and I did so with
> convex on both sides.  This has been just great.  (Vanagon content)
>
> I just needed to replace the mirrors (hail) on a different car.  The
> right convex mirror was just fine with glass on the reflecting side and
> silvering on the back.  However, the flat mirror supplied for the left
> would have had the silvering on the reflecting side.  Since that would
> have been correct on the right side, I assumed that they just sent the
> wrong mirror and I ordered a replacement.
>
> You guessed it.  The replacement mirror was exactly the same.
>
> I contacted the company and they had a story about the Japanese doing it
> one way and the USA doing it the other and I should just go ahead and
> use the mirror since it was correct.  However, it seems to me that even
> if they clear coated the silvered side it would never hold up nearly as
> long as if the glass was exposed to the elements.  We Vanagon owners
> tend to keep all of our cars a very long time.
>
> So, what's the best knowledge on this?  Is this the way they make
> mirrors now?
>
> Thanks,
> Mike    '84 GL since new ... Phoenix.
>



--
   1989 Swedish Tristar with Aluminum gates and Atiwe 16" Wheels.
    Oldest son is an Eagle scout.