I finally finished the finish 🙂 for the tube door mirrors. They came in chrome, but I sprayed them with the black ‘hammered finish’ Rust-Oleum. Since only one bold was used to affix the mirror to the door, I used QuikSteel Steel Reinforced Epoxy Putty to reinforce the attachment. I also cut the excess bolt material, smoothed it with the Dremel, and then painted it to match the mirror and door (depending on which side of the door). I’m pleased with the final results.
Both mirrors are the same ‘blind spot’ mirrors from O’Reilly Auto Parts. Each cost $18. As they are blind spot mirrors ‘objects are closer than they appear’, even on the driver’s side. The field of view is not extreme. I even like it on the driver’s side, because in congested and fast moving traffic I don’t have to turn my head to check any driver’s side blind spots. But I do need to pay attention so that I don’t cut in front of a vehicle that’s ‘closer than it appears’. It hasn’t been an issue so far, but I may look to see if there is a flat 4.5″ x 6″ mirror that I can use to easily replace the convex mirror. I think the biggest disadvantage of this setup will be that by using the epoxy I’ve removed the (easy) ability to fold in the mirrors for storage. Perhaps I should have just bolted them to the window frame. Time will tell.
