Remote side-view mirrors

[jforest1]

Installing some new chrome side view mirrors, they are remote mirrors.

Problem is, I've never been in a door before.  I took the inside stuff off (window, lock, door handle, plastic panel with pins, and vapor seal).  Now I'm looking at metal with a bunch of holes in it and behind that the window glass and everything.  Few questions:

1.  does the inside panel of metal to which the window/etc is attached pull off from the exterior metal?  I need to drill a couple of holes in the exterior metal and I'm wondering the best way to get to it.

2.  the remote cable--is there a special way I should run it?  My thought is to run it around the window to the front of the car, but I'm not 100% certain.  also, I'd imagine there's some sort of hanger or something I should use to keep it from getting in the way of the window?

3.  the passenger side has a much longer cable with a rubber boot in the middle.  I assume that's for running it through the hinge area of the passenger door, under the dash somewhere, and somehow over close to the driver.  is this true?  anybody got any instructions on how they ran theirs? 

4.  anybody got any pics on where the driver side remote control is mounted?  what about the passenger side remote control?

Thanks ahead of time!

JF

[jforest1]

Guys,
 
So I've figured out where I *believe* I can run the remote control cable for the passenger side mirror.  It looks as if the intent is to run it out of the fasten seatbelt light (who needs it!?) hole in the dashboard:



As to getting it to where the mirror mounts, I'm outside of my realm of experience.  Here's what I have to work with:



The orange circle shows a boot/plug (to be mounted on the body of the car) and a bit of rubber tubing (that I believe should run between the body and the hinge-side of the door).

I've got a few holes to drill in the metal.  1st question is easy:

1.  What's the best tool to use?  At this point I've got a hole to drill for the plug roughly 1 inch diameter in some presumedly thick metal (will probably have to remove the door for this), potentially a hole on the hinge-side of the door, then 3 smaller holes 1/2 diameter or so in the outer metal of the door.

My intent at this point is to drill a smaller hole with the cordless drill, use a jig saw to cut the larger circumference around it for actual hole, then file down.  If there's a better way or any tips for protecting the paint, please let me know!

So now the question of where to put the holes.  My main question mark is the holes on the hinge side of the door and the body of the car where the boot/plug goes.  I want to be able to close/open the door with the rubber tubing sliding in/out of the door properly (don't want it to get crushed/folded over/stretched, etc.).

So I'm GUESSING that this is where I should put it:




I picked the dimple because it seems to have no other use and would be an easy drill point.  But what do I know?  Which leads me to my next question:

2.  Where do I put the holes for the boot/plug and on the hinge-side of the door such that opening/closing will go smoothly?

I'm looking for confirmation from someone who's done this before that this is the correct attack point.   This to me is something I cannot afford to do wrong the first time around...

JF

[Bullitt-]

I see your not getting a response to your question.... I think that you have a b-body R/H mirror, I have not seen remote on an e-body which also uses  a different mirror base for correct mounting angle.  I could be wrong....

[Challenger III]

That will be really cool when you get that to work. I've never seen one on an E-Body. Keep us posted please! 

[Topcat]

That will be really cool when you get that to work. I've never seen one on an E-Body. Keep us posted please! 

Great idea!
Here to watch how it turns out.

[Challenger6pak]

The mirrors you have are from a 78-79 Cordoba, Magnum, Charger, etc.  You should look at one of these cars and see how Chrysler mounted the mirror cable.  I have used these mirrors on the drivers side.  I do remember it being fun getting the nuts started on the mirror studs. 

[challengermaniac]

Hey JF,

Remote passenger mirrors were ultra rare as in most of us have never seen one on a Cuda-Challenger before, so we can't push a lot of experience your direction.  As noted, please keep us posted on your progress with this project as it looks like a great idea that a lot of us will likely want to follow.  It may even be "stickey" material so that it shows up at the top of the page one of these days.

[ted]

thats because they werent avaiable on a e body

[Challenger III]

thats because they werent avaiable on a e body

Maybe, but they may be available soon if JF1 is successful here! 

[ShelbyDogg]

I also saw a set of those at a swap meet years ago. I told my friend to buy them because the right mirror had the long remote cable. They looked close enough to the e-body mirrors. He never got around to putting them in but I was going to mount the handle straight down under the radio.  Whenever  I have to adjust my right mirror now, I have to use a stick or have my passenger do it.

[Challenger6pak]

Some of the mirror heads are the same as 71 up Ebody.  If I remember correctly the Cordoba's used more than 1 mirror during the production run.  My 79 300 used the same mirror heads as the Ebody. The bases are different, but mount on the same angle.  This makes them usable on the Ebody.

[jforest1]

Successfully mounted.  Pictures coming.  There is a tradeoff.  Once I post the pics I'll ask you guys for honest opinions--I've already got mine but I'm suspicious that I'm swayed by my previous mirrors so I'm trying to override my bias by putting it to the committee. 

Let's just say I learned a lot about tools, the dash, the doors, and the windows.  Well worth the experience!

Tools required for this install:
1 1/8 drill bit drill (piloted)
7/8" drill bit (piloted)
5/8" drill bit (couldn't find one, so used step bit)
grinder bit
screwdriver and lots of bits
a middle-row seat from a 2003 Kia Sodona (or equivalent to hold door while reattaching it--if you've got a burly wife, that'll work, too)
couple of 3/4" o-rings
cable mounting brackets and 3/8" self-drilling screws
chalk
ruler
eye balls (yes, I had to eyeball one hole)
stereo to rock out
other crap I'm forgetting.

The total install time took me a total of around 16 hours but someone with the tools and experience could reduce it to a quarter that I'm sure.

Last thing I will say before posting pictures is on the origin of the mirrors.  I bought them from the guy that sold me the cuda, and he bought them off of ebay with the following as the description:
   
1970 71 72 73 Mopar E Body Cuda Duster Sport Mirrors
Sale price:
$199.95
Seller:
foys-toys [contact seller]
Seller Information:
Bradley F Watson
Loomis, CA 95650 United States

There was no part number mentioned...


JF

[MEK-Dangerfield]

Don't feel bad. A lot of Mopar mirrors from back then had the same head, but a different base.  I'll guess yours are from a late 70's Aspen or Volare. Without pictures, nobody can say I'm wrong....yet.   

I once bought a set of 73-74 B-body mirrors for my Challenger. I wondered why they went for so cheap.  Again, they had a different base.   
 

[Challenger III]

I remember I had some mirrors  that weren't exactly "Correct" and didn't use them. If they were close, and had the right side remote, I think I would go for them now! I think the contour lines weren't as sharp as the actual E body mirrors, but if you had both sides installed, you would hardly be able to tell the difference.

[jforest1]

Photos.

I used the plastic base holes to judge where to put the 3 holes.  I end up drilling a couple more 5/8" holes in the plastic base so that it was unaffected by the rivets/screw mounts from the previous mirrors.  There is a brass plate showing on the inside of the door, that the mirror's 3 screws screws into.  I had to drill a couple of 5/8" holes in it too, to avoid the rivets on the inside.



1 1/8" hole on the hinge-side of the door, looking down at it from the top of the door.  This size allowed the plug to get through.



7/8" hole where the dimple was in the original 2 pictures in the post.  This seats the plug.



Zoomed out.



Plug for passenger side door.  The door doesn't really rotate around it at all, rather it bends it 90 degrees, so the rubber shielding was correct.  I was concerned before because I thought there might be some need for a fixed radius conduit or something but my fears were thrown out when I realized there was minimal sliding action with the door if the holes are drilled this way.



Zoomed in.



And now for the finished product.
























Honest opinions???


JF