peep mirrors for FC

[lucky_gwen]

Just enquiring about the peep mirrors. Does anyone from ACT know if you have to have peep mirrors on your car to pass for registration?

Also, if I do, does anyone have any spare good ones that they don't need and would like to sell. Ebay has new ones for sale for $38.00 plus $10 delivery. Is that a reasonable price to pay.

Thanks
Janette

[ridgey_didge]

Janette,

I think the answer is you do need a driver's side external mirror.  My HR failed for the lack of one (and a dozen other things!) first time around.  I have a couple of badly knocked about mirrors you could pick over if you are interested, but you should be able to pick up a nice one locally without any trouble.

Check out what is available at Rare Spares (at Commonwealth Motors, Tuggeranong), or at Speeds at Mitchell.  I think you will do better on price, there will be no postage and you can see what you are getting.  Speeds specialises in Holden parts and often has authentic correct-era stuff.

I hope that helps.

David.

[lucky_gwen]

Thanks David for the info.

Do you know if I can take the car to any rego check garage or does it have to go to the main one in Dickson.

Janette

[ridgey_didge]

Janette,

It does not need to go to Dickson, and I suggest you don't go there because they are the fussiest of all the inspectors.  You may get a more sympathetic inspection from a registered garage.  I use Braddon Mechanical Repairs - Angelo knows his stuff - he used to own an EH for many years.

Cheers
David

[lucky_gwen]

Thanks again David,

So I would need to get a permit from shopfront for a day to drive it there and back would I??

Janette

[lucky_gwen]

I have noticed that there are a few different types of peep mirrors. Some are bent and some are straight. Does anyone know which would be best for the FC sedan.


Thanks

Janette

[ridgey_didge]

Sorry, I missed your qn about the day permit - yes you need to do that.

I wouldn't think there was any real issue between the straight and bent arm mirrors.  Mine is bent on my FE.  I would think the size/height of the driver is more the issue - how far back/forward is the seat and what line of vision to the mirror is best.

Cheers
David

[lucky_gwen]

I think the bent mirrors would look nicer as they wouldn't stick out as much as the straight ones.

Looked at rares spares and they are more expensive than on ebay so I think I will buy a bent one from ebay.

Also my sons formal is in two weeks and we still have to take out the old steering column and put the new one in so I hope its not a big job. Then take it over for rego. If it fails and there is too much to do to it, I will just take him in it with a permit and worry about fixing it up after the formal.

Janette

[waynos]

man i drove myself crazy trying to make my brothers formal (sleeping next to the car etc)and didn't make it. i say go the permit just in case. i got a bent 3 inch peep mirror which everyone said(including rares) was too small .it is fine.i think its perfect and doesn't overshadow the beautiful lines of an fe/fc,and dont have any probs seeing traffic.i think it's in proportion with the small  rear vision mirror

[Ol_Girl_58]

For what it's worth,

A few years ago I was also deciding what mirrors to run...HZ GTS type, billet, straight arm... but I ultimately decided upon a bent 3 inch peep mirror. I personally think that it's the best choice by far - as waynos says, it compliments the FE/FC shape and looks suitably 'period'.

Mine has a type of lug screw that when tightened, hugs the upper door frame. If you purchase a similar type, my advice is to place a thin piece of rubber or something similar where the lug screw makes contact with the door frame, otherwise your paint may chip. Unfortunately, I made this mistake. 
   
I'm used to driving a late model Japanese car daily, and it's a complete change to your line of [rear] vision - you just don't see as much. But why would you have it any other way 

Regards,

Ol_Girl_58

[spanner]

I was looking for this type of mirror a while back and decided to get a set from Rares in Brisbane as I was a bit worried the ones on Ebay would be rubbish.
When they turned up they were the the same as the Ebay ones and not as shown on the Rares web site.
I couldn't get enough angle on the left hand side one to see down the side of the car. Turns out they sent me cheepo ones but charged me for the Rares ones.
They paid the freight to correct their mistake.
The mirrors are small and it's hard to be sure of whats behind. Not good in a van. I'm thinking about trying a reversing camera.
Graham

[JB]

Graham,

For the van you need to get a convex mirrow for the passenger side... Then glue this to the peep mirror.

I have had this on the van since i have had it on the road and works a treat, from backing out at shops to knowing when to pull back in after overtaking.

From memory the convex mirror was cheap and an exact fit on the 4" peep mirror.

Today I just received one that i ordered from ebay and am very happy with it.

Cheers
Jason.

[NosFEratu]

Good idea there Jason! May have to track one down! 

I had the old straight mirror setup on the door in the mid 80's and changed to an original guard mounted mirror in the early 90's.  Since the mid 90's I've run a bent peep mirror on the driver's door - I'm happy with both it's style and visibility.   

Kathi 

[spanner]

Great idea Jason.
 I will give it a go. I should have thought of it as I had a small convex one stuck on my Hilux mirror for years because I had a canopy on the back.
Cheers Graham

[lucky_gwen]

Thanks everyone for all your advice.

Looks like I will be getting a bent arm peep mirror from Ebay.

Janette

[Johns]

I might be way off course here, but my understanding is that you don't need an external mirror on a stockie if they weren't required new, like seat belts.

I'm trying to remember when they became compulsory in NSW, was it 1969/70? I have two Holdens without external mirrors, NEV, my FE and my EH. Neither was a problem.

Are things different in Canberra?

Cheers
John

[ridgey_didge]

"Are things different in Canberra?" asks John.  That's a whole debate we just don't need to get into.

My HR failed rego for lack of an external mirror - but it did have a stem without a mirror on the end of it sticking out screaming "Here I am - fail the whole car just because there is no mirror here".  Janette may not be failed because there is nothing obvious to draw the attention of the inspector, but they can be very picky and see it as their duty to find grounds to fail you on 1st inspection.

When the mirror was missing I felt a whole lot less safe because I am so used to driving with one there.  I was looking for the mirror to see if was safe to merge etc.

Cheers
David

[Spinner]

VE Valiant was the first Australian car to have a driver's door mirror as a standard fitting.  *Might* have been the first Australian car to have front seatbelts as a standard fitting too.

I'd suggest that a driver's door mirror would be a requirement for any car built after 01/07/1968.

[RET]

We're straying a bit from the original topic, but it was a requirement for commercial vehicles (ie utes and vans) to be fitted with a driver's side mirror, in Vic and WA. FE and FC utes/vans destined for these states had a circular mirror bolted thru the top of the right guard. It wasn't a standard fitting for commercials elsewhere. Just a bit of trivia.

To answer the OP's question, if the car has never had one, I would be surprised if you had to fit one. That is the situation for other "safety items" like seat belts, blinkers and so on, as long as the car is original. Different rules entirely for modified vehicles.

Hope that helps
RET