HAVE YOU SEEN ONE OF THESE ????

[Blown_FC]

Sorry guys, I can't get a pic yet ( no digital camera ), BUT...I was searching through the boot of my donor car on the weekend, and turned over this piece of metal and found what could be a real treasure

It's called a "WYDA SCOPE - Safety Mirror"...I've never seen one before, but after checking, it did come from and was attached to my FC.

It is a LONG  ( almost the width of the cabin left to right ), metal box, with 5 rectangular mirrors all angled towards the driver almost in an overlapping fashion.

It is mounted where you would normally put a mirror, and basically provides a full car width mirror.....you can see everything !

Has anyone seen one of these before ?  It's obviously an aftermarket accessory, and maybe generic to any car?    Maybe RET, TREV, or SLIM can shed some light on the subject,

Mark

[4hammers]

Mate.
Ask EVERYBODY. We are ALL into FE's & FC's.  Ken the Guru is a good one to talk to as well.
Ahh, but you weren't asking that were you? The mirror you have was commonly fitted to Taxi's & other delivery vehicles. Big, long & lots of mirrors sound about right. VERY unusual to be fitted to a everyday car. Have a look under your dash for extra holes for meter & radio fitment. You may have an ex-Taxi. Also, check your compliance plate. Regards,
Rob J

[Blown_FC]

Thanks for that Rob....

Yes you are right....big long and full of mirrors.......it had a metallic blue sticker on the back of it, which said......WYDA SCOPE  ( in a sloping, writing style of print ) and the words Safety above that, and the word mirror below the WYDA SCOPE.... had a feeling it may have been fitted to a Taxi, because who else would need to see so much of the back window.....but it was fitted to my donor car, which is a 2 tone FC Special......Poo Brown and White......I've given the serial numbers to KEN when I first picked it up, but he didn't say it was anything other than a SPECIAL......then again, after seeing photos on this site, there were SPECIAL's owned by privateer Taxi Drivers, so the compliance plates were just SPECIAL but were actually  Taxi's in a former life.

I'll try and get a photo of it as soon as I can track down a digital camera.

But it's good that you knwo what I'm  talking about.....

Cheers
Mark

[Blown_FC]

Here is the pic...hope it works out ok....my 1st posting of pics...

mark

[graham_fuller]

Hi Mark,
They were an after market attachment.One of my friends fathers fitted one to his EK wagon when I was a kid in the 70's.
Cheers,
Graham

[Digger]

Hi Mark,

I remember my old man had one like it fitted to his old 59 Jag. And remember him often complaining about the head-lights from other cars behind us, the reflection would blind him.  

Steve

[Blown_FC]

Thanks for that Graham and Steve.

Steve....that's a good point about being blinded with headlights behind you.....but just think of the fun you could have if you swung the mirror around back at them.......they'd never know what hit them !

Shame on me, for promoting bad driving and road rage.....apologies !

I don;t plan on taking my baby out much at night or in the rain, so I may just whack it on for something different anyway.....but thanks for the tip !

Mark

[slim]

If you arent going to put it on your car and decide to sell it , let me know , Alfio is currently restoring a FE Taxi and would love that . Cheers SLIM

[Blown_FC]

Thanks for that Slim......I'll have a think about it some more, as I'm a fair way away from finishing my car, and at the end of the day, it is more suited to a Taxi restoration than a standard car......I'm not sure what it's value is.....?

If it's sale value is not a great deal, then it's not worth selling it, as it would be worth more to me to hang on to it.....

How depserate is he to find one of these ?

I'm not interested in making a quick buck...if I sell it, it would be because I decided it would be more suited to a Taxi resto, and I'd feel good that it was going to a good home, but it has to be a fair price.

As far as the condition goes.....if I kept it.....I'd pull the glass out.....sandpaper off the surface rust....soak it in rust converter......etch prime......metal prime, then paint or alternatively, Chrome it !   Then I'd have a glass shop make up some new mirrors for it, then she'd be Brand New !

Cheers

Mark

[sgo]

Unfortunately mines not as big as yours, but for $1 at a swap meet it clips over the stock mirror and gives an improved view.

[robbzfc58]

mark there was a restored "wydascope"mirror in the quokka(wa's equivalent to the tradingpost)last week
                $300

[fc_ute]

hey slim, we are thinking of pulling our taxi out of the museum early next year and stripping it of the taxi items and customising it for my sons first car. has your mate got the 2 ways, meter and signs?

[sgo]

If you need one a Wydascope for your Taxi or other I have one for sale to the best offer.