Talbot Mirrors on a LM
Talbot Mirrors on a LM
Has anyone used Talbot mirrors on a late model Corvair? Any comments on well they worked, especially the right side mirror.
Dave Keillor
Rochester, MN
Rochester, MN
Re: Talbot Mirrors on a LM
I have a Talbot on the drivers side only. It looks cool but is kinda like looking thru a keyhole.
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Kevin Willson
1965 Monza 3.1
Juneau Alaska
1965 Monza 3.1
Juneau Alaska
Re: Talbot Mirrors on a LM
Your mirror appears to be the larger (4") version. Is it worse than the stock mirror? Also does yours have flat or convex glass?
Dave Keillor
Rochester, MN
Rochester, MN
Re: Talbot Mirrors on a LM
I measured it yesterday . The glass is 3-3/8" , the OD of the housing is 3.75". I can't imagine a mirror being even smaller than that.Your mirror appears to be the larger (4") version.
The glass is flat and the mirror is mounted in the stock position.
IMHO - it's not very good if you want to see what's behind you . I have to cock my head and hold my mouth just right to see out of it.
I think a stock mirror funtions better.
The Talbots do look cool tho.
I know some people don't like the looks but the rectangular shaped "racing mirrors" give the best rear view.
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Kevin Willson
1965 Monza 3.1
Juneau Alaska
1965 Monza 3.1
Juneau Alaska
Re: Talbot Mirrors on a LM
Thanks, Kevin. The genuine Talbots come in two sizes: 3" and 4". The visible portion of the mirror in the 4" size is 3-7/8". The mirror size of the stock mirrors is 4/14". This equates to about a 17% difference in area, but with the convex Talbot, it's pretty much a wash with perhaps a slight advantage to the Talbots. I solved the right side adjustability issue by making some minor mods to the mirror mount.
Dave Keillor
Rochester, MN
Rochester, MN
Re: Talbot Mirrors on a LM
Mine is a genuine Talbot but it is a bit smaller than your description. It is only 3.75" at the widest point and the visible part of the glass is 3.375".
Maybe if it was mounted somewhere besides in the stock location. It really is hard to just glance back and expect to see anything from a normal driving position.
It was on my car when I bought it.
Maybe if it was mounted somewhere besides in the stock location. It really is hard to just glance back and expect to see anything from a normal driving position.
It was on my car when I bought it.
Kevin Willson
1965 Monza 3.1
Juneau Alaska
1965 Monza 3.1
Juneau Alaska
Re: Talbot Mirrors on a LM
Thanks for the input and pictures. I plan to go with the Talbot mirrors which I already have and drill my expensive paint job. (Note that I have the genuine Talbots in the 4" size -- 3-7/8" effective diameter.) The reasons for my decision:
-- The Talbots look cool.
-- They give essentially the same visibility as the original mirrors. The Talbots have 17% less glass area than the originals (3-7/8" versus 4-1/4"), but I'm using convex (it's rather mild) on both sides which more than compensates.
-- Granted the original mirrors are not all that great for visibility, but the visibility in the LM Corvair is so good that the side mirrors are only needed for the small blind spot at each rear quarter.
-- I was able to modify the right side mirror to get good adjustability using two methods. First, I enlarged the holes in the cone piece a little so I could put a slight downward tilt on the point of the cone. Second, I ground off some metal on the trailing edge of the mounting pedestal to tilt the mirror in towards the car a bit. (The pedestal is chrome plated brass, so it's easy to modify.)
The end result is that with the seat all the way back (for me), the right side mirror can be adjusted to the point where I can see the side of the car (too far). My wife with the seat all the way up and the mirror all the way in has about a 10 degree angle of view wrt the side of the car which is about perfect to cover the blind spot.
Here are a couple of pictures. The first shows the trial mount. The vent window fully opens and the entire area of the mirror is visible. The second shows the component parts. The pedestal that I modified is shown. The bottom mounting piece is normally used for an external mount (I will through-bolt it). I used it because it moves the mirror out away from the car.
-- The Talbots look cool.
-- They give essentially the same visibility as the original mirrors. The Talbots have 17% less glass area than the originals (3-7/8" versus 4-1/4"), but I'm using convex (it's rather mild) on both sides which more than compensates.
-- Granted the original mirrors are not all that great for visibility, but the visibility in the LM Corvair is so good that the side mirrors are only needed for the small blind spot at each rear quarter.
-- I was able to modify the right side mirror to get good adjustability using two methods. First, I enlarged the holes in the cone piece a little so I could put a slight downward tilt on the point of the cone. Second, I ground off some metal on the trailing edge of the mounting pedestal to tilt the mirror in towards the car a bit. (The pedestal is chrome plated brass, so it's easy to modify.)
The end result is that with the seat all the way back (for me), the right side mirror can be adjusted to the point where I can see the side of the car (too far). My wife with the seat all the way up and the mirror all the way in has about a 10 degree angle of view wrt the side of the car which is about perfect to cover the blind spot.
Here are a couple of pictures. The first shows the trial mount. The vent window fully opens and the entire area of the mirror is visible. The second shows the component parts. The pedestal that I modified is shown. The bottom mounting piece is normally used for an external mount (I will through-bolt it). I used it because it moves the mirror out away from the car.
Dave Keillor
Rochester, MN
Rochester, MN