1925 Dodge touring rear view mirror

[Pete K.]

I'm finally getting a few little things done on the Dodge and one of them is the cracked glass in the rear view mirror that mounts on the inside center of the windshield frame. I would like to know if the glass originally was smoked grey or regular mirror glass. My very old looking cracked one is smoked grey but I don't know if this could be original or not. I know they had different colored rear views back then since I once had the remnants of a rear view that was gold plated, from the '20's. I thought that was pretty cool, until I kept looking at it more and more and felt like I had just drank a bucket of hot fudge. Won't get one gold plated.

Edited November 2, 2013 by Pete K.
spelling issue (see edit history)

[MikeC5]

Hi Pete, I was planning to replace my mirror this summer and I thought I had the original mirror bracket (it lined up with the holes in windshield frame). The one I got from Myers was too wide (tall) to fit by about 1/8 inch. What do you have for the dimension on your original mirror? Have you sourced a replacement yet?

[Pete K.]

Mike, I've attached two photo's of my mirror frame assembly, off the car, since I need to replace the glass. The glass appears to be 2-5/16" X 6". I stood a Zippo in front of one photo to try and show the smoked color hue of the cracked glass. The mounting bracket is on the windshield and does not appear to ever been off. It holds the mirror frame by it's long stove bolt that has the wing nut adjuster on it. There was also an old piece of thick paper behind the mirror glass that as you may recall from a very old posting of mine, it is where I found the original key for the transmission lock jammed into. I still don't have anyone to help me with my question whether or not Dodge used a smoked glass or not. I would like to keep the car original as much as I can. I hope this can help you.

[JACK M]

None of my business, but I would use a tinted glass even if its not original.

When I drive one of these old square cars at night the reflections from side and rear windows make it seem like there is traffic coming at you from all directions. I get a reflection of headlights behind me reflecting off of the windshield then off of the back glass again making it seem that there are two cars following me with their hi beams on. I find myself hanging by ball cap on the mirror at night so I can see ahead without the glare.

I guess the night blindness thing is typical to old guys...

[Pete K.]

Jack, Thanks for the opinion and all of these posts here on the Dodge forum is your business if you want them to be. You can't buy experience! The opinions from the guys (and gals) here are always welcome, at least on my threads. Although my Dodge is a touring car with no windows except for the windshield, it does have a teeny rear plastic window when the top is up. I also have other cars and I do know how bad it can be at night with the reflections going every-which-way. It seems like being in a house of mirrors. That is one reason Ford adopted a slant windshield (when closed) in 1931 on some of his cars. General Motors had their "VV" slanted windshield starting around 1929 and was written up in the owner's manual for glare reduction at night. (It really doesn't help all that much). Another reason cars had window shades in the rear! I most likely will ask the auto glass company I deal with to cut a piece of smoked glass for this Dodge mirror. I just didn't want it to look like something from the 1960's. Thanks again.

[keiser31]

Interesting looking mirror glass. The bracket looks correct, but I have never seen a DB that early with a mirror that has radiused corners like that. They are usually a plain rectangle with beveled edges.

[Pete K.]

Very good point indeed John. Could this rearview been put on the car at some earlier point? I just don't know. The bracket appears to be a very early assemblage. There must be someone out there who has an early Dodge Brothers touring with or without the mirror or holes to mount one. The few shots of the car in the Mechanic's handbook and the other small reference booklet don't show a mirror in the sedan, nor do they show a picture of the very top of an open cars' windshield!

[R.White]

I would help if I could but my mirror is a modern item - it has a stud which passes through the top of the windshield frame and a thumbscrew on the outside to tighten it. I didn't realise that you could have tinted glass back then. What would they have made of the photo chromatic (auto dim) mirrors we enjoy these days I wonder?

Ray.

[Pete K.]

Ray, That was a marvel of modern science!

[MikeC5]

Your bracket looks very similar to mine. Mine had a rectangular beveled edge mirror but who know if it was original?

[JayG]

Pete - I don't have the glass so I can't help there but here is an original bracket out of an early 27 sedan. Granted the mounting is different than an open car but this will give you a comparison to what you have as to originality.

Jay

[Pete K.]

Thanks go out to the guys that have helped me trying to figure this out. I do appreciate it much. I've posted a few more photo's here of this mirror. The first photo shows the mirror frame bracket attached to the windshield frame, as I found it on the car. The second photo shows the "radiused" glass mirror frame slid into the bracket. It fits like a glove. Third photo is a few feet away to show the orientation of the bracket mounted to the windshield. I'm wondering if Mike's bracket may be upside down. There's plenty of finger room to adjust the mirror between the top and the mirror as one can see. You can double click on the photo's to really see up close. I do believe my glass mirror frame is correct for this bracket. It is a thin, stamped sheet metal frame. We may never know for sure!!! Example; Ford Model A's had at least 10 different interior mirrors used in the 4 years of their production. Hope I'm not getting too anal with this mirror deal of mine, but it is something right "in your face" when you're behind the wheel. I'd like to have it original to this car.

[MikeC5]

I could be upside down Pete. It had been rusted in that configuration when I got it though. I haven't yet driven with it on there to see if it does the job.

[JayG]

Pete - There's a DB touring listed on EBay right now. Listed as a 22 but it's 24-26. Anyway here's a shot of the mirror in it. Looks close to yours but the bracket is mounted like Mike's. That actually makes more sense than the high mount that you have. Jay

[Pete K.]

This is very interesting! Car does appear to be the right era, SAME mirror frame with the radiused frame around the glass, but a whole different mounting bracket onto the windshield. The previous posted pictures show the same mounting bracket as mine, only someone's may be upside- down. I may leave mine on the way I found it since it makes more sense to have more driver view out the windshield without the mirror in the line of sight. I still can't see in the picture if the mirror glass is plain or smoked. I wonder if the seller would mind if I called him and asked. Thank you Jay!