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64 Riviera Right Side Mirror


awk409ak

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Hi All,

I don't think the 64 Riviera came with right side mirror ( mine does not have one), and I don't see it on the option list.  Did they not offer it at all?  I see someone has one for sale.  Was it ever a dealer add on?  If it was, would it be correct to add it.  Also does anyone know if the holes for mounting are already in the door under the outer skin?  If the holes are not there is there pre-defined location for the mounting (dimensions).  I have not checked the manual, but will.  Thought I was online this morning I would throw the question out there to all the knowledgeable Riviera owner.

 

Thanks,

Art

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Even the driver's side outside mirror on a Riviera was an option.  There was a dealer option for installing an outside mirror.  The earlier built mirrors had a bezel that could be rotated 180° so it could be mounted on the passenger's side.  Any 1st generation Riviera you see with a mirror on the passenger's door was added later.

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Yes, the mirrors are reversible.  With that being said it really does no good because of the vent window divider gets in the way. AND, IF you move it reward so you can see to make it more viewable it doesn't match up with the left side & looks out of place.

IF you do add it DON'T FORGET the reinforcing plate that gets attached to the outer inside of the skin.

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As noted, you need to be very careful where you put the mirror so that it is both adjustable and usable.  That location will not be the same distance from the front of the door as the driver's mirror, so test before you drill.  But then, so what?  When are you ever looking at both sides of the car at the same time?

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I have a right side mirror on my '63. It's a remote mirror, looks nice from the outside, but useless. Even if I stuck a convex mirror on it , I still would not be able to see anything. It was on the car when I bought it. It's just eye candy,  serves no purpose. 

 

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For the road, get a "peep" mirror and attach it to the vent window frame.  When you get to the show, take it off when it's time to go home.

upd-c5001-1_hb_s.jpg.90b0cea244609aaaa39be2e7121e378a.jpg

 

There are other temporary options too. Like suction cup wide angle mirror

c520f0814a32be9009888aa566273c42.jpg.cda541b2e0622fcde7084415f86695a5.jpg

 

Or there are convex mirror that slip over your rear view mirror 

 

51Y7ibKnCVL._SX425_.jpg.0ee9dea7b3550029914d334e980882ca.jpg

 

You get no choice for picture sizing when you copy and paste 😕

Ed

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13 minutes ago, awk409ak said:

I'm thinking of just forgetting the idea of adding one.  I don't see where they were ever really offered by Buick or a dealer add on.

 

Thanks,

Art

They were offered in brochures that the dealership had.  Everything from carpet savers and purse hooks to the Guidematic and Twilight Sentinel.

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Is the vent window vertical trim/divider thicker/wider on a 63/64 than on a 65?
 

My buddy who built two 65’s mounted passenger side view mirrors to both his builds. He mounted them at same location as the driver door mirror. Yes, the vent window trim on both his cars is in the way. But the trim is thin enough to where U can still see plenty good down the passenger side. I thought it was good enough that I bought two mirrors to use the best of the two on my car (still haven’t mounted mine 🤦🏻‍♂️)

 

heck, with that said, the driver door vent window trim on these cars is in the way of the driver door side view mirror too haha. No one complains about that haha

 

8102A136-06CF-493D-9023-FEBADCB09B51.thumb.jpeg.5741f047807e2003582ac951338da6e5.jpeg
 

AF573755-39B0-453D-AE35-716DD92C5701.thumb.jpeg.89787b4033e28071b8560f0ba7865400.jpeg

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8 hours ago, awk409ak said:

So it is still useable?


it is on the two that my buddy built. I was surprised to see Kegart say his is useless. I’m wondering if he has the wrong mirror. The mirrors themselves on my buddy’s cars can be adjusted. Almost as if they were remote mirror. But without the remote. 
 

I just drove my 65 to the gym & confirmed that my DRIVER vent window trim is kinda a hinder. The trim is in the way of my driver side mirror. But we can all still use the mirror. That’s the same as the passenger side mirror. It can still be used…as long as u have the right mirror that can be adjusted inward. 
 

Unless the vent window trim on a 63/64 is wider/thicker & it covers more of the mirror. Still waiting to hear from anyone here with a 63/64 about that. I can see that being an issue. Otherwise, it’ll work

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15 hours ago, kegart said:

My mirror is mounted like the one's in your  picture.  It's a  remote mirror.  I can't see anything unless I lean way over.  That's why I said it's useless 

41965085_10156624964989337_8602042633088401408_n.jpg

The whole car looks phenomenal!

:-)

Edited by NC1968Riviera (see edit history)
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Chevrolet supplied a paper template for mounting accessory mirrors.   There is also a Chevrolet Accessories Installation Reference Manual..... I pulled a 1965 version off the shelf.

It gives reference dimensions for various Chevy models..... Chevelle, Chevy II, Corvair and Chevy Trucks.    Possibly other GM brands did something similar.

As a side note,   I worked afternoons at my local Chevy dealer when I was a junior in HS (1956).... that dealer did not order the cars with options that his mechanics could install,  this gave them extra

work and income.   Most never used the mirror (or other accessory) templates,  just eyeballed the location and installed the screws.

I believe it was 1967 when the DOT created a bunch of new safety rules for all cars sold in the US and the left outside mirror was one of them.....prior to that some states had required the left mirror,  but it was not

required in all states before 1967  Some cars had reinforcement for the mirror built into the door structure.... again not all had it and not sure when that started.

I have attached a page from the Chevrolet accessory manual.  

 

mirror info.jpg

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Jim Cannon wrote a article about mid year changes in 1963 for the Riview. It tells us  there was a change in mirror location.  My car has the later forward location  and the passenger was mounted to match. If I had the earlier location, I might have better visibility. At this point I don't want to make new holes to move the mirror. 

 

Kevin 

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HEY ROCKIN! Are those '63 mirrors that your buddy installed on his '65s?  I don't have my '65 in front of me to compare, but they appear to be identical in appearance to mine. Telriv says they are reversible but my '65 mirror definitely is not. If the earlier year mirrors are truly reversible I may add one to my '65. Although I hate to second guess one of history's greatest designers, I think the car looks much better with a passenger side mirror. (Aside from the fact that they are not fully functional)     Drew

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Here are some pictures of a 63 mirror body.  The glass is gone (going to be replaced by a convex piece) and when I got it, someone had cut the remote cables off - I shortened them as shown.  

 

The pictures show the bevel found on the outer shell of the bezel.  By removing the chromed Phillip's screw at the back, that outer shell can be rotated. But the disk to which the the mirror rotates with the outer shell.  What this would do to using a remote cable I do not know.

 

Here are some pictures:

 

Shows the taper of the outer shell to the right - oriented for the passenger's door.

 

20191017_225244.thumb.jpg.ba3cec21229b294ec996a134d9925036.jpg

 

The taper of the outer shell to the left - oriented for the driver's door.

20191017_225251.thumb.jpg.1fbca7ee6150cb714a249f6e12197414.jpg

 

The screw that goes through the body that holds the glass to the body.

 

20191017_225406.thumb.jpg.96cf13098285a17ecc03a0d9d44fa453.jpg

 

The complete mirror set up for a passenger's door. 

 

20191017_224722.thumb.jpg.e3ad7e760b0f724cfe6cab081c170cf1.jpg

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I would think so.  Unless you're looking at the tapered bezel, you wouldnt notice any difference.  (My humble opinion.)  I'm also not one to be paranoid about such matters.  Maybe a judge at a car show might pick it up, but would you get docked any points? I don't know.  Drive and outfit the car the way you like like it; it's yours and you're the one who drives it.  Perhaps someone has a 65 "Buick Approved Dealer Accessories" brochure that shows an optional mirror for the passenger's side.  In the 63 brochure that I have, the optional mirror is the base mirror like CARS sells that doesn't have the shell around it, just the kind where the entire mirror head is adjustable.

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You ROA members should have  photos from feature cars and National meets that would show the correct mirrors.

Crop the pictures to show just the mirror and make a display of each year mirror design.

If you have a good judging manual,  it may show the different mirrors.

 

I snapped several pictures of Riviera antenna at the BCA Denver meet but this is the only picture that had a right hand mirror that was caught

in the photo with the antenna.    I do not know what year the Riviera is.....   just note the antenna black insulator is very short.

If someone knows how to rotate this photo please repost it

early riv.jpg

Edited by Barney Eaton (see edit history)
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That mirror shown is the base mirror on which you adjust the entire head, not just the glass part.

 

There was discussion a number of years ago about proper placement of the driver's side mirrors.   Some are mounted close to the front edge of the door skin and viewed through the vent window;  others are mounted further back and viewed through the door glass.  So proper mounting of the passenger's side mirror should either match the driver's  side or where it does you the most good.  

 

I have seen a couple of Rivieras with that base mirror on the driver's door.  

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When I bought my car it had original base mirrors on the driver's and passenger side. From what I have gathered from discussions on the forum these were most likely dealer installed but, could have been added by a previous owner at some point. I am not saying this is correct but, both mirrors were mounted with no reinforcing plate on the backside. They are solid and I have had no issues with that. Both mirrors are placed in such a way that there is no interference with the vent window when opening or closing.

 

I replaced the driver's side mirror right away with a replacement from CARS, Inc. as it was cracked and had pitting issues. No problems with the placement of this mirror. It is usable and gives me good rear vision. The passenger side mirror as has been mentioned is practically useless. I was able to adjust it so that there was some usable rearward vision if you did some body contortions while trying to use. Useless when in motion on the road but, usable when backing out of the garage or in the driveway.

 

Two years ago I decided to replace the passenger side mirror as it was starting to show its age. I purchased a replacement from CARS, Inc. They will tell you it is an exact replica. It is not. I put the 2 mirrors side by side and the CARS mirror had a slightly lower and longer cant forward. To the naked eye you would never know that they were any different unless you put them side by side. While seemingly inconsequential, this slight difference makes a mostly useless mirror into a completely useless mirror. There is no way to adjust the mirror to make it any way useful in the position it is on my car. The base mirror whether the original OEM or the replacement from CARS is just a decorative piece. 

 

Bill

 

P.S. The placement of my driver' mirror is not the same as the remote mirrors I have seen. I almost made the mistake of buying a remote mirror before checking the placement. 

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IMHO, the best thing to do with either mirror on the passenger's door is to match its location to the driver's  side mirror and put a full sized convex mirror on it.  You can use them for backing but the big advantage is that wide angle that eliminates the blind spot where the right side sail panel is.  

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On 10/19/2019 at 11:03 AM, Riviera63 said:

When I bought my car it had original base mirrors on the driver's and passenger side. From what I have gathered from discussions on the forum these were most likely dealer installed but, could have been added by a previous owner at some point. I am not saying this is correct but, both mirrors were mounted with no reinforcing plate on the backside. They are solid and I have had no issues with that. Both mirrors are placed in such a way that there is no interference with the vent window when opening or closing.

 

I replaced the driver's side mirror right away with a replacement from CARS, Inc. as it was cracked and had pitting issues. No problems with the placement of this mirror. It is usable and gives me good rear vision. The passenger side mirror as has been mentioned is practically useless. I was able to adjust it so that there was some usable rearward vision if you did some body contortions while trying to use. Useless when in motion on the road but, usable when backing out of the garage or in the driveway.

 

Two years ago I decided to replace the passenger side mirror as it was starting to show its age. I purchased a replacement from CARS, Inc. They will tell you it is an exact replica. It is not. I put the 2 mirrors side by side and the CARS mirror had a slightly lower and longer cant forward. To the naked eye you would never know that they were any different unless you put them side by side. While seemingly inconsequential, this slight difference makes a mostly useless mirror into a completely useless mirror. There is no way to adjust the mirror to make it any way useful in the position it is on my car. The base mirror whether the original OEM or the replacement from CARS is just a decorative piece. 

 

Bill

 

P.S. The placement of my driver' mirror is not the same as the remote mirrors I have seen. I almost made the mistake of buying a remote mirror before checking the placement. 

IMG_5541.JPG

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IMG_5543.JPG

IMG_5544.JPG

IMG_5545.JPG

IMG_5546.JPG

Hi Bill,

  Just an FYI...Buick placed the drivers side remote mirror in 2 different locations during the `63 model year. At the beginning of the model year the mirror was placed as yours is, basically aligned with the vent window divider. The other full size models also had the same mirror location. In October `62 the mirror placement for the Riv was moved to the forward edge of the door as you have seen on other cars.

  Keep in mind any manual mirror whether left or right was NOT factory installed and the location of the mirror was in the hands of the installer. There were templates in the mirror kits sold through dealerships to locate the mirrors based on model but it is very evident the suggested guidelines were not always followed. I have a very original `65 with the early `63 Riv placement.

  If I was a tech back in the day I would have grabbed the owner, sat them in the drivers seat, and chose mirror placement based on their needs. But thats just me....also keep in mind it was possible that an owner could have done his/her own installation by simply purchasing the accessory mirror at the dealer and doing the install themselves.

Tom

Edited by 1965rivgs (see edit history)
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23 minutes ago, 1965rivgs said:

Hi Bill,

  Just an FYI...Buick placed the drivers side remote mirror in 2 different locations during the `63 model year. At the beginning of the model year the mirror was placed as yours is, basically aligned with the vent window divider. The other full size models also had the same mirror location. In October `62 the mirror placement for the Riv was moved to the forward edge of the door as you have seen on other cars.

  Keep in mind any manual mirror whether left or right was NOT factory installed and the location of the mirror was in the hands of the installer. There were templates in the mirror kits sold through dealerships to locate the mirrors based on model but it is very evident the suggested guidelines were not always followed. I have a very original `65 with the early `63 Riv placement.

  If I was a tech back in the day I would have grabbed the owner, sat them in the drivers seat, and chose mirror placement based on their needs. But thats just me....also keep in mind it was possible that an owner could have done his/her own installation by simply purchasing the accessory mirror at the dealer and doing the install themselves.

Tom

 

Hi Tom,

 

Thanks for that. I have a question for you. Were early (pre-October 62) remote mirrors placed in the same location as my mirrors? I must have viewed later mirror placement models when looking at remote mirrors. This stopped me from getting a remote mirror as I thought placement was an issue. I would entertain getting a remote mirror if early placement of the remote mirror was the same. Thanks.

 

Bill

 

 

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2 hours ago, Riviera63 said:

 

Hi Tom,

 

Thanks for that. I have a question for you. Were early (pre-October 62) remote mirrors placed in the same location as my mirrors? I must have viewed later mirror placement models when looking at remote mirrors. This stopped me from getting a remote mirror as I thought placement was an issue. I would entertain getting a remote mirror if early placement of the remote mirror was the same. Thanks.

 

Bill

 

 

Yes

Tom

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I'm glad that Tom gave an explanation for the placement of factory installed mirrors.  I took a picture of every mirror and data plate on cars equipped with remote mirrors.  Never came up with anything reasonable.  Everyone I took a picture of had the correct code for the Fisher Body installed mirror. I never thought about looking at the build date.

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Rivnut,

Thanks for the message.  I tried to reply, but it said only 2 per day.

 

You make a lot of sense.  I've been kinda struggling with this right side mirror thing and I don't know why.  Maybe I just like how it looks.  I did some looking at this a different way.  Please anyone tell me if I'm totally off base on how I"m thinking.  My whole idea was to mount the right remote mirror (same mirror as the left 64 remote mirror, which are reversible) in the same location from the door edge as it is on the left side (~1.375 from door edge).  So with that said, what if I get in the passenger seat and re-adjust the left remote mirror to view it from the passenger seat, is this the same.  I think it is and with that I can only see maybe half of the mirror at best.  So then am I installing a right side mirror just for the looks and no no real useful function.  That's where I'm at.

Thanks,

Art

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