Dodge55Royal Posted May 4 Share Posted May 4 I just bought a '55 Dodge Royal Custom a couple of days ago and it doesn't have a rear view mirror on either side. There are no holes there so it obviously never had them. This mirror (see pics) was in the trunk so I was wondering if it was an original '55 Dodge mirror. If not does anyone have a pic of one or know where I can buy two of them? Do they go right next to the vent windows? Thanks in advance.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryB Posted May 4 Share Posted May 4 Any numbers on the mounting plate? Originals are usually marked with a Chrysler part number. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryB Posted May 4 Share Posted May 4 Image from a 1955 Dodge sales brochure. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The 55er Posted May 4 Share Posted May 4 The mirror that was in your trunk is an aftermarket accessory mirror. TerryB's sales brochure picture shows the correct 1955 Dodge mirror. I believe all Chrysler products used the same outside mirror in 1955. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The 55er Posted May 4 Share Posted May 4 The aftermarket mirror you have pictured is called a Yankee Tri Bar mirror according to some current Ebay listings. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodge55Royal Posted May 4 Author Share Posted May 4 Thanks to both of you for the responses. I can get a pair of cheap plastic aftermarket mirrors at Advance Auto for $25.99 but I think I will try to find a matching one to the one I have because it's pretty heavy and looks like it's a much higher quality and definitely not plastic. Time to go to Ebay. Thanks again.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryB Posted May 4 Share Posted May 4 4 minutes ago, Dodge55Royal said: Thanks to both of you for the responses. I can get a pair of cheap plastic aftermarket mirrors at Advance Auto for $25.99 but I think I will try to find a matching one to the one I have because it's pretty heavy and looks like it's a much higher quality and definitely not plastic. Time to go to Ebay. Thanks again.... MoPar part number 1772447 is what my parts book shows. That number fits all 1953-59 cars except Chrysler and Imperial. For those cars it’s 1953-58. NAPA used to sell a nice replacement mirror that fit and looked good. Nice 55 you have there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodge55Royal Posted May 4 Author Share Posted May 4 There were about 50 Yankee Tri Bar mirrors on Ebay. I bought one in very good condition for $50 including shipping and tax. It should be here late next week. In the meantime I'm going to mount this one on the driver's side tomorrow. It's hard to believe that this will be the first outside mirror on the driver's side of this car in 69 years. I'm all for originality but safety comes first in my opinion. Thanks for the assistance and kind words.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m-mman Posted May 5 Share Posted May 5 (edited) 6 hours ago, Dodge55Royal said: and it doesn't have a rear view mirror on either side. There are no holes there so it obviously never had them In California outside rear view mirrors were not required until 1959. Difficult to imagine today, but those were simpler less crowded times. i understand that many owners of new(er) cars were not happy about needing to put holes in their fenders. Factory approved mirrors might cost 3+ times the cost of a parts house mirror, it’s no surprise that the aftermarket offerings sold well. Edited May 5 by m-mman (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodge55Royal Posted May 5 Author Share Posted May 5 It was sold new in Kentucky in June of 1955. Any idea when outside mirrors became mandatory here? The original bill of sale came with the car which of course is always cool.... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walt G Posted May 5 Share Posted May 5 Best wishes to you and your new ride. May you have many many miles of pleasurable driving. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodge55Royal Posted May 5 Author Share Posted May 5 47 minutes ago, Walt G said: Best wishes to you and your new ride. May you have many many miles of pleasurable driving. Thanks and same to you.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JACK M Posted May 5 Share Posted May 5 Not sure about 55, but the 60s Mopar cars rarely came with a passenger side mirror, and they are side specific. Often the drivers side mirror would have a remote control. The very few passenger sides that I have seen never saw any remote control. I got all excited when I bought a mid-sixties Chrysler once that had mirror on both sides. but it turned out the someone had put a driver's side mirror on there and it would not adjust. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryB Posted May 5 Share Posted May 5 When I was selling parts I had a new in the box factory remote mirror for a 1959 Plymouth. I remember it well because a guy drove for two hours to my house to buy it from me for his car. Pre internet days which made them very hard to find. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wayne sheldon Posted May 6 Share Posted May 6 In California, a driver's side outside mirror is the one "safety requirement" that is SPECIFICALLY excepted from the "grandfather clause". It is legally required for any year car whether one was available originally or not. Sometimes a bit of a problem on open wheel speedsters or other early cars with no significant body to mount a mirror onto. The daily reality however, is that the Highway Patrol usually will not bother us about that lack of a mirror. I have made an effort to mount a mirror on many of my cars, for safety's sake. However, on a few, I have driven literally thousands of miles without any mounted mirror, and so far not received a ticket for it. I have been questioned about it a couple times, and told to be careful. Of course, every state is different. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JACK M Posted May 6 Share Posted May 6 Had a 1960 plain Jane Ford years ago with no outside mirrors. I was helping a friend move with a small bumper pull trailer that I could easily see over with the inside mirror. State cop gave me a ticket for towing without an outside mirror. Just one would have been good enough. 14 hours ago, wayne sheldon said: Of course, every state is different. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laughing Coyote Posted May 7 Share Posted May 7 On 5/4/2024 at 11:47 AM, The 55er said: The aftermarket mirror you have pictured is called a Yankee Tri Bar mirror Came on my 61 Mercury. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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