Safari Mirrors For the 40

[FARMAN33]

About a week ago I was taking the 40 for an extended trip about 60 miles, mostly freeway. Halfway in I lost my side view mirror -(must have been going Mach1.5) No biggie I think to myself, I will just buy me some shiny new ones. Get back home and find them on the internet...

Safari Mirrors [2T-100] : Cruiser Solutions, custom cruisers, restorations, genuine Toyota parts, body tubs, used Land Cruisers for sale

$100!!! Now I am cheap so I set out to make me a set of replacements. Here is the journey....



First I sourced the mirror heads. Found these for $7.85 apiece. They are nice low profile and big 6X9.

 

[FARMAN33]

Next I ordered two 18" pieces of 1/2"OD steel tubing for the arms. This was $14 from speedymetal.com shipped. I also purchased some 5/16 allthread to mount through the bracket.

Bent them into 90's and braised a nut to the bottom.

Next flattened the endfor the mirror mount

 

[FARMAN33]

Voila.








Still need to clean up and paint but you get the idea.

Safari mirrors for $32.98

 

[lostmarbles]

Good on you Farman33. I always like to see fellow "do-it-your-selfers" at work.

However you may find your design will need to "evolve" (like many of mine do). I suspect you may experience the "blurred mirror syndrome" where it is difficult to see via those mirror because they vibrate/shake. And bronze welding in an application like that will be prone to "breaking". (I think the points of "maximum stress" are right at those welds.)

(It may need beefing up for a Mark II version.)

 

[Zekester]

Concur with lostmarbles...great idea, but you might find you'll need mods...instead of going with the brazed/welded joint, you could go with 5/16 stock, and cut threads on the end, that way it would start out as one piece...you may need to weld on a tab to keep them from pivoting...that 6X9 catching wind, even at Mach 1, will eventually push the mirror into the body...I like the idea of being able to fold them back when you are in the bush...I have to fold mine up, into the windshield frame...forgot once and it was gone in seconds...Nice rig BTW : )

 

[FARMAN33]

My welder was out of gas and didn't have any flux wire so that is why I braised it. -Needed the practice too- Because of this I left the allthread all the way up to the bend at the top so if it goes I won't be doing this again.

Thanks for the comments and suggestions.

 

[haystax]

I'd toss that in the scrap pile and start over - seems like an insult to such an clean looking 40...

Mirrors are overrated anyway - if it's behind you then you've already seen it once

Seriously though - that is a sharp rig