how to finish the surface on a 356 t1 rear view mirror?

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Martin Benade
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Re: how to finish the surface on a 356 t1 rear view mirror?

#16 Post by Martin Benade »

My B cab has probably the same mirror head (not the day/night style) with a different bracket that goes on the tension rod clamp, and the original definitely appears brushed from side to side, not polished.
Last edited by Martin Benade on Tue May 03, 2016 7:25 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Dennis ODonnell
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Re: how to finish the surface on a 356 t1 rear view mirror?

#17 Post by Dennis ODonnell »

Nice. My original is highly polished with beveled glass but the car's always been in arid NM. Paul's pic shows typical oxidation, not a brushed finish. The SM one is not in the original finish.

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Paul Kust
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Re: how to finish the surface on a 356 t1 rear view mirror?

#18 Post by Paul Kust »

Well guys, thanks for clearing it all up for me with some examples.
And Jeroen's mirror turned out looking great! Good Job!
Wish that my mirror would not have been cracked in the middle and in such bad condition to begin with, the car had come from Florida and spent 15 years in a scrap fashioned carport in Portland OR before I rescued it.
Paul Kust
'57 T-1 101611

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James Davies
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Re: how to finish the surface on a 356 t1 rear view mirror?

#19 Post by James Davies »

Paul, to compare to your photo of the early mirror, here's the one from my '53 coupe. You can see it was polished, but still has a bit of typical dulling due to oxidation. 63 years in the northern midwest, but always stored dry. I will have to get to it with some Simichrome.
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Wil Mittelbach
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Re: how to finish the surface on a 356 t1 rear view mirror?

#20 Post by Wil Mittelbach »

Wil Mittelbach wrote:
Mike Wilson wrote:James and Brad:
Your observations make sense. I would suspect the same holds true for the B/C mirrors unless the anti-glare police mandated a dull finish.
Quite right Mike; since B/C mirror backs are chrome plated, and not a polished aluminum.
Additionally, and rather irrelevant in regards to a subject T1 mirror:-
As a T6 difference, herewith added is a photo taken thru the windshield of my 65C cab of the chrome backside of its original mirror, reflecting somewhat distorted images of our garage cabinet doors.
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Mike Wilson
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Re: how to finish the surface on a 356 t1 rear view mirror?

#21 Post by Mike Wilson »

Thanks, Wil!
Mike Wilson
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Bob Kittel
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Re: how to finish the surface on a 356 t1 rear view mirror?

#22 Post by Bob Kittel »

Some B and early C mirrors though were aluminum so not chrome plated.
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Martin Benade
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Re: how to finish the surface on a 356 t1 rear view mirror?

#23 Post by Martin Benade »

Yes, I have an aluminum B or C day-night mirror, looks brushed but maybe it was originally polished. I have a new one from Stoddard in chrome.
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