window tint/cockpit mounted rearview mirror

Charleswbering · 04-29-08, 10:28 PM

have searched and came up with nothing.

Have any of you tinted the windows in your 40? How dark? whick windows? Already hot here in Atlanta even with the a/c running.

What cockpit rear view mirror have people used? Found an old Talbot susction cup one, and a ski boat mirror.

Gracious help appreciated. cb

Richard · 05-11-08, 03:35 PM

I’m checking to see if this is legal but I’m hoping not to have a real rear view mirror. I'm going to use the same camera I’ll use to take videos of open track events to be my rear view mirror. The camera is a .1 lux 580 line Sony from datatoys.com. The small dash mounted monitor has a button to flip the image so it will work correctly in either direction. Might be strange but the forward camera view will be much better without a mirror in the way. The monitor also has a wireless license plate camera so between the two I should have it covered. This was just a test fitting, the drain should be hooked back up soon along with many other improvements. I hope to post a how to on the whole project.

Bill Musarra · 05-11-08, 07:40 PM

Richard,
I like your idea for the race camera. I plan to use one of the tag cameras purchased a year or two ago to start with until my wife loosens up the purse strings. With our daughter getting married this fall, that is highly unlikely.
One thing you might want to consider is, if you have the plexi rear hatch cover, I think your visibility out the back from inside the cabin will suffer no matter how good the quality of a camera. I am planning on either getting a glass cover, or putting the camera on top of the spider. I have adapted the tag camera to a "third brake light". It is a temporary thing for now, and if the real camera will fit, it will all be glassed in and painted.

Bill

chuck smith · 05-11-08, 08:01 PM

I will be interested to see if you think the rear camera is satisfactory. I use one, but only for a general idea of what is behind me, mostly in parking lot situations( it has a wider view than my inside mirror). I have a hard time judging distance with a camera, much like with a wide angle mirror. An inside mirror is still hard to beat.

David Morton · 05-12-08, 02:11 AM

You will never have any idea of distance from a single camera installation and a mirror does. All you can ascertain from a camera is that there is something there. I have two seperate cameras on one of my vehicles (Mercedes Van) - one for overtaking in Europe and the other for connecting up a trailer but they are useless for
any depth perception. Until there is a stereoscopic system that will not change. If I was going to install one in a -40, which I don't think I would anyway, it would be the type I've seen in Japan where the camera would be in the rear number plate area and the screen in a rear view mirror in the normal central place.

John · 05-12-08, 10:23 AM

I don't know about Idaho, but in California you must have two rear view mirrors installed, one of which must be installed on the drivers side door. This can be interpreted to mean that no interior mirror is required, as long as there are two exterior mirrors available.

Malcolm · 05-13-08, 04:47 AM

On my GTD I have a very slight blue tinted front screen. I think it is 5%? If you didn't know it was tinted it is hard to spot, but it does have an effect at keeping the heat build up down just a little.

I saw a rear view mirror camera set up on a van once. The camera is fitted to the rear of the vehicle, in this case next to the door locks, and the display is rear view mirror shaped but a bit bigger and clips over the regular rear view mirror. It seemed to work well as I recall. I was told cost was about £300.