What to do about blind spots?

Bill Marsh

Bill Marsh

I have a 1958 Cadillac Eureka Flower car. There is a huge blind spot on the passenger side. When driving and I want to change lanes on the passenger side, I have to get my wife to look out the window and tell me if it is clear.

I do have a passenger side mirror in the same position as the driver side, but it is useless. The vent window blocks it. I could put an additional mirror on the car, but would have to drill a hole and then have two mirrors on the passenger side. Ugly.

I am looking for an answer that would be unobtrusive and might also solve the rear blind spot. When backing up, I have to get my wife behind the car and guide me.

I have seen a quad camera setup on eBay that might work. The replacement rear view mirror is divided into 4 areas corresponding to the four very small cameras you can mount on the sides, front and rear of the car.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Brand-Rear-...r_View_Monitors_Cams_Kits&hash=item41631eaa9d

But I don't know this manufacturer and hesitate to pay $650 for it.

What do you do, particularly to eliminate the blind spot on the passenger side?
 
Blind Spot

Bill, I had the same problem with my 61 ,even though it is a limo style. I put a small clamp on mirror on the right a pillar and you now can see something on the right side. Tons of places sell this in different styles.
 

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Bill, a couple ideas that I've used on my own cars with satisfactory results:

I have the small round self-adhesive convex mirrors, about 2" in diameter, on all my pro cars. They are the simple inexpensive ones that I find in the auto aisle of grocery stores for $1.99. I find them to be effective, unobtrusive, and I've never had points deducted for them when the car has been judged.

For rearward visibility, this probably wouldn't work on a flower car, but on some of my hearses I have a static-cling wide angle lens like you see in the rear windows of RVs. On one of my limos, I installed a simple backup detector that I bought out of the J. C. Whitney catalog. I fabricated a bracket to hang it under the rear bumper, it gets wired into the backup lights, and a small speaker lays on the rear deck inside the car. It beeps when you get within so many feet of an object, and then beeps faster the closer you get.
 
Truck drivers technique.

I was taught when driving a vehicle with a blind spot when changing lanes, first move over about three feet and stay there for a few seconds. This leaves room for other vehicles and informs them of your intent. (This is after signaling and checking your mirror first.) Then if you don't hear a horn you are pretty sure it's safe to finish pulling into the other lane.
 
I have 4" matching peep mirrors on both sides that clamp on the door lip. The right side one is convex, so you can see a broader area.

The brand name is "United Pacific" and the part # is C 5001-CVX. These can be bought through Simmitt Racing (summittracing.com). they are around $28.00.
 
I pretty much do what Jerry stated above. As far as the inside review mirror, they are useless in my cars so I hardly even look into them. You will get use to the worthless mirrors after awhile, just play around with angles until you see the best. The passenger one on my 49 S&S is pretty worthless too, and Ive often thought of using the mirror as Dan Skully described. It is called a peep mirror, and can often be found on ebay or custom car sites, as most hot rods use them. They have a small screw and just clamp over the window frame and can easily be removed if wanted for a show, no need to drill any holes. The link below will give you an idea what to look for. The short arm one is like what Dan Skully has on his, the long arm one is what I have on my 49 S&S (pictured below link. Hope this helps some,
http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&ke...hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_txe8rsbzj_b
1949 S&S Knickerbocker combo 112.jpg
 
Bill wrote:

When driving and I want to change lanes on the passenger side, I have to get my wife to look out the window and tell me if it is clear.


ME TOO !!! Two of my cars have passenger side mirrors and two do not.

It is very scary changing lanes when you can't see.


Mike Steven's also has the little hot rod type that clamp on the side as Daniel posted. Simple easy solution.


I highly recommend the small stick on type as Patrick described ! You can get two versions. One is just a convex stick on. For about a buck more you can get a adjusting convex stick on that helps even more with seeing around and behind. Likely 3 or 4 bucks and worth every cent.


It is a problem that I hope I never hear someone getting side swiped as a result of not being able to see out the passenger/rear side.

Darren
 
You learn, after a while, how to change lanes where you can't see. If you are passing another car, pass it and when you can see it all the way in your mirror, you can move over. If someone is passing you on the right, let them go and if there was not another car behind it, then move. But yes, these all have big blind spots on the right side. You just have to be careful and patient, you'll get used to it.

Or just stay in the right lane....
 
I have had good luck turning on the purple strobes and moving over :D I do try to stay in the right lane as much as possible, and stay out of heavy traffic.

I am looking for a set of CCTV cameras as unobtrusive as possible that could go on each side, and the rear - like a license plate camera. The rear view mirror in a flower car is also about useless.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/280835828381?ssPageName=STRK:MESINDXX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1436.l2649

This setup might work. Still researching.
 
before I went to any expense with mounting cameras anywhere I would have to try driving with them. it been my experience that you can't see anything but movement at best with the fish eye type lens they use. the you spend your time staring at the monitor and run over something you should be looking at out the windshield. pep mirrors are good is you can get them were you can see them. the spotlight mirrors are ok but to keep them were you want the light needs to be almost to tight to use. now me I would take the right hand mirror off fill the hole. then move it up on the fender were you can look out of the windshield at it. I did find the on on the 58 usable when I drove it before I took it apart. I can't say if it after market or GM product. but I guessing after market but on by Eureka. this car has the spot light mirror on the left and this on on the right both of them do mount on the car in about the same location. the optional right GM factory door Mirror is a joke fro the 57 to 64 years. it mounts as you stated right behind the wing . so tell me what am I missing for the license plate light.
 

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I have seen them mounted there and it looks like a good idea. I may go for a backup camera with an expandable monitor that can be clipped to the rear view mirror and removed when showing the car.
 
Im with ED, I wouldn't trust the camera. People have been driving these cars for this long without them. I think the cameras are more dangerous than they really help. Better off keeping it the traditional way you were taught, and like the car manufactures intended. Don't get caught flipping on the purple strobes on public streets, you could run into lots of problems. In some places only a licensed funeral director is allowed to run them, and only during a procession (unless a parade of course). Someone may also interpret it as you trying to pull them over, and call it in and you can be charged with impersonating an officer. Trust me on this one, someone turned me in for it when at a friends house, I was parked on the street and showing them off, next thing I knew I had 4 cop cars swarm me. I had to do some fast talking to get out of that one.
 
Mike Burkhart said:
Let's come back to earth. What is wrong with the $20.00 4" clamp-on convex peep mirror? Mine work great.........
Click to expand...

nothing at all. remember I said if it was me. I have the peep mirrors in the 53. they are a little problem keeping them were you want them and I had to grind a angle on the one on the right. the 58 eureka would be hard to mount the top one on and have it hang around the brass filler cap over the wing but the one that mount on the front edge if it will extend out enough would work just fine. but it they are the same style as I got you will be looking back threw or around the fin. the fish eye lens on the cameras makes me question them. then if they get two drops of water on them they are useless. but if we could go back to single lane roads like most were in 58 you could get by with out any.
 
Mike Burkhart said:
Let's come back to earth. What is wrong with the $20.00 4" clamp-on convex peep mirror? Mine work great.........
Click to expand...

Just got one of these from Summit Racing, ($15) yesterday in the mail. Will see if there is any way to clamp it on without damaging anything.

If this doesn't work, I will be looking further at CCTV cameras. Perhaps the unobtrusive kind that mount on RVs. I have seen some very nice small ones online that face rearward and are adjustable. I would pull the current driver's (It won't stay adjusted right anyhow) and passenger's mirrors and put them there utilizing the present holes.

There are also some clean looking license plate cameras, some with motion detectors that tell you how close you are to objects. These cameras can be wired to operate when you put the car in reverse or full time. Some have monitors that replace the inside rear view mirror. Probably get one of these anyhow.

Backing this boat up, at 22 feet long is a whole 'nother story as you all know!

I can visit some RV sellers and see some firsthand,

My third option is to drill a hole in the right front fender and mount a mirror there.
 
Keep in mind if you plan on having it judged at a PCS meet you will get points deducted for the mods. I still would strongly be against cameras. I think besides being dangerous, it would ruin the look of this classy car. You will get used to poor side and rear vision after some time behind the wheel, we all have.
 
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