370Z Blind Spots

sprix! · 01-19-2009, 11:33 AM

Well, if you are having problems with vision and changing lanes, I would surmise your mirror are angled inappropriately. There is no reason you should not be able to see a car that is either behind you or next to you with the mirrors angled properly. Most people use their side view mirrors as rear view mirrors. (it isn't like a car is going to pop out of the rear of your car...

) That is- they have them aimed at the rear corners of the car like that is an area that one can't see from the .... oh I dunno.... REAR view mirror. If you use your side view mirrors and angle them towards the side of the vehicle, you will eliminate this. I will try to give you an idea of how I have my mirrors set up.
- My rear view mirror shows me everything that is behind my car.
- As something passes out of the field of my rear view mirror, it passes into the field of the side view mirrors.
- As something passes out of the field of the side view mirrors, it passes into my personal field of peripheral vision. In my opinion, you should NOT be able to see the side of your car in your side view mirror. If you can, you are not utilizing your mirrors fully. Why look at the side of your own car as you are traveling when it benefits much more to look at what is adjacent to you?
For most people, this may seem odd, but I found that setting up my mirrors like that effectively removed the blind spot from my vehicle.

Crash · 01-19-2009, 12:54 PM

I disagree... Unless you have one of those old style mirrors that go all the way across your windshield, and you have GIANT side mirrors that stick out 6 inches from the door, you CANNOT cover all the blind spots. Please do not drive around me.

As much as all my mirrors cover, I will not trust that I'm seeing everything.

sprix! · 01-19-2009, 01:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crash

I disagree... Unless you have one of those old style mirrors that go all the way across your windshield, and you have GIANT side mirrors that stick out 6 inches from the door, you CANNOT cover all the blind spots. Please do not drive around me.

As much as all my mirrors cover, I will not trust that I'm seeing everything.

You certainly have that right to disagree. Maybe I was unclear in my original post, but let me clarify and say that there will always be a blind spot, but there are methods of reducing it and making it more livable. I am not necessarily advocating that angling your mirrors in X fashion will allow you to see everything, but I am suggesting that most people have their mirrors placed in a way that is not conducive to seeing optimally. I will say again, if you have problems seeing what is directly behind your car in the rear view mirror, NO mirror will be enough. I don't have gigantic mirrors anywhere on my car, but I would argue that a blindspot is no longer an issue because of my setup on my mirrors. I guess it comes down to different people having different experiences.
As to the other replies- if you are not looking at the side of the car in the side view mirrors, I don't see how this is a problem. Most people do not have their side mirrors set up to see what is adjacent and to the rear of their cars. They look instead at the side of their own car which defeats the purpose of a side view mirror.
I haven't driven a 370z, but I have sat inside of one a few times and seen what the mirrors are set up like. That said, I don't believe I will have a problem with a blind spot when I get mine.

Crash · 01-19-2009, 01:12 PM

^^^ LOL! Unless they just want to make sure their paint is still on the door.

FricFrac · 01-21-2009, 09:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sprix!

Well, if you are having problems with vision and changing lanes, I would surmise your mirror are angled inappropriately. There is no reason you should not be able to see a car that is either behind you or next to you with the mirrors angled properly. Most people use their side view mirrors as rear view mirrors. (it isn't like a car is going to pop out of the rear of your car...

) That is- they have them aimed at the rear corners of the car like that is an area that one can't see from the .... oh I dunno.... REAR view mirror. If you use your side view mirrors and angle them towards the side of the vehicle, you will eliminate this. I will try to give you an idea of how I have my mirrors set up.
- My rear view mirror shows me everything that is behind my car.
- As something passes out of the field of my rear view mirror, it passes into the field of the side view mirrors.
- As something passes out of the field of the side view mirrors, it passes into my personal field of peripheral vision. In my opinion, you should NOT be able to see the side of your car in your side view mirror. If you can, you are not utilizing your mirrors fully. Why look at the side of your own car as you are traveling when it benefits much more to look at what is adjacent to you?
For most people, this may seem odd, but I found that setting up my mirrors like that effectively removed the blind spot from my vehicle.

I usually have my side view mirrors set up so I can JUST see the side of the vehicle - that gives a good reference as to exactly where the other vehicle is while maximizing the viewing area of the mirror.

Besides what's the deal with dome mirrors - you just need pipes loud enough that everyone backs off ;P

01-19-2009, 12:54 PM	#2 (permalink)
Crash A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 1,853 Drives: 02 Corvette Z06 Rep Power: 591	I disagree... Unless you have one of those old style mirrors that go all the way across your windshield, and you have GIANT side mirrors that stick out 6 inches from the door, you CANNOT cover all the blind spots. Please do not drive around me. As much as all my mirrors cover, I will not trust that I'm seeing everything. __________________ 2002 Corvette Z06 - Totaled 2003 Corvette Z06 50th Anniversary

01-19-2009, 01:12 PM	#4 (permalink)
Crash A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 1,853 Drives: 02 Corvette Z06 Rep Power: 591	^^^ LOL! Unless they just want to make sure their paint is still on the door. __________________ 2002 Corvette Z06 - Totaled 2003 Corvette Z06 50th Anniversary

01-19-2009, 11:33 AM	#1 (permalink)
sprix! Base Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Atlanta Posts: 10 Drives: 06 Honda S2000 6MT Rep Power: 289	Well, if you are having problems with vision and changing lanes, I would surmise your mirror are angled inappropriately. There is no reason you should not be able to see a car that is either behind you or next to you with the mirrors angled properly. Most people use their side view mirrors as rear view mirrors. (it isn't like a car is going to pop out of the rear of your car... ) That is- they have them aimed at the rear corners of the car like that is an area that one can't see from the .... oh I dunno.... REAR view mirror. If you use your side view mirrors and angle them towards the side of the vehicle, you will eliminate this. I will try to give you an idea of how I have my mirrors set up. - My rear view mirror shows me everything that is behind my car. - As something passes out of the field of my rear view mirror, it passes into the field of the side view mirrors. - As something passes out of the field of the side view mirrors, it passes into my personal field of peripheral vision. In my opinion, you should NOT be able to see the side of your car in your side view mirror. If you can, you are not utilizing your mirrors fully. Why look at the side of your own car as you are traveling when it benefits much more to look at what is adjacent to you? For most people, this may seem odd, but I found that setting up my mirrors like that effectively removed the blind spot from my vehicle.