Help with Mirror

[sandy741]

The 370Z belongs to my wife (long story), however she is having trouble with blind spots when driving and backing. Are there any mirrors on the market which may help her? She is short so the seat if forward.
Thanks, Sandy

[spearfish25]

There isn't much that's going to help. It's more about setting up the car's mirrors to maximize your view and minimize the blind spots. For example, the side mirrors should be adjusted quite far outwards so you can see the lane you would be merging into. If they are in the correct spot, you would not be able to see a car directly behind you (in your lane) if you look in the side mirror.

Here is a test to know when you have the mirrors ideally positioned. Watch a car approach in a lane adjacent to yours in the center rear-view mirror. As the car overtakes, you should be able to watch it smoothly transition from the center rear mirror into the appropriate side mirror with as little 'gap' or blindspot as possible. I have mine set up so that there is always some overlap and I never lose the car completely (I can always see it in one mirror or the other). It's doable, you just have to play with it.

As for backing up...it's just a craps shoot. Go slow, lean forwards and backwards, honk the horn...do whatever. There isn't much that will help mirror-wise.

Some people use the stick-on convex mirrors to assist with blind spots. I find them painfully small and they take up valuable mirror space on the side-mirrors that I'd rather be using. If you use the method I described above, stickie mirrors aren't necessary.

Let me know if this helps.

[dad]

Also, a sticky on the passenger side mirror, the images are way to small for accurate judgment.

[Trips]

Originally Posted by spearfish25

There isn't much that's going to help. It's more about setting up the car's mirrors to maximize your view and minimize the blind spots. For example, the side mirrors should be adjusted quite far outwards so you can see the lane you would be merging into. If they are in the correct spot, you would not be able to see a car directly behind you (in your lane) if you look in the side mirror.

Here is a test to know when you have the mirrors ideally positioned. Watch a car approach in a lane adjacent to yours in the center rear-view mirror. As the car overtakes, you should be able to watch it smoothly transition from the center rear mirror into the appropriate side mirror with as little 'gap' or blindspot as possible. I have mine set up so that there is always some overlap and I never lose the car completely (I can always see it in one mirror or the other). It's doable, you just have to play with it.

As for backing up...it's just a craps shoot. Go slow, lean forwards and backwards, honk the horn...do whatever. There isn't much that will help mirror-wise.

Some people use the stick-on convex mirrors to assist with blind spots. I find them painfully small and they take up valuable mirror space on the side-mirrors that I'd rather be using. If you use the method I described above, stickie mirrors aren't necessary.

Let me know if this helps.

Backup slowly and I mean slowly if someone comes from behind they'll honk and drive around you or stop to let you back out.