Multivex Mirror review

[powerbookguy]

Originally Posted by adamant

Is it possible to dismantle the OEM mirrors and replace the glass instead of sticking it on the outside? I would dearly love to have these mirrors but I just couldn't live with the glass just slapped on the outside.

my thoughts exactly. anyone try this yet?

or has anyone chosen on the stock british convex passenger mirror for the driver's side instead? this is my inclination for aesthetic reasons.

[grantcv]

I am leaning towards the multivex mirror as I don't feel comfortable losing my depth perception on the driver's side. The safety benefit of having a wider field of vision seems to be negated if you can't accurately judge the distance.

[pinmagic]

If you look at Fastliz's head-on pic, you can see they don't cover the factory mirror in the bottom left corner. (I think someone else mentioned this, too.) It's just a tiny amount, but that's surprising because the company got several tracings, and then they had their own person do a tracing of an Elise, so he said they'd be perfect. I wonder how they managed to be off like that.

[beinmymirror]

Can anyone assist in knowing if there is an adapter for the present window button on the windshield. I have purchased another mirror and the shoe on the new mirror doesn't match up with the one on the windshield. Even though the Elise mirror is made by GM it seems to have a non-standard attachment button on the windshield.

[ChrisH]

I have had MultiVex mirrors for about 3 weeks now and I LOVE THEM. They really take care of the blind spots while still letting me see the edge of the car in both side view mirrors.

I didn't like the look of the glass edge on the mirror, so I used some black electrical tape and some red "liquid electrical tape" to create a trim around the mirror. The liquid tape was used on the back side to keep the regular tape in place better than the standard glue on the regular electrical tape. I also removed the thick mounting tape that came with the mirrors and substituted the thinner 3M exterior mounting tape. Because the mirror is curved on the backside and I wanted good mounting tape contact, I cut a thin strip of the mounting tape and double stacked it towards the center of the mirror to compensate for the curve a bit. See pictures.

One note if you go this trim route - don't stretch the tape at the ends because it will slowly pull the wrapped tape over time (as I am discovering). It is okay to stretch it away from the ends so that it wraps around the corner curves tightly without leaving any folds on the front side of the mirror.

As other people have noted, the outer edge of the mirror is too small vertically, and hence you can see a bit of the stock mirror behind it. It doesn't hurt the functionality of the MultiVex mirror, but it is a bit annoying that they didn't get the pattern right. I might suggest putting some black tape (with good glue and carefully trimmed) on the stock mirror in that area before mounting the MultiVex mirror, and vertically center the Multivex mirror very carefully along the outer edge.

[Lotus F1]

Nice ChrisH! I like a helpful project that shows how it's done along with the supplies needed.

[ratooth]

blind spot....you don't need no stink'n blind spot.
Had the mirrors since the first batch release. Yes there is a slight compromise in the esthetics but to see every thing will help me avoid that rear cam shell repair.Good investment. Do it now!

[adamant]

I noticed in the workshop manual that the mirrors and just their immediate surround are replaceable. Why would it not be possible to take these out and replace the mirror from the reverse side?

[RacyTracy]

Originally Posted by adamant

Why would it not be possible to take these out and replace the mirror from the reverse side?

If others are saying the tracing is not a great match, even if you could replace the glass, it might not fit well....Plus, it's obviously smaller than the stock mirror.

[Keeper]

Originally Posted by RacyTracy

If others are saying the tracing is not a great match, even if you could replace the glass, it might not fit well....Plus, it's obviousely smaller than the stock mirror.

The mirrors were cut for Elise owners to fit over the existing mirror. They can cut them to fit inside if we like. Ideally, someone could send them a stock mirror or a really good trace so the fit would be perfect.

edit: OK, I said I'd only buy them if they replaced the mirrors, but I have the Multivex stuck to the stock mirrors now and they're great.

-Shawn

[RacyTracy]

Originally Posted by Keeper

The mirrors were cut for Elise owners to fit over the existing mirror. They can cut them to fit inside if we like. Ideally, someone could send them a stock mirror or a really good trace so the fit would be perfect.

I'd buy them if they replaced the existing mirrors. The stock mirrors are sufficient until that happens.

I would do it too, if I could replace the OEM glass but.......Looking at ChrisH's photo's...does it look like the MultiVex mirrors are variable thickness?? I would guess the OEM glass is the same thickness all the way across...Now I'm wondering if just the glass COULD be swapped....without filling gaps with silicone or something...... Didn't someone earlier say that the swap could not be done??

[SteveK]

The Multivex mirrors are curved so I doubt if you could replace the existing mirror and have the plastic surround fit properly.

[kestrel74]

Originally Posted by SteveK

The Multivex mirrors are curved so I doubt if you could replace the existing mirror and have the plastic surround fit properly.

I've been dealing with Bob ( the designer )....and thats exactly why they cant be made to size.

[Keeper]

They don't fit properly anyway. How doable would it be?

[celling]

I've had the mirrors on for about a week. First with duct tape, and then installed with the supplied tape. (as suggested in the instructions)

I was not sure if i would like them....the view to the rear is different, but the adjustment time in minimal, and I would recommend thest to anyone that dislikes the blindspot to the left and right of the Lotus.

Although they do stick out from the original mirror housing (see others photos in this thread) it is not that bad.... besides it is a fast and easy installation with the supplied tape.

I will probably remove and reinstall with black silicone when time permits, but it is not a big issue.

Try them, you will like them
C

[TimMullen]

I made a comment earlier on in this thread about the Multivex mirrors looking "add on". They don't. After they were on for a couple of days and the novelty was over, I never again noticed that they were "add ons". Nobody has ever commented about them. They just work. Highly recommended...

[PureEvil]

I just got mine but haven't had a chance to install them (not even duct taping them over the factory mirrors).

The one thing that I did notice upon opening the package is that the edges of the mirrors aren't smooth. Picture the edges of mirrors that are installed edge to edge vs other mirrors (like bathroom mirror).

I'll probably take a few minutes to sand/buff the edges with a dremel tool a bit before installation.

Opinions?

-Frank.

[TimMullen]

Originally Posted by PureEvil

The one thing that I did notice upon opening the package is that the edges of the mirrors aren't smooth.

You really won't notice it. If you silicon the mirror on instead of using the double sided tape, they only protrude in the middle along the top and bottom. The bottom is not noticeable and the top is bare noticeable if you aren't looking for it. I applied some black silicon along the top and sides to seal it and to smooth the gaps. It "filled in" nicely.

A regular mirrors, if you grind/sand, you run the risk of chipping the mirror coating off the back of the glass. The multivex mirrors I believe, don't have that problem (they are a first surface mirror - the "mirror" is kind of built into the glass) so it may be okay to grind them down - but I'm not sure...

[rrg]

I also highly recommend the Multvex Mirrors -- they completely eliminate blind spots substantially enhancing the driving experience for me.

About the "rough edges." One of the mirrors I received initially had an inconsistently mirrored edge which gave the appearance of a chip. I asked for and got a replacement.

I have no complaint about their appearance once mounted. They protrude slightly, but no one has commented on this and it looks fine to me.

[fastliz]

Just wanted to repeat my endorsement of the Multivex mirrors. I cannot imagine driving on the busy S. Florida roads without this "mod." I can change lanes with confidence. Bang for the buck, there's nothing better you can do for your Elise and your safety.

Mike