"No side view mirrors?"

[modelmike]

Has anyone built a 1967 chevy impala 1/25 scale by AMT? because there are no side view mirrors in the kit or in the instructions or on the cover pic on the box? Where side mirrors optional in 67 ?????

[trogdor]

Cars in 67 most certainly came with at least a drivers side mirror

[Zarana-X]

Older toolings, or cheaper kits commonly don't have rearview mirrors.

[SSNJim]

Very true. The passenger side mirror was often an option.

You could probably get away with just about any mirror in your parts box that mounts on the door or fender. Up until the "aero/integrated" style mirrors became commonplace, there was a pretty good selection of mirrors on the shelf at the local auto parts store or K-Mart. You could get replacements that looked pretty close to the stock mirror all the way up to "racing" mirrors.

[Harry P.]

Has anyone built a 1967 chevy impala 1/25 scale by AMT? because there are no side view mirrors in the kit or in the instructions or on the cover pic on the box? Where side mirrors optional in 67 ?????

Driver side mirror required, passenger side mirror optional.

[Erik Smith]

Speaking of pet peeves....

Yes, they were required on 1:1. No, they don't come in every kit. Revell's 64 Fairlane is another example of a nice kit, but no mirrors. You can raid other kits or pick up some resin ones from the aftermarket.

[Junkman]

Interesting. In the UK, it took until 1976 until wing mirrors (Brit for outside rear view mirrors) became compulsory.

This doesn't mean cars didn't have them before that (with few exceptions), since anybody with half a brain would have had them fitted, but they weren't required and usually cost extra.

If you look at British pre-1976 sales brochures, cars are often pictured without them.

Edited March 18, 2012 by Junkman

[Chuck Most]

I don't think they were required by law until about 1966 or so in North America, so technically any older vehicle than that could have one or none and still be 'correct'. A '67 should at least have a passenger's side mirror. Then again, Chip Foose never bothers with them, so I suppose you could always Overhaul it...

[SSNJim]

I don't think there is, or ever was, any legal requirement to have a passenger side mirror in the US. Since they are more integrated into the car these days, few cars come without them. I know the Maryland laws state that a vehicle has to have two rear-view mirrors. I think the only required one is the driver's side, and the other can be the windshield mounted one or a passenger side one. That is why vans and trucks without rear windows don't have one on the windshield. I haven't checked the fed laws, but I don't expect them to be different.

[62rebel]

mirror (or any other missing/incorrect part) flow chart:

A: doesn't have one? "fill in the blank" kit maker is a cheapskate.

B: has one, but it doesn't have positive mounting points? "Fill in the blank" kit makers didn't engineer the part correctly.

C: part(s) is/are there, but out of scale, correct only for a certain specific model, not chrome when they should be or ARE chrome when they shouldn't be? "F-I-T-B" are idiots.

D: (specifically mirrors) don't have a smooth reflective face separate from the mirror body and don't have remote control cables or electric motors to adjust them or aren't heated like 1:1's are....

yeah i just went completely over the top on the last one.

if you want to find out whether or not the car in question came STANDARD with certain parts, almost any car's factory brochures can be googled or wiki'd and you'll find that, indeed, a great many cars did not come with factory standard driver's and ESPECIALLY passenger side mirrors until the car makers decided that it was easier to sell the options to the buyer if they were ALREADY ON THE CAR, instead of having the dealership add-on to the sale. i've had several late '60's cars that didn't have mirrors on the outside and didn't even have holes for the screws. time was, you could buy a car without a heater, without carpets, without a radio, only one sun visor and armrests only for the driver.

granted; almost EVERY model car, with a few exceptions, represent top-of-the-line cars and ought to have deluxe mirrors included. the Revell Thunderbolt represents a specialty built drag racer and didn't come with side mirrors.

[Chuck Most]

. the Revell Thunderbolt represents a specialty built drag racer and didn't come with side mirrors.

AND no underhood battery. Kinda wish they'd tossed one in with the Fairlane 'Street Machine' reissue, but oh, well.

[Eshaver]

Mike , A M T and Johan kits from A M T , 1958 to 1965 all came with Mirrors and antennas. Johan , from 1959 to 1968 as I recall. From that point , A M T over all really slid in a dangerous fall............ Ed Shaver

[Art Anderson]

Left side outside rear view mirrors became a requirement in 1966, for all new cars and pickups purchased by the US General Services Administration. Right side outside mirror was a requirement as of January 1, 1970.

Art

[Danno]

A '67 should at least have a passenger's side mirror.

Uh, I'm guessing ... hoping ... you meant driver's side mirror.

= That's a friendly poke, Jim. Just in fun.

[Chuck Most]

Uh, I'm guessing ... hoping ... you meant driver's side mirror.

= That's a friendly poke, Jim. Just in fun.

Good gawd.... Can't blame Autocorrect for THAT one...

[Rob Hall]

There were still cars made into the mid '80s w/o passenger side mirrors..my first car ('84 Escort) had only a manual driver's side mirror. Everything I've had after that has had dual power mirrors...

As far as models w/ outside mirrors, at least for AMT/MPC/Monogram/Revell it seems it was uncommon for stock exterior mirrors to be included on kits tooled into the '70s and '80s IIRC...

Edited March 19, 2012 by Rob Hall

[Mark]

Left side outside rear view mirrors became a requirement in 1966, for all new cars and pickups purchased by the US General Services Administration. Right side outside mirror was a requirement as of January 1, 1970. Art

Maybe GSA required mirrors on both sides, but my mom bought a 1995 Dodge Neon, brand new...with no passenger side mirror. She wanted one without any options other than an automatic transmission...not even a radio (which was still optional). Dealer found her one with the automatic, rear window defroster (required in NY, except on hatchbacks), side moldings, and a radio. Mom agreed to take the side moldings but insisted on no radio. The dealer left it in because they couldn't get the block-off plate for the instrument panel. And what would they do with an AM radio? My brother got the car after my mom quit driving; first thing he did was go to the junkyard and get a passenger-side mirror...

[Erik Smith]

I like the Japanese style...

I have never driven a car with fender mounted mirrors, but assume it would take getting used to. Most Japanese kits include the mirrors too.

[imatt88]

Chris,

I drove a Morris 1300 when I lived in England back in the '80's Mine had dual mirrors out on the fenders. It was even the same color as in the brochure

Wow, did that pic bring back memories.....

Erik,

Where can you get aftermarket outside mirrors?

Cheers, ian

[Ramfins59]

When I got my '59 Dodge Coronet back in October '96 (I've since sold it) it had one outside mirror mounted on the fender on the driver's side. I couldn't see diddly in that mirror from the driver's seat, (of course I am nearsighted) so I moved the mirror to the driver's door, plus I added one on the passenger side door. Then I could see just fine. Also, it took awhile to get used to the dashboard mounted inside rear view mirror.

[Harry P.]

I like the Japanese style...

Does anyone know why the Japanese mount their mirrors way up front like that? I mean, there must be a reason, it can't just be random... why why in the world do they do it that way?

[Rob Hall]

Does anyone know why the Japanese mount their mirrors way up front like that? I mean, there must be a reason, it can't just be random... why why in the world do they do it that way?

Crowded streets, narrow parking spaces?

[Harry P.]

I found the answer:

On Japanese cars, the mirrors were fender mounted due to governmental regulations stating that the rearview mirrors both had to be viewable through the front windshield INSIDE the swept area of the windshield wipers. This regulation was in place from the '50s through 1982 on passenger cars, and until much more recently on commercial vehicles. In 1982, Japanese cars started moving to A pillar mirrors in search of better aerodynamics for fuel economy reasons.

[Rob Hall]

Interesting... I've seen some people in the US put JDM fender mirrors on their Japanese cars...used to see a CR-V like that around here...still had the US style door mirrors also.

[Guest Johnny]

I found the answer:

On Japanese cars, the mirrors were fender mounted due to governmental regulations stating that the rearview mirrors both had to be viewable through the front windshield INSIDE the swept area of the windshield wipers. This regulation was in place from the '50s through 1982 on passenger cars, and until much more recently on commercial vehicles. In 1982, Japanese cars started moving to A pillar mirrors in search of better aerodynamics for fuel economy reasons.

Got to admit it wasn't a bad idea even if it was ugly!!!

I'd go nuts not having a right side mirror! I rarely glance at the inside mirror! Too many year habit of looking to the right and left to see behind the truck!

Ususlly pay the inside mirror no mind except maybe to see the face of the tailgater behind me when I flip them off!

Edited March 19, 2012 by Johnny