I have been inspired.

Mr Coomblesplo on AFF has been toying for some time with putting indicators in his mirrors. Here's a link to his most recent efforts: http://www.fordforums.com.au/showpost.p ... stcount=19. He hasn't actually got them wired up yet, otherwise we'd have a video. He is a busy man too, so he's not making progress in leaps and bounds. I'll have a crack at overtaking him....

If you click on the link at the top right for that thread you'll note I've been participating as well.

But I'm going to write-up my own efforts here.

First of all to acquire spare scalps for practice, the lights, and get myself prepared. I even bought myself a dremel just for the job (and it's already paid for itself in my CarPC thread - interior-modifications-f14/ba-carpc-t21976.html). I've already ordered the lights and they've arrived, but they came with a problem right from the start. I've contacted the eBay seller and they are sending me another set. Minor setback.







My daughter, miss 8yo, has been asking to have blinking lights in the mirrors for quite some time. Hopefully I can oblige!

So here goes.


Lukeyson

Last edited by Lukeyson on Mon Feb 09, 2009 4:56 pm, edited 1 time in total.

I took some measurements today of the section that will poke through the mirror scalp, and I thought I would share.


Luke

 

 

Attachments:

File comment: Measuring the width - it comes out to 19mm. IMG_4808_WEB2.jpg [ 73.67 KiB | Viewed 423 times ]

File comment: How I measured the length. IMG_4809_WEB2.jpg [ 63.62 KiB | Viewed 434 times ]

File comment: And it ends up around 162mm long. IMG_4812_WEB2.jpg [ 89.08 KiB | Viewed 427 times ]

And some more.

Lukeyson

 

 

Attachments:

File comment: A close up of one end.... IMG_4816_WEB2.jpg [ 61.42 KiB | Viewed 447 times ]

File comment: ...and of the other end. IMG_4817_WEB2.jpg [ 68.93 KiB | Viewed 438 times ]

File comment: The radius of the rounded edges look to be approx. 5.0mm. IMG_4818_WEB2.jpg [ 67.75 KiB | Viewed 437 times ]

File comment: This image just shows the additional lip around the lower edge -around 2.0mm IMG_4819_WEB2.jpg [ 50.87 KiB | Viewed 405 times ]

That's a really neat idea! I've been thinking of doing something similar to the mirrors on my EL, but what makes it tricky is that the mirrors don't have outer caps like the AU-BF's do.

Are those LED lamps flexible? EDIT: Actually, looking back to where you are measuring the lamps with the calipers, i'd say they were.

Yes, they are flexible.

Lukeyson

Alternatively you could cheat...

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But then you don't have the sense of achievement that DIY brings. Keep us posted, keen to see how this goes.

but they look like s**t

love the idea lukeyson...

The biggest issue with those eBay mirrors is that they'll have their own simple X/Y axis motors in them, whereas I have BF Fairlane mirrors in my car that have the special digital controllers in them for the memory and reverse-dip functions.

But yeah, those mirrors were considered at some point.

And don't forget that it wasn't my idea, it was that Coomblesplo dude on AFF. (Just so it doesn't look like I'm trying to steal credit....)


lukeyson

ebxr82nv has those chrome mirrors on his au xr6... problems though were the looms do not match... only 3 pin wire's instead of the 4 that ford have or something like that...

and that the clear lense ove the LED"S had faded much like ef/el headlights do in sunlight over time..

Pass number 1 - a certifiable failure with some redeemable qualities.

Mistakes made:

(1) I tried to measure out where to cut the gap so as to miss the two outboard clips - but failed by some 5mm. It was salvageable, but one of the clips is now a C...

(2) I had a metal template stuck over the scalp. And part way through the bloody thing moved. I have no other way to hold a template in place, so i think I might abandon that idea.

(3) I didn't pay enough attention to the dremel chuck and accidentally brushed it against the good face of the scalp a few times.

(4) I cut too deep into the corners. I need to stop the cut much earlier and then just use a 10mm dremel grinder tip to round out the inside edges.

However, I did learn that the measurements I took weren't quite large enough - add 2 to 3mm in each dimension to get it right, maybe more lengthwise because of the curve.

I also found some household 240V wire, and had a first attempt at making my own grommet strip, which I think improved the whole shebang by about 50%. This time around the grommet strip is not quite long enough, but that was because I needed to elongate the whole I'd cut after I'd made the strip. I had to use shield from 240V wire because the shield is not very thick - I originally had some from 12V wire and the shield was way too thick to be useful. I think if the hole had been tidier it might have come up a bit better.

I have two more scalps to play with for take 2....

Check out my abortion so far.


Lukeyson

 

 

Attachments:

IMG_4899_WEB2.jpg [ 78.98 KiB | Viewed 441 times ]

IMG_4905_WEB2.jpg [ 81.6 KiB | Viewed 461 times ]

IMG_4927_WEB2.jpg [ 78.82 KiB | Viewed 465 times ]

Last edited by Lukeyson on Mon Feb 23, 2009 8:10 am, edited 1 time in total.

The curse of perfectionism.

It fits and works. So you scuffed it up a bit.

looks great though!!! good work!!!

Scuffed it up a lot, not a little. Hidden by the black and the glare of the lights.....

I have a heap of masking tape - I might be tempted to use it this time.


Lukeyson

Take2. The ultimate quality of the appearance now depends on the quality of the grommet-strip. So getting it smooth and the split straight was worth a bit more effort - but there's probably still more I could do.

Lessons learned:

(1) Cutting technique. Once marked, I masked off the areas I damaged before, and used the largest Dremel blade I had. Bright light behind the scalp, I could clearly see the line, and I could cut right on it. I turned the Dremel up flat-out and only made light cuts to mark the line - not going all the way through. Whenever a bit of melted plastic fouled the cut, I would wipe it off while still hot. The hardened plastic on the edge was my downfall before - when I went to get it off I used a grinding tip that took away too much. I finished about 5mm from each end, cut away as much as I could, and used the 10mm to grind in the corners. Much better.

(2) I measured up further from the base of the scalp, and while this attempt was pretty good, I could afford to go 2mm more easy. Yes, it's that close....

(3) I used two pieces of aluminium angle in my vice to hold the wire while cutting it - that way the teeth marks I had before weren't there. I also rolled the wire over a roller, whichh took out all the kinks except the bits I gripped with my fingers. The wire was a bit on the curvy side though..... But, I still need a way to cut a straighter line. Sometimes the twist in the wire carries the knife beyond my control.











Lukeyson

looks good lukey!