Living here in CA I am always looking for ways to make things safer when driving. During the last few years I have noticed some of the upperend car and suv models have blinkers mounted either in the mirror or just underneath the mirror. I think this would look trick. Is there an aftermarket kit that I can buy to make my mirrors blink? Thanks, Jag

 

I've seen some aftermarket mirrors available which have the blinkers incorporated into them but I haven't seen any kind of conversion kit.

 

I don't think conversion is possible, at least not if you want hidden blinkers. You'd have to find a light that would fit in yoru mirror housing, break into the housing, cut the backing off of the mirror where you want the blinker to show through, and then find a way to route the wires.
It is a very trick idea, and helps people take notice, and I have seen aftermarket mirrors with blinkers built in, so I know you can go that route. Something that I've considered doing is puting a light assembly in the front fenders. My thought was to mount the light to the fender support and wire it into the front turn signal circuits, that way your fender well would blink when your blinker was on, but you wouldn't have a blinker assembly visible when you just looked at the truck.
I could do this whole idea now, but it's down on my list of things to do. Right now my chief concern is an IFS conversion, and it may change clearances and such that could change the way I mount and wire the lights, so they will come later. But, for what it's worth it's another idea to help with visibility.

 

Fitting those would not be "period correct". Instead, fit some pop-out semaphores with little lights on the end, a la Citroen and VW cars of the period...

 

OK, thanks for the input, but I'd bet there is a bolt on or glue on light that affixes to the bottom of the mirror housing. I'm thinking of using modern mirrors off of an 80s era Mustang. The plastic housing is black so if the blinker was housed in a small plastic container, I should be able to attach it to the bottom of the mirror. If there is no such thing out there, I'm going to invent it and make a million $. Thanks, Jag

 

I agree with Albuq, you can mount say a 2005 Explorer mirror and wire it up to your existing wiring to the blinkers inside the mirror, but the mirrors would look out of place and inappropriate. I haven't seen a kit for the original style mirrors. Since you live in CA, Jag, what about waving your arm frantically prior to making a turn. Everyone will think your normal anyways. LOL...

 

Jag,

I can't imagine that a man with your talent and ingenuity along with all the led options available on the market now, that you can't come up with something trick...

I'm picturing a mirror case with small holes drilled in the back...facing traffic with yellow led's embedded... and by removing the mirror and carefully sanding/grinding/scratching off the silver from the back of the mirror in your chosen pattern, mounting red leds behind the carefully formed 'hole' in the mirrored surface...

I'm throwing down the gauntlet, jag... see what you can come up with..

(and I'm sitting here telling you what to do and my frame is still hanging on the cow cooker)

later,
john

 

Actually John is not that far off with his vision. The mirrors you see with the blinkers inside are sprayed with a special mirror film which is reflective as a mirror, yet visible for lights to be seen inside. The older mirrors (like the trucks) if you scratched off the mirror reflection or even wire wheel it, it becomes plain old glass. We used to wire wheel the middle of the mirror and tape a picture or whatever on the back. Looked very cool. I also remember I had a Mustang mirror that I removed the mirror and etched a shelby cobra to the back of the mirror. The scribed it with a sharp needle. When placed back on the mirror, you saw the image of the cobra inside the mirror. I would think you could maybe locate a new style mirror at a junk yard and have it cut to the size of the truck mirror. Then you could design some type lights behind that mirror to reflect the turn signal. I don't think you can get the same results with the older style mirrors.

 

I see this little trick pretty often now that the " Lite-N-Bolt" has become so small. Guys are putting them in the housings thru a 1/4" hole. I also saw a small amber led in the mount of a california style mirror. These are 3-4 bux at Mid Fifty's. I just bought a set of the Vision mirror #V2 and it is also made with the light built in for 30.00 more. Others are doing as Imlowr2 states and just tossing a few LED's in back. Most glass shops have this style of mirror in stock, and will cut a shape. Jon

 

Take a look at this Merc for an idea.

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/6...of-canada.html

I think the lights mounted off of the cab are actually Spot lights but I see no reason you couldn't mount a set of turn sgnal lights in a simialr fashion. It would look period correct. Prehaps they could be directed out over the mirrors and a 360* light similar to a stern light on a boat could be usd to accomplish what you are after.

 

The new vehicles that have the blinking mirrors, are made so you can't see them blink if your setting inside, behind the wheel. This would be blinding at night. Hows that work, am I missing something?

 

Vision Hot Rod Concepts (www.visionhotrod.com) makes a California style mirror with the flasher built in but it is on the side facing on-coming traffic, not in the mirror like the late models. Might give you some ideas.

 

You can put an LED anywhere nowadays.... They're tiny, have almost no current draw, don't get hot, and are extremely "directional". That is, if you point 'em back, you won't get blinded in the cab.

 

Thanks for the feedback guys. The idea of the leds seems the most closely related to my idea of what I wanted to do. Can those be purchased at Radio Shack? Jag

 

There are lots of different options. If you're planning to mount late model mirrors, you could just get a pair with the blinkers you like, but I agree with the others who've noted how this would not look period correct, and might insult your ingenuity.

Lights of various types sold at places like OReily's can be adhered anywhere. Mirror film can be removed from the back of the mirror, making it clear glass, so long as your housing can contain the strip of LED's (or whatever lights you use) you can wire them in, but again there is a question about routing the wiring.

There are several mirrors on the aftermarket today that have the lights built in already. Their prices vary wildly depending on the style and manufacturer, but you can get them with lights that face the front, rear, front and rear, or run along the outside to be seen from 360degrees, and all are made with wiring built into the mounting arm. JC Whitney carries some of these, I did a google search and ran across kwmuth.com. If not what you're looking for, then maybe it'd give you a good idea for rigging something up!

So far as the lights working without blinding the driver, that's simple. Have you ever come to an intersection with a funny angle and noticed how the traffic light, or stop sign had what looks like a heating vent on/over it. It's a blinder set at an angle so that the sign/light can be viewed from one angle but not another. Same thing is done on a smaller scale to protect the driver's eyes from the bright lights.