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Re: Rear View Mirror Adhesive?

To: Diane and Roland Dudley <csx2282@juno.com>,
Subject: Re: Rear View Mirror Adhesive?
From: John Miller <jem@milleredp.com>
Date: Thu, 10 Apr 2003 10:42:36 -0700
> Thanks for the feedback.  I only wished your suggestions would do the
> trick.  Believe me, I've tried all of them- more than once!

My experience with mirror reattachment, and I've had a fair bit of it:

a) Both surfaces have to be absolutely clean.  I think this's been harped 
on enough.  As long as everything's clean and the adhesive is applied 
according to directions (put a piece of duct tape over the mount-tab to 
hold it snugly against the windshield and leave the car alone overnight in 
a cool place) you'll get a bond.  Now, whether that bond lasts is another 
story, because...

b) Sunlight and heat both degrade the cured adhesive.  If you park indoors, 
it'll last ten years.  If you park outdoors someplace it's warm (the SF Bay 
Area is warm enough) it'll last three.  If you use a sunshield in the 
windshield when parked, the heat reflected back into the windshield will 
knock the mirror off in weeks at most.  The one thing I've found that helps 
with this is...

c) If you park outdoors often, put a 1.5" diameter spot of something (duct 
tape, white plastic tape, something sacrificial) on the outside of the 
windshield at the spot of the mount.

For street cars that have a glue-on mirror, I've added one item to my 
pre-open-track check list - wiggle the mirror to make sure it's firmly 
attached.  Thunderhill et al can be bloody hot in summer, and having the 
mirror fall on your right hand as you clip the apex of Turn 7 can be a 
little unsettling.  BTDT.

John.

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