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1967 Coupe de Ville help

Started by Bryan Thompson, February 14, 2018, 04:36:04 PM

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Bryan Thompson

Hi and thanks for reading,

As you can see in my little pictures I've been an Eldorado Convertible driver and fan a long time.  My wife and I have fallen in love with a 67 Coupe de Ville convertible. Can't explain it, it just happened :-)

Here's my problem/question.  Anyone out there know where I can get a right side mirror for it? Looks like a one winged duck with one mirror but, more importantly I'm not supposed to drive without one.  I've Google till I'm blue in the fingers and I can't even find one mentioned that's out of stock.  Thanks for any input.  have a great day.
I would rather push an old Cadillac, than drive a new anything:-)

67_Eldo

I have a 67 Eldorado so I have the same problem. Apparently a passenger-side external mirror was not a factory Cadillac option in 1967.

I bought a plain-jane round one but have not yet installed it because I am reluctant to drill holes in the door.
https://www.amazon.com/CIPA-17000-Universal-Chrome-Mirror/dp/B00029WRM8/

Another option (which I haven't tried) would spare you poking holes in the factory sheet metal. But it does not exude a 1967 vibe. :-)
https://www.amazon.com/Zone-Tech-Adjustable-Round-Mirror/dp/B01N6GHP2V/

Bryan Thompson

Thanks but, dang that second one is UGLY :-[
I would rather push an old Cadillac, than drive a new anything:-)

Barry M Wheeler #2189

There are several 1968 RH mirrors on eBay BUT they want your first born chlld or similar inducement to part with one. From $800 to $1700. (I didn't check to see if they would send them post paid or not.)
Barry M. Wheeler #2189


1981 Cadillac Seville
1991 Cadillac Seville

Bryan Thompson

Hi, kinda depressing. Wouldn't putting two 68 mirrors on a 67 be bad for "originality?
I would rather push an old Cadillac, than drive a new anything:-)

Bob Hoffmann CLC#96

First, your car is NOT a Coupe deVille  convertible.It's a DeVille convertible with a big D.
Secondly, Cadillac did NOT offer a RH mirror from 1965 to 1967. STUPID move. 65 & 66 LH mirrors were the same. 67 LH mirrors were 67 only.
Thirdly, I've heard that some people were able to convert a LH mirror into a RH. Maybe someone will chime in. I thought I remember some repro vendors offering RH mirrors. McVey??
Barry, a 68 mirror would fit the door but look totally wrong because it's square. He needs  a round mirror.
HTH, Bob
1968 Eldorado slick top ,white/red interior
2015 Holden Ute HSV Maloo red/black interior.
             
Too much fun is more than you can have.

Chas

Bryan.....if you find a solution, let me know. For years I’ve faced the same situation and never came up with a satisfactory idea on how to solve this problem.
1967 Coupe DeVille
1970 Coupe DeVille
1976 Coupe DeVille
1983 Coupe DeVille
1977 Harley Cafe Racer
1991 Harley Fat Boy
1957 Harley Hardtail
1949 Lusse Bumper Car
If you're 25 years old and not a liberal, you have no heart. If you're 45 years old and not a conservative, you have no money!

Ralph Messina CLC 4937

I have the same issue - 66 Eldorado â€" and have never understood why Cadillac didn’t offer one as an option. This is the closest substitute I’ve found: https://www.caddydaddy.com/shop-parts/mirror/1961-1962-1963-1964-1965-cadillac-series-75-limousine-right-passenger-side-out-side-mirror-reproduction-free-shipping-in-the-usa.html

The mirror and stanchion approximate the ’65-67 style but angular position is a bit greater when mounted on the door. I spoke with the  owner the car, a very nice 65 Eldorado, who was satisfied with performance but wishes the base was identical to the driver’s side.
1966 Fleetwood Brougham-with a new caretaker http://bit.ly/1GCn8I4
1966 Eldorado-with a new caretaker  http://bit.ly/1OrxLoY
2018 GMC Yukon

Barry M Wheeler #2189

Sorry, it's been years since I've had a '67... For some reason, I never had a '68.

It's been long enough since I've told this war story on myself, so enjoy... My '67 was a limo and I'd been driving it long enough to think that it might make it to Orlando and back. My mom was wanting to visit my sister and so Gay and I loaded her up in the car and set out. Made it to Bowling Green and found I was low on oil. Put more in and got south of Nashville. The wipers stopped working. Got out the tool box and finally (in the rain) reattached the wiper arm. Kept on and made a left at Birmingham and headed for I-10 through middle Alabama. (There are NO gas stations on that road.) Limped into Dothan and stopped at the first gas station and while waiting to speak to the owner, saw a copy of Hemmings lying on the desk, so I figured at least the guy would be sympathetic. He said he could tear down the car and fix it. So, I called around and found that there was a convention in town and I got the LAST rental car available.

While I was scurrying around switching the luggage from the Cadillac to the (Ford) the station owner was standing next to Gay and my mom. Trying to make conversation, he asked Mom, "Has he been driving for you long?" My mom didn't miss a beat and replied, "Quite a while now..."

Don't ask about the trip home. The guy cracked an exhaust manifold and a '67 Cadillac is LOUD that way. Before too long, the guy I bought the car from wanted it back, and I sold it with a sigh of relief. I finally found out from the guy that  the dip stick had been cut off for some reason was why I was running two quarts low all the time.
Barry M. Wheeler #2189


1981 Cadillac Seville
1991 Cadillac Seville

Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621

Maybe it's me but I've never understood the lengths some will go to get a passenger mirror on a car not originally equipped. Even in modern cars, I never trust them. I always glance back.

I recently owned a '59 on which someone had installed a passenger mirror. It was as useless as a raincoat against machine gun fire. I wished it was never put on. 
A Cadillac Motorcar is a Possession for which there is no Acceptable Substitute

67_Eldo

It's not a zero-sum situation: You can both glance back *and* use a mirror.

If two mirrors are helpful on a Honda Fit, they'll be even more so on a 1967 Eldorado.

I'll take all the visibility I can get!

Bryan Thompson

Interesting stuff.  I am required to have a right outside mirror. I can't see out of my right eye so my drivers license has a big red " R " on it. Means right outside mirror required.  I'm going to order a driver side mirror and "modify" it so it will go on the right side.  Bases will be the same.  It they are different it would drive me nuts.  :-\
I would rather push an old Cadillac, than drive a new anything:-)

Scot Minesinger

Bob is correct in his post. 

There is a video or info on the 65/66 Caddy forum on how to convert a driver side mirror to a passenger side, and this would apply to the 1967 Cadillac too.  The 65/66 forum participants are very comfortable with modifications.

Agree with Eric, is it really worth drilling you passenger door for a mirror that really is only for appearance (matter of opinion)?  I always look as well, rather than relying on the mirror.  When did this practice of using mirrors instead of looking become a technique for backing and changing lanes?  My Dad started using mirrors when he got older, and yah suffered a minor crash or two as a result.
Fairfax Station, VA  22039 (Washington DC Sub)
1970 Cadillac DeVille Convertible
1970 Cadillac Sedan DeVille
1970 four door Convertible w/Cadillac Warranty

67_Eldo

Quote from: Scot Minesinger on February 16, 2018, 09:35:06 AM
is it really worth drilling you passenger door for a mirror that really is only for appearance (matter of opinion)?

Yes. For safety. Why do all modern cars sport mirrors on both sides?

Here's a quote from the Wikipedia entry "Wing mirrors":
---
In the 1940s many roads were unpaved and had two lanes, one in each direction. Drivers had to be aware only of traffic on their side and directly behind them (rear view). Due to this, most passenger vehicles with an internal rear-view mirror until the late 1960s had the passenger-side mirror only as an optional addition, as it was considered a luxury.
---

Quote from: Scot Minesinger on February 16, 2018, 09:35:06 AMWhen did this practice of using mirrors instead of looking become a technique for backing and changing lanes?

There is no "instead" situation here. With an external mirror, you have more options that you can quickly switch between.

I shudder to think of driving a non-mirror-equipped monster Caddy through rush-hour traffic in Chicago. That person would be the left-lane-blocking impediment lurching along at 30 MPH because he couldn't swivel his head fast enough to keep full 360-degree track of his rapidly changing surroundings.

Many of these big old cars have huge blind spots. When I look back over my shoulder in the Eldorado, the part of the road I most want to see is blocked by the car's wide sail panel. A mirror gives me a visual angle that looking back cannot.

Of course, a mirror won't do you any good if a big, long truck pulls right up next to your 18+ foot long car in a parking lot. In that situation, you have to move a good 6 feet of sheet metal into harm's way before you can see oncoming (orthogonal) traffic. So I started working on a combined set of rear-view cameras -- mounted close to where the license-plate light is -- that provided side views with two 120-degree lenses. Of course, the angle between the cameras has to match the pointy part of an Eldorado's rear bumper. :-) I've attached a picture of my 3D-printed mockup.

I'll use one of my old iPads as the display, whenever I get back to that project. But right now, that job has fallen way down in my list of priorities.

Ralph Messina CLC 4937

QuoteThere is a video or info on the 65/66 Caddy forum on how to convert a driver side mirror to a passenger side,

Scott,

Link please, or more specifics about which forum.
1966 Fleetwood Brougham-with a new caretaker http://bit.ly/1GCn8I4
1966 Eldorado-with a new caretaker  http://bit.ly/1OrxLoY
2018 GMC Yukon

cadillacmike68

Quote from: Ralph Messina CLC 4937 on February 15, 2018, 09:53:53 AM
I have the same issue - 66 Eldorado â€" and have never understood why Cadillac didn’t offer one as an option. This is the closest substitute I’ve found: https://www.caddydaddy.com/shop-parts/mirror/1961-1962-1963-1964-1965-cadillac-series-75-limousine-right-passenger-side-out-side-mirror-reproduction-free-shipping-in-the-usa.html

The mirror and stanchion approximate the ’65-67 style but angular position is a bit greater when mounted on the door. I spoke with the  owner the car, a very nice 65 Eldorado, who was satisfied with performance but wishes the base was identical to the driver’s side.

Cadillac never offered then because they are USELESS. Even the larger ones on the 68 & later are essentially useless because of the size of the cars. It wasn't until the curved glass RH mirrors started appearing that they got a little better and were marginally useful. Even so the Cadillac chrome shrouded mirrors are still too close to the side of the car.

The modern ones are more useful because they stick out from the car like Dumbo ears. One of these days I'm going to crack my hip bone on one of them.
Regards,
"Cadillac" Mike

Ralph Messina CLC 4937

Mike,

I respectfully disagree. Every new Cadillac or other brand that I’ve owned since 1971 has had a right side mirror. If your three mirrors are adjusted properly you can get a quick view of left, middle and right traffic. Some mirror sizes and mounting are better than others. I prefer a glance in the mirrors, because at 60 MPH, a 1-2 second head turn to see beyond the “C” pillar means driving forward 90 to 180 feet while looking behind you..
1966 Fleetwood Brougham-with a new caretaker http://bit.ly/1GCn8I4
1966 Eldorado-with a new caretaker  http://bit.ly/1OrxLoY
2018 GMC Yukon

cadillacmike68

Ralph,

I have the original RH mirror on my 1968 and it is marginally useful at best. All of the flat glass mirrors  of this design are marginal at best. They are too close in to the car body.

The RH mirror on my 1996 Fleetwood on the other hand gives a full view, but it sticks out completely from the side of the car.
Regards,
"Cadillac" Mike

G Pennington

My '41 Convertible had a factory-style RH mirror when I bought it.  Looks nice, but useless.  I modified it by installing convex glass ... no more blind spots!
And there is no "glancing back" on this car.  Can't see a thing because of the bling quarters and small rear window.
Gary Pennington
   1953 6267X Convertible
   1941 6267D Convertible (2 door)

toukow

Quote from: G Pennington on February 18, 2018, 04:58:49 AM
My '41 Convertible had a factory-style RH mirror when I bought it.  Looks nice, but useless.  I modified it by installing convex glass ... no more blind spots!

That's a great solution given you already have the mirror! I've only owned the 76 Eldorado and was perplexed at the stock passenger mirror and how useless it was. I even posted asking if this was an incorrect replacement mirror, but was informed that it was stock. I'll have to look for mirror replacement as you have done, but in the meantime.....

I've installed this large, clip-on style mirror which works well for viewing the blind spots. Given the massive size of the car, it doesn't really look out of place. I'm having range of motion in my neck, so it really helps, was cheap, and easily removed. In my cars where the mirror is more at eye level it can be a nuisance at times, but not the Eldo. 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001A0J2JO/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Now to find that replacement mirror glass......Dean