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Thread: Installing a Passenger Side Visor Vanity Mirror

  1. #1
    Senior Member Top_Fuel's Avatar
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    Installing a Passenger Side Visor Vanity Mirror

    My wife really likes having a vanity mirror on the passenger side sun visor. So it was a big shock to her the first time she put the passenger side visor down and she was staring at a blank piece of vinyl!

    No problem...I figured I would just pick up an inexpensive mirror at an auto parts store and be done with it. I wanted a mirror with a flip-down cover (just like the driver's side mirror). I also didn't want something that clipped onto the visor with big chrome clips and looked cheesy. Well...the more I looked, the more I didn't like the options I was seeing.

    You also can't just buy a driver's side visor and install it on the passenger side...it won't really work. They are right and left specific. Uhh...not to mention that a driver's side sun visor is something like $80 from Mitsubishi!?! Hmm....I'm starting to run out of options.

    My final solution: I bought a used driver's side Mirage visor on eBay for $25, removed the mirror from it, and installed the mirror on my existing passenger side visor. It's kind of an expensive solution, but it looks completely original and I'm happy with the results.


    * * UPDATE * *

    Please see post #13 of this thread before you go through all of this work!



    So here's a quick overview of the process...

    First, I removed the mirror assembly from the donor sun visor. The mirror is clipped and glued to the core of the visor, so you just have to get your fingers around the edges of the mirror and RIP it out. That's when you discover that the core of Mirage sun visors are made of...CARDBOARD?!?! What the @#$!!!

    Here's the donor visor with the mirror removed...

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    The cardboard core is covered with a thin layer of foam material on both sides. There is no foam between the mirror and the cardboard core. Here is what the foam piece looks like from the driver's side visor. Note the cutout in the foam in the shape of the mirror. We will have to duplicate this cutout on the passenger side visor shortly...

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    With the mirror removed, clean off all the glue and plastic clip remnants on the back with a razor blade. You want the back of the mirror to be flat. In the process of doing this, you may end up removing the plastic that holds the mirror into the plastic frame. I had to bust out a hot glue gun to put a few small spots of hot glue around the perimeter where the mirror and plastic come together. You can see these spots in the second photo below. Here's the front and back of the mirror...

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    Name:  donor_mirror_rear.jpg
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    You will notice in the above photo that there is some sort of brown paper/tape on the back of the mirror. I learned the hard way that nothing wants to stick to this material, so I peeled it off and cleaned off the back of the mirror with alcohol. Later we will be gluing the back of the mirror to the cardboard surface of the visor...so this needs to be clean.

    Now it's time to remove and prep the passenger side visor for the new mirror. Using a razor blade, you need to cut a hole in the outer vinyl covering in the shape of the mirror (but a little smaller). Then you need to carefully lift the vinyl covering up as you use a razor blade to cut an opening in the foam layer. You are cutting the foam back underneath the vinyl. It's a bit challenging...but you can do it.

    Here's what my passenger side visor looked like after I finished trimming the foam back. I know this hole looks rough, but the mirror frame will cover everything if you have been measuring correctly...

    Name:  prepped_for_mirror.jpg
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    Now the mirror is ready to be glued to the cardboard core. First, take some sandpaper and lightly scuff the cardboard surface. I don't know what that cardboard is made of, but I learned the hard way that not all glues wanted to stick to it. Now apply some MIRROR ADHESIVE to the back of the mirror and set the mirror in place on the visor. I put a couple of books on the mirror to hold it in place and let it sit for a couple of days (mirror adhesive takes some time to cure properly). Then I re-installed the visor in the car.

    Here's the finished product installed in the car. Nobody will ever know that it didn't come this way from the factory...

    Name:  completed_visor.jpg
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    BUT WAIT...THERE'S MORE...


    So now that I have a spare driver's side sun visor with no mirror, let's rip it completely apart and take a look at how it's made.

    Here's what the visor looks like with the outer vinyl covering removed...

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    Now let's peel off the foam layers from each side and see what the core of a sunvisor REALLY looks like...

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    Name:  donor_visor_no_foam2.jpg
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    Holy smokes...the visor is made of wire, cardboard, foam and vinyl. No wonder Mitsubishi wants $80 for this thing! LOL...


    Last edited by Top_Fuel; 11-06-2017 at 07:54 PM.

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2015 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 52.2 mpg (US) ... 22.2 km/L ... 4.5 L/100 km ... 62.6 mpg (Imp)


  2. The Following 9 Users Say Thank You to Top_Fuel For This Useful Post:

    anog (08-06-2016),Charlie (08-06-2016),Cobrajet (08-06-2016),Eggman (08-06-2016),eyedoc (03-05-2023),Fummins (11-26-2019),inuvik (08-06-2016),MightyMirageMpg (08-06-2016),mitsumi (08-06-2016)

  3. #2
    Senior Member MightyMirageMpg's Avatar
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    fantastic job. thanks for posting pictures of the destroyed one.

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    Senior Member Charlie's Avatar
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    Dude, awesome write up man. I honestly don't understanding the pricing scheme for OEM components even for simple things like this! They would undoubtedly have more units sold if the price was not so outrageously high which would increase overall profits. Someone needs to show them a units sold - pricing curve graph.

    -Charlie-

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    Senior Member mitsumi's Avatar
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    nice write up! but dont mean to disrespect your post bro as a DIYer its looks good and perfect.

    I did mine but just bought a vanity mirror instead.

    Name:  Sun-visor-mirror-Large-Car-Makeup-Sun-shading-Mirror-car-Cosmetic-Mirror-Vanity-Mirror-Auto-Supp.jpg
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        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2015 Mirage GLS 1.2 manual: 3,108.4 mpg (US) ... 1,321.5 km/L ... 0.1 L/100 km ... 3,733.0 mpg (Imp)


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    Moderator Eggman's Avatar
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    But Top Fuel wrote his up.

    Mitsumi, where's your post covering your installation? Is your mirror a clip-on type, or did you glue it in place?

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2015 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 49.6 mpg (US) ... 21.1 km/L ... 4.7 L/100 km ... 59.5 mpg (Imp)


  7. #6
    Senior Member mitsumi's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Eggman View Post
    But Top Fuel wrote his up.

    Mitsumi, where's your post covering your installation? Is your mirror a clip-on type, or did you glue it in place?
    mine is a clip on ill take some pics later

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2015 Mirage GLS 1.2 manual: 3,108.4 mpg (US) ... 1,321.5 km/L ... 0.1 L/100 km ... 3,733.0 mpg (Imp)


  8. #7
    Senior Member Cobrajet's Avatar
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    Dissect the visor in a new Cadillac and I am sure you will find it is made of much the same thing as a Mirage's.

    Nice write-up!

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  10. #8
    Senior Member Top_Fuel's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by mitsumi View Post
    I did mine but just bought a vanity mirror instead.
    Without a doubt that is the easiest, least expensive solution. I didn't go that route because I didn't want to see metal clips when the visor is in the "up" position. And I also wanted a mirror with a cover...so you aren't looking at a mirror when the visor is down. Amazon had a couple, but they had questionable reviews. My real problem is that I'm too picky!


    Quote Originally Posted by Cobrajet View Post
    Dissect the visor in a new Cadillac and I am sure you will find it is made of much the same thing as a Mirage's.
    I bet you're right. It's just covered with nicer material. Honestly, ripping apart the old visor was the most interesting part of this project!


    I'll say this about the OEM vanity mirrors... The flip-up cover mechanisms appear to be pretty well designed. My previous daily driver (Pontiac G5/Chevy Cobalt) had the vanity mirror cover break every couple of years. It was very cheaply made. At least I have some sense of confidence that the Mitsubishi mirrors aren't going to fail any time soon.
    Last edited by Top_Fuel; 08-06-2016 at 05:26 PM.

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2015 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 52.2 mpg (US) ... 22.2 km/L ... 4.5 L/100 km ... 62.6 mpg (Imp)


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    foama (08-07-2016),mitsumi (08-07-2016)

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    I always wondered why the vanity mirror was on the wrong side.
    A friend from Thailand explained: The traffic jam (singular!) in Bangkok is so bad, that ladies must leave home for the office so early, that they regularly put on their make up waiting for traffic to edge forward a few steps.
    Last edited by foama; 08-07-2016 at 07:48 PM.

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  14. #10
    Moderator Eggman's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by foama View Post
    A friend from Thailand explained: The traffic jam (singular!) in Bangkok is so bad, that ladies must leave home for the office so early, that they regularly put on their make up waiting for traffic to edge forward a few steps.
    One of their commercials shows just that.

    Mitsubishi Motors Thailand Youtube channel: New Mitsubishi Mirage (2016) Be More ให้คุณมากกว่าที่คิด


    Nice earrings.


        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2015 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 49.6 mpg (US) ... 21.1 km/L ... 4.7 L/100 km ... 59.5 mpg (Imp)


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