Replacement Mirror Recommendations - MC9 1979

[tnichol]

I'd like y'all recommendations for some replacement rear-view mirrors.  I find the stock mirrors I have too small and difficult to use.  I'm open to ANY suggestions you have.  I would prefer something that is easy to use with existing mounting hardware (if thats even possible) - but am also open to retrofitting something to make it work.  I'm most interested in performance characteristics and price-performance value.

Any suggestions/options are very welcome.

Sincerely,

Tim Nichol

[buswarrior]

A set of the bigger 102A mirrors?

Swap meet, or on here cheap from someone who wanted to install the powered mirrors?

IIRC, they have the same size ball on the bottom, but check to be sure.

Pretty much nothing beats those, a nice sized flat portion, with a convex on the plate mounted to the top of the head.

FWIW, the mirrors on the newest coaches are inferior, the heads are large enough to make significant blind spots to the front quarters, good for running over pedestrians while turning, and missing autos on the approach. And those squared convex mirrors, designed by stylists, not drivers, cuts off the important view directly downward beside the coach towards the front, as well as upward, being able to see the roof line for signs and tree limbs. Note the damage to baggage doors and drip rails on a revenue coach near you.

happy coaching!
buswarrior

[garhawk]

Late model OTR trucking mirrors have these advantages:

a)  large

b)  mount on flat surface, i.e., just under driver and passenger side windows - no radius fitting to worry you.

c)  short arms for less vibration

d)  full straight-forward unobstructed view with no windshield side-post to look around

e)  much less expensive than RV type (Ramco, Velvac, etc.)

f)  same power and heat features available.

[bevans6]

I have the Ramco mirrors, they are pretty good, nice and attractive, mount to the OEM base on the bus, but they vibrate a bit and I take BW's point about the range of the convex mirror.

Brian

[dolson]

I too am looking for updated mirrors for my 102C.  I contacted Ramco and the said that they could not sell me the mirrors that would fit on my bus due to a contractual agreement with MCI, and that I would have to buy them from them.  Problem is I do not want stock replacement mirrors like the ones that are on it now, I want an updated style with the flat and convex mirrors built in one unit in a polished finish.  Does anyone have any experience on adapting other mirrors to fit the MCI mounts.  Funny thing is I have a friend that bought mirrors from Ramco to fit his MCI 9 and they sold them to him no problem.

[RJ]

Doug -

"I contacted Ramco and the said that they could not sell me the mirrors that would fit on my bus due to a contractual agreement with MCI, and that I would have to buy them from them."

Call them back and tell them you'd like some MCI mirrors to mount on a GMC 4104, and that all you need are the mirror heads, as the ball/sockets are the same.


Tim -

I can't tell you how many times I've been around busnuts without industry experience complaining about the lousy OEM mirrors on their coach.  When they do, I'll ask if I can sit in the driver's seat so they can show me what they're talking about.

90% of the time, the reason the mirrors are "lousy" is because they're badly out of adjustment!  Spending a few minutes readjusting the mirrors properly, and a whole new world opens up to these folk.

So, before you plunk down some hard earned ca$h for new, try readjusting the old.  Remember, thousands of Greyhounds and charter coaches have used these mirrors successfully for 40+ years - they can't be all that bad, eh?

FWIW & HTH. . .

[luvrbus]

Velvac mirrors work also and they can be had at any RV surplus for about 1/2 the cost of Ramco


good luck

[dolson]

I have looked at the RV salvage in Carthage, MO and they have a bunch of the Velvac mirrors that would be just fine but none of them appear to be compatable with my arms or mounts.
My arms bolt to the mounts from the top and the ones at the salvage all bolt from the bottom.  My mirrors mount on the windshield post, I think the MCI 9's mount below the window but not sure.

RJ - do the 4104 heads look like this?

[Hi yo silver]

I started to skip on to the next topic, but I'll pass on some advice I read in National Bus Trader re. mirrors and pedestrian incidents.  Can't remember Ned's last name at the moment, and I don't have an issue handy, but their resident safety advisor/columnist stressed the frequency of bus pedestrian accidents and the need for appropriate precautions.  He advises the use of the "Rock and Roll" technique.  Before you make that turn in congested areas, lean forward and to each side to take in the full view while checking yur mirrors.  Can't recall the statistics, but such accidents occur at an alarming rate.  Hope this helps someone.  Be careful out there!  Seems lots of people just assume we see them.  I apologize for hijacking the thread, but felt this comment was important.  Thanks for the original post.  I share the same feelings about my OEM mirrors, and they're getting old and spotted, too.
Dennis   

[luvrbus]

Velvac heads  can be bought for less than 80 bucks ea new and they will fit the MCI arms done it dozens of times bought the heads from

www.ryderfleetproducts.com and a few from Quartzsite


good luck

[RJ]

Doug -

The mirror heads on the 4104, 4106 & Scenicruiser all have glass that's 8" square.  Your MCI mirrors (at least the flat glass) is larger.

The mirror heads on the GMs mount to the same ball socket as your MCI.  The arm-to-body mount is different.

The A, B, C & D model MCIs have GREAT mirrors on them OEM from the factory, IMHO.  Just wish they were mounted a little bit lower on the driver's side, because for me, the way I sit in the saddle, they create a blind spot like Buswarrior mentioned above.  If they were mounted about 2" lower on the frame, I think that problem would be eliminated.  But that's just me.

For me, and this is only personal opinion, I was never real fond of the driver's side mirror in front of the windshield on the Eagles I drove.  Somehow or another I always felt the blind spots were bigger, and you needed to move around a lot more in the driver's seat to see what was alongside.  Just MHO, you understand.  YMMV.

Maybe BK can pop in here and comment on the new 417 Setra's mirrors compared to his MCI's set up, since he has both in his fleet.  I'd find that interesting.

FWIW & HTH. . .