DIY Wink mirror install and KEEP your sun visors

ImThaBean

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OK, I just finished the full wink mirror install on my EG hatch and I took a few pics to help out the install. This is done on a 94 hatch. but I can imagine it's pretty universal across all Civics or cars in general with a few minor modifications.

First things first.
Get yourself a Rallye Wink Mirror. There are the 4 & 5 panel variants. I went with with 5 panel. I have read that the 4 panel is shorter.

I took off my drivers side visor to make a template of the mounting base. I didn't take any measurements to aid in the template making, but it's fairly simple.


This is the 90 degree mounting bracket that comes with the kit, and how I would like my bracket to look like.


A trip to Lowe's and this is what I found to make the bracket. A wood bracket/tie. It was $0.88 so it doesn't break the bank.




It's time to lay out my cut lines and drill marks.








After some fancy Dremeling, drilling, and a few minutes on a belt sander, this is what comes out.



Here is a mock up of how it'll sit inside the visor mounting plate.

*NOTE: I ended up sanding down the bracket extensively after this shot because the bracket was too wide. I sanded it down to roughly the width of the original bracket.


I'm not 100% sure you would need longer hardware, but I found some in the metric bolt drawer at work. WIN!
Here is a size comparison. I don't know the TPI on them, but if you took the stock bolt to a nut & bolt shop, they'll sort you out.


Here is what it looked like with the visor brackets and the hanger bracket that came with the kit.
Not so hot. The mirror sat crooked and too forward for my liking.


So, I had to make a elongated bracket to fix the problem.

Part 2: Hanger bracket
Now on to the hanger arm bracket.

I took a trip to Lowe"s and bought a 1 inch strip of aluminum bar stock 3 feet long
It was a slow night at work, so I made the bracket there and didn't get to take more detailed pics during fabrication



Essentially, I cut a 5" long piece and made "S" bends 1" in on both ends and then drilled a 1/4" hole on center of the ends to accept the mounting bolt. I then rounded the corners and ran the bracket over a wire wheel to scuff it up for paint. I don't have a exact degree of the bends but I set them first at 45 degrees but it was too steep, so I went to about 20-25 degrees.

I put it all together and here is the end result.




And here is proof that it does not affect visor use and is positioned in a good location.




Bonus: The mirror is is a great holder of sun shades, no need to pull the visors down.


The mirror doesn't even get in the way of my garage door opener clipped on my passenger visor.



the position is GREAT, tighten down the bolts and it doesn't move. I have yet to drive around with it since I've been busy with other stuff all day, but I will take a test drive to see if there is any excessive vibration or anything. If that is a go, I will take it apart again and paint the brackets with some self etching primer and satin black.

Vibration/flex issue fix:

First things first, get your needed supplies, some 1"x1" aluminum 90 degree angle stock and JB Weld (Lowe's)


I was in a rush and bought enough material for a 24" long mirror (even though its 34" ...DAMMIT!). So, instead of running the angle across the whole length of the mirror, I just centered them.
Mix some JB weld and join the aluminum stock and mirror.
I ran into a few 100+ degree days when I initially installed the mirror and within a week of 100+ degree heat it started to bow, so I had to use C-clamps and some additional weight to hold the angle stock on the wink and to true up the mirror.






While I was at it, I laid down some Rustoleum satin black to the brackets to make them look legitimate.



And to try and mask the ugliness of the aluminum bar stock protruding from the mirror, I sprayed down some Duplicolor High temp black Wrinkle on the outer edges of the mirror.



Here is where it gets sketchy cause I don't have pics of most of the process.
You now have a pretty rigid wink mirror but you can add stickers or some nice art work on the front fascia. What do? I had some vernier at work and cut it to the new dimensions (width of the angle). Scuffed/sanded the wood and threw on a few coats of clear on the wood to have a smooth finish.



I then used some Velcro to hold the vernier to the mirror.

Here is what the wood panel looks like after I added a few decals.



I got my decals from Hosue of Grafix and ihatestickers. I planned on picking up some from JDMdecals but the estore is not up right now.
 
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Daddy_Digital

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awesome write up. heres an idea...maybe u can sell these parts? i think ud make a killing if u advertised on other car sites. guys like me who dont have the tools make this stuff would buy something like this.
 


Raabe

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FAC3L3SS

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Question: How tall are you? I've been peeking at this mirror since I got my car but I A) needed to keep visors [which I can now thanks to you] and B) I'm close to 6'3" so I'm nervous I'd lose half the windshield I use.
 


OblivionEK

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Nice work and the mirror looks great by the way. How are you going to use your mirror when it's sunny though? Just get a blackout windshield visor and lose the OEM visors.
 

ImThaBean

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awesome write up. heres an idea...maybe u can sell these parts? i think ud make a killing if u advertised on other car sites. guys like me who dont have the tools make this stuff would buy something like this.
I work at a machine shop and that would be a perfect idea since I have all the tools to do it easily, but, I am what my co-workers call a "ghetto fabricator" or "tweaker". All my projects are done on the cheap and wit simple hand tools. All I used were a standard drill and bits (make sure to pre-drill or spot drill before you go in with the 1/4" drill bit), a Dremel (BEST invension ever), a belt sander, band saw, wire wheel (Dremel can be used for all these), and a bench vise. Its not killer at all to do. If our owner would have bought a water jet like he was planning then yes, I would produce a limited run and sell em since it would take minutes to make them, but for now. Here is where we are.


Question: How tall are you? I've been peeking at this mirror since I got my car but I A) needed to keep visors [which I can now thanks to you] and B) I'm close to 6'3" so I'm nervous I'd lose half the windshield I use.
I am just at 6'0", so I am not that far from you, although the extra 3" can make a difference. I have the mirror set at roughly the same height as the stock mirror, so you have a slight ap above the mirror but there is no major obstruction to your normal range of sight.
 

ImThaBean

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Nice work and the mirror looks great by the way. How are you going to use your mirror when it's sunny though? Just get a blackout windshield visor and lose the OEM visors.
I have been contemplating getting a tint strip put on mainly because the sun peeks through visors or not. I rarely used them forward facing, I mainly use them for driving N/S when the sun is hitting me on the side. The only time I would use them forward facing is early morning or late evening when the sun is lowest on the horizon.
 

FAC3L3SS

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The second brackets you made are about what do it for me. With the hardware they supply, you can get the mirror to sit up pretty high, but with the ones you made I could get it up to the same height as a stock mirror or higher and be okay. I guess worse case is I grab a mirror and some materials and I'm only out ~$25 if I don't like it.
 

ImThaBean

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The second brackets you made are about what do it for me. With the hardware they supply, you can get the mirror to sit up pretty high, but with the ones you made I could get it up to the same height as a stock mirror or higher and be okay. I guess worse case is I grab a mirror and some materials and I'm only out ~$25 if I don't like it.
That"s all it is. $5 in materials. If you end up not liking it, box up the Wink and return it. That's my worst case scenario.
 

CDubs

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damn this is good =) for some cash would you be willing to make me a set since i cant do it while im away at college
 

ImThaBean

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I'll have to see whats up. If I get some time, I would be able to. Its just been hot lately. We got a late heat wave.
 

CDubs

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im in no rush i plan to buy te same mirror in early november after my birtday
 

ImThaBean

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Quick update: I had a vibration issue. Being that the Wink is 34" long and made of flimsy plastic it flexes bad, I found a simple solution. I don't have a lot of pics since I did all the modifications at work in my down time, but I will make good notes on what I did.

TL;DR
By angle stock & JB Weld
 


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